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.

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 you grow up. I want you to see the

traveled together often, visited fashion shows and concerts. But her mother was just as strict as she was generous. Stella's achievements with the violin didn't mean she could slack

grew up learning several foreign languages. After starting school, she was always at the

Dating? That was out of the question. She simply didn't

why her mother was so strict. But after returning to the Williams family, she

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

to think her life was already pretty privileged—until she moved back to

bedroom was bigger

placed, was worth millions. The house itself wasn't just a

ver

twenty minutes. The grounds

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