Chapter 8

Isabelle's soft voice drifted through the phone speaker. "Charles, Olivia's been asking for you non-stop. She misses you so much. Can't you come home and spend some time with her?" Barely a second later, a tender little voice followed. "Daddy, I miss you." Charles's expression softened in a flash, the corners of his lips lifting slightly. He responded in a gentle tone, "Okay, sweetheart, Daddy's coming right away. Stay put, I'll be there soon." As soon as he hung up, he turned to look at Stella. The warmth in his eyes vanished in an instant, his voice clipped and almost commanding. "Stella, eat. Otherwise, you're not leaving." Charles could've been an actor the way he switched faces—Stella felt a chill in her chest watching his sudden shift. Same kind of love, but completely different treatment. Just because Olivia missed him a little, he rushed to coddle her like she was made of glass. But her daughter, Sophie... in her final moments, all Sophie wanted was to see her dad. Even that small wish never came true. The memory hit her like a punch to the chest. She struggled to breathe under the ache. Charles's favoritism—it was like a thorn constantly lodged in her heart. "Charles, just go. Stop pretending in front of me. Don't worry, I'm not dying." Stella fought back tears, voice cold. Charles frowned irritably, pressing his tongue against his cheek like he wanted to say something—but stopped himself. Then he grabbed his coat and walked out without another word or even a glance back. As she watched his silhouette disappear, her tears finally spilled over. Four years of crushing hard, six years of marriage—ten years of love. How could she ever let go that easy? But deep down she knew—he never loved her. Never had. She had carried the whole act alone, playing both roles in this twisted love story. Now it was finally time to drop the curtain on this show. She'd find out the truth behind Johnson Corporation's fall—then leave him for good. Jason had been standing nearby. He stepped closer and gently said, "Mrs. Hart, don't be too upset. You've got to take care of yourself." Stella looked up at him and spoke, slightly apologetic, "Mr. Bennett, thank you. Talking to you has been nice. Sorry things turned out this way." "It's alright. If we get the chance, I'd love to invite you to collaborate on a piece—personally. Would you be interested?" Even though she couldn't stand Charles, business was business. She managed a small smile. "Sure, no problem. Just call Renee—I'll fit it in." Jason nodded, then added, "If you ever need anything, just ask. I'll help however I can." Stella didn't say much more and turned to leave. Just then, Jason stepped forward with a plate in hand, a grilled tuna sandwich. "Mrs. Hart, do it for yourself. And for Sophie, like you said. Just have a little—it's good for you." Hearing Sophie's name made her eyes blur with fresh tears. Hands trembling slightly, she took the bowl and choked out, "Thank you, Mr. Bennett." "You're welcome." The sandwich wasn't even made by Jason—it was from Charles. Jason didn't really know what was going on with his friend anymore. He also had the finished music score in hand, yet Charles didn't mention a word. He still wanted Stella to pay the full penalty fee. As if five million really meant anything to him. "Mrs. Hart—" Jason started to say more, then stopped himself. "What is it?" "Nothing. Just... take care."Stella let out a soft "mm" as she dragged her tired body out of the villa. At the same time, Charles rushed back inside. As soon as he saw Olivia, he scooped her into his arms, his voice soft and full of affection. "Did you miss Daddy, sweetheart? Come, let Daddy see if you've been good." Olivia melted against his chest, her little voice as sweet as honey. "Mommy missed Daddy too. Daddy and Mommy need to hold hands~" She waved her chubby hand toward Isabelle, clearly wanting the two of them to hold hands. Standing to the side, Isabelle's cheeks flushed slightly. She lowered her eyes with a shy smile, slowly reaching out her hand. But Charles didn't even look her way. Instead, he twirled Olivia around in his arms, grinning. "You're such a little mischief-maker. How about Daddy takes you for a plane ride?" "Yes please~!" Olivia clapped her hands in excitement. He lifted her up onto his shoulders and carried her around the house as if she were flying. It wasn't the first time this had happened. Isabelle's eyes flickered slightly—if his refusal to acknowledge her last time could be chalked up to awkward timing, this time it was clearly on purpose. If Olivia hadn't brought up "Daddy and Mommy," Isabelle was pretty sure Charles would've flat-out shut her down. — At the airport. Old Mrs. Hart had just landed and wasted no time in dialing Stella's number. When Stella saw the caller ID, something unreadable flashed in her eyes. She hesitated for a second before hitting accept. "Stella, darling, I'm back in the country! I called you the moment I landed. I've missed you so much. How have you and Charles been lately?" Stella's throat tightened the moment she heard the old lady's voice. Her eyes warmed and grew misty. She took a deep breath, tried hard to keep her voice calm. "I missed you too, Grandma. Charles and I... things haven't been great. I'm planning to divorce him." There was a beat of shocked silence on the other end, then Old Mrs. Hart's voice shot up in volume. "Divorce? No way! Did that brat do something to you? I'll set him straight!" Stella bit her lip so hard it turned pale. After a pause, she pushed herself to say it. "Grandma... too many things have gone wrong these past few years between me and Charles, I just can't keep going. And..." She faltered, the thought of Sophie stabbing into her chest. "Sophie..." She couldn't finish. She just couldn't do that to Grandma. "Sophie? What about her? Has she grown taller? I haven't seen her in ages, I miss her so much." Stella blinked back tears. She couldn't say it. Instead, she lied, gently. "Grandma, Sophie went abroad for treatment. She's in good hands there, no need to worry." "Abroad? Her condition isn't stable again? Poor thing... and you didn't go with her? Being all alone must be so scary for her." That broke something in Stella. The tears burst out before she could stop them. "Stella? Why are you crying? Is Sophie okay?" The old lady immediately picked up on her change in tone. Stella couldn't let her know. She sucked in a breath, her nose red from crying. "It's happy tears, Grandma. She's doing better. Going abroad gives her better care. Sophie said she wanted to try being independent." Old Mrs. Hart finally sounded relieved. "Oh thank goodness. That's our brave girl—so young and already independent, what a trooper." "But about the divorce, absolutely not. I'm going to have a serious talk with that grandson of mine when I get back. This is no way to treat you or Sophie!" Stella knew Grandma had always supported her and Charles being together—but that was the past. Now... things were different. She couldn't afford to love him anymore. "Grandma, I have to go through with the divorce."