Chapter 19
Just thinking back on these past few months made Stella’s whole body shake.
Those words hit Ryan like a sledgehammer. The guilt was crushing him, making it hard to breathe.
He dropped down and covered his ears, totally losing it.
“No, that’s not… Stella, I only did that shit because I was thinking about our future.”
Stella stared down at him with zero emotion, watching her ex completely fall apart at her feet.
There was a time when seeing him stressed after work would wreck her.
Now? She felt nothing.
After what felt like forever, Stella took a breath: “I’m not gonna hate you, but we’re done. For good. Ryan,
ust… don’t come after me anymore.”
She started to walk away.
Ryan completely snapped and tried to grab her, but Marcus stepped between them.
‘Dude, she doesn’t want to talk to you.”
Marcus was still smiling, but there was this threatening energy coming off him.
Years of hitting the gym had made Marcus way more jacked than desk-job Ryan, and he wasn’t budging.
Ryan knew he’d get his ass kicked, so he just snarled: “Who the fuck are you to get so familiar with her?”
Marcus’s smile got wider: “You had your shot and blew it, man. I’ll take better care of what you threw away.”
On some random London street, Ryan sat on the curb looking like absolute hell.
His hair was fucked up, clothes all wrinkled he’d never looked this pathetic in his life.
–
His phone kept buzzing. It had been going off nonstop all day, Ivy’s name lighting up the screen over and
over.
Ryan was already pissed off when he picked up, ready to go off on whoever was calling, but then he heard Ivy’s crying voice.
“Ryan, please help me. You know that knife didn’t kill Mom, right? Well, after they got out of the hospital,
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Chapter 19
they kicked me out of the house… Now all my accounts are frozen and I’m totally broke. I can’t even afford a
motel room.”
Ryan rubbed his temples, irritated as hell: “That’s your problem. What’s it got to do with me?”
Ryan, are you seriously gonna be this cold?!” Ivy’s voice turned bitter. “Don’t act like you didn’t get anything
out of this! I spent so much of my trust fund money on you! Now that I got kicked out, this is how you treat
ne? Does Stella know what kind of person you really are?!”
Hearing Stella’s name was like hitting a nerve. Ryan’s voice got louder.
Ivy, if you hadn’t lied about everything, we never would’ve gotten to this point. You didn’t just manipulate
ne you screwed over your own family too. When push came to shove, your first move was to use your own
nom as a human shield.”
vy was startled and her tone got weaker: “Ryan, just help me out this one time. My parents are just
emporarily pissed. Once they cool off, I’ll still be their favorite…”
‘yan cut her off: “Enough. We’re done. Period.”
Go cry to someone else. I wouldn’t give a shit if you were homeless, so don’t contact me again.”
Light before he hung up, he heard her vicious curse from the other end.
Ryan, you’re gonna regret this!!”
After hanging up, Ivy went back to the Reed house and dropped to her knees in front of Mr. and Mrs. Reed,
ractically groveling.
he was a sobbing mess: “Mom, Dad, I just freaked out. Everything happened so fast, I didn’t have time to
hink…”
Mr. Reed was furious, grabbing a kitchen utensil like he was gonna throw it at her.
Get the hell out of my house! I never want to see you again, you selfish piece of shit!”
vy’s eyes went red as she crawled toward Mrs. Reed.
Mom, please talk to Dad for me. You’ve raised me for over twenty years don’t you know who I really am?”
She knew Mr. Reed had a temper, but he always listened to his wife. Whenever she messed up and he got nad, she’d run to Mrs. Reed.
Mrs. Reed had always been her soft spot a few tears and she’d fix any problem.
But this time, Mrs. Reed just stood there with ice cold eyes, looking at Ivy like she was a total stranger.
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Chapter 19
Ivy felt her whole world falling apart.
Once again, she got thrown out of the Reed house. And once again, she was completely homeless.
After Ivy left, Mr. and Mrs. Reed looked around their empty house, completely panicking.
They’d treated their own biological daughter like shit for that toxic adopted brat.
Anything? Did you get through?” Mrs. Reed was pacing frantically, constantly pestering her husband.
Mr. Reed shook his head and let out a heavy sigh.
fears started rolling down Mrs. Reed’s face: “I guess Stella really doesn’t want to come back… This is all my fault. I was so focused on spoiling Ivy that I ignored the daughter I should’ve been loving. I drove Stella
Your health comes first. I’ll keep trying to reach Stella.”
Mr. Reed gripped his phone tight, his fingers tapping anxiously against his leg.
Even though he tried to keep it together on the surface, his fidgeting gave away how freaked out he was.
le remembered how excited Stella had been when they first reconnected, how careful she was when she
alked to them.
Then later, she wouldn’t even smile when she saw them.
That hopeful look she used to get when she’d see them? Gone forever.
t was their own actions that slowly killed the light in Stella’s eyes.
ven when Stella left for good, they’d assumed she was just throwing a tantrum.
I wasn’t until they started asking around that they found out she’d actually moved abroad.
trs. Reed started crying even harder.
How could Stella just move so far away? She wasn’t around when she was growing up, and now we can’t
ven look after her at all.”
These past few days, they’d managed to contact Stella’s professor and even tracked down her old group
home
From what everyone told them, Mr. and Mrs. Reed finally pieced together what Stella’s life had been like for
over twenty years.
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Chapter 19
The more they learned, the more their hearts broke, and the more they regretted how they’d treated her.
Compared to spoiled princess Ivy, Stella had been through hell.
They couldn’t even imagine how such a little girl had survived year after year of that nightmare,
But they’d realized the truth way too late. Stella’s love for her biological parents had been slowly destroyed
by their own actions.
