Left Them Loved Myself (Stella Spencer) novel Chapter 124

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“Irene, I take back what I said to you today,” Erica said with a smile to the little girl.

‘She’s no ungrateful brat–if anything, she’s got an even sharper tongue than I do,‘ Erica thought.

The more Erica enjoyed hearing Irene say, “Mom doesn’t either,” the more it stung for Sylvia.

“Irene, how about Grandma helps you with your meal?” Louisa asked, forcing a smile.

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Erica had finally managed to quiet down, and now Irene was kicking things up again. There was no way Louisa could let her keep going, or who knew whether they’d even get through dinner peacefully, never mind any hope of family bonding tonight.

“No.” Irene shook her head.

She frowned at Louisa, her honest childish voice making the whole table erupt. “You’re not my grandma! I don’t want you looking after me.”

“Stella!” Theodore banged on the table, voice booming. “Did you teach Irene to talk like that? She’s just a little kid–how could you fill her head with that kind of stuff?”

Louisa’s eyes were getting teary. “Stella, I know you’re not fond of me, but you can’t turn Irene against me, too. I honestly do care about her.”

‘She’s practically my golden ticket to a better life–no way I’d let her go,‘ Louisa thought to herself.

With both of them watching, Stella put her fork down unhurriedly, her face unreadable. “Let’s not even start with whether I taught her that,” she said, cool as ever. “Even if I did–so what? What’s so wrong about it?”

She gave Louisa a faint, almost mocking smile. “So, you’re claiming to be Irene’s grandma now?”

‘Once Sylvia and Ernest get together, I’ll officially be Irene’s grandma.‘ Louisa was sure of it. ‘Problem is, those two aren’t even a couple yet.

Until Ernest made his stance clear, Louisa knew she couldn’t overstep. Eyes rimmed red, she said, “Even if I’m not her grandma, my care for her is real. Why shouldn’t I look after her?”

Stella let out a sigh, genuinely feeling exhausted. ‘Had I known it’d turn out like this, I never would’ve agreed to Captain Lance,’ she thought.

Luckily, Erica was right there. As Stella’s go–to mouthpiece, she always had a perfect read on what Stella wanted to say.

Erica didn’t hesitate as she fired back, “Mrs. Jansen, if you’ve got a hearing problem, maybe get your ears checked at the hospital.

“It was Irene who turned you down, not Stella–so what’s that got to do with her?

“And besides, you just admitted you’re not her real grandma. So what’s wrong with her saying no to you?

18:09 Mon, Oct 20

Chapter 124

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Seriously, quit making such a scene.”

Louisa’s face almost crumbled at those words, and Theodore looked like he wanted to disappear.

When the two fell silent, Sylvia managed an awkward smile and asked Irene directly, “Irene, didn’t you say you liked… Mrs. Jansen the last time you saw her? Why don’t you want her to help you now?”

Irene, too young to keep secrets, answered without hesitation, “Because Grandma said Mrs. Jansen’s not really my grandma. She doesn’t deserve it.”

Everyone at the table was quick enough to instantly guess who “Grandma” referred to.

Theodore’s anger vanished from his eyes, Louisa looked much more unsure, and even Sylvia’s expression changed despite herself.

‘Mrs. Lloyd… What’s going on here–what does Ernest’s mom even mean by that?‘ Sylvia couldn’t help but wonder.

Even if Kourtney never gave her the green light, Sylvia was sure she could snag Ernest for herself–but deep down, she knew it’d be a serious uphill battle.

Getting married in a rich family wasn’t something they could decide on their own; the whole clan’s rules and drama always got in the way.

Even Ernest wasn’t immune–back in the day, Sebastian basically strong–armed him into marrying Stella.

The dining room slipped into an awkward silence, with everyone in the Jansen family wrapped up in their own drama.

Meanwhile, over at the other table, Ernest, Stella, and Irene enjoyed their meal, totally in their own little world. The cozy picture of their family, unfazed and happy, stood out even more amidst all that tension.

After dinner, when Stella and Erica showed no sign of leaving, Theodore finally couldn’t hold it anymore. “Are you two still not going?”

“Mr. Jansen,” Erica was the first to speak up. “Stella’s still your daughter, you know. It’s so rare for her to come home–can’t she just stay the night?”

With Ernest around, Theodore was basically stuck, unable to do or say much.

“Save it. Business first–the rest? Seriously, it’s all just background noise. Not worth stressing over,” Stella said coolly, brushing it off like it was nothing.

“Alright then,” Erica said.

Stella and Erica couldn’t care less, but the Jansen family was just about ready to burst out laughing, watching Stella and Irene fall out with each other.

“Ms. Jansen…” Irene reached out to her, face scrunched up in distress, hoping for comfort.

Sylvia knew exactly why Irene was feeling upset–even if it left her a little uneasy–but she still pulled Irene into her arms, gently soothing her.

Ernest sat quietly beside them, the warm glow from the lamps softening his sharp features. His expression was tender, and for a moment, they really did look like one big happy family.

Erica couldn’t handle the awkward family drama anymore, so she tugged Stella and said, “It’s getting late— let’s hurry up and get some rest before this gets any stickier.”

“Yeah, turning in early sounds like a plan,” Theodore agreed, seizing the chance.

“Honey, no way we’ll get a room ready in time. Just let Ernest crash in Sylvia’s room–it’s the best we’ve got anyway,” Louisa chimed in.

18:09 Mon, Oct 20

Chapter 124

“Yeah, that works,” Theodore said, not even pausing to think.

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As the discussion kept going in the living room, Stella didn’t slow down for a second. She vanished around the corner of the stairs, leaving everything else behind.

Ernest glanced away and gave a calm reply. “Fine.”

“Really?” Erica asked, glancing over at Stella to make sure she wasn’t kidding.

The room looked like something out of a haunted house. After their showers, Erica and Stella were stretched out on the bed, staring up at the blood–red stains on the ceiling, completely unfazed.

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