Love After Divorce by BELLA

Chapter 282:

“At that time, | didn’t know how to deal with people. Why did David quarrel with you? Why did he hurt you? |

begged you not to leave him, but you insisted. | knew then that you were someone who would rather die than

live a miserable life,” Stella murmured softly. “But you fell ill before you could get a divorce...”

Stella always remembered that rainy night when her mother had a high fever, and David wasn’t home. She had

tried her best to drag her fainted mother to the hospital. Eventually, her crying woke the housekeeper, who

helped get a taxi to rush them to the hospital.

At that moment, Stella knew she could never fully rely on men. Her mother’s experience with David had shown

her that depending on him would only lead to pain. She vowed never to walk the spath.

Stella had decided then that she would grow up strong, work hard, and one day be able to support herself and

her mother, leaving the Richard family behind forever. But her mother had not lived to see that day.

In Stella’s heart, her mother would always be her mother, but David had died in her heart that night at the

hospital. Hatred had begun to grow in her young heart, fueling her determination to keep moving forward.

Her mother hadn't stayed in the hospital for long. After just a week, she passed away, leaving only a letter for

Stella. Everything else was burned, leaving nothing behind.

As a child, Stella had often asked where her mother had gone and why she hadn't cback.

But over time, she realized the harsh truth—that her mother would never return. Stella had quietly gone into her

mother’s room, packed all her belongings, and dragged them into her own room.

She knew her mother would have wanted her things to be kept away from David, so she took them for herself.

Her mother hadn't owned much—just a few items of clothing, sjewelry, and a diary she wrote in when she

was bored. Stella had read that diary countless times, spages now worn and torn. Before marrying into the

Kingston family, she had buried the diary under a cherry tree her mother had planted.

For years, Stella hadn't visited her mother’s grave. In fact, this was the first tshe had cto the cemetery

since returning to the country. To be honest, she had been afraid. Sometimes, her life felt like a , filled with

so many tragic plots, as if she were the leading lady of a TV series.

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After a while, Stella looked at her watch and realized that several hours had passed. “See, | never stop

complaining to you. Without noticing, thas flown by. | still remember how, when | was bullied as a child, I'd

chand complain to you all night,” she said with a small smile.

“I can’t talk much longer. | need to get back to Adrian. When he’s feeling better, I'll bring him to see you. He's

good at telling jokes. You won't be lonely with him around.” Stella stood up, dusted off her clothes, and bowed to

the tombstone. “Goodbye, Mom.”

As Stella walked out of the cemetery, she felt lighter, as though a weight had been lifted from her heart. Pouring

out her emotions had given her a sense of relief.

When she arrived at the hospital, Stella found Adrian happily waiting for dinner, as usual. Despite being in the

hospital for so long, Adrian had gained weight instead of losing it. His round, chubby face made him look like a

steamed bun. He spent most of his tplaying games and watching cartoons, so it wasn’t a surprise.

The doctor told Stella that Adrian had recovered well and his cast could be removed soon. Afterward, he would

need to walk more often to regain strength in his legs.

“Darling, you're here!” Adrian greeted her excitedly.

“Yes, let's eat first!” Stella said, setting down the food she had brought.

“Darling, hasn't Bad Uncle returned from being a child bride yet?” Adrian asked, his innocent face curious.

“Not yet... He'll be back in a few days,” Stella replied, wondering why he still remembered that term. “Oh, by the

way, Adrian, your cast will coff in two days. After that, I'll need to take you on more walks, okay?”

“Ah? But walking is tiring! Will it hurt?” Adrian asked, looking concerned.

“You might not be used to it at first, but you'll get the hang of it. You've gotten too comfortable just lying around.

Look at you! You've gotten a little chubby these past few days. Once your legs are healed, we'll need to work on

getting you back in shape!”

“Chubby? What?” Adrian gasped, his hands flying to his cheeks. “Am | not handsanymore?”

Stella laughed at his expression. “If you keep being lazy like this, you'll definitely turn into a little fatty! Then no

girl will want to play with you. Even Alia will stop playing with you.”

“Oh no!” Adrian looked up at the ceiling in dismay.

“If you keep gaining weight, you won't be able to catch up with her in hide-and-seek. Imagine how she and the

other kids will laugh at you. Is that what you want?” Stella teased.

“No, no, no! | don’t want that to happen! | need to lose weight right away!” Adrian declared with determination.

Stella smiled, happy to see her son so motivated. After they finished dinner, she played with him for a while

before tucking him into bed.

“Adrian, sleep well. I'm heading hnow.”

“Okay, Darling. Don’t worry, I've been taking care of your room. | opened the windows every day to let the

sunlight in, so when you get home, it'll be nice and warm under your quilt,” Adrian said with a grin.