Chapter 124

Adrian

I helped my mother up the stairs of the nursing home, her hands attached to mine as we slowly take each step one at a time. She smiles at me, but I can see the sadness and uncertainty that sits behind her eyes. It hurts me to know that she is worried about Clara and what she plans to do to me.

I don't want my mother to worry, though, about such small matters. At the end of the day, I am not responsible for Clara and the actions that she may take against me. Sure, she will try to pin the blame and guilt onto me, but I need to remain strong in keeping the fallout as far away from me as possible.

One of the nurses from the nursing home comes out and takes my mother's hand for me, taking the reins in her care. My mother waves to me once they reach the front door, and I waved back, telling her that I will see her sometime soon. As soon as the door closes, I turn around and walk down the stairs, making my way back to my car.

I get inside and sit in the driver seat, my hands attached to the steering wheel, unsure of where else to place them. My knuckles are white for my grip. I stared straight ahead, Clara's silent threat seeping back into the front of my mind.

Should I call Stella? She has dealt with Clara her entire life and she will most likely know what to do in a situation like this. She will know exactly what to do and how to tame Clara and the temper tantrum that she is very clearly throwing.

I pull out my phone and scroll through the contacts, finding Stella’s name. My mind wanders back to Clara and the way she has been so sinister and vindictive in the past.

How many times did I let it slide? How many times was I there to enable her behavior instead of chastising her for acting like a toddler who does not get their way? How could I have ever been in love with a woman like that? It is just baffling.

I press Stella’s name, my phone picking up the call as I turn on the car, the engine roaring to life, the vehicle now vibrating as the engine settles in its place. The dial tone carries on for a few seconds before the call is picked up, a small smile now spreading across my face at the sound.

“Stella? Are you there?” I ask, unsure as to why she is so quiet on the other end of the phone. “Do you have a moment to spare to talk to me? I am having some problems with Clara and could really use your advice on how to navigate the situation.”

I put the car into reverse, slowly pulling out of the designated parking spot. I turn the wheel, the other end of the line still silent except for the sound of breathing.

Is she okay? Is she having another health episode? Tension fills my body and I am quick to leave the parking lot, speeding down the isolated forest street.

“Stella? Are you okay? Do I need to take you to the doctor?” I ask, worry laced throughout my voice and tone.

“Why are you calling your ex-wife, Adrian?” a familiar voice comes from the other end of the call.

My body runs cold, my foot slamming against the brakes. The car screeches and slides across the asphalt, my body lunging forward before slamming right back into the seat. I stare at the screen, Stella’s name lit up across the screen.

I am unable to respond, unsure of what I can do, or say to put Sebastian's anxieties and worries at ease, to let him know that I am not speaking to Stella in a romantic manner, but rather as a friend. Slowly sucking in a breath, I open my mouth to respond, but no words leave my mouth, just the bitter silence of the car.

“You two are no longer in contact,” Sebastian speaks once again, “so why the fuck are you calling my girlfriend?”

“Stella and eyes relationship status is of no business to you. What happens between me and her stays between me and her, it has nothing to do with you,” I speak in a very bitter tone, unable to hide the annoyance that I feel towards Sebastian's overprotectiveness of her.

“It is my business since I am her boyfriend,” he says, his tone matching mine. “It is me who sleeps in her bed at night. It is me who has taken over the role as her protector, not you.”

I have to remind myself to take a deep breath, that I would have acted the same way that Sebastian is acting right now if Stella and I were still married to one another. I close my eyes and slowly release the steering wheel, a cool sensation washing over my body as I calm myself down. I open my eyes once again and stare at the road ahead.

“Sebastian, is Stella there?” I ask, not wanting to get into an argument with him over the status of my relationship with Stella.

It is her life, after all, why does he think that he gets a say over who she can and cannot speak with?

“I really need her help. So if she is there, I would really appreciate it if you would give her the phone so I can talk to her—”

“No,” Sebastian grunts.

I can feel myself get annoyed all over again but hold back on the urge to yell at the man on the other end of the call.

“you better leave Stella alone. Do not contact her anymore. Do not weasel your way back into her life. She is happier without you in it. Get lost, Adrian, don't make me deal with you.”

Suddenly, the call drops. I blink at the screen as Stella's name vanishes from it. I am quick to reach for my phone, swiping it from the cupholder, bringing it back up to my face as I move through the list of contacts, finding Stella’s name once again and calling it.

The call is immediately declined. I try again just to have the same results slapped into my face.

Did Sebastian really just block me? Surely this cannot be real, right? I try one last time, manually dialing Stella's number just for it to be declined once again.

I let out a frustrated groan, slapping my hands against the steering wheel of my car. The car's horn sounds off, but I do not care. All I can do is sit here and think about how Sebastian has determined an aspect of Stella's life.

That man is cruel and unfair. Does he not realize that this is the one thing that Stella does not wish for people to do? She does not wish for people to have control over her life, to make choices and decisions for her.

It is all that Stella has ever fought for. All she wants back is her bodily autonomy to have the option to make her own choices instead of having them be made for her.

Hopefully, Stella realizes that I am blocked, that it was not me who decided to ghost her. Knowing my luck, though, things will only turn out for the worse instead of the better.