Chapter 1
Covered in blood, Stella Spencer sat in the examination room of Seabrook General Hospital. She watched numbly as the nurse inserted a needle into the back of her hand.
“Make way! Make way!” The air was heavy with the mix of blood and gasoline. A stretcher rushed past her, and she caught a glimpse of the man on it.
His clothes were almost completely drenched in blood, and a large share of windshield was embedded in his badly bent calf.
The doctors’ voices became distant and hazy, fading in and out. The wounded arrived like a tide, each new stretcher punctuated by the endless echoes of wails and cries.
“Where are your family members? Have they arrived?” The room fell silent, as if everyone was waiting for a reply. But, unfortunately, things didn’t not always go as one hoped.
“Ma’am, your injuries aren’t as serious as others, but this was a chain collision after all. You should contact your family. It’ll be better to have someone with you for a more thorough check,” the nurse gently advised. Stella nodded gratefully, took out her phone and made the call.
However, when she heard the voice on the other end, her heart sank. “Ms. Spencer, Mr. Lloyd is currently in a meeting and can’t take your call. May I ask what this is regarding?” It was Sean Leach, Ernest Lloyd’s assistant.
Ernest had demanded that their marriage remain strictly confidential. Thus, even after seven years, his assistant always formally addressed Stella as “Ms. Spencer,” never acknowledging her as “Mrs. Lloyd.”
Before Stella could say a word, another woman’s sweet voice came through the receiver. “Mr. Leach, is Ernest almost ready? We need to set off. Irene is getting impatient downstairs.”
“Alright, Ms. Jansen. I’ll inform Mr. Lloyd immediately.” The receiver was muffled, likely covered by a hand, but the voices still drifted through, clear enough to make out every word.
‘Ms. Jansen? Sylvia Jansen? Ernest really can’t get over her. Sean is such a snob. For her, he’ll notify Ernest immediately. For me, Ernest is always in a meeting.’ Stella smiled bitterly, a hint of sarcasm in her eyes.
‘So everyone around Ernest has learned to lie for him. His precious Sylvia is right there by his side. And here I am, just the foolish Ms. Spencer, still thinking he might actually come,’ Stella thought to herself.
Then, Ernest’s familiar voice came from the other end, clearly uninterested. “Who is it? What’s the matter?”
“It’s Ms. Spencer, Mr. Lloyd. Nothing urgent.” Sean replied, his tone neutral and professional.
Stella hung up first, for the first time. When she watched those critically injured people rushed past her, a deep sorrow rose in her chest. ‘If it were me dying here tonight, no one would even know.’
As someone with allergies, Stella was always especially cautious about injections. In truth, it had even made her somewhat afraid of falling ill.
The nurse was very kind. Seeing that Stella was alone, she still made time to check occasionally for any allergic reactions, despite being extremely busy.
At one point, Stella faintly overheard the nurses whispering with sympathy, saying she had no one by her side and no one to care for her.
‘Even strangers care more than my own husband. All Ernest has ever shown me is indifference,’ she thought bitterly.
Then a dark impulse rose in her. She wanted to get more seriously injured and see if even her death would earn a single glance from Ernest.
She took out her phone and opened WhatsApp. The last message she had sent to Ernest was from three years ago, when she had been injured and hospitalized.
Staring at the message that had never been replied, she felt her heart aching even more. ‘I’ve known how this ends since three years ago. Why would I want to try again?’
Back then, a large pane of glass suddenly fell from above. She rushed over to protect her daughter, Irene Lloyd, and was pierced all over by shards. Terrified by the blood, Irene hid in her arms, crying uncontrollably.
Yet now, that same frightened little girl was posting proudly on her Instagram about how the ice cream from Ms. Jansen was the most delicious in the world.
In the photo, Sylvia was beaming, under the fond gaze of Ernest. Irene stood between them, happily holding a giant ice cream. The picture was taken at the newly opened amusement park. Content originally comes from.net
‘So this is the place Sylvia mentioned on the phone, the place where they were going?’ Stella couldn’t quite describe what she was feeling. Surprisingly, she seemed utterly calm.
After finishing her IV and having her wounds treated, she picked up her medicine and left the hospital. She moved as if in a trance, her body there but her spirit elsewhere.
When Stella arrived home, housekeeper Betty Wilson hurried over to greet her. “Mrs. Lloyd, you’re back.” Stella managed a faint smile. In this entire house, only Betty ever called her that.
When Betty noticed the medicine bag and Stella’s sluggish pace, her face immediately straightened with concern. “Mrs. Lloyd, are you injured? What happened?”
“Just some bruises from a minor car accident. Nothing serious,” Stella replied, her voice tired but calm.
“A car accident? That’s always serious! Are you hurt? Did you see a doctor?” Betty asked, her voice full of worry.
‘For seven years, Betty has always been so kind and caring. She treats me better than my own husband does.’ The thought left a bitter taste in Stella’s heart.
After reassuring Betty everything was fine, Stella slowly made her way upstairs. Then she overheard Betty on a phone call downstairs. “Mr. Lloyd, you should come home as soon as you can. Mrs. Lloyd has been in a car accident.”
Stella paused in her steps. Whenever she needed to reach Ernest, she had to go through his work number, which almost always put her in touch with his assistant, Sean. Yet Betty could call his personal line directly.
Even at the hospital, when she was at her most vulnerable, it never crossed her mind to challenge this rule. She had accepted it completely. ‘How terrifying, the power of habit,’ she thought.
“Yes, Mrs. Lloyd doesn’t appear seriously hurt, but she was definitely injured.” Stella overheard Betty’s words but didn’t stay to hear more. Fighting through the pain, she made her way slowly back to the bedroom. She wanted to see if Ernest would actually come home.
Soon after, Betty came upstairs carrying a bowl of oatmeal, her face full of concern. “I’ve brought you something gentle on the stomach, Mrs. Lloyd. You need to keep your strength up while you recover. I’ve already reached Mr. Lloyd. He should be home soon to be with you.” Stella nodded gratefully.
However, the “soon” in Betty’s words turned out to be three hours later. The sky had already grown dark when Ernest finally got back home. Hearing the sound of the car pulling in, Betty let out a sigh of relief and hurried to the door to greet him.
Ernest stepped inside, holding little Irene’s hand. She trailed in with a whine, “Dad, Betty said Mom was okay. Why did we have to come home so fast? I didn’t even see the light show. And Ms. Jansen was sad too. You saw that, right?”
Stella stood in the hallway, her body turning cold at the sound of their voices. Each cheerful word from the entrance cut deeper, leaving her numb and frozen where she stood.