Joyce wasn’t afraid of Stella. She was simply taken aback by the cold look she’d received. She had never seen Stella act like that before…
What was going on? What had happened in Yvonne’s office? Why had Stella changed so much after that?
Stella managed to calm herself down that afternoon. She was, after all, a dance teacher, and teaching children was the most important part of her life.
As the workday came to an end, Stella checked the time on her phone. For the first time, she resented leaving work. She didn’t want to go home, so she called her brother to let him know she’d be going on a business trip for a while.
Yvonne happened to walk by as Stella was on the phone with Roger, informing him that she couldn’t go home. Yvonne stopped in her tracks, staring at Stella in surprise.
Stella hung up the phone and turned to leave, but bumped into Yvonne, who was looking at her with an odd expression. Yvonne looked down at her shoes, saying nothing. Just as Stella was about to walk away, Yvonne spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.
“You know,” Yvonne said softly in Stella’s ear, “If you ever need me to tell a little white lie, just ask. I’ll help you.”
When Yvonne had first learned about Stella’s affair with Weston Ford, she had resented her. But now, after understanding that Stella had been forced into it by Weston, Yvonne’s feelings had changed.
It was obvious to anyone that a man like Weston Ford, with his power and influence, could easily crush someone like Stella. Moreover, Stella had a family to consider—escaping Weston’s grasp didn’t guarantee her family’s safety. Being close to Weston Ford was like walking a tightrope: one misstep, and everything could come crashing down.
“Thank you, Yvonne,” Stella said, her voice warm with gratitude. “If you don’t mind,” she added after a pause, “Could you tell my brother I’m on a business trip and won’t be home for a while?”
“Sure!” Yvonne nodded. “Thank you!”
“Don’t mention it,” Yvonne replied. She paused, then added with a sigh, “If you ever need anything, just ask me, okay?”
Not long after, Stella received a text from Weston. He had sent the driver to pick her up. After a moment’s thought, Stella texted back, saying that she had a private tutoring class and would be going back a little later. It wasn’t exactly a lie. Weston had checked her schedule, so he knew she was indeed working as a tutor. He simply told her to let the driver know when her class was over.
Stella was a bit nervous when she arrived at Mr. Smith’s house. She was worried she might run into Justin again. But when she learned that Justin wouldn’t be there that day, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Mr. Smith wasn’t home either. Only a few nannies were there with Ruby. Ruby, though usually headstrong and mischievous, seemed to soften around Stella. She was unusually obedient and affectionate.
“Miss Steele,” Ruby said after her dance class, “My dad is taking me to a movie set for an audition later. Do you think I’ll be a movie star one day?”
“I’m sure you will, Ruby!” Stella replied, pinching Ruby’s cherubic cheek. “You’re such a pretty girl!”
But just then, one of the nannies rushed into the room and told Stella, “I’m sorry, Miss Steele, but Mr. Smith can’t make it home in time. The audition can’t be postponed either. He asked if you could take Miss Ruby to the movie set instead.”
Stella thought for a moment and then agreed. She didn’t want to return to that place anyway, so why not help out?
Skip to content