Chapter 417
Chapter 417
The breakfast was a test of my mental fortitude.
Although Russei didn’t say anything more, I found myself unable to meet his gaze.
Thankfully, after breakfast, he returned to the next room to rest. He had been up all night, working tirelessly, and he was visibly exhausted.
“Norah, I won’t be home for lunch. I’m going over to a friend’s place,” I said, hastily gathering a few belongings.
1
Stella had invited me over for lunch and asked me to bring Serena and Brandon along.
Once outside, I strapped Serena and Brandon into their car,seats and drove off towards Stella’s place. It was a bit of a drive, taking about half an hour.
Upon arriving at Stella’s, I realized my timing was off. She was in the middle of an argument with Mitch.
“Are you filled with seawater or something? Can’t you do one simple thing right? You knew I was having Rena over today, yet you invited Neil? Did you do this on purpose?” Stella’s voice, full of anger, echoed through the house as she scolded Mitch.
Mitch swallowed his pride and tried to explain calmly. “No, I had already arranged lunch with Neil. Not just him, but two other colleagues are also coming. I just forgot that you had invited Rena today. Can’t you reschedule your meeting with Rena?”
“No!” Stella was always a princess in front of Mitch.
He always indulged and pampered her, which had made her somewhat willful.
That willfulness made me both envious and worried.
At that moment, I was standing at their front door, feeling too awkward to enter. Through the glass door, I could see that Mitch was losing his patience.
Stella continued to berate him, and just as I was about to intervene, Mitch couldn’t hold back any longer. “Enough!”
For a moment, Stella was frozen in place, and my heart clenched in anticipation.
To make things worse, Neil had arrived. The villa’s front door was wide open. He gave me a curious look as he approached.
I held out a hand to stop him. “Wait!”
“Wait for what?” Neil asked.
“They’re fighting.” I jerked my chin towards the living room where Stella and Mitch were in a heated argument, completely oblivious to our presence.
Neil frowned, looking puzzled.
Our voices were low enough that Stella and Mitch couldn’t hear us. However, their argument was loud and clear from the doorway.
Stella couldn’t believe that Mitch, who always indulged her, would suddenly lose his patience with her. “Mitch, why are you yelling at me?”
“I think you’re being too willful. Don’t you agree?” Mitch, despite seeming regretful, still spoke harshly. “I can handle the occasional tantrum, but today’s meal is work-related. Can’t you understand that? I am
tired too!”
“Tired of what? Tell me!” Stella demanded. Her voice choked with emotion.
“I work every day. I help with the kids when I come home. You know what kind of person I was before. Isn’t my change enough for you? You’re always picking on me, throwing tantrums when you’re upset, and expecting me to pacify you. I feel like I’m not your husband but your slave.” Mitch’s voice grew louder, causing their child to start crying in the living room.
Stella burst into tears, and my heart ached for her.
I immediately pushed open the door and brought Serena and Brandon inside.
“Mitch, if you have something to say, say it nicely. Why do you have to be so harsh?” I demanded, annoyed.
Neil followed me in, and Mitch gave us a complicated look.
Stella, still crying, took their child and went into the bedroom. I followed her inside.
In the bedroom, Stella was crying even harder. She didn’t look at me, just sat there holding their child.
I knew she felt embarrassed that I had seen that side of her.
She considered Mitch the kindest man in the world, next to her father and brother.
She had often bragged about Mitch’s kindness to her to me and our friends, Barbara Sands and Alicia Rider, never hiding her happiness.
But now, that happiness had been shattered by Mitch’s outburst.
“Stella, are you okay?” I left the stroller by the bedroom door and walked over to her, gently touching her hair.
“I’m fine. Why didn’t you tell me you were here? I’m sorry you had to see this,” Stella said, trying to smile through her tears.
“If this is about me and Neil, you can tell me. I don’t mind rescheduling. Don’t let my visit cause any trouble between you and Mitch. He’s your husband and the father of your child,” I said, trying to comfort her.
Stella wiped away her tears. “It’s not about you. I overestimated my importance in his life. I thought he would tolerate my tantrums and my willfulness. But I guess no man can pamper a woman forever.”
Even the most indulgent man can get tired. Women need to learn to give in sometimes, too.
“Stella, how can you deny Mitch’s kindness to you? Everyone can see how well he treats you. Don’t let a small argument make you question his feelings for you. He’s done so much for you,” ladvised.
“No…you just don’t understand…” Stella wiped away her tears, a hint of sadness in her voice, “On the surface, he’s always been good to me. But I feel something’s changed, something only I can sense.”
“You’re not suggesting he…he’s lost interest in you, are you?” I found it hard to believe.
Mitch was a former playboy, and as the saying goes, a reformed rake makes the best husband: He should have had his fill of the glitzy outside world.
In the past couple of years, Stella, indeed, had become a different person. Her entire world revolved around her little family. She had cut off all contact with the rogues from her past.
She took a deep breath and turned the question on me, “Is it that wealthier men always prefer women who are delicate yet strong, someone they feel the need to protect?”
