“He made me and my daughter take a taxi to the birthday party. If something happens in this heavy rain, who will be responsible?”
Before I could finish, Theo interrupted me coldly.
“Enough! Is there no one good in this world in your eyes? We live in a peaceful society. What kind of accident could happen? How come you always get into accidents?”
“It’s rare for Stella to ask me for help. Are you really being so petty?”
“If you have time to argue with me, you could have called ten taxis by now!”
With that, he hung up the phone roughly, leaving me breathing heavily in anger.
My mother-in-law, Barbara, saw this and came over, looking impatient.
“Are you scolding my son again? He’s a man who has to support his family. He’s not your servant. What kind of attitude is that?”
“If Theo told you to take a taxi, why didn’t you just take one yourself? It’s such a nice day, why ruin it for everyone?”
It turned out that the entire family knew about Theo and Stella. All this time, I was the only one left in the dark.
Seeing my silence, Barbara thought I was feeling guilty and started lecturing me endlessly.
“Men have so much pressure at work, it’s already tough enough. As his wife, you should be a supportive partner. Instead, you’re always causing trouble and picking fights. How are we supposed to live like this?”
“Stella’s parents died trying to save Theo. All these years, who can he talk to about his guilt? You don’t understand, but you’re even jealous of a child. How can you be a mother?”
“I’m putting this out there. If you dare to look down on Stella, you can leave the Baron Family! Don’t even think about getting custody of the child!”
The relatives who had come to give gifts also took the opportunity to lecture me.
“Don’t get me started, Adele. The relationship between Stella and the Baron Family isn’t as simple as you think.”
“Stella and Theo have known each other for over a decade, longer than you’ve been married. If there was anything between them, it would’ve happened long ago. There wouldn’t have been a chance for you to come into the picture.”
“If it weren’t for your scheming and insistence on marrying Theo, they would’ve been a perfect match. Now that there’s a child involved, just let go of the past and focus on the present. Be patient and endure it.”
Some people started whispering, “I heard that back then, Stella worked really hard to get into the same university as Theo and was planning to confess her feelings, but then she found out that Theo had a girlfriend named Adele Weasly, who was so strict with him that he couldn’t even talk to female classmates.”
“It’s fine that Stella didn’t hold a grudge against her, but now she’s become the mistress and is acting all high and mighty. She’s just spoiled!”
“Look at her, she’s so angry her wrinkles are showing. Compared to Stella, she’s not even half as pretty. I don’t know what’s wrong with Theo, why he’d choose her.”
Barbara sat in the middle of the hall, clearly expecting me to handle the situation. Hearing others constantly criticize me, I was so angry I nearly fainted on the spot.
I didn’t know how the truth had been twisted in their ears. But as far as I remember, when I first met Theo, he never mentioned Stella a single time.
The only thing he ever said about Stella was that night when he was drunk and spoke his true feelings.
He said that when he was young, he was ignorant and made a mistake that cost two lives. He swore to take good care of the couple’s children to repay his debt.
Over the years, he had spent a lot on that child, ensuring that all his needs were met at the same standard as his own.
He cried as he hugged me, saying the pressure was too much for him to bear, that the weight of two lives was almost too much to carry.
I thought he was a responsible and reliable man. My guard gradually lowered. After that night, our relationship heated up quickly.
