The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

Pain twisted her face into a grimace. Stella's entire body convulsed, sweat beading on her forehead and dripping down like rain, splattering onto the cold floor.

For a moment, her consciousness flickered. She felt as if she were teetering on the edge of life, certain she was about to die.

Sellers saw things spiraling out of control and quickly intervened.

"Leonard, that's enough. Don't push this any further-you'll kill her."

Leonard's lips curled into a cruel smile. He finally lifted his foot, giving Stella a brief respite.

"Stella, I'm not finished with you yet. Don't give up so quickly. If you die now, I'll just have to let your dear friends suffer in your place."

Sellers' expression darkened. "Leonard, that's enough. She's still a woman... If you really want to ruin her hands, just have someone do it-why torment her like this?"

Leonard lazily drew a knife from his coat. "If she doesn't learn to fear, if she doesn't remember this pain, she'll never understand who she should never cross.

If we don't break her spirit now, she'll only come at us harder next time."

Sellers thought Leonard was out of his mind. Regret gnawed at him he never should have gotten mixed up with this man.

“But—” Sellers started, but Leonard, seeing that Stella had caught her breath, raised his foot again and pressed it down on her hand.

His polished black shoe ground against her knuckles, slow and deliberate. Just watching was enough to make Sellers wince. But Leonard wouldn't even let Stella

scream.

For a moment, Stella wondered if people truly glimpsed their whole lives on

her mother. She saw Antoney Watson, the boy who'd learned piano with her. Abby, her childhood classmate. Lauretta Chapman, with whom she'd once

She saw the brief,

birthday, the way the Williams family looked at Aurora with such

Stella-always the outsider, the Cinderella who

exhausted-so tired, she

that haze between waking and oblivion, she heard Abby's voice,

Don't sleep! Please,

Bet

seen her cry. Abby was a ray

Neo-Vespera Hospital, private ward.

for days, suddenly snapped

at his side, gasped, hope

"Mr. O'Brien-you're awake!"

Haynes managed

hesitated, his eyes

Cameron...

deeply regretted ever getting involved

lying