Chapter 232
“I love
chimi
Diana stood frozen, caught off guard, listening to Stephanie’s helpless scream of these three simple, direct words.
Diana knew her niece was never a weak woman. She was headstrong, stubborn, and rarely complained. But seeing her like this, sobbing uncontrollably, Diana Felt deeply conflicted and distressed.
Due to the heavy rain, traffic on the highway ahead had come to a standstill. Many people curiously looked at them through their car windows, with the sounds of rain, thunder, and muffled conversations filling the air.
The scrutiny made Diana uncomfortable. She looked at Stephanie, who was drenched and appeared weak, especially with her visibly belly. She really shouldn’t be out in the rain like this.
“Tim doing this for your own good. Let’s go home now…” Diana softened her voice, trying to calm her down.
pregnant
The woman in front of her remained silent, refusing to move. Diana knew her temperament well and dragged her towards the gate of their place, gripping her wrist tightly enough to leave marks.
want to go back to Wellington Villa, Stephanie insisted, standing her ground against Diana’s attempts to move
her.
No matter how much Diana persuaded or reasoned with her, it was useless. Frustrated, Diana finally snapped, “You say you love him, but do you even know what love is, Stephanie? I’ve known you since you were a little girl. I know you better than anyone. You don’t even understand your own feelings. When Kevin chased after you because his mother told him to, you felt you owed him and agreed immediately. You gave everything, waiting patiently. And what did you get in the end? Claire came in and wrecked your marriage, and you were left out in the cold.”
Indeed, she had lost everything.
Stephanie’s jaw clenched as she listened to Diana. Everything Diana said was right.
Her three years of sexless marriage to Kevin, years of cold neglect, had taken a toll. She was more guarded, more hesitant around men than ever
before.
Diana knew her well and understood how to persuade her. I’ve told you before, gratitude isn’t love, but you won’t listen. You think you owe him….. You jumped into this engagement because of the trauma of your family falling apart. You just want a home, and you’re being selfish,”
“Yeah… I just want a home. Is that so wrong?
It was as if her hidden secret had been exposed. Her stubborn voice sought an excuse for herself. Everyone made mistakes, and everyone had their own desires.
Diana’s voice hardened. That house isn’t yours. What did your grandfather always say? “If you don’t get something, it’s because you didn’t ask for it. And if you asked but still didn’t get it, it was never meant for you! We Clarks don’t take what doesn’t belong to us. Wanting a house to hide in is not just cowardly, it’s foolish.”
Stephanie fell silent, unable to find the right words. Unlike Hayley, she wasn’t quick–witted or sharp–tongued. All she wanted to say was, “Dominick is different. He’s not like the others!” She was sure of it.
“Different how?” Diana’s eyes bore into hers, her words laced with harsh sarcasm..
“Kevin told you be saved you on your high school graduation trip, so you agreed to marry him. Dominick told you he was the one who saved you, and suddenly, you were in love with him. You’ve been living in a bubble, sheltered by the Reed and Clark families your whole life. But then your grandfather died, your father cheated, your mother committed suicide… Deep down, you couldn’t handle it. You put on a brave face, but you’ve been clinging to some fantasy of a happy ending
“Stephanic, please, just listen to me. You don’t owe them anything. You were abducted by those thugs on your high school graduation trip. Kevin just happened to be passing by, and the bullet in Dominick’s head wasn’t your fault. Even if he hadn’t saved you, Oscar would have gotten there in
time
The bullet Stephanie’s mind echoed her words.
The near–death experience was hazy in her memory, but she knew those bastards had fired guns.
The angry voices around her blurred together, her thoughts slowing down as people began opening car doors and approaching. “What are you arguing about! Go home. It’s pouring outside,”
“Hey, she’s pregnant. Don’t drag her out in the rain. Have some decency”
The murmurs swirled around Stephanie, adding to her growing contusion.
The word “bullet” stuck in her mind, a foreign and terrifying word. Her body went rigid. “What happened to Dominick?” she managed to ask. “Dominick’s not
not going to make it. There’s a bullet fragment lodged in his brain.
11:41 AM
Chapter 232
Diana’s harsh words cut through her shock. “Stephanie, you can’t keep running from the truth. This is reality. Just like that traumatic high school trip you’ve blocked out because you’re scared to face it. Reality doesn’t allow you to mess around or fantasize. Dominick isn’t meant for you!
“He’ll only drag you down, make you feel guilty, trap you in this mess with no way out. You need to face reality. The reality is that Dominick made his own bad choices. You have nothing to do with him. You didn’t ask for this. He brought it on himself.
“Oscar rushed him to the hospital that day after the accident. Dominick pulled through, but Oscar… He was in a coma for six years. They’re even now. No one owes anyone anything. If it weren’t for Oscar, Dominick would be dead. That bullet in his head? That’s his own damn fault, his burden to bear. He wants to drag you down with him, trap you in his misery.”
Stephanie remained silent, letting the cold rain pour down.
He wanted to drag her down and trap her…
Yes. Dominick was indeed such a domineering person.
But a strange sense of calm washed over her. Maybe Diana was right. She had been hiding from the truth, afraid to face her
past.
She had always pretended to be strong. Because of Kevin, she became numb to her second marriage. Dominick had obviously put a lot of effort into their marriage, but she just ignored them over and over again. She’d been a terrible wife, but Dominick had always seen through her act. “Stop pretending to be strong, he’d always said.
At that moment, she was deeply moved. In reality, she had no one to rely on, so even when she couldn’t hold on, she forced herself to be strong But he would spoiled.
Dominick was a terrifying man. Once a woman met him, there was no turning back. If escape was impossible, one might as well surrender and embrace the fall
Tve already given him my word… So, let them be together forever.
“I need to go back, she said calmly. Diana’s expression was complicated, her grip on Stephanie’s hand loosening as she watched her turn and walk away, her footsteps echoing through the rain–soaked streets.
“He’s a mess! His body’s falling apart and he’s got a million problems he can’t deal with. Dominick can’t handle it all…” Diana shouted angrily at her departing figure, filled with frustration. She couldn’t believe her niece was leaving like this. But she didn’t run after her to stop her, knowing it was pointless.
Stephanie didn’t look back, though she heard every word clearly.
She stood by the curb and watched the cars crawl by, her face numb. She just wanted to go home, but no one stopped for her….. “Miss, where are you headed?” The argument had attracted curious onlookers, and a taxi driver rolled down his window to ask her. “To Wellington Villa, the villa on the hillside. She had been in the rain for so long her lips were turning pale.
The driver opened the back door, and she anxiously moved to get in. Just then, her phone rang urgently. It was Vincent.
“Stephanie, don’t go back to Wellington Villa…” he shouted from the other end, desperate to prevent her from making a mistake.
“George is sending Dominick to Serenburg. He doesn’t want us involved. Get to the international airport in thirty minutes. I paid off one of their servants. Hurry!
“Stephanie, they say you left on your own. If you have any decency, get to the airport now. You’ll regret it if you don’t!”