Stella was so fatigued that the room spun as she walked and was on the verge of giving up, not knowing how many cups of coffee she had prepared.
Clarence had left as she carried the coffee into the meeting room. Had he not mentioned if she had passed his test and instead made a complete exit?
After setting the coffee on the table, Stella turned around and went in search of Clarence. She observed his vehicle pulling out of the Conrad Group parking garage as she reached the ground floor of the office building. And she was left behind once more.
Stella gave herself a mocking laugh. That's what she should have expected. A silver-white automobile pulled up in front of her as she was walking down the street with the intention of hailing a cab.
The automobile window was down. Jude’s kind and attractive face came into view. "Jenna, let me drive you home."
After a long moment of shock, Stella gradually shook her head and gave him a faint grin. "No need."
Clarence would suggest Stella was casually hitting on people if he spotted Jude assisting her.
"Get in, you've been running around for several hours, you're probably pretty exhausted." Jude unfastened his seatbelt and exited the vehicle to facilitate her entry. He truly was a gentleman, and it would be foolish of others to reject his generosity.
Stella hesitated for a short while before deciding to get in the car. "Thanks."
"No problem."
With a soft smile, Jude gave her a quick look before pulling away. "Don't forget to fasten your seatbelt."
Silently, Jude drove Stella back to the Conrad residence. He let her out of the car at the front of the house without asking her anything about her day or herself.
Stella made her way upstairs to her room slowly. She was still enjoying how kind Jude was to her. They were brothers, the two of them. Why, though, did their personalities differ so much?
She froze as she walked into her room. Her bag was carelessly thrown upon the floor in the center of the room. After staring at it for a few moments, she raised her head to face the intruder.
"Who said you could fill my house with your stuff?"
After a little period of silence, Stella moved forward to prop her bag upright.
“ You departed without exchanging words?" Clarence had left her alone the whole night of their wedding, and Joseph had rolled him out of the room. She therefore assumed he would not return.
"Well, this is my room."
Stella said nothing. Biting her bottom lip, she said, "But I'm your wife."
"A wife who marries me under her younger sister's name?"
Stella couldn't say anything. It seemed he would not let her remain in the space. He obviously hated her a great deal based on his words and deeds, but she had nowhere else to turn. When she realized all of that, her eyes begged for his attention. "Please, if you could just let me stay in this room's corner, would you? I don't need more room; I simply need the corner."
"No!"
"But Grandpa will find out if I leave," Stella said, her face going white.
Clarence issued a directive. Joseph took a step forward. "Ms. Radomil , please leave; don't make me do something you'll regret."
Stella nibbled on her bottom lip. "Is this really not negotiable?"
Clarence’s ferocious, flashing eyes made her think of a wolf. Following a brief exchange of glances, she pivoted and hauled her bag out the chamber.
After her, Joseph shut the door. "Mr. Conrad, it seems she really shrinks back from difficulties and is choosing to give up."
Clarence’s lips twisted contemptuously. She gave up so easy, even though he believed she was really determined. She is extremely vulnerable, haha.
"Have you sent your men to the hospital?" Clarence questioned brusquely.
Joseph looked different, saying, "No, not just yet."
"Then why are you still standing around here?"
"I'll get right on it!"
With a quick step, Joseph left the room. He noticed Stella was still standing at the door with her bag as he closed the door behind him. With a scowl, he walked away.
*******
Joseph went in search of Clarence the following day. He could not contain his surprise when he saw Clarence's door wider. He crept into the room, roused Clarence from his sleep, and assisted him in getting dressed for the day.
Joseph, though, was forced to mention what he had witnessed halfway through. "Mr. Conrad, Ms. Radomil..."
Clarence winced at the mention of Stella’s name from Joseph. His aura brightened instantaneously.
"Mr. Conrad, it's not that I mentioning her deliberately, but she.." After he ran out of time to continue circling the issue, Joseph said, "I think you should go and take a look by yourself."
"Alright, roll me out then."
Clarence was astonished to see the woman sleeping in the doorway with her jacket thrown over her like a blanket, even though he had braced himself for what he was about to witness.
She had slept with her back to the wall, with her luggage next to her and a jacket over her. Probably from fatigue, her body sagged to the floor. She tried to cover her body with the jacket, but she shivered because of the cold in the hallway. Her pale face was the portion of her that was visible. Her pale skin gleamed in the sunlight. She had left her hair sleek and straight, without any specific style. She looked innocent, with a few strands of hair glued on her forehead. As she stared at her trembling figure, Clarence began to feel a little sorry for her.
After a short while, he turned to face Joseph icily. "Wake her up."
Joseph was shocked by Clarence's order. "How do you want me to wake her up?"
Clarence said, "Is there any special way to wake someone up?"
Joseph approached Stella, lifted his foot, and gave her a soft butt kick.
Clarence’s voice became cold and his features darkened instantaneously. "What are you doing?"
Perplexed, Joseph turned to face Clarence again. "I'm waking her up."
He dabbed at his nasal bridge. "Do you think I'm not kicking her hard enough, Sir? I can give her a more forceful kick." Joseph felt that Clarence ought to despise Stella to the hilt.
"I told you to wake her up, but I never told you to hurt her." Clarence was going to explode with rage, but he controlled his anger.
"Got it!" At last, Joseph understood what he meant. Without delay, he bent down to give Stella a gentle shoulder shake.
After being shaken for some time, Stella finally opened her eyes with much difficulty and fell asleep like a log.
"Ms. Radomil, it's already morning, wake up."
Was it not already morning? She remained disoriented for some time before sitting up and appearing to be thinking about what had happened the day before. Glancing around, she saw that the hall was already well lit. She then gave her eyes a massage. She had not intended to spend the entire night outside Clarence's room.
Time passed quickly. A question was thrust at her with a hard stare as she was still attempting to piece together what had transpired. "Who said you could sleep in my doorway?"
When Stella looked up, she found Clarence glaring at her. Then, a moment later, she murmured and wrapped the jacket securely around herself, "I have nowhere else to go,"
Stella had slept on the floor all night without a suitable cover, so her voice sounded rather nasal.
"So, instead you chose to make an ass out of yourself by sleeping here?"
Stubbornly, Stella bit her bottom lip and raised her head to meet Clarence's icy stare. "If you think I make an ass out of myself, you should’ve let me sleep in your room instead."
"You..." Clarence ran out of things to say. Unexpectedly, she ventured to dispute with him.
Stella kept her eyes fixed on him. Her face appeared unusually pale now, in contrast to the previous night. It appeared as though she was ill.
Clarence's heart strangely melted at her somewhat fragile expression, and he snorted. "Let's go."
Joseph moved in front of the wheelchair to push it. "Mr. Conrad, what about Ms. Radomil?"
Clarence pivoted and cast a backward glance. His eyes were piercing. "Don't make an ass out of yourself at the door."
Stella got up, holding her jacket, after the two of them had left. His last statements implied that he would let her into the room, correct? It didn't matter if the response was yes or no. She made the decision to go in and get ready for the day since he had left.
She became sick to her stomach while she was cleaning her teeth. Before she could finish brushing her teeth, she braced herself against the sink and vomited multiple times.
Stella felt cold after washing her mouth, so she had a hot shower. She took a hot shower, but her cold feeling persisted. She was unable to talk normally since her throat was too raw from discomfort. She was even a little lightheaded. After giving it some thought, she headed to the hospital to pick up some medication.
Stella took a number at the hospital and lined up. She described her symptoms to the doctor when it was her time. The physician gave her a peculiar look. "Have you been sleepy lately?" She gave a nod. "Did you feel nauseous when you're brushing your teeth in the morning?"Stella gave another nod. "And do you occasionally have the urgency to urinate?" Stella was a little confused by this question. She paused to consider, then nodded once more. "Does this have anything to do with my illness?" With a helpless expression on her face, the doctor asked again, "How long has it been since your menstrual period?" When Stella heard that, she calculated, "A little over a month..." She didn't realize what the doctor was getting at until she said those words. Her expression gradually softened to one of comprehension. The physician grinned. "I take it you've engaged in sexual activity lately? You need to focus more on your physical well-being. I refuse to write a prescription for you. To b
Stella remained quiet for a while. She was staring at the maid. The maid had obviously knocked into her on purpose. She remained silent. Rather, she stood for a while before choosing to move on when a few of other maids came over. "Do you honestly believe that you become a noble lady only by marrying into the Conrad family? You are basically less important than a maid because Mr. Conrad dislikes you." “Indeed, have a look at her. I've heard that she passed out last night in the corridor outside of Mr. Conrad’s room. It seems like he drove her away. If I were her, I wouldn't stay here any longer to act foolish; instead, I would hastily pack up and head home." “Is she aware that she's doing foolishly? To them, money is the only thing." Stella could hear them chatting about her when they got far enough away. Her complexion went horribly pale. Giving herself an embrace, she eased her way down the wall toward the door. Why? Why had she to put up with all of that? Was it because she h
"What are you trying to do?" She tried to get away, but they stopped her right away. "Don't—don't come near me. Please release me!" One of them grabbed her off her feet and flung her over his shoulder as he darted away before she could say anything. The others trailed in close behind. What the people in the waiting room witnessed astounded them. They were unable to ascertain what was happening. ••• "Mr. Conrad, there is finally news from the hospital."Joseph hurried into his office to break the news, not giving the other person in the room a second thought. Clarence was first annoyed by Joseph’s interruption as he was conversing with a very significant customer. But his tense eyebrows dropped when he heard what Joseph had to say. "There's finally news?" Joseph gave Clarence a sidelong glance and then gave a solemn nod. Clarence gave the man in front of him an icy look as he spoke. “I apologize, Mr. Webb, but I must attend to some pressing affairs. I'll make plans for som
"Bring her to the hospital now." Clarence said in a frigid tone. “Verify if she is truly expecting a child. Please let me know the result as soon as you can." Joseph gave a quick nod. "Yes, sir!" "No!" Stella struggled against the men in vain. "Clarence, legally we are merely husband and wife. Who are you to give them orders to harm me in that way? Please release me!" "Let you go?" Clarence's eyes glowed in the darkness. With a chilly response, he said, "You should know what would happen to you if I found out you were pregnant. Bring her away, Joseph." How sympathy vanished out of his heart as soon as he realized she wasn't the person he was seeking for. "Bring her to the hospital now." Joseph got to work on his assignment. Stella objected to this, but she was coerced back into the vehicle. She fought valiantly the entire way, but no matter how hard she tried, she was unable to escape their hold. She was taken to the same medical facility and saw the same physician as befor
"Let me give it some thought." Ultimately, Riley told her to return to the Conrad residence. “In the blink of an eye, three days will pass. Make up your choice quickly, Stella, and phone me if you need anything." Stella’s heart was incredibly heavy right now as Riley’s comments continued to reverberate in her ears. "Honey, you will need to abort the kid if you wish to stay with the Conrad family in the future. It is not possible for the Radomil family to have two unsuccessful daughters!" Stella looked in the mirror at herself. How should I proceed? Was getting rid of her child truly the only option available to her? Wheels rolled along the floor into the room, still considering it. Upon witnessing Clarence enter the bathroom, Stella instantly tightened up and threw open the door. When their gazes locked, she looked away right away. She made her way trembling to the furthest corner of the space. He called his voice giving her a shiver, "Stop right there.”Stella came to a
For a brief while, time appeared to stop. She fell onto the laps of his. She was terrified to death. How was he going about it? The room gradually filled with the musky smell of a guy ready to mate. The unfamiliar aroma continuously assailed her senses. She was momentarily stunned before readjusting to reality. She tried to put some distance between them, resting her hand against his chest. "Let, let me go!" He gave her a hard slap on the wrist and spoke in a cold voice. “Did your former spouse not show you how to take out a belt? Or are you just acting stupid so I can have to teach you?" "What?" "Well, if that's the case, as you wish." He took hold of her wrist, directing her motions to apply pressure to the latch on his belt. It snapped back with a loud click. For a few moments, she felt as though her brain had frozen. His penetrating look caused her eyes to grow noticeably bigger and wider. The dull sound of the belt hitting the floor snapped her back to reality. But f
He wanted to scream at her because she was so fired up that her eyes were red from unshed tears and her forehead was covered in sweat. He scowled and refrained from speaking. How did he end up? The dishonest woman in front of him, who wed into the Conrad family after taking the place of her sister, ought to be thrown out. Why did he still allow her to stay? After gathering himself swiftly, he took her by the wrist and pushed her out of the way. Unexpectedly, her thin shoulders crashed against the sturdy wall. With her head up, she met his icy gaze. "Get the hell out!" She looked at him in confusion, rubbing her sore shoulders. "If you don't know what to do, what good is it to stay here? Before I lose my temper, get the heck out!" "You!" She felt he was going too far, so she balled her fists. But after giving it some thought, she saw that she had nothing for the better part of the day. She clutched herself as she left the restroom, her fury having subsided. "Joseph !" His col
"Mr. Greg , there's no need to worry; this is only a typical cold.” She spun him down, "I'll just pick up some over-the-counter medicine later this afternoon and I'll be fine." She felt uncomfortable beneath Mr. Greg's stern gaze as his perceptive eyes locked on her. She messed with the hem of her shirt and nibbled her bottom lip. "You already have a blocked nose. How do you just take medication?" With a quiet sigh, Mr. Greg motioned for her to come closer. She approached him for a few steps, then halted a few feet away with caution. "Remember to buy the medicine and once you get better, go to the office to see Clarence." She gave a nod. "Yes, Mr. Greg." "Okay." Mr. Greg gave a satisfied nod. "Go ahead." Thanking Mr. Greg, she hurried back upstairs to gather her belongings and make haste to get out of the house. She called her friend as soon as she left the Conrad home, and Riley raced over in less than twenty minutes. Riley turned to her as soon as she was in the car. “H