Chapter 20 That Night
Jeremy showed no sign of leaving. His gaze lingered on Martha, calm but clearly expectant.
Under his stare, her scalp prickled with unease. She forced herself to nod. “It’s still early. No rush, right? I’ll just go upstairs, change, and shower real quick”
Jeremy’s lips curved ever so slightly as he replied, “Alright. I’ll wait for you.”
Martha had lost all appetite, and she bolted back to her room. Her excuse was paper–thin, and she had no idea if Jeremy had seen through it
Time was slipping fast. She yanked out her phone and furiously dialed Stella.
Two rings. Declined
“That damn tramp–she really dared hang up on me?” Cursing under her breath, Martha kept redialing, again and again.
On the fifth try, the line finally connected. Stella’s voice was sharp, fed up. “Martha, are you insane?”
Martha didn’t even address the insult. She exploded. “Jeremy wants to see you. Get back here now!”
Stella’s lips curled in the hospital hallway with a cold, bitter smile. “You mean after you cut off my mom’s medication? She just got out of the ER and still needs care. There’s no way in hell I’m leaving. Ms. Nord.”
Through the glass, she could see Alison, pale and unconscious, hooked up to countless tubes. The monitor’s soft beeps echoed faintly.
Though no longer critical, her condition was still fragile. So, Alison had to be monitored.
Martha fell silent for half a second, clearly caught off guard, but quickly recovered. “I’ll pay you 20 thousand dollars.. No, 50 thousand dollars. Whatever it takes. Just get your ass back here.”
Jeremy was already in the bedroom. Martha was running out of time.
Stella’s voice was cold and unmoving. “Figure it out yourself. I’m not going.”
“You signed a contract!” Martha shrieked. “It’s your damn obligation!”
Stella’s tone was razor–sharp as she said, “And you broke that contract first. You cut off my mother’s meds, so don’t lecture me about
terms.”
-When it was clear Stella wasn’t backing down, Martha snapped. She kicked the side of the couch, eyes burning with rage.
She said, “Fine! You won’t come back? Then, I’ll call the hospital right now and have your dying mother thrown out! You think I’m bluffing? Once Jeremy finds out, we’ll both be ruined. And with your mom blacklisted, no other hospital will take her!”
Her threat hung in the air, sharp as a knife.
Stella froze. She hadn’t thought she’d go that far.
If Martha were truly that insane, Alison’s treatment would come to an end. Even if she found another hospital, she didn’t have the money to pay for it.
After a long pause, Stella gave in. “I’m on my way.”
“You’ve got 30 minutes,” Martha hissed. “Be even one minute late, and I swear I’ll make that call.”
The call ended.
Stella’s eyes welled up, but she forced herself to breathe. She stepped into the hospital room, trying to hold it together.
Alison was still semi–conscious, electrodes monitoring every heartbeat. When she saw Stella, her expression softened. “I’m okay, baby. Don’t cry.”
e came up at work. I have to head back for a bit.”
Stella quickly wiped her tears and forced a smile. “Mom… something
Alison’s gaze sharpened. She could tell Stella was hiding something. She’d tried to ask about the Parker family before, and Stella had always denied knowing them.
However, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Stella had gotten caught in something dangerous. Something involving Bernice.
If Bernice had targeted Stella, there was no limit to the cruelty she might face.
Thinking of this, tears welled in her eyes. “My health isn’t worth risking yours. Don’t stay too late, alright? Take care of yourself.”
Chapter 20 That Night
Stella sniffled. “Will you be okay here?”
Alison whispered, “Silly girl. Nancy’s here with me. I’ll be just fine.”
Nancy, who stood by her side, nodded with assurance.
Alison didn’t want to make things harder for Stella. She gently patted the back of Stella’s hand and said, “You’re not a kid anymore. You should find someone who loves you, someone who’ll shield you from the world.”
“If you settle down… I can finally rest easy.” Alison didn’t care about romance, she wanted someone to protect her daughter.
However, Stella’s heart ached. Settle down? How could she… when she was about to carry another man’s child?
But she didn’t say any of that. Instead, she nodded softly. “I’ll be back soon.”
With one last glance, she left the hospital and rushed into a cab headed for the Parker residence.
On the second floor of the Parker residence, Jeremy sat relaxed on the balcony in a lounge chair. A bottle of red wine and a single half- filled glass rested on the table beside him.
The master bedroom lights were off, but the balcony’s soft glow illuminated his profile. He watched silently as a small figure sprinted Into the estate gates.
Spinning the wine glass once in his fingers, he drained the last sip in one motion
He’d already noticed that Stella was missing at dinner. He wasn’t overly eager, but he had his suspicions and wanted to see how Martha would react under pressure, Unsurprisingly, Martha cracked and made her move.
Jeremy stood from the chair and stepped inside.
Stella opened the door to Martha’s bedroom. The second she entered, a throw pillow flew at her. “You think you’re untouchable now? You dare defy me?”
The pillow didn’t hurt, but Stella was too numb to care. She walked in and wordlessly held up a QR code. “I’ll go. But I want reimbursement for the surgery costs.
Alison’s operation had drained her. Aside from the money Jeremy gave her earlier, she had nothing left.
Martha gritted her teeth and transferred the funds, “I know you’re pissed, but if you screw up tonight, I’ll make you pay for every cent a hundred time over.
Jeremy had asked her to come to the Parker family’s dinner. With the right moves, she could rake in some serious benefits. Whatever she just gave Stella was pocket change by comparison
Stella gave a sharp nod. Let me be clear, lay another finger on my family, and I won’t just sit back. You may have dirt on me, destroy you too.”
They locked eyes, tension rising.
Martha sneered. “Behave, and I’ll have no reason to touch your precious mommy,” Annoyed, she shoved a small box into Stella’s hands. “Make sure to use this tonight.”
Martha became
but I can
The more time Stella spent with Jeremy, the more anxious i Stella still wasn’t pregnant, and Martha was done living in fear. If they were going to move forward, IVF seemed like a safer bet than Jetting the two of them keep growing closer.
She felt like everything was slipping out of her control.
Stella glanced down Martha had shoved an unopened box of condoms into her hand.
