Chapter 22
Not wanting Eleanor to notice anything, Stella calmed down and went up to Eleanor with the bank card. “Grandma, can I borrow your phone?”
Eleanor said, “Oh, your phone’s broken. I’ll have them get you a new one.”
As she said, Eleanor went to the door. Stella stopped her. “No need. I’ll do it. I don’t need their help.”
Eleanor sighed, “Stella, I know they went too far-completely crazy. I can’t ask you to forgive them, but if they want to make it right, let them.”
“Okay,” Stella said shortly. If the Hayes could hide so much from Eleanor, she could also keep Eleanor happy and handle other stuff quietly.
Eleanor didn’t ask what Stella was doing with the phone. Seeing Stella’s hands, once elegant on the piano keys but now so ugly, made her heart ache.
When typing, Stella’s hands shook nonstop. Eleanor held back tears, afraid to remind Stella of those three tough years.
After Stella finished and deleted the message, she handed the phone back to Eleanor. “Grandma, I’m done.”
Eleanor took the phone. “When you buy your own, save my name first. That way, if I need you, I can call.”
“Okay.”
Max came to invite them to dinner. Eleanor smiled and said, “It’s dinner time. You haven’t eaten much today. Come on; let’s go downstairs.”
Stella wanted to help Eleanor, but actually, she needed Eleanor’s help herself.
Stella walked out and saw Max. After just one look, she looked away coldly.
Max’s heart ached. He thought knowing about Stella’s past was painful, but finding out Fiona did something like that without telling him shocked him. His success today was all thanks to Stella.
He wasn’t used to apologizing to her, but it was clear they’d wronged her. Watching Stella struggle to move, Max wanted to step in and help her.
But then he saw Stella pull Eleanor, nearly making her fall. Max rushed over and saved Eleanor.
He shouted at Stella, “Stella, what are you doing? Grandma has always been good to you. She’s the one in this family who’s been the best to you. Why won’t you even spare her?”
Stella glanced at Max. He always blamed her for everything. If Eleanor weren’t there, she wouldn’t let it go.
Seeing Stella quiet and not even saying sorry, Max got even madder. “Stella, I’m talking to you! Can’t you hear me? Do you know what Grandma has been through these past three years? Do you know how many times she’s ended up in the hospital?”
Eleanor jumped in, all anxious, “It’s a mix-up. Stella just tripped and grabbed me. We both almost went down. It’s not what you’re thinking.”
Max said, “Grandma, why stick up for her? She hasn’t forgotten what happened three years ago. She’s back to get back at us, one thing after another.”
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Eleanor sighed, “It’s not like that. Stella wouldn’t do that. Max, stop saying that. It hurts.”
“Grandma…” Max started, but Eleanor’s face went serious.
Max and Stella stared each other down. Stella’s look was ice-cold; Max glared right back.
Dinner was fancy, like it was all for Stella. Fiona smiled like nothing was wrong.
Stella wondered how they could act like everything was fine.
Then Fiona spoke up, “Stella, you haven’t eaten all day. I had your favorites made. Let’s all sit.”
Eleanor looked happy. As the family’s elder, she wanted everyone to get along.
What happened three years ago really hurt Stella. She suffered more than most could handle since then. But Eleanor deemed that a happy home helped. They couldn’t forget past mistakes, but they got to try to fix things.
Eleanor put a big crab in front of Max. “You always shell crabs for Anna. Do one for Stella, too.”
Max wanted to say no, but after thinking it over, he did it anyway.
Stella didn’t want to let Eleanor down, so she tried to eat the crab. But she only ate half a crab and stopped. “Grandma, I’m full.”
Eleanor was surprised. “That little?”
Max got mad. “You hate me, don’t you? Stella, you always start trouble. Why do you have to mess things up? Are you happy making the whole house crazy?”
Stella replied lightly, “I can’t eat that much.”
“I bet it’s not that you can’t. You just don’t want to-”
Eleanor nudged Max. “Shut up. Look at Stella’s face.”
Stella felt her cheeks burning up. Other places itched, too. She scratched them.
Anna got scared and moved back fast. Fiona hugged her tightly. “Don’t worry. Mommy’s here.”
Andrew’s face went dark. “Stella, what’s going on now?”
Stella rolled her eyes. “What can I do?”
Andrew was about to say something when Eleanor cut in, “Take her to the hospital now. It’s an allergic reaction.”
Fiona blurted out, “Don’t take her to the hospital.”
Eleanor stared at Fiona, shocked. “What did you just say? Do you want Stella to die right in front of you?”
“No!” But Fiona didn’t say anything else.
Max picked Stella up right away, while Fiona kept yelling, “Don’t go to the hospital!”
Eleanor was really mad now. She slammed her hand on the table and stood up. “Fiona, if anything happens to Stella today,
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you’ll regret it.”
Fiona looked at Andrew, and he nodded.
At the hospital, the doctor checked Stella out. “It’s definitely an allergy,” he told Max. “Her stornach’s super small and doesn’t stretch much. We’ve never seen this before. It might take a while for her to eat normally again.”
Max looked at Stella in the ward and felt bad. He realized she really couldn’t eat much. The doctor said her case was weird. If they’d waited longer, she might’ve died.
