Chapter 10
Chapter 10
When Ella thought about Allison, one thing came to mind.
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She took a bite of her food, then said, “Last time we talked, Allison mentioned a new FDA–approved weight loss drug at the hospital. Wanna check it out with me tomorrow?”
Stephanie paused, soda halfway to her lips.
The words “weight loss” made her set the cup down, then glance at Ella.
She raised an eyebrow. “Why are you interested in that?”
Ella wasn’t overweight. In fact, she had a great figure, even though she ate like it was her job.
Ella sighed and shrugged. “It’s for my cousin. He’s already at 200 pounds. He’s tried everything to lose weight, but nothing’s working. It’s really starting to get to him.”
Stephanie nodded, her expression softening. “Got it,” she said, grabbing her soda again.
Stephanie’s motto was “carpe diem.” She thought people shouldn’t get too hung up on their looks, especially with stuff like dieting.
Once you start obsessing over weight, nothing else is fun. All you think about is what you can’t eat.
And it’s so easy to fall into a cycle of self–blame and end up hating yourself even more.
After they finished eating, the two women said their goodbyes and headed off in different directions.
Stephanie got home to a mess of things piled up on the couch–stuff she had meant to clean but hadn’t gotten to. Her mood soured.
She dropped her bag, then flopped down next to the clutter.
Reaching into one of the shopping bags, she pulled out a receipt, her gaze lingering on the payment details. She felt a bit lost in it.
Her phone buzzed. She looked down and saw it was a call from her father’s secretary.
She didn’t need to guess why someone from the Hart family was calling her.
She hung up without answering.
A few seconds later, Chad’s number flashed on her screen. She didn’t bother picking it up either.
Meanwhile, at the Hart family home, Chad noticed Stephanie wasn’t answering her calls. His jaw tightened.
He turned to Catlin, irritation creeping into his voice. “Didn’t I tell you to have Olivia keep her distance from her? Why were they meeting up?”
Catlin’s frustration was clear. “This time, it’s really not Olivia’s fault. She… well, never mind.”
Catlin hesitated, unsure how to explain. She stayed quiet.
Chad checked his phone, eyes narrowing at a trending photo–Chris and Olivia at the hospital, plastered all over the
internet.
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Chapter 10
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He muttered under his breath, “Chris is her sister’s fiancé! Why the hell was he taking her to the hospital alone? What were they thinking? And you didn’t stop them?”
Catlin could tell she had some part to play in this, but she didn’t know how to defend herself, so she kept quiet.
Chad clenched his fists, then snapped, “I’ve already arranged for experts to help her. Why the hell is she still staying with . Chris?”
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got.
Two years ago, when the Ashford family had tried to break off Olivia’s engagement because she was adopted, Chad had been furious. But he understood the Ashfords‘ perspective.
Now that Chris and Olivia were done and Chris was with Stephanie, Chad was convinced Chris needed to stay far away from Olivia,
Catlin quickly tried to defend Olivia. “Olivia’s in a really bad place right now. I just wanted to cheer her up. You know, she and Chris have been friends since middle school. They’ve got this bond.”
Chad’s face turned stone–cold. “Bond? Catlin Ashford! Are you seriously bringing up their bond right now? Do you think that’s appropriate?”
His expression twisted with anger, his jaw clenched as he stared at her.
Chad’s words made Catlin fall silent.
She got what he meant–right now, Olivia and Stephanie shouldn’t be anywhere near each other. But things were never as simple as that.
Chad turned to the secretary standing nearby. “Pull the car over.”
As he was going to leave, Catlin checked the time. “Where are you going at this hour?”
Without even glancing at her, Chad replied, “Cloudridge Valley.”
Catlin didn’t need to think twice–he was going to see Stephanie.
She quickly added, “I’ll go with you.”
Chad shot her down without missing a beat. “No need. If you go, you’ll just end up arguing with her.”
Chad was always disappointed by the way Catlin and Stephanie interacted.
Catlin felt a wave of frustration hit her.
She protested, “You think I want to fight with her? She’s the one who’s always pushing my buttons! You didn’t see how rude she was today. She’s like a little witch!”
Chad’s gaze turned sharp. “She couldn’t have the love of her real parents when she was a kid. Being mean is how she copes.”
Unlike Catlin, Chad did feel some guilt when it came to Stephanie.
Catlin didn’t have a reply to that.
Just as he was about to leave, Chad stopped and turned back to Catlin. “Did you freeze her credit card again?”
Catlin didn’t try to hide it. “Yeah, I did.”
Chad gritted his teeth, his anger clear. “Are you out of your mind? Do you really want to lose her as a daughter?”
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Freezing her credit card, especially now that Olivia was back, was only going to make things worse.
Chad was furious, itching for a fight, but he knew Catlin wouldn’t listen.
Catlin tried to defend herself. “You didn’t see what she did to me today. I just―”
. Chad wasn’t having it. He waved his hand to shut her up. “Just call the bank and unlock it. Now.”
He didn’t want to hear any more excuses. His mind was made up.
Catlin let out a frustrated sigh. “Fine, I’ll call them tomorrow when they open.”
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