Left Them Loved Myself (Stella Spencer) novel Chapter 130

Chapter 130

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“Apologize!” Sebastian demanded, just staring Noreen down, cold and unyielding.

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Kourtney’s eyes were rimmed with red. “Noreen, just do as your grandpa says. Hurry and apologize to… your sister–in–law.”

Ernest was the only one who looked like he couldn’t care less, his face completely unreadable. Only when his gaze briefly swept over Stella did the slightest flicker of emotion appear in his eyes.

S–Stella. I’m sorry.” Noreen said quietly, her voice trembling.

In the end. Noreen just couldn’t take the pain anymore–she lowered her head, finally yielding.

Stella simply nodded. “Okay.”

“Stella, if that’s not enough for you, I can hit her a couple more times,” Sebastian said, his voice cold and unwavering.

He was about to raise his cane, but Stella stopped him, shaking her head with a small, calm smile. “Sebastian, it’s all in the past now. I won’t dwell on it anymore.”

All that effort I put in–might as well have let it go down the drain, Stella thought bitterly.

Sebastian let out a weary sigh, his cane wavering in the air before he set it down. “Guess we’ll… just leave it here.

He knew that no matter how much he wanted to keep her around, she wouldn’t stay. Even if Sebastian punished Noreen severely, it wouldn’t change the fact that Stella had already made up her mind to walk away.

He was well aware of that and didn’t try to talk her out of it anymore–he just hoped, if nothing else, this whole scene might make her feel a little bit better.

Stella was in an unusually good mood–even helped herself to another serving at dinner.

After dinner, just when Stella was about to stand up and leave with Erica, Sebastian gazed at her hopefully and said, “You’ve made the trip, so how about staying the night?”

Ever since Stella left, the house felt eerily quiet and lonely. There was nobody left for him to talk to anymore.

Stella hesitated for a moment, but before she could answer, Ernest spoke up. “Just stay tonight.”

“Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!” Sebastian’s face lit up. “I’ll tell Keith to get the rooms all set–make sure everything’s extra cozy for you.”

Stella didn’t want to let Sebastian down, so she agreed without protest. Still, she replied, “Sebastian, just the guest room is fine. Erica and I will stay there.”

“Alright.” Sebastian nodded, thinking, I’m just happy she’s willing to stay at all. I couldn’t ask for anything

more.

18:11 Mon, Oct 20

Chapter 130

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Sebastian gave Keith some instructions and sent him on his way. Meanwhile, Kourtney, worried about Noreen, gently led her upstairs to tend to her injuries. With them gone, only Stella, Erica, Ernest, and Irene were left sitting in the dining room.

As night crept in, the little girl, stuffed from dinner, started getting drowsy. She instinctively reached her hands out to Stella, mumbling in that sleepy kid voice, “Mom, carry me. I’m sleepy… bedtime story, please.”

Stella didn’t budge. Erica quickly looked over, then just ignored it and went right back to what she was doing.

After waiting and still not being picked up, Irene rubbed her eyes and tried to climb out of Ernest’s arms. She shot Stella a pouty look, getting restless and whining. “Come on, take me to bed! And tell me a bedtime story already!

“Did you already forget what happened outside the school earlier?” Erica said, half–joking, half–warning, thinking. If she keeps this up, I’m really gonna have to give her a smack.

“I haven’t even blamed you for anything yet, so why are you being so mean to me?” Irene protested, pouting.

Remembering her spanking, the little girl puffed up her cheeks, extra unhappy. “You started it! If Ms. Jansen hadn’t gotten hurt and couldn’t come, she would’ve come and defended me. She’d spank you so hard, your butt would look like two red balloons!”

Erica nearly laughed out loud. “If you love Ms. Jansen that much, then why do you want your mom to tuck you in?”

“I…” Irene stammered, completely at a loss for words.

She was really sleepy, and she just naturally wanted someone to rely on.

After, she was only a little kid who had almost no self–control.

Right now, all she wanted was for Stella to hold her, tell her a bedtime story, and tuck her in.

“Because she’s my mom!” Irene huffed, stubborn and pouty.

In the end, she just went back to her usual old reason.

“Mom? Erica arched a brow, letting out a teasing laugh. “So, when you need something, she’s ‘mom, but any other time, she’s just that annoying woman you want nothing to do with. Is that it?”

She’d finally accepted that there was no changing the kid’s stubborn ways.

But the little girl clearly wanted more than that–her eyes searched his face for reassurance. “Then why has Mom changed? When will she turn back into my old Mom again?”

“She’s probably just tired and not feeling herself because of her injury,” Ernest replied gently. “Once she’s healed up, you’ll have her back, just like before.”

“Really?” Irene’s eyes lit up.

Ernest nodded. “Yeah.”

Upstairs in the guest room, while Ernest and Irene were discussing Stella, Stella herself was putting her head together with Erica, whispering and trying to figure out what was going on with Ernest.

“I can’t shake the feeling something’s off about him,” Erica said, sounding dead serious. “Forget about how weird he’s always been toward you–today, he was straight up making decisions for you. Could it be that…”

Even Erica was a little freaked out by her own guess. “Could he maybe… not actually want to get divorced from you?”

“No way,” Stella fired back instantly. “He’s been dying to shake me off for years. With divorce staring him in the face, he’d jump at the chance–why would he ever want to stick around?”

18:11 Mon, Oct 20

Chapter 130

“So, did you guys actually get divorced or not?” Erica pressed, blunt as ever.

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“It’s been days and he still hasn’t replied. What could possibly be so important that he can’t even take five minutes to sign the papers?” Erica scoffed, not holding back.

For some reason, Stella couldn’t help but think Erica had a point. But the idea that Ernest didn’t want a divorce sounded about as likely as pigs flying.

Stella thought bitterly, ‘Seven years together, and every single thing Ernest’s done just screams how much he despises me.‘

“That’s it, I’ve decided!” Erica suddenly burst out, her voice buzzing with energy.

Erica’s excited declaration pulled Stella back to reality.

“Decided about what?” Stella blinked, puzzled.

“Tomorrow, we’re going to confront him,” Erica said, turning to Stella with a look that said she meant business. “Enough with the guessing games. We’ll just ask him straight up–divorce or not, he needs to give you a definite answer.”