Chapter 87

Adrian

“Adrian?” Stella’s voice sounds from behind me.

I look up from my phone, staring at the marble line in the wall that travels from end to end. My heart contorts and twists from behind my ribs, aching at the sweet sound of my name rolling off of her tongue.

Slowly, I turn around and look down at her. She looks tired and defeated but there is a glimmer of hope in her eyes. It warms my tense heart, relaxing my muscles.

“Stella?” I breathe out, slipping my phone into my pants pockets. “Is…is everything okay?”

Stella nods, a small smile spreading across her lips before it quickly disappears.

I miss that smile already.

“I just wanted to say…um…” Stella diverts her gaze. She scratches the back of her neck, glancing down at her feet.

I have seen this in her before. She has done it plenty of times during our marriage — the one that just ended minutes ago — whenever she needed to ask me about something or needed a favor.

I rest my weight onto my back foot and give her as much time as she needs. Patience is a virtue, after all, and I have all of the time in the world to sit and wait for her to spit the words she wants to say out of her mouth.

Maybe I should fill in her silence. This would be a good time to tell her just how apologetic I am about leaving her during the night of the gala. We were having such a good time there too and I just had to go and ruin it because Clara decided to cry wolf.

No…I shouldn’t. It would be bad for the both of us if I were to apologize to her. She would most likely see it as one final attempt to weasel my way back into her life and I don’t want her to think that I want to ruin anything else that is good for her.

She has most definitely seen the news. She knows that I am struggling to stay afloat these days after the investor dropped out.

Perhaps this time I will be the one labeled as materialistic with no way to defend myself.

This is everything that I wanted, right? I wanted a life free of Stella, to be free to love Clara and to give her everything that she has ever wanted.

I should be happy with my life. If it weren’t for my imploding career, I probably would be happy.

No…no I wouldn’t. A life without Stella has been torture so far. To be so far away from her has kept me up at night.

“I wanted to give you something,” Stella looks back up at me.

I nod and take my hands out of my pockets, my eyes moving to her trembling hands. Every fiber of my being wants to reach and to calm her shaky hands. I have to hold back, though, and keep my hands to myself.

Stella pulls out a piece of yellowed paper from her pocket as well as a silver ring. My heart drops in my chest.

It is the ring I gave her for our five year anniversary. The same one she wore on the beach resort vacation with my mother before everything went to shit after our argument the beach.

She extends her hands and holds out the two items. They hover in the air in front of me, my eyes unable to move or look away. I suck in a breath and reach out for them, taking them from her hands, and watch as she takes the step back, widening the distance between us.

“What is it?” I ask. My gaze floats up to hers. Stella clasps her hands behind her back, rocking back and forth on her heels.

“That is all of your money and assets, Adrian,” she breathes the words out as if this has been her plan all along. “The investment firm that my lawyer set up has access to it for you to have.”

My eyes widen at her revelation. I look down at the paper and ring before looking back up at her.

“Stella? What are you…what do you mean?” I stammer, taking a step froward. Stella does not move and stays exactly where she is.

“It is strictly for business purpose, though,” she clears her throat, voice trembling. Her hazel eyes flicker to me.

I raise an eyebrow at her and tilt my head to the side. What could she possibly mean by the piece of paper — all of my hard earned money and assets — being strictly for business purposes?

It is like she reads my mind and steps forward. She reaches out and taps her finger against the piece of paper.

“Now that we are divorced and that I am free from that part of my life,” her words slice through me like a hot knife to a stick of butter, “I feel like I can speak freely with you.”

“Stella…what is going on?” I ask.

The tension builds in the air. My throat closes in on itself as anxiety runs through my entire body.

“There are people in your life, Adrian, who are only near you for what you have. Their intentions are not pure and…” her voice cracks. She reaches up and wipes a tear away from her eye, catching it before it can fall.

“Take your time,” I mutter under my breath.

“I never wanted any of your money, Adrian. I only wanted your companionship and to receive the same love that I showed you for the five years that we spent together, but…I guess I couldn’t have that either.”

Stella looks up at me. She nods her head and smiles. Before I can even respond to her, she turns on her heel and hurries down the courthouse corridor.

“Stella! Wait!” I call out after her.

It is too late. She is already gone and turning around the corner of the hallway, vanishing from my sight.

I turn my attention back to the paper and ring. The silver band breaks my heart and I am unable to look at it, slipping it back into my pocket. I open up the paper and look at Stella’s handwriting.

This…this is everything and more. Stella’s final goodbye to me will help me climb out of the hole that I have been thrown inside of.

I look up and stare at the end of the hallway. I can see her standing there with a smile on her face, the same one she shared with me after I came home from a late night at work.

A sigh leaves my lips. I look away, tucking the piece of paper back into my hands.

It is official. I have officially mistreated Stella and have thought her to be someone that she is not.

Stella has proven herself to be one of the most kind and selfless people that I have ever met in my life. I simply cannot believe how blind I was to the fact that she is a true and genuine soul in this world instead of someone who is materialistic and selfish.

And for once…I am completely and utterly speechless.