abbed Isabelle's neck wit

and threw her aside hard. She stumbled back, smashing straight into

forward, but Isabelle threw herself into his arms f

thought I wa

oo, arms wrapped around Charles'

is voice was low and heavy

most unbearable. It took Stell

ashes. She forced her eyes open and stared at the man in fron

Six years of being his wife. One mo

at she got from the man

nd rage, she stepped forward, stopping right in front of hi

ma

isted with the force, and an angry

n't hel

I'm divo

r voice stunned eve

er slim figure hunched, clothes wrinkl

led, bu

ame a cold,

She knew Charles wouldn't believe

way into his bed wouldn't willingly giv

ways how

ng herself-saying it wasn't h

elieved a

eyes locked on her retreating back. H

Stella, ho

y, Charles returned to Ri

e hospital afterward, he figured he

lothes, he decided to give Stell

looked, there was no si

Sophie's stu

actually ran o

t his phone and opene

age was from

come to the hospital. S

y she took Sophie to piano cla

lative, calculating. Even her own daughter's health

nd kept flicking back to the i

ut four short words:

is screen lit up with a b

blocke

harles could on

ient wife. And now? She finally lost it, acti

t and her parents died in an accident, it was Old Mrs. Hart who stepped in-paid off their debts and took Stel

ever dared retur

e her parents' framed photos stood, with Sophie's urn placed gently beneath them. Her mind

just wanted

through the silence of the

she was fourteen. Back then, debt coll

ople. If you don't step out, don't blame m

nk much about it at the time. But now she wond

d bolted towa

from her past, it was Cha

past and present

ward her, voice laced with sarc

really had the gut

wasn't just his own. Some other woman'

a breath to steady herself

of his-calm

ready? Or should I go

to the dried bloo

ven treated the wound. Wha

d, he lo

s marriage, don't ex

in

tunning Charles into silence. His nar

oward the hou

eighteen. The deed's in my name. I'll pay her back every

Still, he couldn't be bothered to argue. He

la called, hurr

me she caught up, he was already on the couch in the

her competition. Thought I'd

g to hear little footstep

things. She'd clutch the gifts with a s

ng as Olivia, but setting Stell

stayed quie

e is

nfused, looki

taring at the gift box, e

ed with sparkling rhinestones, and on

it Olivia had worn a

ing it was for Sophi

you-where

ed, and he stepped

's g