"You did not say anything." Jasper said coldly.
Stella was relieved.
She felt that she should not dawdle for long. She stood up and nodded respectfully to Jasper Milton. "Thank you for having me yesterday, Chief. I'll leave now."
"Take those cosmetics with you." Jasper ordered.
"There is no need."
"I bought them especially for you. If you don't want them, who else would want them?" Jasper Milton's tone became colder.
Stella was a little afraid of him, so she picked up the gift bag and said, "I'll transfer the money to you. Please give me your bank account number."
"If you have money, just come back here to the camp and return it to me." Jasper wrote down his phone number quickly on a piece of paper and handed it to Stella. "Call me when you come."
"Hm." Stella took it respectfully.
Jasper took a deep look at her called out loudly, saying, "Send Miss Grace out."
Today was Stella's off day.
After returning home, Stella put the gift bag on her tea table, changed her clothes, and went to the psychiatric hospital to visit her mother, Celine Grace.
Since Celine got a divorce, she had suffered emotionally. Five years ago, with the help of Federick, Celine's condition was getting better.
Three years ago, when Stella was kidnapped and raped, Celine collapsed in an emotional meltdown. She had to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital, and she had never left since.
Stella walked into the ward guiltily.
Celine sat quietly by the window, in a daze, her eyes empty.
Stella picked up a comb and went over to her.
Celine looked back at Stella and asked, "When will my daughter come to visit me?"
Stella's eyes sank. She tied Celine's hair and sat opposite her. She said softly, "Mom, I'm Stella."
Celine paused, looked at Stella, and then looked behind Stella with panic in her eyes. "Where's Federick? Why didn't he come with you? Is there anything wrong with the both of you?"
Stella raised the corner of her mouth with bitterness, and the anger in her eyes deepened.
Years ago, Celine had threatened Stella with suicide, forcing her to accept Federick's proposal. Stella had gone through with the marriage before she had even addressed her own emotions.
If Celine was mentally sound at that time, would she still have forced Stella to do the same?
"We have no problems. He is very kind to me. Oh, mom, I will become the deputy director at the hospital soon," Stella said with a smile.
"Then why doesn't he come to see me? You have to let him come to see me tomorrow." Celine said domineeringly.
"He is going to work tomorrow." Stella explained.
Celine slapped Stella on the face and shouted, "Bring him with you when you come next time. Otherwise, don't come to see me, or I will disregard you as my daughter."
Looking at the redness in Celine's eyes, Stella's face was burned with physical and emotional pain.
If her mother was not a psychotic patient, she would never treat her this way, right?
"Okay, I understand." Stella lowered her eyes, and her lashes covering her tears.
"Get out of here right now, or I'll kill you," Celine said ferociously.
Stella stood up and said gently, "Mom, have a good rest. I'll come to see you another day."
"Get out."
Stella turned around and walked out of the psychiatric hospital. She looked back at Celine's room.
Stella reminisced her senior year in high school, her grades were good, but her family was very poor.
Celine knelt on the grounds downtown, begging for money.
Whether in the hot summers or cold winters, Celine knelt to beg for tuition fees for Stella to go to college.
Stella knew that her mother loved her.
People never wanted to fall sick, when they did, their minds were in a mess and there was nothing they could do.
Stella did not want her mother to worry about her and worsen her health condition.
Stella went to the market to buy some groceries and went to Federick's place.
The password of the villa's door was still the same, 19920316, her birthday, and it had not been changed.
Stella felt somewhat comforted.
She walked in with the groceries. The room was cold and empty, and the trash bin in the kitchen was clean. Obviously, he did not come back to eat often.
She opened the refrigerator, it was filled with alcohol and... condoms.
Stella's heart sank. Her mind grew cold.
She had long gotten used to this, didn't she?
She had not come to check on him or talk about the past, but she came to ask Federick for help.
Stella put the groceries into the refrigerator and walked into the kitchen.
She found the apron she had put in the cabinet.
She washed, cut, fried, and stewed. A meal was ready.
She wanted to clean his house.
But this she realized – the exception being the living room, kitchen, and bathroom, all the other doors were locked, including their old wedding room.
And she did not have the key.
Stella picked up the landline to call Federick.
Three rings.
Federick picked up.
"Hello, this is Stella."
Federick sneered, "Were you trying to catch me cheating in my own house?"
Stella could hear his sarcasm.
She had gotten used to it.
"No, I'm on leave today and have prepared dinner for you," Stella said calmly.
"Who asked you to do this?" Federick's voice suddenly became cold.
"Ha." Stella chuckled. "I planned for this."
Stella hung up the phone.
She frowned and her eyes flashed with agitation.
She had a request of him, so she should endure his abuse just a little.
"Crack." The electronic door opened.
Stella looked at the doorway.
Federick walked in and peered at her with his charming eyes. He smiled diabolically. "Did you come here to apologize? Do you want to get a divorce?"
Stella did not feel that she had done anything wrong.
"Federick, I agree with the divorce, but I have some conditions." Stella did not want to fight anymore.
As long as Federick accompanied her to see Celine once a month.
She was willing to let go of him.
Federick's eyes flashed with sharpness and burned with anger. He stared at her. "Do you know what kind of woman I hate the most?"
Stella looked at him quietly. She knew that what he was about to say was definitely unpleasant.
Federick sized her up and down, without concealing his disgust for her. "Wearing a pair of apron, slippers, and sloppy clothes. Do you deserve me? And you dare to negotiate terms with me? Where does your confidence come from?"
Stella looked at Federick coldly. "If I tell the world that you have an illegitimate son, your career will be affected."
"That child is not mine. I won't leave any of my seed in their bellies. You think too much." Federick said conceitedly.
"If you always walk along a river, how can you not get wet? I will divorce you. You can do whatever you want in the future. I just need you to accompany me to see my mother once a month." Stella made a reasonable negotiation.
Federick said with a sneer, "Once a month, where do you get this idea from? I will never accept."
"I've offered you a condition. Call me when you've figured it out." Stella retorted lazily. She picked up the bag on the sofa and walked toward the door.