The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

Chapter 396

When my mother passed away so suddenly, and I was thrown out of the Williams family's house, I would've ended up on the streets if you hadn't helped me. I probably wouldn't have even had a chance to say goodbye to her."

But her words didn't comfort Antoney. He just shook his head and said, "I still feel useless. I can't protect you now, and I couldn't protect my mentor back then, either. She was terminally ill, and I didn't even know."

Stella replied softly, "Antoney, none of this was your fault. You don't need to blame yourself."

Her mother had hidden her illness from everyone. She'd even sent Stella to live with the Williams family, afraid Stella would notice something was wrong.

Unlike the tragic stories you see on TV, Stella and her mother had never struggled to make ends meet. In fact, they lived quite comfortably. Otherwise, her mother wouldn't have been able to support Antoney as well.

Before leaving the Williams family, Stella's mother had taken a large sum of money with her. She was a talented violinist-she made good money from performances and teaching students. Thanks to her, Stella never lacked for anything.

gave her the best she could afford-food, clothes, everything. When Stella got older, she developed a sense of thrift and once told her mother she didn't need the very best of everything. But her mother insisted. "I want you to have the best, so you won't be dazzled by a man's shallow gestures when

traveled together often, visited fashion shows and concerts. But her mother was just as strict as she

was always at the top of

That was out of the question. She simply

understood why her mother was so strict. But after

raised her to be a lady of means, to have poise and confidence. Stella's eyes had been opened to the

already pretty privileged—until she moved back to

bedroom was bigger

old house. A vase in the corner, carelessly placed, was worth millions. The house itself wasn't just a mansion-it was a manor, practically a castle. Just driving from the front gate

ver

minutes. The grounds

always been confident, thanks to her mother's careful upbringing. She'd never known what it meant to