Chapter 15
The next morning, Allison left for an overseas conference.
When Ella called, Stephanie couldn’t help but smirk. “Tell your cousin to stay fat for a little longer. Allison’s gone. She’ll be out of town for about a month.”
Ella sounded surprised. “How do you know that? Did she call you?”
Stephanie: “Yeah, she called me at 1 AM last night.”
Ella let out a small laugh. “She called you at 1 AM to tell you her schedule? Is she crazy?”
She knew doctors had weird hours, but 1 AM? That was a new level of bizarre for Allison.
Stephanie laughed, “Actually, she called about Olivia.”
Ella was intrigued. “Olivia? What happened to her?”
Stephanie paused, and then she replied, “She got admitted to the hospital last night. Apparently, she’s got a bunch of diseases.”
Ella’s voice immediately shifted, a mix of shock and confusion. “A bunch? How many? What kind of diseases?”
Stephanie filled her in on everything she knew, and Ella was stunned.
Just yesterday, she’d seen Olivia and Chris at a gynecology clinic, and she’d assumed it was because Olivia was pregnant.
Turns out, it was because she was seriously sick.
Stephanie recalled what Allison told her yesterday. “Uterine cancer, heart disease, and I think liver cancer too.”
Ella gasped, her voice shaky. “What… how does she have so many diseases? And uterine cancer? How does that even happen?”
Like Stephanie, Ella seemed to think uterine cancer was something that came with an indulgent lifestyle.
When Ella heard about the uterine cancer, her tone shifted.
Stephanie added, “How would I know? Allison said she’s an ‘ethical doctor,‘ so she wouldn’t gossip with me. And we’re not gossiping, right?”
Ella calmed herself down and said, “Okay, no gossip. But seriously–there’s no way Chris and Olivia have a future. I mean, what kind of family would want a daughter–in–law with so many problems? Especially Chris’s family. They’re super conservative.”
The Ashford family had always looked down on Olivia. They knew she was the daughter of a nanny, and that was enough for them to disapprove.
If they found out about her serious health problems, there was no way they’d ever accept her as Chris’s wife.
Ella paused, her tone turning serious. “You need to watch out. With all Olivia’s health issues, the older members of the Ashford family are gonna do whatever it takes to stop Chris from getting back together with her.”
She then added, “I wouldn’t be surprised if they start pushing for you and Chris to get married instead.”
Ella had a feeling the Ashfords would be desperate to lock Stephanie down now–especially since she was from the Hart family.
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Chapter 15
To them, Stephanie was the perfect replacement for Olivia.
Ella wasn’t wrong.
The Ashford family was already keeping a close eye on Olivia’s condition.
They knew about her hospitalization the night before and were especially concerned about the one thing they could never accept–uterine cancer.
…..
Stephanie had a quick breakfast before heading to the studio.
On her way there, she got a call from Chris’s mom. “Stefi, come by for lunch today. I’ll cook your favorite dishes. Chris will pick you up.”
Stephanie immediately shook her head, even though Grace couldn’t see it. “Thanks, but I’ve got a lot going on this afternoon. I won’t be able to make it.”
She wasn’t lying–Skyriver had given her a massive project, and she wasn’t about to leave it to the designers. She needed to be hands–on.
Grace Hart sighed heavily. “Is this about Olivia? And you’re avoiding me now?”
Stephanie wasn’t sure how to respond. She didn’t want to be rude, but Grace was pushing hard.
Grace continued, “Or should I come find you?”
Stephanie hesitated but finally gave in, mostly out of respect. “Okay, I’ll come by at noon.”
Grace wasn’t letting up, so it seemed easier to just go and deal with it in person.
Plus, meeting face–to–face might give her a chance to clear up whatever hope the Hart family had about her and Chris.
Right after hanging up, a strange number flashed on her screen.
She answered, “Hello?”
“It’s me.” It was Chris’s voice, low and tired.
Stephanie almost hung up right away. The sound of his voice already had her blood boiling.
She was tempted to block him.
Stephanie had blocked Kevin’s number yesterday, and she was determined to block this unknown number as soon as this call was over.
Chris, though, went straight to the point. “Mom wants me to pick you up. Did you agree to go back?”
His voice sounded drained, and Stephanie immediately guessed he’d spent the whole night at the hospital with Olivia.
She didn’t bother to give him a real response, just a short, “Mhm.”
Chris asked again. “Where should I pick you up?”
Stephanie felt suffocated just thinking about being around him. She quickly shot back, “Don’t bother. I’ll get myself a ride.”
Chris could hear the coldness in her voice, and it hit him harder than he expected. His head throbbed with frustration. “I’ll come pick you up. Wait for me at Cloudridge Valley.”
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Chapter 15
Stephanie didn’t say another word and hung up.
Chris sat there, fuming. Just as she guessed, he’d spent the whole night with Olivia.
And now, hearing her refuse to even talk to him was making his temper flare.
Kevin, who was driving, shot him a quick look. “The more a woman cares, the angrier she gets.”
Chris raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
Kevin nodded, looking amused. “If she didn’t care, she wouldn’t be making a scene.”
气:89%
Chris let out a frustrated breath, his mood lightening just a little. He could let Stephanie’s behavior slide, but her tantrums were starting to get under his skin.
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