Three Years After They Abandoned Me - Chapter 30: Chapter 30

Hearing the lawyer's advice, Stella nodded in agreement.
The lawyer typed quickly on his laptop. Within moments, he placed a list in front of Stella.
She glanced at the list and said firmly, "Alright, I'll track them down. Once this is settled, I'll pay you an additional fee."
"Thank you, Ms. Hayes," the lawyer replied.
Stella stepped outside and let out a sigh of relief. 'Jordan's method really worked,' she thought, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders. The thought of recovering her lost money filled her with hope.
But as she took a few steps, several cars suddenly pulled up in front of her, forcing her to dodge them.
However, those cars seemed intent on tormenting her. They swerved back and forth in front of her. The dizzying motion blurred her vision and made her head spin. Finally, she lost control and collapsed to the ground, sharp pain shooting through her body.
Just as the cars came to a stop, Troy stepped out with a smug grin, looking down at Stella, who was still on her knees.
"Well, well, well, look who it is!" he mocked. "Dropping to your knees as soon as you see me? What a grand gesture. I'm almost embarrassed by all this respect."
Immediately, Troy's cronies erupted in raucous laughter.
Stella felt a little better and tried to stand, but Troy kicked her violently back to the ground. He sneered, "Who said you could get up? You, a worthless woman, aren't even fit to stand before me!"
Stella's hand was scraped, throbbing with pain. She glared at Troy with fury.
Troy noticed her angry glare and smirked, turning to his buddies. "See that? She's actually mad," he jeered.
One of Troy's men spat directly in Stella's face.
Stella gagged, feeling a surge of nausea. She wiped her face with the tissues she brought with her. But more spit rained down on her, and she couldn't keep up with the assault.
Troy crouched down in front of her, grinning smugly. "Well? Now you know what happens when you cross me. Look at your family's situation. I almost feel sorry for you," he sneered.
Stella stared daggers at Troy.
Troy said casually with a smirk, "Well, wanna fight me?"
However, to Troy's shock, Stella lunged and rammed her spit-covered hair straight into his mouth the very next second.
Troy stumbled backward, his cronies rushing to help. Disgusted, he realized that Stella's wig had completely fallen off.
He didn't have time to mock Stella. With his mouth full of spit, Troy roared at his men. "Beat her. Beat her to a pulp!"
They kicked and punched Stella from all sides, leaving her in excruciating pain. She thought she was going to die.
Suddenly, Henry's commanding voice cut through. "What the hell are you doing? Let her go!"
Just then, Henry strode over, leaving Troy and his gang utterly dumbfounded.
He helped Stella up from the ground, gently brushing the dust off her. With tender concern, he asked, "Stella, are you alright?"
Stella instinctively pulled away a little. "Thank you," she said stiffly.
Henry glared coldly at Troy and his gang. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Beating a woman in broad daylight? Do you really think your powerful family backgrounds make you untouchable?"
Knowing Henry's family carried serious weight, Troy faltered. "Henry," he said, trying to sound firm, "she provoked me first. This is between her and me. Please stay out of it."
Henry said, "If this were just your business, I wouldn't interfere. But she's about to be my wife. You think I'll just stand by while you lay hands on her?"
Everyone froze in shock. Then Troy, realizing what was happening, shot Stella an evil smile that made her skin crawl.
Stella didn't dwell on it. 'If I marry Henry, I'll naturally have to face public scrutiny. I'd better get used to it beforehand,' she thought.
The group stood in stunned silence, words trapped in their throats.
"Sorry, Henry!" Troy exclaimed. "We swear we won't bother her again. We're out of here!" With that, he scattered with others like frightened deer.
Once they were gone, Henry's stern expression softened. He gazed at Stella with gentle concern. "Are you hurt?" he asked.
"I'm fine," Stella replied, edging away to put some distance between them.
"I heard that you agreed to marry me," Henry said, looking very pleased with her decision.
Stella glanced at him but remained silent.
Henry continued gently, "I know you're not fully comfortable with this. But it's not unheard of. Many young women have married older men and found happiness. And I promise, I'll make sure you're happy, too."
Stella instinctively pulled away from him, but with her promise to Eleanor weighing on her, she forced herself to try to get along with Henry. She asked quietly, "Mr. Bass, are you really sure you want someone like me?"
At that moment, Stella stood there bareheaded, drawing furtive glances from passersby.
Her clothes were a mess. Though Fiona had prepared some for her, none of them fit well. They hung loosely on her thin frame, making her feel completely out of place.
"Don't worry," Henry assured her. "This is just temporary. You were so beautiful before, and I know you'll be just as gorgeous in a few years."
Stella stole glances at Henry, his tenderness feeling almost unnaturally intense. He claims he liked her before, but she was just a kid back then. She thought there was something off about him.
"Come on. I'll take you to a place," Henry said, reaching for her hand.
However, Stella immediately flinched away.
Henry simply smiled at her. "Alright, if you don't want me to hold your hand, I won't. Let's go."
Stella didn't know where he was taking her. People stared at them as they walked, but Henry didn't seem to care, and, strangely, neither did she.
She hadn't come out with Andrew and the others, but she was sure that if they'd seen her in this situation, they'd never want to be seen walking with her.
They arrived at a boutique. Henry turned to the sales assistant and instructed her to pick out a complete outfit for Stella.
The sales assistant was taken aback when she saw Stella, her eyes widening as if she hadn't expected to see someone so emaciated. Nonetheless, she quickly selected several outfits for Stella.
The clothes weren't perfect, but they were a significant improvement over what Stella had been wearing before.
"I'll take them all," Henry said, handing his credit card to the sales assistant.
As they left the store, Henry kept his eyes on Stella. "Hmm," he said with a warm smile, "this looks so much better on you. See? Doesn't it look great?"
Stella had checked herself in the mirror earlier. It was a definite improvement. Not wanting to owe Henry anything, she pulled out her phone and said, "Let me pay you back."
Henry gently held her arm, stopping her. "Stella, you're about to be my wife. What's wrong with me buying you a few outfits?"
"But—" Stella began, wanting to insist.
Henry interrupted softly. "Alright, don't worry about that. There's a wig shop just ahead with all kinds of styles. We'll buy a few so you can change up your look whenever we go out."
After that, Henry walked ahead, with Stella following behind. Growing up in Dusty Pines taught her a hard lesson. The nicer someone was to her, the more likely they were to want something in return.
But now, she thought, 'I have nothing left. My family isn't doing well, either. What could he possibly want from me?'
The wig shop was packed with options. The assistant helped Stella try on several styles, each one surprisingly nice.
Though Stella wasn't back to her best, after a few days at home, her complexion was slowly regaining its healthy glow. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she almost saw a glimpse of her former self.
Henry smiled broadly. "Perfect! We'll take them." With a generous gesture, he purchased five or six wigs.
As they stepped outside, Henry moved closer to Stella with a gentle smile. "How about we grab a bite to eat?"
Hearing that, Stella simply nodded.