Chapter 3

Inside the hospital room, Eugene was still enthusiastically telling Gwen how cold Hunter had been toward Stella during the years Gwen was away.

“There was one year when Stella threatened Hunter by saying she’d slit her wrists. She even sent him photos of it. Guess what happened?” Eugene chuckled.

“Hunter didn't even blink. He went home, dragged her out of the house, and told her flat out that if she wanted to die, she should do it outside so she wouldn't dirty the house.”

Eugene had heard this from others. Rumor had it the temperature was below freezing that night. Stella had been left outside shivering like a leaf, the blood from her wound already starting to clot in the cold.

As he spoke, Eugene found the story both hilarious and pathetic.

“Hunter’s attitude toward her has always been obvious. And then look at how he treats you, Gwen. When you had a fever overseas, Hunter was ready to—”

“Enough. You talk too much.”

Before Eugene could finish, Hunter cut him off coldly.

“Tsk. Someone’s getting shy.”

Eugene laughed. “Gwen, look at him threatening me. Aren’t you going to do something about it?”

He was clearly teasing.

Gwen covered her mouth and laughed softly without saying a word.

Hunter felt a complicated emotion stir inside him, one he could not quite put into words.

Just then, Eugene finished booking the VIP room. Without a word, Hunter took the paperwork and turned to handle the admission.

Eugene gestured toward Hunter’s retreating back and whispered to Gwen with a wink, “See? The moment it involves you, Hunter takes it more seriously than anyone else.”

Hunter didn't hear him. He went downstairs, paid the fees, and secured a quiet, private room for Gwen.

After everything was settled, his thoughts unexpectedly drifted back to Stella.

After a moment of hesitation, he pulled out his phone. Only then did he see the missed calls from Stella and a text message.

“Family of Stella Spencer, this is the staff at Lewis Memorial Hospital. We have attempted to reach you multiple times. Ms. Spencer has been involved in a car accident and needs an immediate signature for surgery. Please come to the hospital as soon as you see this.”

Lewis Memorial Hospital. That was the very hospital he was in.

Hunter went silent for a few seconds, remembering Eugene’s words. He realized that since that suicide attempt years ago, Stella truly had changed. She used to call him incessantly, but lately, she contacted him less and less. Sometimes, when he didn't come home all night, she didn't even check on him. It was strange.

Driven by a sudden impulse, Hunter called her back.

*

Stella was sitting on her hospital bed, having just finished talking to a lawyer about divorce proceedings.

When Hunter’s call came in, she froze for a moment.

She had prepared herself for the fact that he wouldn't contact her all day. She never expected him to call first.

Every time Gwen returned to the country, Hunter devoted himself to her around the clock. How could he possibly spare a thought for Stella?

After a brief silence, she answered the call.

The moment the call connected, Hunter was briefly caught off guard. A flicker of irritation rose in him.

So this really was just another one of Stella’s tactics, playing hard to get. He felt like a fool for falling for it.

But it was too late to hang up now.

He steadied his voice and asked coldly, “Where are you?”

“At the hospital,” Stella replied honestly.

Hunter let out a short, mocking laugh. Typical. Her voice sounded steady and strong, nothing like someone who had just been in a car accident and nearly died.

“I heard you were in a car accident. How are you doing now?” Hunter asked again.

His voice was as emotionless as ever, yet Stella still felt a pang in her heart. Was he actually asking about her? He had never cared about her health before, let alone called to check in. For a second, it felt surreal.

Her eyes stung for no reason, and her chest felt heavy, as if something was lodged there.

Without thinking, she placed a hand over her lower abdomen. She could not help wondering if he still cared about her, even just a little.

“I’m better now, but…”

She hesitated, unsure whether she should tell him about the baby.

Before she could finish, he interrupted, “If you’re not seriously hurt, go home early.

“Gwen was in a car accident. The doctor says she's weak and needs careful nursing. When you get home, cook up some extra nutritious soups. Proper nutrition will speed up her recovery.”

As she heard this, the faint warmth that had just flickered in Stella’s heart was instantly doused, as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over it.

What she had mistaken for his concern moments ago now felt painfully ridiculous.

Back then, when Hunter was drinking heavily and wrecking his own health, she could not stand by and do nothing. She signed up for countless classes just to learn how to cook.

Even though she hated the smell of grease and smoke, she went into the kitchen every day for a full month, never making the same dish twice, preparing meals and soups to help him recover.

She never expected him to be moved by it.

But she had never imagined he would take it for granted, or worse, expect her to do the same thing for another woman.

Stella let out a self-mocking smile.

After all these years of marriage, it turned out it had been nothing but a joke.

Hunter would have people monitoring Gwen around the clock. Even a minor cold would reach his ears immediately, and he would catch a flight in the middle of the night just to take care of her.

Yet, when Stella went through something this traumatic, he treated it like a trivial matter.

“Have someone else do it,” Stella said calmly.

“Gwen has a picky palate,” Hunter replied. “She’s not used to food made by outsiders.”

Stella froze for a moment.

Then she laughed.

“Hunter Ford, I am your wife, not your maid.”

“What do you mean by that?” Hunter frowned deeply.

“Exactly what it sounds like. I’m not making the soup.”

It was the first time she had ever refused him.

Hunter’s brow furrowed even tighter. Then understanding dawned on him, followed by impatience.

“Stella, why are you being so jealous? Gwen has no family left in this world except for me. If I don't care about her, no one will. Besides, don't forget that you’re the one who took her place. If it weren’t for you marrying into the family, the position of Mrs. Ford would have been hers.”

As his words fell, Stella felt as if a mountain had crashed down onto her chest.

This was something Hunter often said.

Every time he said it, she was left speechless.

Back then, Kenneth Ford, Hunter’s father, was dying of kidney failure and urgently needed a transplant. His rare blood type made finding a donor nearly impossible.

The only match turned out to be Leah Spencer, Stella’s mother. She agreed to donate a kidney in exchange for a business partnership. However, complications arose during the surgery, and she was left in critical condition.

Before she passed away, she made a public plea in front of the media, demanding that Hunter marry Stella.

At that time, Hunter was already in a relationship with Gwen. Under immense pressure, the Ford family had no choice but to break them apart and arrange an engagement between Hunter and Stella.

Gwen had left the country in heartbreak.

To make matters worse, while clearing Leah’s belongings, the Ford family found a terminal cancer diagnosis and a pre-written will. Everyone began to speculate that Leah had long known she was running out of time, and that her true intention from the beginning had been to secure this marriage for Stella.

Stella became the target of public condemnation.

She had tried to run away and refuse the marriage many times, but she eventually gave in. She felt that if she didn't marry him, then Leah’s death would have been completely meaningless.

Each time, she told herself to endure a little longer.

But now, there was no need to endure anymore.

She thought that if Leah could see her now, she would feel heartbroken too.

“Then I’ll give the position of Mrs. Ford back to her.”

Stella gripped the divorce agreement she had just signed and spoke calmly into the phone.

“Hunter, let’s get a divorce.”