Let’s Divorce. Mrs. Wright Is Done Playing Nice
","tempPercentage":"{\"dateDisplay\":1}","headTitle":"Let’s Divorce. Mrs. Wright Is Done Playing Nice","sa":1,"fromType":6,"subTitle":"","articleEndRemark":"🔥🔥🔥Click here to read more exciting content👉
","dateDisplay":1,"viewUrl":"https://www.fixbt.com/market/buenovela/3","tempType":10,"imgRemark":"","ggConversionMode":0,"downRemark":"👉CONTINUE READING👈","bookLanguage":"ENGLISH","reportUrl":"https://api.buenovela.com","bookId":"31001271752","imgUrl":"https://www.fixbt.com/booktype/booktype-xKxi8iJzra.jpg","pixelId":"573903117690110","dataMsg":"“Let’s divorce. It’s for your own good.”
“Divorce?” Evan scoffed. “You really think you can let go? And if you’re trying to hold on to me, don’t dress it up as doing me a favor. That fake concern is pathetic.”
Chapter 1
A hospital room.
The sharp scent of disinfectant made Stella Rowan feel nauseous as she lay weakly on the bed.
The call connected. Stella spoke first. “I had a mis-carriage and would need an emergency ab0r-tion. Can you come to me?”
There was a brief pause on the line.
Then the man spoke, his voice low and irritated. “Since when did you get pre-gnant? Why didn’t I know anything about it? Stella Rowan, even if you’re being dramatic, there should be a limit.”
“Are you coming or not?”
That single word, dramatic, lit a fuse in Stella’s chest.
“I really don’t have time to argue with you today.”
Facing her anger, Evan Wright tried to keep the impatience out of his voice.
A cold numbness washed over her. She didn’t say another word and pulled the phone away from her ear.
Just as she was about to hang up, a woman’s voice came through the line.
“Sir, the C-section was a success. The mother delivered healthy twins, a boy and a girl.”
Stella’s world went completely dark.
He was in the same hospital.
But he was there with his sister-in-law through the birth of twins.
And his own child was facing a m1scarr-iage procedure.
Stella pressed the end-call button without hesitation.
A female doctor in black-rimmed glasses walked in and stopped by the bed. She pulled out a pen and began writing on the form, the sound sharp in the quiet room.
Without looking up, she asked seriously, “The operating room is ready. You’ll need someone to watch over you afterward. Is your husband here? ”
Stella held back the anger burning in her chest. “As if he’d ever show up.”
The doctor paused, confused. Her pen stopped midair.
Stella looked at her, her gaze turning icy. “He’s busy accompanying his sister-in-law while she gives birth. I’ll manage on my own.”
The words twins from the call earlier felt like spikes driving straight into her heart.
A flicker of sympathy passed through the doctor’s eyes.
She handed the completed form to Stella. “All right.”
Stella took the pen and signed her name quickly.
The doctor then handed her a pill. “Take this. The procedure will start in thirty minutes.”
Stella accepted it and swallowed it immediately.
She hated medicine. But this time, she let the nasty taste of the medicine spread through her mouth without flinching.
…
Evening.
After being kept for post-op observation, Stella drove herself back to the villa she shared with Evan.
Marianne, the housekeeper responsible for cleaning the place, jumped when she saw how pale Stella looked. “Mrs. Wright, what happened to you?”
Stella lifted her eyes at the sound of Marianne’s voice. Her face was still bloodless as she forced a faint smile. “Marianne, I’m a little hungry.”
That morning, Evan had taken her to the Wright family estate.
At the family lunch, she’d barely eaten a few bites when Summer Bailey suddenly went into labor and started bleeding heavily.
The entire estate fell into chaos over Summer’s impending delivery.
Summer was Evan’s sister-in-law, the wife of his older brother, Steven Wright. Steven had d1ed in a plane crash six months earlier, with no remains ever recovered.
Since then, whenever anything happened to Summer or the child she was carrying, one phone call was enough to pull Evan away from anything.
The scenes from earlier that day flashed through Stella’s mind.
When Summer went into labor, the shove she gave Stella had been so forceful that Stella fell to the ground and couldn’t get back up.
But all eyes were on Summer, who was crying and screaming.
Evan carried Summer straight past her.
Stella had grabbed the leg of his pants, her fingers trembling.
“My stomach hurts.”
Evan had only given her a look that said stop it. Then he turned away, carrying Summer without looking back.
Seeing how weak Stella was now, Marianne helped her sit down at the dining table. “The kitchen just made some food. I’ll bring it over.”
A bowl of steaming soup, along with a few small side dishes, was set in front of her.
Stella had only taken a couple of bites when voices drifted in from outside, laughing as they drew closer. The door opened moments later.
Evan walked in with his mother, Dora Lowe.
Seeing Stella, and with the Wright family celebrating a major event today, Dora was unusually restrained. For once, she didn’t throw Stella a disdainful look.
Of course, she didn’t actually look at her at all.
She only said to Evan, “I’ll go grab something.”
“Okay.”
Dora headed straight upstairs.
Evan’s smile faded. He walked over to Stella and sat down across from her.
He crossed his long legs, flicked open his lighter, and with a sharp click, a flame jumped up. He lit a c1ga-rette and took a drag.
Stella kept her head down and focused on her food, ignoring him.
He inhaled deeply, then let out a slow breath, sounding almost helpless. He reached out and rubbed the top of her head.
“You tell me,” he said softly. “Is today really the time for you to lose your temper?”
“My brother’s gone. My sister-in-law is still carrying on his bloodline. What exactly are you making a scene about today?”
“The babies are adorable,” he went on gently. “Two tiny little ones. You’d like them if you saw them.”
As she listened to the way he spoke to her, coaxing, and the warmth in his voice when he talked about the babies, something inside Stella finally snapped.
She raised her hand and slammed her silverware down on the table with a sharp crack, cutting him off.
“So other people’s kids are just that adorable?”
Her eyes were red with rage as she stared at him, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
Evan saw her temper flare again, and his expression darkened. “What do you mean by other people? Those are my brother’s children!”
His voice rose at the end, his own anger spilling over.
Stella let out a short, humorless laugh. “Oh, you still remember they’re your brother’s kids? The way you’re acting, I almost thought they were yours.”
“Stella Rowan!”
Evan completely lost it.
Stella stood up and slapped him across the face.
The sound cracked through the room.
Her eyes were filled with hatred as she looked at him. “Divorce.”
Whose child they were didn’t matter anymore. If he wanted to take responsibility for someone else’s family, he could go right ahead.
She’d had enough of this for the past six months.
Evan’s eyes turned icy. “She gave birth to my brother’s children today. My brother is dead. You expect me to just stand by and do nothing?”
Stella laughed coldly. “Your brother’s children, so that gives you an excuse to cross every boundary? To ignore whether your own child lives or dies?”
What a convenient phrase. My brother’s children.
She remembered what the doctor had said. If she’d been sent to the hospital in time, the baby might have been saved.
But instead—
The pain of having the child t0rn from her body was still vivid.
She looked at Evan, her gaze frozen solid. “The Wright family had over twenty people surrounding her. Was that still not enough? Was one more you really that necessary?”
Evan’s chest rose and fell unevenly.
He fell silent for a few seconds, forcing himself to calm down. Then he grabbed Stella’s cold hand and touched her forehead. It felt warm.
She always ran a fever around her period.
“Enough,” he said, softening. “I know you’ve always wanted a child, but that kind of thing depends on fate. You can’t force it, okay?”
That resigned, compromising tone made Stella’s blood boil.
“What are you saying? That you think my pre-gnancy was fake?”
Seeing how agitated she was, Evan pulled her into his arms. “All right, all right. You were pre-gnant. I was wrong. Okay?”
This was always how he handled things.
For the past six months, every time she got upset because of Summer, he’d respond with this same half-hearted apology, pretending to believe her just enough to shut her up.
But was this really something he could brush off like that?
Dora came back downstairs, holding the item she’d gone to fetch, acting as if she hadn’t noticed the tension thick in the air.
As she walked down, she said casually to Stella, “Stella, Summer just had a C-section and can’t eat much. She’s been craving the chicken soup you make. Get up early tomorrow and bring some to the hospital.
“Make sure you pick a lean one, freshly butchered. She can’t handle anything greasy after giving birth.”
Then she turned to Evan. “Let’s go.”
Summer had just delivered twins. That was the priority now. They couldn’t let the new mother feel even the slightest discomfort.
Especially with Evan there. He looked exactly like his older brother. Having him around would put her at ease.
Evan really did let go of Stella.
He pinched her cheek affectionately. “I’ll be home late tonight. Don’t wait up. Be good.”
Then he turned and followed Dora toward the door.
Just as they reached the entrance, Stella’s fury finally exploded.
She lifted her hand and flipped the entire dining table over.
The crash was deafening. Dishes shattered, food spilled everywhere, glass and porcelain exploding across the floor.
The thunderous noise made both of them freeze mid-step.
Dora and Evan turned around at the same time.
“Stella Rowan, what do you think you’re doing?” Dora shrieked, startled at first, then furious. “Our family just welcomed twins today. On such a joyful day, who are you putting on this show for?”
Stella looked at her, her face cold as ice. “Summer Bailey wants to drink the soup I made?”
She gave a sharp, mocking smile.
“Since when did I ever know how to make soup?”
Chapter 2
The air went dead silent.
Tension hung thick between the three of them, sharp and ready to explode.
Stella stared at Evan, then kicked over the chair beside her. It crashed to the floor with a thunderous bang.
Her whole presence turned cutting and aggressive. “Go ahead. Tell your mother. What kind of soup do I even know how to make?
“Summer says she wants the chicken soup I supposedly make. Is that really not obvious enough for you? Or did you forget that I don’t even know how to cook?”
Every word was charged with anger, each sentence sharp as a blade.
Stella had just lost her child. Her entire system was still in shock. Anyone who dared poke her right now was asking to get blown up.
Dora flew into a rage. “You— I mean—”
Evan cut in, his expression stern. “If you don’t know how to make it, then don’t. Have the staff do it. Is this really worth making such a scene over?”
That same dismissive tone again. Like none of it was a big deal.
Stella fell silent.
Her heart went completely cold.
Dora snapped, furious. “What kind of bad luck did our family run into? She can’t even give birth herself, and now someone else has children and she’s the one causing trouble—”
“That’s enough.”
Evan interrupted her sharply before she could finish.
That only made Dora angrier. “You just keep indulging her!”
She turned to storm off.
Just as she was about to leave, Stella spoke again.
“Mrs. Wright, you’ve got it wrong,” Stella said coldly. “It’s not that I can’t have children. It’s that the baby I was carrying two years ago was lost after Summer ran her car into me.
“Don’t twist the facts and slap the label of ‘infertile’ on me to cover up your cruelty.”
Stella threw off the label Dora had pinned on her for the past two years without mercy.
And the way she addressed her as Mrs. Wright made it unmistakably clear.
The formal title hung in the air like a physical barrier.
Dora nearly fainted on the spot when she heard Mrs. Wright and cruel mother-in-law in the same breath.
“This is outrageous. Absolutely outrageous.”
Had she completely lost her mind?
Dora was so furious she could barely stand. She turned on Evan instead. “This is the woman you married. Do something about her!”
With that, she stormed out in a rage.
Evan’s gaze darkened when Stella called his mother Mrs. Wright. Displeasure flickered in his eyes.
But in the end, he said nothing. He turned and followed his mother out.
Watching his back as he left, Stella felt nothing but bitter irony.
Things had blown up like this, and he still went after her.
Was it really because his brother was gone and he felt responsible for Summer?
Or was it simply because he wanted to be there for her?
Once they were gone, Marianne approached anxiously. “Mrs. Wright, you don’t look well at all. Should I call a doctor to come take a look?”
Even the housekeeper could see something was wrong. She knew a doctor should be called.
But Evan—
Stella waved her off. “No, it’s okay. You can go.”
She was too angry to hold herself together.
Marianne hesitated, then finally nodded and left.
Once Stella was alone, her phone began to vibrate.
It was a call from her best friend, Jennifer Tanner.
At the sight of the name on the screen, some of the rage drained from Stella’s body. “Jennifer.”
“I’ve been calling you all afternoon. Why didn’t you pick up? Did you hear about Summer Bailey giving birth to twins?”
“I did,” Stella said flatly. “Evan was there with her.”
“You knew? And you didn’t stop it?” Jennifer snapped. “Summer gives birth, and he’s there with her? In what role exactly? Doesn’t the Wright family have enough people to take care of her?”
Jennifer was furious on Stella’s behalf. Evan didn’t even know how to keep his distance.
Steven had been gone for six months.
And for those six months, Stella had been simmering in resentment over Summer’s complete lack of boundaries.
Was Evan really that oblivious, or did he just not care how Stella felt?
Stella’s voice was as cold as her eyes. “What can I do? Evan has the same face as Steven. Apparently that’s enough to soothe her depression.”
Wasn’t that the excuse they’d used over and over these past six months? Calling Evan away whenever Summer lost control?
Whenever Summer lost control, the first call always went to Evan.
Jennifer knew all of this, and it only made her angrier. “The entire Wright family is seriously messed up in the head.”
Summer couldn’t accept that Steven was gone, so they kept Evan paraded in front of her.
He had a wife of his own. Comforting another woman like this, what kind of nonsense was that?
“I miscarried this afternoon,” Stella said quietly. “When you were calling me, I was already on the operating table.”
Jennifer fell silent.
“…What?”
Then it hit her, and she exploded.
“You miscarried, and Evan was by his sister-in-law’s side when she’s giving birth? Is he insane? Does he even know?”
His wife was going through surgery for a m1scarr-iage, and he was accompanying another woman deliver twins. What was wrong with him?
Stella opened her eyes, dark and hollow. “Come pick me up.”
She was exhausted.
And she loathed every inch of this place. Even the air made her sick.
She hung up the phone.
Stella went upstairs and packed her personal belongings at record speed.
She also gathered everything she’d bought for Evan over the years.
Marianne saw her carrying a pile of things outside the villa and setting them on fire. She rushed over in alarm. “Mrs. Wright, what are you doing? Please stop burning things.
“If the madam finds out, she’ll say it’s bad luck again.”
Dora had already been furious over the earlier scene. If she saw this, there was no telling how ugly it would get.
“Bad luck is perfect,” Stella said coldly. “If I knew witchcraft, I’d curse the entire Wright family to he-11.”
Her voice was filled with hatred and disgust.
As she spoke, she went back upstairs.
Trip after trip, she carried down everything tied to Evan and threw it into the roaring flames.
When Jennifer arrived, she saw Stella standing at the villa entrance.
In front of her, a mound of charred things smothered in ash.
Stella’s face was pale. She looked fearless. Detached.
Jennifer strode over. She was tall and pulled Stella straight into her arms, shielding her with an umbrella from the pouring rain.
“You just miscarried, and you’re standing out here getting soaked?” Jennifer scolded. “Are you trying to wreck your health?”
Without waiting for an answer, she wrapped an arm around Stella and marched her toward the car.
As she felt the warmth of Jennifer’s embrace, the tension Stella had been holding all night finally collapsed.
…
Inside the car.
Jennifer grabbed a dry towel and roughly wiped Stella’s wet hair. “What were you burning?”
“Everything I bought for him. And everything he bought for me.”
Jennifer glanced at her. “If you want to cry, then cry. I know you’re not supposed to after a m1s-carriage, but it’s still better than bottling it up.”
They’d been so good together once.
And yet, in just six months, everything had been torn to pieces.
Stella kept wiping her hair and let out a short laugh. “Cry? No. Why should I cry alone?”
She would make the people who deserved to cry do it properly.
Jennifer fell silent.
When Stella’s hair was mostly dry, she put the towel aside. “Just watch. Someone in the Wright family is about to cry plenty.”
Meeting Stella’s ice-cold gaze, Jennifer nodded. “You’re right. They should be the ones crying, not you.”
There was no room for a third person in a relationship, no matter how that third person tried to exist.
And Summer hadn’t even bothered to hide it these past six months. She’d been openly competing for Evan’s affection.
That kind of shamelessness only came from one belief: Stella couldn’t do anything about her.
Jennifer started the car and drove away from the villa.
Rain pounded against the windows as the wipers swept back and forth.
“After you lost that baby two years ago,” Jennifer said, “you couldn’t get pre-gnant again, right?”
Two years ago, Stella and Evan had been expecting a child.
Before Stella even knew she was pre-gnant, Summer had hit her with a car. She had lost the baby before she even reached the hospital.
Summer had cried harder than anyone afterward, insisting it hadn’t been intentional.
In the end, the matter was quietly buried.
Steven was still alive then, and Summer hadn’t shown any obvious interest in Evan, so Stella hadn’t pushed it further.
But looking back now, it was likely Summer had already set her sights on Evan back then.
She’d known about the pre-gnancy and had done it on purpose.
After that, Stella never conceived again.
For the past two years, because she couldn’t get pre-gnant, Dora had treated her with open contempt.
Bag after bag of herbal medicine had been sent to her.
And today—
When Summer went into labor, the shove she gave Stella had felt deliberate.
Jennifer frowned. “Back then, I didn’t think much of it. But after Steven d1ed, watching how Summer’s been acting around Evan, it really feels like that car accident was intentional.”
The word intentional made the air around Stella turn icy.
Two years ago. Today.
Stella said flatly, “She shoved me today, too.”
The image flashed through her mind. Evan holding Summer, looking at Stella with that dismissive ‘stop making trouble’ expression.
Rage surged through her chest.
“So that means two years ago was definitely deliberate,” Jennifer said sharply. “Her husband was still alive, and she was already eyeing her brother-in-law. That’s twisted.”
Stella didn’t respond.
Twisted?
Looking at it now, yes.
Especially over the past six months. Summer’s obsessive, aggressive possessiveness toward Evan was anything but normal.
“So what are you going to do?” Jennifer asked. “Just let it go?”
Let it go?
Stella looked out the window. The rain was heavy, flooding the streets in no time.
Did she look like someone who would just let it go?
Her eyes were as cold as the rain outside. “First, I divorce Evan.”
“And then?”
Stella didn’t answer right away. She watched the rain slide down the glass before asking calmly, “Ruby Bailey’s export business has been doing very well these past few years, hasn’t it?”
Ruby Bailey was Summer’s wealthy mother.
These past two years, Summer had dared to act the way she did because she had Dora backing her. And because she had a rich mother standing behind her.
Jennifer said carefully, “Yeah, but why are you bringing up her mother? That’s not a woman anyone can easily mess with.”
She was warning her.
Ruby hadn’t built an empire by accident. A woman who could grow her business to that scale didn’t get there without ruthless methods.
“What if that business gets cut off?” Stella asked calmly.
Jennifer fell silent.
Cut off… the business?
“The materials she deals in are only sold overseas,” Jennifer said slowly. “If that pipeline gets shut down, it’d be no different from taking her life.”
She glanced at Stella. “Why are you asking this, babe? Don’t tell me you expect me to help you take on the Bailey family. I don’t have that kind of pull.”
Ruby’s network was no joke.
She was like an old tree with roots tangled deep through Harbor City. No one could shake her easily.
Seeing Stella remain unmoved, Jennifer squeezed her cold hand. “Don’t do anything stu-pid.”
Something fool?
Stella didn’t answer.
But in her mind, a face surfaced.
She thought of the foreign man from Eirden who had found her a month ago, the memory of him pulling her into his arms still vivid.
Chapter 3
Jennifer wanted to take Stella back to her place.
But Stella insisted on going to Azure Heights on Starlake Avenue. It was an apartment she had bought herself three months ago.
This made one thing painfully clear. She’d been preparing to leave Evan for a long time.
“I tell you to come stay with me and you refuse,” Jennifer said. “You need someone to look after you right now. When did you even buy this place?”
As she spoke, she pulled out a blanket and draped it over Stella. Then she went into the kitchen to make some food.
Stella adjusted the blanket around her shoulders. “The second month after Steven died.”
The second month?
That was early.
“You were already planning to divorce Evan back then?” Jennifer asked.
Stella gave a tired hum in response and lay down on the couch.
The month Steven died, Evan had practically moved into the family estate. He was rarely home.
And even when he was, one call from the estate about Summer would send him rushing out again.
Who could endure a marriage twisted like that?
The phone started vibrating.
It was the landline from the villa.
Stella didn’t even think twice. She hung up and blocked the number.
A moment later, Jennifer’s phone rang.
It was Evan.
She answered, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “What, your sister-in-law doesn’t need you anymore?”
“Let Stella answer the phone.”
Evan’s voice was low and tight.
He’d just arrived at the hospital when Marianne called to say Stella had left.
He rushed back to the villa. The moment he reached the gate, he saw the stone slates outside scorched black in a wide circle.
Marianne told him Stella had done it.
Her clothes were gone from the closet. Everything she’d bought for him was gone too.
Burned.
What was she trying to do? Was she really going to keep escalating this?
Jennifer let out a mocking laugh. “Your sister-in-law just gave birth and she’s weak. You should be worrying about her. Why are you looking for Stella? What is Stella to you, exactly?”
“Jennifer Tanner!”
Evan’s patience snapped.
Jennifer glanced back at Stella. She was staring at something on her phone, her expression dark.
Seeing that Stella wasn’t paying attention to who she was talking to, Jennifer walked into the kitchen and shut the door.
“Evan Wright, are you out of your mind?” she snapped.
“Does Summer see you as Steven, or does she want you, with that identical face, to be her stand-in husband? Don’t tell me you’re too fool to know the difference.
“And you don’t even bother keeping your distance. Do you have any idea what people in Harbor City are saying about you two right now? Or are you just deaf and blind?”
She was furious.
Summer had no shame, the entire Wright family indulged her, and Evan went right along with it.
Evan gritted his teeth. “I said, let Stella talk to me.”
He was out of patience. Stella was clearly spiraling, and he had no intention of arguing with Jennifer.
“She just miscarried,” Jennifer shot back. “With your attitude, you shouldn’t be talking to her at all.”
“If you can’t be a proper husband, then stop ruining her life. Your sister-in-law needs you so badly, go stay with her for the rest of your life.”
If Evan wouldn’t care for Stella, then Jennifer would.
Thinking of what Stella had said earlier — that Summer shoved her today — Jennifer didn’t give Evan another chance to speak.
She hung up.
Back in the living room, she saw Stella gripping her phone so tightly her knuckles had turned white.
“What are you looking at?” Jennifer asked. “If it’s upsetting, don’t look at it.”
She reached out to take the phone, but Stella avoided her hand.
“Redcrest Valley,” Stella said. “You remember it?”
“Of course,” Jennifer replied. “You worked on the tourism design project there three years ago. Your proposal got rejected.”
Redcrest Valley.
A place Stella loved.
Especially in October, when the hills turned red and gold.
They’d been there together.
When the area was being developed for tourism, Stella had entered the design competition.
She’d stayed up night after night for three months, traveled there more than five times for site inspections.
And still, her design wasn’t chosen.
“Why are you asking about it?” Jennifer asked.
Stella handed her the phone.
It was an article praising Redcrest Valley’s successful tourism launch, recommending it as a new destination.
Influencers were already flocking there. The reviews were glowing.
Jennifer frowned. “Wait…”
She stared at the photos.
“These spots… this is your design.”
Every section matched what Stella had created back then. Jennifer remembered it clearly. Stella had designed everything from a visitor’s point of view.
Jennifer’s expression darkened. She quickly searched for more articles, then tapped on the project details.
When the words “Lead Designer: Summer Bailey” appeared on the screen, Jennifer nearly smashed the phone.
She shoved it back at Stella.
Stella let out a quiet laugh when she saw the name. “So that’s how I got eliminated.”
Jennifer’s lips pressed into a hard line, fury burning in her eyes.
“I was planning to start with her mother,” Stella said calmly. \"But now, looks like I should turn the gun on her first.”
Jennifer’s heart jolted. “Stella… what are you saying?”
Was she talking about Summer? And Ruby?
No, wait…
Jennifer was angry too, but seeing the cold clarity in Stella’s eyes, she forced herself to calm down.
“Listen, babe. Forget how the entire Wright family, including Evan, has always sided with Summer. Just her mother alone… that woman isn’t someone you can take on,” she said carefully. “Don’t do anything reckless, okay?”
Stella’s lips curled into a mocking smile. “Not someone I can take on?”
Of course she hadn’t forgotten how untouchable Ruby Bailey was.
But what if that woman lost the very thing that made her untouchable?
At the thought of how Summer had spent years in the Wright family, teaming up with Dora to corner and humiliate her, the last trace of warmth in Stella’s eyes vanished.
All that remained was anger and hatred!
Chapter 4
Evan finally lost his temper completely.
He grabbed his phone and made a call. It was answered almost immediately. “Sir.”
“Find out where Jennifer Tanner and my wife are. Right now.”
Patrick hesitated for a split second. “Understood.”
“Now,” Evan barked.
It was pouring rain this late at night. What did she think she was doing?
She’d burned everything connected to their marriage. She’d made scenes before, but never like this.
For the first time, a flicker of unease rose in Evan’s chest.
Patrick moved fast. Ten minutes later, he called back. “Mrs. Wright is at Azure Heights on Starlake Avenue.”
Evan narrowed his eyes. “What is she doing there?”
Starlake Avenue.
He didn’t remember them having any friends in that area.
“Miss Tanner is with her,” Patrick added.
At the mention of Jennifer, Evan’s expression darkened.
In his view, women shouldn’t have close girlfriends. Once they did, it was like they suddenly grew ten extra brains.
Every time Stella got together with Jennifer, nothing good ever came of it.
By the time Evan arrived at Azure Heights, Stella—exhausted from the day—had already fallen asleep.
Jennifer had left. Stella hadn’t wanted to go with her, so she decided to arrange for someone to come take care of Stella.
Stella had just drifted off when the doorbell rang insistently, jolting her awake.
She thought Jennifer might have forgotten something.
Half-asleep, she got up and opened the door. “What did you forget to—”
The word d1ed on her lips when she saw Evan.
Her expression immediately turned cold.
“How did you find this place?”
Evan’s face was hard. Raindrops still clung to his black suit jacket. “What do you think?”
Seeing Stella in her pajamas only made his anger spike.
He leaned forward and glanced inside. When he saw no one else there, his presence softened slightly.
“Jennifer said you miscarried,” he said. “Wouldn’t it look bad if I didn’t come check on you?”
As he spoke, he reached instinctively, grabbing her arm and pulling her toward him, familiar and practiced.
But this time, Stella didn’t let herself be dragged into his arms.
She stayed where she was, her gaze sharp and guarded.
Meeting the cold in her eyes made something tighten briefly in Evan’s chest.
But the next second, he smiled. “All right, all right. You miscarried. I’ll take care of you, okay?”
That indifferent tone dripped with sarcasm.
It was just short of saying she was faking it.
The anger Jennifer had just managed to calm flared right back up.
Stella lifted her leg and kicked him hard.
Evan wasn’t prepared. The blow landed squarely in his stomach. He sucked in a sharp breath of pain and instinctively let go of her arm.
Seeing her bristling like a cornered hedgehog gave him a headache.
“You’ve made your scene. You burned half the house. Are you still not over it?”
Stella said nothing.
But the chill in her eyes deepened.
Over it?
This anger wasn’t going anywhere. Not unless someone paid for it.
She let out a soft, humorless laugh.
She didn’t say a word, but the mockery in that laugh made Evan feel inexplicably irritated.
A dull headache throbbed behind his temples.
“Enough,” Evan said, clearly exhausted. “This is on me. All of it. Okay? Come home with me.”
As he spoke, he reached out again, trying to grab Stella’s arm.
She stepped back, dodging him easily.
Her distance, that icy rejection, finally wiped the patience from Evan’s face. His expression darkened completely, the air around them turning heavy and tight.
“Is that really my home?” Stella let out a mocking laugh. “A house where the deed isn’t even in my name?”
“The name on the t1tle belongs to Fiona Wright.”
Fiona was Evan’s younger sister. She was especially close to Summer.
The villa Stella and Evan had lived in after their marriage had long since been transferred into Fiona’s name.
The Wright family had never approved of Stella, an orphan raised without family backing.
They’d agreed to the marriage under one condition. A secret marriage.
Any time Evan tried to give Stella something substantial, his mother would quietly take it back and register it under the names of his two sisters instead.
Even their marital home.
They’d been terrified Stella might benefit from the Wright family in any way.
“The house is in Fiona’s name,” Stella said calmly. “And you still call it my home. Don’t you think that’s ridiculous?”
Evan paused. “Then I’ll transfer it back to you tomorrow. Is that enough?”
The strain in his voice was obvious. His patience was gone.
Stella didn’t want to hear another word from him. She reached for the door, ready to shut it.
Evan caught the edge of the door with his hand.
“Stella,” he said, his tone no longer coaxing. “There’s a limit to how far you can take this.”
“What limit?” Stella raised an eyebrow.
Her emotions should have been spiraling. Instead, she was eerily calm. Even when she spoke about Summer, her voice was steady.
“You and Summer are crossing lines, and you still expect me to stay within limits?”
Evan’s chest tightened.
“Stop lumping me together with her,” he snapped. “There’s nothing between us.”
Stella looked at him coolly. “Steven is dead. Everyone in Harbor City thinks you’ve stepped in to take his place.
“No one knows you’re married. No one even knows your wife’s name is Stella Rowan.
“And you’re telling me that has nothing to do with you?”
Six months.
In those six months after Steven’s death, Evan and Summer had been seen together constantly.
At events. In public. In private.
There were even rumors that the twins were Evan’s.
Some people whispered that Steven’s death itself had something to do with Evan.
Hearing her mention those rumors, Evan stiffened. “You believe that nonsense?”
Rumors?
Stella didn’t answer. She looked at him in silence.
He felt the door pushing harder against his hand. His voice dropped, restrained. “She’s sick. Depression. You know that.”
The word depression iced over Stella’s gaze completely.
“Right. Depression,” she said flatly. “So your face is her medicine. Her personal sedative.”
What a convenient excuse.
Every time Summer lost control, the first thing the family did was send Evan over to calm her down.
Stella closed her eyes briefly. “Sign the divorce papers I’ll have delivered tomorrow.
“Then take care of her for the rest of your life.”
He could stay with her as long as he wanted.
This twisted attachment made Stella sick to her core.
Her indifference finally snapped the last thread of Evan’s restraint. “Stella Rowan!”
She opened her eyes, cold and resolute. “And tell Summer to prepare herself.
“She’ll be receiving a court summons soon.”
Chapter 5
Thinking of the months she’d poured into the Redcrest Valley project, Stella looked at Evan with a colder, sharper mockery in her eyes.
The air fell silent.
Nearly half a minute passed before Evan spoke again, his voice tightly controlled. “What are you trying to say?”
“What exactly are you planning to sue her for?”
The words court summons had made his chest jolt hard. When he looked at Stella now, there was no warmth left in his gaze.
“What do you think?” Stella met his eyes with open scorn. “Evan Wright, you were the one who told me my design for the Redcrest Valley tourism project got rejected, weren’t you?
“So tell me. Was it my design that got cut, or was it me?”
The silence deepened.
Outside, rain and wind battered the windows, unable to cool the thick, stifling air between them.
Stella glanced at the hand Evan still had braced against the door. “Can you let go now?”
His expression stiffened.
When he spoke again, the words came out strained, almost suffocating. “This isn’t what you think.”
“Save it,” Stella said calmly. “You can explain everything to the judge.”
“Stella Rowan!”
“Let go.”
“Do you really have to tear the family apart like this?”
Stella fell silent.
What did true, bone-deep coldness feel like?
Family?
She let out a soft, bitter laugh. “Family… how disgusting.”
He didn’t try to give her a real explanation. Maybe because he couldn’t.
And using the word family at a moment like this only made it worse.
Stella pushed harder against the door. Evan instinctively tightened his grip.
“You can’t sue her,” he said urgently. “She just gave birth.”
Stella said nothing.
What a line.
She had lost two children because of Summer. He hadn’t believed she was pre-gnant, accusing her of making a scene.
Now that she wanted to take Summer to court, he panicked.
Stella closed her eyes. Then she lifted her leg and kicked out again.
This time, Evan was ready. His instincts made him release the door.
Before he could react, the door slammed shut in his face with a heavy bang.
“Stella, open the door. Let’s talk this through.”
Evan pounded on the door like he’d lost his mind.
Stella stood there, her face frozen, her back pressed against the door. She answered only once.
“Talk to my lawyer.”
Hearing the word lawyer made Evan’s chest seize.
Stella turned and walked into the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. Then she crawled under the covers, blocking out the world completely.
She didn’t know how long the doorbell and pounding continued before it finally stopped.
Half-asleep, exhausted and weak, Stella drifted in and out of dreams.
Sometime in the middle of the night, she was shaken awake.
“Stella. Stella.”
Her body felt like it was being thrown from a freezer into flames.
She forced her eyes open. It was Jennifer.
“Jennifer.”
“You have a fever,” Jennifer said anxiously. “I’m taking you to the hospital.”
Jennifer hadn’t been able to rest easy. She’d brought her housekeeper over in the middle of the night to help look after Stella.
Thank G0-d she came.
If Stella had burned through the night like this, who knew what would’ve happened by morning?
Jennifer’s phone kept buzzing nonstop. Evan was calling.
She was already fed up. She didn’t answer until she’d helped Stella into the car.
“What do you want?” she snapped.
“Pass this on to Stella,” Evan said. “No matter how angry she is at Summer, it can wait until Summer finishes her postpartum recovery.”
“Evan Wright, go to he-11,” Jennifer shot back.
Stella, half-conscious, heard his words through the speaker. Her chest went even colder.
Jennifer glanced at Stella’s pale face, rage boiling over. “You’re so worried about Summer’s recovery, but your own wife just—”
She didn’t get to finish.
The phone was suddenly gone from her hand.
Jennifer turned to see Stella grab it and hang up without hesitation.
“What are you doing?” Jennifer burst out. “Let me tear him apart.”
She was furious beyond words.
She was just an outsider, and even she was furious beyond control. How had Stella endured this for so long?
Jennifer looked at her with aching sympathy.
“He doesn’t believe it,” Stella said quietly. “Talking to him is a waste of breath.”
Jennifer fell silent.
She knew it was true. Hadn’t Stella gotten angry over Summer countless times these past six months?
Not only had Evan never cared, he’d only crossed more lines. This time, he’d even accompanied her to give birth.
It was sickening.
Stella narrowed her eyes. “Don’t mention my m1scarr-iage to him again.”
“Why?” Jennifer asked.
Why?
Because to him, the pre-gnancy had always been fake. Just another tantrum.
After years of marriage, there wasn’t even basic trust left. What was the point of asking for more?
“We’re getting divorced anyway,” Stella said calmly. “I want it clean. No loose ends.”
And she didn’t want his guilt.
Guilt lingered. It clung. It dragged things out.
Jennifer understood immediately, and it only made her heart ache more. “That bas-ta-rd.”
She was furious.
“Alright,” she said, swallowing it down. “Let’s get you to the hospital.”
Seeing how drained Stella was, Jennifer didn’t say anything else.
They had once been so good together. Now they’d reached a point where neither love nor hate was worth holding onto.
Jennifer helped Stella into the hospital.
And of course, they ran straight into Evan and Summer.
Evan was holding a baby in his arms, several people trailing behind him.
Summer sat in a wheelchair, being pushed along, wiping tears from her face. “Evan, nothing can happen to the baby.”
“Don’t worry,” he said gently. “Everything will be fine.”
That softness in his voice.
Stella realized it was the first time in six months she’d heard him speak with that kind of sincere tenderness.
It was nothing like the half-hearted way he’d always soothed her.
She heard it clearly. He meant it.
As they passed each other, Evan saw Stella. He stopped, lips parting as if to say something.
Before he could, Summer broke down crying. “Evan, if something happens to the baby, I won’t live either.”
In the end, Evan pulled his gaze away from Stella’s deathly pale face and strode forward.
The group behind him rushed to keep up, pushing Summer along.
Whether Stella was angry or not was beside the point. Jennifer was shaking with rage.
“Evan Wright, you stop right there, you piece of—”
“Hey—Stella, Stella!”
The weight against her arm suddenly gave way.
Stella’s body slid downward, and Jennifer panicked, grabbing her just in time.
At the elevator entrance, Evan heard Jennifer shout and instinctively turned around.
He saw Jennifer holding Stella, yelling, “Doctor! Someone help—now!”
Evan’s heart lurched.
Without thinking, he shoved the baby into someone else’s arms and broke into a run toward them.
Chapter 6
Just as Evan took a step toward Stella, something suddenly snagged at his foot.
He looked down.
Summer, who had been crying moments ago, had tumbled out of her wheelchair and collapsed onto the floor.
She was unconscious.
Someone nearby screamed, “Mrs. Wright, oh my G-0d, there’s blood. So much blood!”
The momentum in Evan’s body d1ed instantly. The step he’d been about to take toward Stella paused, as if his legs were filled with lead.
By the time Stella was lifted onto a gurney, her consciousness was already fading.
Through her blurred vision, the last thing she saw was Evan holding Summer in his arms.
Then everything went dark.
…
Stella didn’t wake up again until the next morning.
Jennifer had stayed by her side the entire night. When she saw Stella open her eyes, she let out a breath of relief. “Thank G0d. You’re finally awake. What a mess this turned into.”
Stella’s lips moved slightly. Her throat was painfully dry.
Jennifer hurried to hand her some water. “Evan came by earlier. Stayed about ten minutes.”
Stella fell silent.
Ten minutes.
Just hearing the number made her chest sink. “He asked you to tell me not to sue Summer, didn’t he?”
“You heard that?” Jennifer blurted out, stunned.
Because it was true. Evan had told her—again—to pass along the message that Stella shouldn’t take Summer to court right now.
The nerve of him. His wife hadn’t even woken up yet, and he was already speaking up for Summer.
Stella lowered her gaze to the IV needle in the back of her hand. “No. I didn’t hear it. I could guess.”
After the way he’d treated Summer these past six months, it wasn’t hard to imagine.
And last night, the moment she mentioned suing, he hadn’t just tried to stop her. He’d panicked.
“Don’t think about him,” Jennifer said, pushing the bowl of oatmeal porridge toward her. “Eat something.”
She had seen firsthand how deeply in love they used to be.
But now, even hearing Evan’s name made her chest feel tight.
“You lost a lot of blood last night…” Jennifer’s voice caught halfway through the sentence.
Even as an outsider, it hurt to say.
Yet when Evan had come earlier, he hadn’t looked especially worried. He probably thought Stella just had a bad fever.
So much care for his sister-in-law. So little understanding of his own wife’s condition.
Stella let out a quiet, bitter laugh. “The fact that he could leave before I even woke up says enough.”
“Enough,” Jennifer said firmly. “Don’t talk about Evan anymore. If you want a divorce, I’m on your side.”
So what if the Wright family was the most powerful family in Harbor City?
In the end, it had nothing to do with Stella.
Jennifer added coldly, “Summer tore her st1tches open when she fell. Going that far just to keep Evan to herself… she might as well have killed herself.”
Jennifer had seen it all the night before.
Evan had been about to go to Stella after she collapsed—right up until Summer fainted too.
Passing out at the exact same moment?
Jennifer was convinced it was deliberate.
For a man, Summer was willing to gamble with her life.
That kind of obsession was terrifying.
…
Stella had suffered severe blood loss the night before.
The doctor said she needed to stay in the hospital for at least a week.
After helping Stella finish her meal, Jennifer stood up. “I’ll head back and grab you some clothes. Behave yourself, okay?”
“Okay,” Stella said quietly.
She was exhausted.
Losing that much blood had left her light-headed and weak.
As soon as Jennifer left, Stella closed her eyes again. Not long after, the door to the room opened.
Then came the soft whir of wheels.
Stella opened her eyes.
Summer was at the doorway in a wheelchair.
She tilted her head slightly. The person behind her immediately nodded. “Ma'am, I’ll wait outside.”
Summer gave a soft hum.
The attendant wheeled her in, then left, closing the door behind them.
Summer smiled at Stella. “How are you feeling? I just spoke with your attending physician. He said you had severe bleeding last night. You must be very weak right now.”
Her voice was gentle.
But the smug satisfaction beneath it was impossible to miss.
Stella said nothing. She only looked at Summer coldly.
Meeting the dangerous chill in Stella’s eyes, Summer smiled even more brazenly. “So… after all this, do you still want to stay with Evan?”
Stella lifted her gaze slightly. “The shove yesterday. That was deliberate, wasn’t it?”
In that moment, Stella was almost certain.
Two years ago. Yesterday.
Both times had been intentional.
Summer folded her hands together. The smile on her lips faded, but she didn’t answer the question directly.
Her tone turned firm, commanding. “Divorce Evan. Name your terms.”
Stella fell silent.
She looked at Summer’s arrogant face.
This was the woman the Wright family praised as the perfect daughter-in-law. Gentle. Proper. Well-mannered.
What a joke.
Stella let out a soft, mocking laugh. “You’ve been faking depression all this time. Does Evan know how you really feel about him?”
“That’s none of your concern,” Summer replied coolly.
Perhaps because Stella had grown up in an orphanage, Summer didn’t even bother to hide her contempt.
Stella asked quietly, “Yesterday aside… why did you come after me two years ago?”
Back then, Steven was still alive.
Had she already developed those thoughts about Evan?
Summer lowered her gaze slightly. “That’s not something you’re entitled to ask.”
That answer said everything.
Both two years ago and yesterday—Summer had acted on purpose.
Even when Steven was alive, she had already set her sights on Evan.
“You should stop resisting,” Summer said flatly. “Someone with your background never should’ve married into the Wright family in the first place.”
That phrase “someone with your background” was was pure mockery.
To Summer, Stella was nothing more than an ant.
Someone she could crush without consequences.
Facing her arrogance, Stella smiled faintly. “Did Evan tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“That I’ll be taking back the exclusive rights to the Redcrest Valley project.”
At the words Redcrest Valley, Summer’s expression froze.
But only for a moment.
Then she laughed dismissively. “You’ll take it back? How? With your precious legal tools?”
The arrogance was blatant.
Stella looked at her coldly.
“You really think your status gives you leverage?” Summer continued. “If I wanted you dead, it wouldn’t leave a trace.”
“I’d advise you not to stir up trouble. It won’t work on me. All you’ll do is anger me—and that won’t end well for you.”
Her words were a clear, icy threat.
Her gaze turned razor-sharp. “Divorce Evan. Leave Harbor City. And don’t ever come back.”
“This is the only kindness I’ll ever show you.”
With that, Summer turned her wheelchair and headed for the door.
Stella’s lashes flickered. Her voice was calm and cold. “You’re the first side piece I’ve ever seen this shameless.”
Most side pieces hid in the shadows.
Summer had the audacity only someone with a powerful mother behind her could afford.
Summer stopped. She turned back, a bloodthirsty smile curling on her lips.
“What mistress?” she said softly. “In Harbor City, who even knows you exist as Evan Wright’s wife?”
The words cut deep.
And Stella couldn’t deny it.
Just as Summer was about to say more, the attendant outside spoke up. “Ma'am, Mr. Wright has arrived.”
Summer glanced at Stella.
In an instant, her entire expression changed.
She wheeled herself quickly to the bedside and grabbed Stella’s hand.
At the exact moment the door opened, her voice turned tender and concerned.
“Stella, I understand how badly you want a child. But false pregnancies can sometimes create real symptoms.
“If you don’t mind… I can let the babies spend more time with you in the future, okay?”
The woman who had been ruthless moments ago now looked like the perfect, gentle sister-in-law.
Stella narrowed her eyes slightly.
“You want to be a mother that badly?” Summer said softly. “I don’t mind letting the babies call you Mom.”
She wanted Evan for herself.
And now she even wanted her children to call Stella their mother.
Summer really did know exactly how to drive a knife straight into someone’s chest.
Stella didn’t hold back.
She yanked her hand free and swung.
Smack.
A sharp, cracking sound rang through the room, followed immediately by Summer’s scream.
“Aah—!”
At that exact moment, Evan appeared at the doorway.
He walked in just in time to see it.
His face darkened instantly.
Summer hadn’t expected Stella to actually slap her. Anger surged in her chest but the second she saw Evan, she crushed it down hard.
Her voice turned fragile and aggrieved. “Stella, what are you doing? I was just—”
Smack.
Smack.
Before she could finish, Stella delivered two more slaps.
She put everything she had into them.
After three blows, Summer’s head was ringing so badly she could barely stay upright.
Evan’s blood rushed straight to his head. “Stella, what are you doing?”
Summer clutched her face, tears pooling in her eyes as she looked at him. “Evan…”
Evan rushed forward and grabbed Stella’s wrist as she raised her hand again. “Have you lost your mind?”
Stella wrenched her arm free. “Lost my mind? No. I’m just collecting interest early.”
The words had barely left her mouth when her other hand swung.
She slapped Evan across the face.
Then, in the same motion, backhanded Summer again.
The hospital room exploded into raw, uncontrollable fury.
Chapter 7
Jennifer had come back to grab her phone and walked straight into the scene. She froze, stunned.
Her first instinct was to rush over and check on Stella.
But Evan shot her a cold look.
Jennifer’s temper flared instantly. “Stella—”
Evan’s hair was slightly disheveled now, anger pounding visibly in his temples. “Stella Rowan.”
He grabbed Stella’s wrist, squeezing so hard it felt like he might crush her bones.
The entire room was thick with fury.
“Let go of her!” Jennifer shouted.
Stella met Evan’s icy stare. “What? Are you going to hit me for Summer now?”
As soon as the words left her mouth, Evan’s grip tightened even more. “You’re completely unreasonable.”
With that, he flung her hand away.
Then he turned and started pushing Summer’s wheelchair out of the room.
As Summer was wheeled past Stella, she shot her a look full of contempt.
When they reached the doorway, Stella, still sitting on the hospital bed, let out a soft, mocking laugh.
“Remember this,” she said calmly. “Those slaps today were just a little interest.”
Evan froze.
Summer did too.
The message couldn’t have been clearer. Whether it was about the children or the Redcrest Valley project, Stella wasn’t letting anything go.
Evan paused, then turned back to look at her.
“Evan,” Summer said quickly, clutching her stomach. “It hurts. Take me to the doctor.”
Whatever Evan had been about to say died on his lips.
In the end, he said nothing and pushed Summer away down the hall.
Only after they were gone did Jennifer turn back to Stella. “Why did she even come here?”
Didn’t she realize how disgusting she was?
“And her face,” Jennifer added, staring. “That swelling… you did that, didn’t you?”
Both sides of Summer’s face were red and swollen. It was obvious she’d taken several hard slaps.
“She wanted to play the victim,” Stella said coolly. “I helped her se11 it.”
Summer was already pitiful enough. And the Wright family couldn’t wait for her and Evan to divorce.
Jennifer fell silent.
The worry in her eyes only deepened.
“If her overbearing, vicious mother finds out,” Jennifer said grimly, “there’s no way she’ll let this go.”
Stella picked up the glass of water from the bedside table and took two big gulps. A dull ache twisted in her lower abd0-men.
Jennifer noticed immediately. “What’s wrong?”
“My stomach hurts a little.”
“I’m calling the doctor,” Jennifer said at once. “I already told you, you need to keep your emotions steady right now. Why did you have to blow up like that? You’re the one paying for it with your body.”
She scolded her even as she went to get the doctor.
The doctor examined Stella and said there was nothing serious, but stressed again that she needed to avoid emotional stress and stay calm.
After the doctor left, Stella asked quietly, “Isn’t the whole city saying Evan’s about to take responsibility for Summer?”
Those rumors had started in the second month after Steven’s death.
Back then, Summer had been showing up at events with Evan constantly.
Jennifer snorted. “It’s worse than that. People are saying Steven’s death had something to do with Evan and Summer.”
“They’re saying they were already having an affair, that the babies Summer gave birth to are Evan’s.”
It was ridiculous.
Wasn’t that damaging enough to the Wright family already?
And yet the family still let Evan and Summer appear together—just because Summer had a rich, powerful mother backing her.
“I know you’re furious,” Jennifer said seriously, “but don’t do anything reckless.”
“Summer’s mother is a lunatic. After what you did to Summer today, she’ll definitely come after you.”
Jennifer was genuinely afraid Stella would be targeted for revenge.
A flash of cold light crossed Stella’s eyes. “Isn’t it better if she doesn’t want to let it go? I don’t plan on letting it go either.”
Seeing that look made Jennifer’s chest tighten. “Stella…?”
“Aren’t you supposed to get my pajamas?” Stella said calmly. “Go.”
“But—”
Jennifer hesitated, uneasy.
Especially seeing Stella like this.
“I’m fine,” Stella said.
“…Okay. I’ll be back soon.”
Jennifer went to the restroom to retrieve her phone. The night before had been rushed, and she hadn’t expected Stella to be hospitalized this long.
The moment the hospital room door closed again—
Stella picked up her phone and dialed a number.
The call connected almost instantly.
“Little Star.”
That nickname was gentle, familiar.
It warmed Stella’s otherwise icy chest just a little.
“Brother,” she said quietly. “I’m in the hospital.”
…
Evan esc0rted Summer back to her hospital room.
Dora arrived moments later, carrying a thermos of chicken soup prepared at the family estate.
She entered with a soft, indulgent smile. “Summer, Marianne cooked the chicken soup herself this morning. This soup—”
She stopped short.
“Oh my… what happened to your face?”
Only then did Dora notice the fingerprints on Summer’s cheeks.
She hurriedly set the thermos down and went over, carefully lifting Summer’s face to look.
“What happened? This—”
Clear handprints marked both sides of her face.
Summer covered her cheeks and sniffed quietly, glancing at Evan without saying a word.
That single look was enough.
Dora straightened at once, fury flashing across her face as she turned on Evan. “It was Stella, wasn’t it?”
“She’s gone too far. Summer just gave birth, and she actually dared to hit her?”
Already resentful toward Stella, Dora was now absolutely livid.
“Mom, this isn’t Stella’s fault,” Summer said softly. “It’s my fault. I—I—”
Dora didn’t listen.
She pulled out her phone and dialed Stella’s number.
It rang once before a cold, mechanical voice answered: “The number you have dialed cannot be reached.”
Cannot be reached?
It had worked earlier. This was clearly a block.
That realization sent Dora’s anger through the roof. “She actually dared to block me. I see now. She doesn’t want to be part of this family anymore.”
“Mom, please don’t say that,” Summer said quickly. “It’s really my fault. I knew Stella had been upset these past two years because she couldn’t get pre-gnant, and I still went to see her at a time like this.”
Dora froze. “What did you say? You went to see her?”
“You just gave birth. You’re the one who should be visited. Why would you go see her?”
“I…”
Summer lowered her head even further, looking utterly wronged.
Dora felt dizzy with rage. “You went out of kindness, and she dared to lay hands on you? She can’t have children, and whose fault is that? Isn’t it because—”
“That’s enough.”
Evan’s voice cut through the room.
The suppressed anger in it made Dora fall silent instantly.
She met his gaze—cold, heavy with pressure—and swallowed the rest of her words.
He was her own son, but when Evan lost his temper, even she didn’t dare push back.
Still, seeing Summer’s swollen face, Dora couldn’t let it go. “No matter what, what she did to Summer was wrong. You need to do something about her.”
Evan glanced at her, a warning glint flashing in his eyes.
That was enough.
Dora shut her mouth completely.
Evan didn’t say another word. He turned and strode out of the hospital room, his entire presence sharp with cold fury.
“Mom…” Summer called after him softly.
Dora’s heart clenched. “Alright, alright. You’ve suffered enough. Don’t worry, I will make sure you get justice.”
An orphanage girl with no upbringing, no backing, daring to act this arrogantly?
She didn’t even know who she was up against.
Dora wasn’t about to let this go.
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