Now They Want My Forgiveness - Chapter 131: Chapter 131

Stella was speechless. The clerk clearly didn't deal with situations like this very often. She glanced at the photo on the document, then looked back at Stella. "You..."
"I'm not dead. Do you remember who reported me as dead?" Stella asked.
This was just too bizarre. The clerk thought for a moment. "I think it was your family."
"So, how do I get this fixed?" Stella asked.
The clerk hesitated." Alright, I understand." Stella didn't bother waiting for her to finish. She walked out and called Jordan right away.
On the phone, Stella kept her voice steady, but Jordan could hear the pain beneath her calm. She was hurting more than words could say.
Stella thought bitterly, 'If someone were alive and well, but his own family goes and declares him dead. How would that make him feel? I guess this is what it means to feel truly numb inside.'
"I'll take care of this for you. You should have a new, independent household registration by this afternoon," Jordan said.
"Thanks," Stella replied. She didn't get into the car right away. She kept walking, feeling more devastated. She never would have dreamed that her family would erase her existence. 'Do they really wish I were dead that much?' Stella thought bitterly.
Just as Jordan had promised, Stella received her new household registration that afternoon. It was in her name alone, and the registered address was now the place she lived with Jordan. With some time to spare, she decided to apply for a passport.
The day before her birthday, Max came to see her. He was clearly in worse shape than before, like he still hadn't fully recovered from the beating she'd given him, or maybe he was just trying to hide it in front of her.
"Stella, tomorrow is yours and Anna's birthday. When you are home, we always celebrate together every year. Let's do the same this year. Come back and celebrate with us," Max said.
Stella stared at him. She'd beaten him up, yet he didn't seem upset at all. Instead, he was sincerely begging her to come home. Stella couldn't shake the feeling that this was all just some kind of setup.
"If Jordan doesn't want you to come, I'll talk to him. Or you two can work something out. Anna can even come celebrate with you if that's better," Max added.
"No." Stella's voice was icy. "You always focused on Anna at my birthday parties, giving me thoughtless gifts. Those parties were meaningless to me. Now that I'm married, I'll go wherever my husband wants me to."
"Just think of it as your last birthday with us, okay? Stella, once Anna gets married too, you two won't have many chances to celebrate together anymore.
"If you hadn't gotten married this year, we would've celebrated your birthday together like always. Even though you haven't been home these past three years, we never forgot your birthday."
"Do you really think I'd believe that?" Stella didn't bother to spare his feelings.
"You really have the wrong idea about us. I know no matter what I say, you won't trust us, but Mom, Dad, and I truly want to celebrate your birthday together with you and Anna," Max said.
Stella didn't directly call him out; after all, that would ruin the fun. "Max, I think you should just give up on this." She turned around and left.
Just as Stella was about to head home, Jordan called and asked, "Where are you right now?" She told him her location, trying to keep her voice steady.
"There's an auction tonight. I heard there are some really great pieces. Want to go check it out?" Jordan asked.
Stella felt a rare spark of excitement. "You want to take me with you?" she asked, a hint of surprise in her voice.
"You don't want to go with me?" Jordan asked, sounding a little surprised.