Chapter 46
Fiona was suddenly left speechless by Stella’s blunt words.
The room fell silent as Stella retreated to her room. She grabbed her soiled pants, sealed them in a plastic bag to dispose of later, and headed straight for the shower.
Stella always showered with cold water. She couldn’t stand hot water. Even the slightest heat on her skin would send waves of unbearable pain through her.
It wasn’t just about accidents. Stella often had to endure the feeling for long stretches with no way to clean herself. As disgusting as it sounded, this was her life in Dusty Pines.
No one ever wanted something like this to happen. Back then, she was so depressed that she honestly thought she would be better off dead.
But there was no room for despair. Even when she pretended to be a fool, men still tried to take advantage of her at night. All she could do was fight them off and battle against fate.
Then, Stella snapped back to reality when she heard the door to her room open. Someone was approaching the bathroom. She tensed instinctively. She had been so focused on her pants that she had forgotten to lock the door. ‘Who could it be?” she wondered.
Fiona’s voice came from outside the bathroom. “Take your time, Stella. Don’t worry about your pants. I had someone throw them out. That was my mistake. When you come out, I want to talk to you.”
Stella remained silent, continuing to shower. When she stepped out, she noticed, as expected, that the plastic bag she had left by the door was already gone.
Fiona brought a bowl of soup for her. “Stella, why don’t you have some soup? Dr. Dewitt said you shouldn’t eat solid food right now, but a
little soup would be good for you.”
Stella didn’t take the soup. As Fiona had expected, she set it down on the table. “It’s fine if you don’t want it now. When you feel like it, just
ask the maid to warm it up. I’ll leave it here.”
Stella acted as if Fiona weren’t even there, pacing around the room and ignoring her completely.
Fiona added, “I’ve been thinking a lot about your situation. We really didn’t understand. We never experienced what you went through. When the police reports came last time, we didn’t even read them properly. We failed to see things from your perspective.”
She continued, “But it’s not your fault. Who could’ve guessed-”
Stella’s expression hardened, and she shot Fiona a glare impatiently. “Are you done?”
Fiona hesitated, realizing her mistake. “Yes, I understand. You don’t want to talk about it anymore. I’ve already told the servants not to mention it again, so you won’t feel embarrassed when you go out.”
“Embarrassed?” Stella scoffed. “Fiona, I’m not as fragile as you think.
“Back in Dusty Pines, when I had my first accident and couldn’t clean myself up, I had to live with that smell for days, with everyone staring at me in disgust. After that, I completely lost any sense of embarrassment.”
Fiona’s heart ached as tears streamed down her face. “My poor girl, how could you have endured so much hardship?”
Stella said coldly, “If that’s all you came to say, then please leave.”
“No,” Fiona said quickly. “I’ve thought a lot about this. Since you came back, I haven’t had a proper conversation with you. And that time!
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Chapter 46
slapped you. I was wrong. I’m sorry, Stella.”
Stella didn’t even glance at her, and she saw right through Fiona. “Don’t worry, I won’t go back on my word. But you’d better not go back on yours, either.”
Fiona froze, her face flushing with embarrassment. She stood there, momentarily blank.
After a long silence, Stella turned her head and asked coldly, “Anything else?”
Fiona began to cry, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue.
Stella’s irritation only deepened as she watched her.
