Now They Want My Forgiveness - Chapter 33: Chapter 33

"Stella does need some time to process this, but she's really kind-hearted. She'll surely understand you," Anna assured Emily.
The two of them waited in suffocating silence, the air heavy with tension.
Finally, the door slowly creaked open. Anna immediately nudged Emily's shoulder and whispered, "Stella opened the door!"
Emily looked at Stella with hopeful eyes.
However, Stella remained expressionless with a bowl still in her hand. "What do you want?"
Anna smiled and said, "Stella, Emily would like to talk with you."
"Take this out for me," Stella said flatly, handing her the bowl.
Max suddenly stormed over, snatched the bowl from Stella, and snapped angrily, "Stella, Anna isn't your maid. What gives you the right to boss her around like that?"
Though Stella was used to such remarks, she couldn't help but glance at Max when she heard his words.
"Max, it's nothing. Just a small favor," Anna interjected soothingly. "You've misunderstood."
"Who knows if she's doing this on purpose? Just because I made her some noodles, she thinks she can boss everyone around!" Max glared at Stella, not with a brother's affection, but with the cold intensity of an enemy.
Stella didn't even spare Max a glance. With someone else there, she couldn't be bothered to stoop to his level. She turned to Emily and said flatly, "Come in."
Emily glanced back at Anna, her eyes silently pleading for company.
Anna gave her an encouraging nod, so Emily reluctantly stepped inside and gently closed the door behind her.
In the room, Emily felt heavy pressure that she had never experienced before.
Stella's silence made Emily feel increasingly uneasy. Just as Emily was about to run, Stella's voice broke the tension. "You wanted to talk to me, didn't you?"
Emily took a deep breath, gathering all her courage before speaking hesitantly. "Stella, I'm sorry. I know this must be incredibly hard for you to accept, but Anna has truly been so kind to me. While you were away, she helped me through so much.
"You know, I've always worked odd jobs, but it was never enough to help my family pay off our debts. One time, debt collectors even came to our house.
"If it hadn't been for Anna, I literally wouldn't have known what to do. Maybe I wouldn't even be here talking to you now."
Stella remained utterly silent, offering neither a word nor a glance to Emily.
Emily wasn't even sure if Stella was really listening, but since Stella didn't interrupt or make a scene, it gave Emily the courage to go on.
She said, "After getting to know Anna, I realized we might have misunderstood her. Stella, have you ever thought that maybe it's just your own prejudice?
"Since you've both grown up together, why is it that your parents and even your brother always treat her so kindly, but not you? Do you think the issue might be with you?"
Before Emily could finish, Stella shot her an icy glare that instantly silenced her.
"Are you done?" Stella asked, her voice low and heavy.
Emily suddenly snapped, her voice rising. "Stella, you can't keep acting like this. You're always so quick to judge others. Anna has been nothing but good to you. Do you even realize how many nights she's cried herself to sleep since you left home?
"She was so scared that your parents and Max would see her crying, so she'd only break down in front of me. She kept saying she desperately wished she'd been the one taken away instead of you.
"She even attempted suicide several times. She just couldn't come to terms with you being gone.
"She's your twin sister. What you share goes far beyond just being siblings. Everything you've told me before was just your side of the story. Anna has always been so guilty. Why can't you just forgive her?"