Too Late to Beg, Ex-Husband Chapter 09

Too Late to Beg, Ex-Husband Chapter 09 The Weight of Blame

Stella’s tears came without warning. Ethan carefully pulled her into his arms and frowned.

Lately, she seemed to cry at the slightest pressure. Ethan had been home only two days and had already witnessed it twice.

Stella used to hate crying.

Even when the Evans family nearly killed her, she only stood there with red eyes, apologizing without crying.

Ethan gently wiped her tears with his thumb. “What’s wrong? Are you still feeling hurt about what happened?” he said.

Assuming Victoria’s slap had hurt her, he said, “We’ll go back to the estate tomorrow, and you can hit her back.”

Stella glared at him through red-rimmed eyes. “Easy for you to say. Do you dare hit her, or do I?” she retored.

“Then let’s wreck the estate. I know where Mom keeps her treasured jewelry. Take it all out and scatter every piece. How does that sound?” Ethan replied.

Cindy had to admit, that was one devoted son.

Listening to him avoid the real issue, Stella felt another wave of exhaustion and helplessness settle over her.

They had been discussing Cynthia, yet Ethan had redirected everything toward the familiar conflict between Stella and

Victoria.

Stella no longer cared about winning Victoria’s approval. Years of failed efforts had only taught Victoria to dismiss and underestimate her more openly.

Ethan continued soothing her. “Don’t be angry anymore. Whatever you bought today, I’ll cover every dollar.”

Stella gave him a sideways look. “I didn’t buy anything for myself. I only bought winter clothes for Dad,” she said.

Ethan smiled. “I ordered Dad a custom massage chair overseas. It arrived today. We’ll deliver it tomorrow. The added head massage should help his nerves recover,” he said.

Stella gradually calmed down.

Ethan understood her weaknesses better than anyone, and her father had always been the surest way through her defenses.

Ethan had treated her father very well over the years.

He hired elite doctors and nurses, then reserved half a day each week to review Leon’s progress and approve the next stage of treatment.

Even during last week’s trip to Southella, Ethan joined the medical conference remotely despite the severe time difference.

One of the doctors told her, “Ma’am, Mr. Hawthorne is personally overseeing your father’s treatment. He approved ten million for round-the-clock brain monitoring and custom medication tailored to his DNA and cells, so you have nothing to worry about.”

Stella was not unmoved.

Seeing Stella soften, Cindy said, “Let your husband take you home. You drank a lot tonight, so don’t shower right away.”

Stella looked at her and said. “Drive safely on your way home.”

Cindy nodded. “Sure. I’ll message you when I get home.”

“Good.” Stella paused, then stood. “Wait here for a minute. I need to use the restroom.”

Nothing was more awkward than being left alone with a best friend’s husband while she went to the restroom.

Cindy had never experienced time moving so slowly. Every passing second seemed to stretch beyond reason.

She looked toward the restroom three times in one minute, complaining that Stella was taking too long.

Cindy felt as if she were freezing.

The bar was warm. Ethan was the one making the room feel cold.

Cindy had rarely spoken to Ethan alone. As Stella’s friend, she respected careful boundaries and normally avoided unnecessary private conversation with him.

This time, however, she could not remain silent. “Ethan, you need to treat Stella better.”

Ethan lowered his eyes, looking almost bored. “What exactly have I done to mistreat her?”

“You do many things for her,” Cindy admitted. “But you do so much for Cynthia that nothing you give Stella feels truly special anymore.”

After a brief silence, Ethan replied. “The two relationships are different. Stella understands why I sometimes have to help Cynthia.”

Cindy frowned. “She understands that you feel responsible because of Jason. That doesn’t mean what happened was entirely

Stella’s fault.”

Ethan’s face hardened.

Cindy noticed and fell silent. She was still a little afraid of him. But she could not help wanting to defend Stella.

Soon after Jason died, Stella drank at The 1988 every day. She cried when drunk, slept when exhausted, and started drinking again whenever she woke.

Once, Stella got drunk and struck her own head with an empty bottle while crying.

Cindy stopped her. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?” she snapped.

“I should pay with my life,” Stella cried. “A life for a life. That’s only right.”

“Who did you kill?” Cindy snapped. “Tragedies happen without warning. You didn’t kill anyone. You didn’t kill Jason. You only… you only…”

She wanted to say Stella had simply suffered a cruel stroke of bad luck.

But saying that seemed disrespectful to Jason.

Cindy grieved too. Jason had been one of the kindest, most patient people she had ever known, which made the tragedy even harder to accept.

Stella sobbed until she was exhausted, then leaned against Cindy’s shoulder and murmured.

Stella murmured. “I argued with Ethan and left. Jason called asking where I was. I told him Riverside Avenue, but said I needed air and would return soon.”

Stella continued. “Jason promised he wouldn’t come. He told me to take some time alone and call him after I safely returned

home.”

ela continued. Then why did he leave anyway? Why was the accident on Pinewood Road when he knew exactly where !

Cindy sensed that something was wrong.

Pinewood Road and Riverside Avenue ran in completely different directions.

One was located to the north, while the other stretched along the southern side of the city.

At first, Cindy had assumed Jason did not know Stella’s location and had driven around searching blindly.

But Jason knew she was on Riverside Avenue, making his presence on distant Pinewood Road difficult to explain.

Cindy asked, “If Jason was coming to find you, why did the accident happen on Pinewood Road?”

After a long silence, Stella said, “That question no longer matters.”

In that instant, Cindy understood.

Everyone knew Jason left home after Stella’s argument with Ethan, and everyone repeated that he had gone out to search for her.

Once that story took hold, where Jason’s accident happened no longer mattered.

Even whether he had really gone to find Stella no longer mattered.

Stella could never defend herself by pointing out that she was on Riverside Avenue while Jason died far away on Pinewood. Road.

She could not do it.

Worse, Stella herself had already accepted the belief that she caused Jason’s death, allowing guilt to consume every possible defense.

It was a dead end.

No one wanted to blame someone who was already dead or keep questioning his choices.

So all the blame fell on Stella.