Chapter218
Suphaniebuddledupontheedgeofthesofa.Thelights<b>in</b>thewholehousewereonanddazzlinglybright.Undertheincandescentlight.Stephanielookedansions,Shewasholdinganewckphoneinherhandanddulingthesamenumberoverandoveragain.
Butstill,no oneanswered.
Guardandupset.
Stephanieloweredherhead<b>.</b>She<b>looked</b>atthephonescreenthathadautomaticallyhangup.Shewasconfused
Oscardidn’tsayaword.HejustquietlyapaniedStephanie.HelistenedtothebusytoneoverandoveragainuntilStephaniehung<b>up</b>.
Stephanieleftherphone<b>at</b>WellingtonVi.SheusedOscar’sphonenumberto<b>call</b>Dominick.It<b>was</b>anewandunfamiliarnumbertoDominick.ItwasnowonderthatDominickrefused<b>to</b>answer.
Stephaniefelt<b>a</b>senseofloss.Sheraisedherheadandpressedherlips.SheforcedafaintsmileandhandedthephoOscar.“Hereyouare.”
Oscarwasextremelyhandsome.Anyonewhohadseenhimwouldneverforgethim.Hewastandrobust.His<b>hair</b>wascurly.Hisskinwasdelicate.Oscar<b>had</b>astraightnose<b>and</b>apairofintenseblueeyes,Hehadperfectlysculptedfacialfeatures
Oscarnced<b>at</b>thephoneStephaniehandedover,asifhesitatingaboutsomething
Atthismoment,thephoneinStephanie’shandsuddenly<b>rang</b>
Shewasstunnedatfirst.Butwhenshe<b>saw</b>thatDominickcalledherback,shecouldn’tsuppresstheexcitementinherheart.
“Whoallowedyoutocallhim?”
BeforeStephaniecould
press
theanswerbutton,sheheard<b>an</b>angrycursefrombehind.Thephonewassnatchedaway.
“Giveitbacktome
Stephaniequicklyturnedherheadtolook.Shesubconsciouslygrabbeditback.But<b>when</b>shemetDiana’sfuriousexpression,herhandfrozeinmid–air.Shedarednotmove.
“AuntDiana,1–Ijustwantto..
Stephanietriedtoexin.ButDianasawherhesitationandlistenedtothisringing.Shebecameevenmoreangry.
“FromnowonyouarenotallowedtocontactanyonefromtheWellingtonfamily”
Dianathrewthephothefloor.
“Why?”
Stephanie<b>was</b>shocked.<b>She</b>lookedatDianaandthebrokenphonponentsontheground.Sheaskedsoftly,<b>“</b>AuntDiana,why?”
Dianapulledalongface.Sheseemedunwillingtolistentoher.
DianashoutedatStephanie.TheWellingtonfamilyiswealthyandpowerful.TheReedfamilyisabunchofsnobswhofawnonthem.Theywoulddoanythingtogetbenefits.TheyevensentyoutoDominickfortheirowngood<b>.</b>StephanieListento<b>me</b>.Ordoyou<b>just</b>want<b>that</b>wealth?”
“I–Iamnot…Ihavenothing<b>to</b>do<b>with</b>theReedfamily,
Stephaniealmostdidn’tdaretolookdirectlyatDianalike<b>this</b><b>,</b>Sheloweredhervoiceandpressedherlips.Sheadded,“Dominickisverygood<b>to</b>
Π
“<b>Shut</b>up!”
Dianawasfurious.Herwordsw
wereveryharsh
Shesaid.“Dominick,theonlygrandsonoftheWellingtonfamily,wasbornwithasilverspoon.Hehadeverythinghewanted.Manyfamousdiescovetedhim.Hehadmanyengagedcandidatessincehewas<b>a</b>child.Nowyouaremarriedtohim.Areyouproud!<b>How</b>welldoyou<b>know</b>him?HeisthechildofSawyerandMary.Hecan’tbegood”
Dianaalmostgrittedherteeth<b>as</b>ifshehadrecalledsomething.Herbody<b>was</b>shakingwith
anger.
Shr
iradded,“Fromnowon,youarenotallowedtomentionanythingabouttheWellingtonfamily,notevenasingleword.
familyagreedtothismarriage.Anyway,Idon’tagree.Whenyougivebirthtothebastardinyourbelly,youneedto
“Also,Idon’tcarethattheReedfabreakupwithDominick.”
Stephaniestoodupanxiously.“WhyAunt Diana,whendidtheWellingtonfamilyoffendyou?DidDominickdosomethingwrong?Tellme,Idon’tunderstandwhyyouaresoopposedtoourmarriage.TheWellingtonfamilyisnotasoverbearingastherumors.They<b>treat</b>meverywell.”
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Chapter218
Dianayelledangrily,“IfyouthinktheWellingtonfamilyisgood,don’trecognizeme<b>as</b>your<b>aunt</b>.Leavenow.Getout”
Dianadidn’twanttolistentoStephanie’sexnation.Shepointedinthedirection<b>of</b>thedoor.
Thiscoldrebukeechoedinthenewhouse,
Stephaniedidn’ttalkback.Shepressedherlipsandloweredherhead.
TheReedfamilywasthewealthiestfamily<b>in</b>Caclorium.Stephaniewastheonlychild.Thomascaredabouthervery<b>much</b>.Stephaniewasindeedspoiled.ButshealwaysrespectedDiana.Diana<b>was</b>notingoodhealth.So,Stephanieneverdaredtomisbehaveinfrontofher.EspeciallyafterleavingtheReedfamily,theylivedahardlifetogether,StephaniesavedmoneytobuymedicineforDiana.Theyhadatoughtime.
StephaniewasobedienttoDiana.Butthistime<b>,</b>Stephaniedidn’twanttoeptherarrangements.
Dianamutteredtoherself.Herwordswerefullofnostalgia.“It’sbeensomanyyears.Thereisnooneintherkfamilyanymore.Doyoustillrememberyourgrandpa?Doyoustillrememberyourmother?
youstillrememberthatyourgrandpahuggedyouwithasternface.Everytimeyoumadeamistake,hewouldtouchyourlittleheadandscare
Yourgrandpalovedyousomuch.Allthearrangementshemadewere<b>for</b>yourowngood.Steffi,whyareyoudisobedient‘‘
<b>Diana’s</b>voicewaschokedwithsobs.Hereyeswerealreadyred.
<b>Diana</b>couldn’thelpbutcry.Stephanieraisedherheadandlooked<b>at</b>Dianainastonishment
Stephaniethought,‘Dianaiscrying.WhatshouldIdo?
Stephaniewassuddenlyataloss.ShelookedatDianainpanic.
Dianalookedsadandhelpless.Sheclosedhereyes.Tearswerestillflickeringonherlongeyshes.<b>Diana</b>murmuredinabeggingtone,“Steffi,youhavetobeobedient
Stephanie’swholebodystiffened.Thosememoriesfloodedintohermind.
Formanyyears,
tobeobedient”Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.
thatwasherhappiestchildhood.MadisonwouldholdStephanie<b>and</b>saidinthegentlestvoice,“Steti,don’tmakeafuss.You<b>have</b>
Thedaysinthepastwerereallyhappy.Butthatwasonlythe<b>past</b>.
Thosepasttimesthatcouldnever bereturnedto.
AfterThomasdied,Madisomittedsuicideinprisonoutofdespair.StephanieandDiana<b>escaped</b>fromtheReedfamilyandlivedahardlife.Fromthatmomenton,theywerealoneanddependentoneachother.
ThesefewwordsechoedinStephanie’smindoverandoveragain
Stephaniewasstunned.Shefelpletelysilent.
Dianaseemedextremely tired<b>as</b>ifshehadusedupallhercourage.Shedidn’taskStephanieanymorequestions,nordidshescoldher.Shewebacktoherroomwithweaksteps.
went
StephanielookedatDiana’sthinbody.Shefeltapangofsadnessinherheart.
Dianawassuchagentleandeasy–<b>going</b>woman.Shewashumbleineverything.Butshewassocoldandstricttoday.Shehadexhaustedherenergy.
DianaactuallyusedallherstrengthtoscoldandevenbegSteph
Stephanie,
<b>Oscar</b>walkedover.Hewasstisquietasever.He<b>stayed</b>byherside.
Stephaniesaid<b>in</b>alowvoice,“LittlePir,whatdoyouthinkIshoulddo?”