155 vouchers The harsh whispers drifted intermittently to Stella's cars . Her hands , which supported Jeremy , trembled slightly as long- suppressed memories came flooding back . When Ernest had casually mentioned that he liked lilies , she had filled their entire home with them , though her pollen allergy made her cough so badly . It was only later that she learned it was Sylvia who loved lilies . Even then , Stella had simply moved the flowers to the backyard garden , clinging to the humble hope that Ernest would see her as thoughtful and perhaps grow just a little fond of her . Later , when Ernest said he didn't like chatty women , she learned to keep quiet . Even when she was pregnant and felt too sick to eat , she hardly ever complained . Now , all she got back was his friend calling her dull . " Stella , don't listen to their nonsense ," Jeremy said , his voice holding both concern and a hint of anger . Stella snapped out of her thoughts and looked up . " I thought you were drunk . How did you even hear that ? " " I'm drunk , not deaf ," Jeremy muttered , his words slightly slurred but his gaze steady . He looked at Stella sincerely , as if he could see all the weight she had been carrying . For a man , how his family and friends treated his wife was a direct reflection of her standing in his heart . The fact that Ernest's friends felt so entitled to judge Stella spoke volumes about the reality of their marriage . Stella helped Jeremy into the car and drove him home . Neither of them spoke along the way . When they arrived and got out of the car , Stella met Jeremy's concerned eyes , took a deep breath and managed an almost convincing smile . " Jeremy , I'm okay , really . Besides , we'll be divorced soon . " Stella said , her voice steady . " Let them talk . It doesn't matter to me anymore . " Jeremy leaned against the car door , his eyes fixed firmly on Stella's face . The streetlights stretched their shadows long on the ground . " So you've really made up your mind ? " he asked . Though he had deeply resented Stella at the time , he found himself understanding her decision when he learned she was to marry Ernest . After all , Ernest was so exceptional that he made everyone around him feel inadequate by comparison . When Ernest returned from studying abroad , everyone saw him as just another rich heir . Yet , he quickly took control of Lloyd Group and turned it into Seabrook's top company in just three years . The story of how he reshaped the industry trended on business news for a full month . When Jeremy founded Lumière Group , he specifically studied Ernest's publicly available cooperation plans . Even then , he was struck by how terrifyingly accurate the risk assessments were for projects led by Ernest . Two years ago , Lloyd Group made headlines again with its risk hedging strategy . During a board meeting , the vice president was fired on the spot because his risk forecast was just 0.3 % lower than Ernest's . Many called Ernest a paranoid control freak . But the next day , when the stock market crashed , only Lloyd Group remained unscathed . Later , in an interview , someone asked Ernest if he was ever afraid of making a wrong decision . Ernest replied , " Act early . Cut decisively . " His words soon became a common saying wealthy families use to teach the next generation . But just now , upstairs , Jeremy had seen Ernest wandering among the company bosses with another woman , acting every bit the loving couple . The sight made him realize how blind he had been to ever think he understood Stella . Stella looked down at the faint mark on her ring finger , then nodded firmly . " Yes , I have . ' Act early . Cut decisively . Those 1/3 3:24 pm Chapter II were his words . " Se vouchers Stella had just stepped back into her apartment when her phone rang . It was Jeremy , calling to ask if she had gotten home safe . His voice was heavy and slurred with sleep . ' If he weren't genuinely worried about me , he would've passed out long ago . After hanging up , Stella felt a sudden pang of bitterness . Jeremy , who she hadn't spoken to in years , still checking on her even while drunk . Yet Ernest and Irene , the people closest to her , hadn't even bothered to call once in all the days she'd been away . Instinctively , she opened Instagram . Her feed was flooded with posts from Irene , all from the Snow White show . There were pictures of Ernest and Sylvia , Irene and Sylvia , and also group photos of all three together . Stella's fingers shook as she scrolled down the screen . The caption felt like a knife through her chest , [ Ms. Jansen promised to be my new mom today . Let's celebrate . We're finally a real family ! ] She slowly closed Instagram and stared out at the night sky , her heart growing cold . In that stillness , a quiet resolve settled within her . At 10 pm , Ernest brought Irene back to the villa . Irene was still bursting with energy , her lips pouted in protest . " Dad , why are we going back so early ? It's the weekend tomorrow . No kindergarten . I can stay up late ." Ernest looked down at his daughter's sulky little face , his eyes softening . " Just look at you . If Mom sees you like this , she'll tell you off again ." The mention of Mom's scolding made Irene's face fall even further . ' It's so late already . Even if Mom was working , she should be home by now . What if she sees this face paint ? She always told me not to put this stuff on my face . She's going to be so mad . ' " But Dad , it's so pretty . Can't I keep it on just a bit longer ? " Irene pleaded , eager to admire her reflection in the mirror a little while more . " Why don't you go take a look in the mirror first , sweetheart ? " Ernest suggested with a warm smile . " Then you can decide when you're ready to take it off ." Seeing the smile in her dad's eyes , Irene knew something was off . She hurried to the mirror and gasped . The face paint was smeared all over , making her look like a messy little kitten . She changed her mind instantly . ' Wash it off , quick ! Maybe Mom won't even notice .' The sound of running water and Irene's murmuring drifted from the bathroom . Ernest felt like something was missing . After handing his coat and Irene's stuff to Betty , he went upstairs . Standing before the dark , empty bedroom , he finally realized what was missing . Stella wasn't there , who used to wait by the door , no matter how late he returned . He recalled what Betty had said about Stella returning to work . ' If Stella really is going back to the workplace , her uncle's company is the obvious choice . At this stage , she's probably full of motivation and won't come back home . Irene finished washing up and came upstairs . Seeing Ernest standing by the door , she felt a twinge of guilt . ' Even if Mom didn't see the face paint , coming home this late is still gonna get me in trouble , isn't it ? ' As if he had read her mind , Ernest said calmly , " Don't worry . Your mom's still at work . She isn't back yet ." Irene nearly jumped for joy , thrilled by this unexpected benefit of her mom being back at work . " You should go to bed too , 2/3 3:24 pm Chapter 11 Dad . Let's not disturb Mom at all . If she suddenly decides to come home , that would be a disaster . "