Chapter 104
Lillian asked, “Do you think you’re wrong now?”
“Lam: Not. Wrong.” Stella had always been dubbom. She knew holding out meant more suffering, but she refused to break. If she gave in now, in frond af all these vultures, what would that prove?
Her hand screamed in agony, but Stella clenched her jaw and held on
“Pick her up.” Lillian commanded, her voice dripping with icy authority. Hauds grabbed Stella, hauling her upright.
Her dress hung in tatters, barely clinging to her body. The scars beneath–jagged, brutal–made the crowd gasp. Just how much had she suffered in that mountain hellhole?”
A particularly grotesque mark snaked across her lower back, twisted like a parasite. Rumors said they’d taken a kidney from her in Middle–South Yaria. ‘God, what hadn’t she endured?‘
Lillan’s lip curled in disgust. “Twas going to strip you completely,” she sneered, “but honestly, you’re too repulsive to even look at.”
Stella’s response was swift–a glob of spit straight to Lillian’s face.
The socialite recoiled, wiping her cheek with a napkin before shoving it toward Stella’s mouth.
“You disgusting little-!” Stella twisted away, but Lillian’s patience snapped, Slap after slap cracked across Stella’s face, the sharp echoes ringing through the silent ballroom.
The grand hall Kid fallen dead silent. What was supposed to be a glamorous party had turned into a public humiliation, with every brutal slap echoing through the room. No one stepped forward to defend Stella–no one dared.
way with everything–his aunt had always cleaned up his Lillian’s family connections ran deep, her arrogance legendary. No wonder Troy had gotten away messes. And now? Stella had dared to cross them. Today’s humiliation wouldn’t end until Lillian was satisfied.
Some guests pitied Stella. Why provoke Troy, of all people? But pity
didn’t mean protection.
Someone was counting. By the hundredth strike, Lillian finally paused, panting. She snatched a glass of wine and doused Stella’s head, the alcohol searing into her wounds.
Stella’s wig had long since fallen off; her real hair, grown out now, dung wetly to her scalp. The liquid burned like acid.
“Well?” Lillian taunted, “Ready
ly to admit you’re wrong?”
Stella’s glare could’ve melted steel–pure, undiluted hatred. For a second, even Lillian faltered
Lillian then remembered that her husband would back her up. “Don’t look at me like that,” the socialite hissed, rallying “After all this, you still won’t learn? Fine. I’ll break you the hard way.”
The next second, Stella–who everyone assumed was too weak to fight back–lunged at her. Lillian, wobbling in her high heels, never saw it coming
She crashed to the floor, the sudden weightlesspesy sending a jolt of panic through her. Stella clawed at her face, fingers raking deep, tangling in hac bait, and ruining her perfectly styled look.
“Oh, someone help me. Get her off” Lillian shrieked, thrashing wildly.
People rushed to pull Stella away, but she clung to Lillian like eral animal, biting dower hard on anyone who tried to grab her.
The scene spiraled into chaos. No one expected Stella–fragile, broken Stella–to fight back Bike this. She was relentless, temilying, as if she had nothing
left to lose.
Chapter 104
By the time they finally pried her off, Lillian’s face was a mess of bloody scratches. Stella’s nails weren’t even that long, but they’d de
Then, a voice cut through the noise. “What the hell is going on here? Get her up now! It was Joey Carson,
Ya husband
Joey was infamous for spoiling his wife. Cross her, and you might as well be signing your own death warrant. He hadn’t seen what Lilian huð dóna só Stella–only what Stella had done to his wife. And that was unforgivable.
“Get her out of here, he barked at his men, then turned to Lillian, his expression twisting in fury at the sight of her ruined makeup, her bleeding face
“Listen up.”
” he growled to his men, “you make sure she ends up worse than this, or you’re all fired.”
They descended on Stella. The woman who had just been winning was now utterly defenseless
They hacked off what little hair she had left, sliced her face and ears, their nails digging in deep enough to draw blood. The pain was worse than anything she’d felt before.
Joey watched, cold and unmoved. The more Stella suffered, the more his rage burned for Lillian, “Move,” he ordered, shoving his men aside. Then–thud!
his polished leather shoe slammed into Stella’s ribs, knocking her to the ground.
enc
Before she could even curl in an herself, he kicked her again. And again. Blood spilled from Stella’s lips.
Some guests gasped, backing away in horror. ‘Is he going to kill her? Stella is already in bad shape–if this goes any further…
But no one dared speak up. Who would challenge Joey? He’d covered up Troy’s worst crimes without breaking a sweat. He wasn’t afraid of consequences.
Then Kevin burst into the room. His eyes widened at the sight of Joey beating Stella hall to death. Without hesitation, he sprinted forward, throwing himself between them just as Joey’s next kick landed–right into Kevin’s side:
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Three Years After They Abandoned Me