Left Them Loved Myself (Stella Spencer) novel Chapter 91

To this too much for you?‘ Instead of leaving. Jeremy sat down next to her. “If it feels difficult, we can always back oun esf the partnership.”

“No worries, Stella said, shaking her head to interrupt him. “If someone’s offering free money, why would we katy no?”

Exactly, Jeremy nodded, seeing that Stella had made up her mind.

“By the way.” Stella said, suddenly turning to Jeremy with a skeptical look in her eyes. “Seriously, who is that famous designer the organizers invited? Why do I have this weird feeling like I know her from somewhere?”

Stella actually wanted to ask if the designer was Beverley Preston, but quickly dismissed the thought. Beverley was already such a big name in the international design world. There was no need to bother with something like this.

“Well, what do you think?”

jeremy didn’t reply. Instead, a voice suddenly echoed from behind them.

Stella was stunned. The moment she turned and saw who had come, her eyes immediately brimmed with tears. “Ms. Preston.”

Though Beverley looked different from how Stella remembered–her face more lined, her hair a little grayer –the warmth in her eyes brought all the old memories rushing back.

They had always been more than just teacher and student. They were like mother and daughter.

With her other students, Beverley was tough, quick to correct even the smallest mistakes. But when it came to Stella, she was endlessly patient, never able to say a harsh word.

The only real argument they’d ever had was after Stella decided to marry Ernest, abandoning her dreams and * promising future.

Remembering the consequences, guilt ate away at her as Stella dropped her gaze, too ashamed to look Beverley in the eye. She had let Beverley down. Now, she had no idea how she could ever face Beverley again.

Chin up, Stella, Beverley said gently. She walked over to Stella, her eyes no longer cold or stern like in the judging panel–now they were full of complicated emotions.

Stella met her gaze, expecting a scolding, or maybe for Beverley to remind her of her past mistakes and how foolish she had been But none of that happened Beverley didn’t scold her, and she didn’t say a word about the past

Beverley just gazed into Stella’s eyes–eyes that had lost their youthful spark, now shadowed by all the storms they’d weathered. And as Beverley’s own look grew more complicated, she could hardly stop a rush of ache and tender sorrow from rising in her heart.

‘Stella, my child, Beverley thought, her heart twisting. She had watched Stella grow up, and seeing her like this broke her heart.

17:25 Fri, Oct 17

Chapter 91

A

50

66 youchers

The moment felt suspended in time–everything else faded away, and it was just the two of them lost in their

gare

Jeremy stood off to the side, not daring to interrupt. Beverley might let Stella off easy, but when it came to him, it was a different story. He decided to keep his head down.

After a long pause. Beverley broke the silence, her voice gentle but filled with concern. “Have you been alright all these years?

Yeah. I’m alright, Stella forced a smile, nodding. She couldn’t bring herself to tell Beverley the truth. She didn’t want her to know what she had been through, or to see the disappointment in her eyes again.

When Beverley was teaching them, she always said, “If you mess up, fix it right away. Don’t just keep making the same mistake.”

Stella’s marriage was the biggest mistake of her life, and instead of correcting it, she had dived deeper into it, thinking she could win Ernest’s heart. In the end, she only ended up hurt, inside and out.

“Alright?” Beverley chuckled bitterly, a mix of sadness and anger in her tone. “But I heard from Jeremy that things haven’t been going so well for you.”

Stella’s head snapped toward Jeremy, stunned by his betrayal.

Jeremy could only shrug helplessly. After all, Beverley was the one asking–he had to tell the truth.

Beverley sighed, looking down at Stella, who had buried her face in her shoulder. She softly patted her back, not saying a word, but her touch spoke volumes.

“Did she finally drift off?” After a while, when Stella hadn’t moved, Jeremy tried breaking the silence,

Beverley gave him a pointed look. “You know the answer. Don’t just stand there–go set up a room for Stella so she can rest properly.”

She sighed softly. “After all those years of hardship, she really does need a break.”

Jeremy rubbed his nose awkwardly and stood up to make arrangements.

The jewelry exhibition had been a resounding success. The two brands‘ fierce competition had created a visual feast that everyone was still talking about.

Stella’s Auroral Tiara had taken the industry by storm. People couldn’t stop buzzing about it.

“Seriously, that’s insane! The floating light track tech plus the 8 Hearts and 8 Arrows cut? And the lighting creates such a magical effect. How does Stella even come up with this stuff?” someone said.

“Honestly, Sylvia got what she deserved. Bright colors always grab attention, so it’s no surprise people loved Stella’s design. But her gemstone choices? Not great,” a designer said.

The designers were all talking about it, trying to sound like experts and outdo each other. The gossip was heating up.

“That 3–carat SI clarity black diamond? It’s a classic dud–no fire, no sparkle. It totally missed the dark, blood- red vibe it was going for,” someone remarked.

“If she had picked a side stone with some light effects, maybe the centerpiece would’ve looked better. But she chose smoky quartz–a low–quality, murky stone. It just looked dead,” another added.

“The combination didn’t work at all,” another observer concluded. “Instead of enhancing the design, it dragged it down.”

“I just need to know who bought that Auroral Tiara,” someone else chimed in. “I’d love to see it up close!”

17:25 Fri, Oct 17

Chapter 92

…