He Never Noticed Me Until I Loved Someone Else novel Chapter 315

Hearing Jarrod's words, Stella froze entirely.

In her mind, Jarrod had always been intensely arrogant and proud. He rarely lowered his guard, let alone apologized to anyone.

They had only been apart for a couple of hours. What could have possibly happened to make him rush all the way over here just to admit he was wrong?

Jarrod kept his eyes locked on her, his voice low and heavy. "Being married to me these past few years... was it suffocating? Were you miserable?"

While he was hesitating downstairs, Jarrod had opened his text thread with Stella.

He realized every message he had ever sent her was curt, commanding, and cold. He was always telling her to prepare something or ordering her to be somewhere.

That was just his habit—getting straight to the point and never wasting time on pleasantries.

But Stella was his wife, not his subordinate. How could he expect her to open up and share her feelings when that was how he communicated with her?

Even on the rare occasions when he had texted her with the genuine intention of starting a conversation, he had never once actually asked about her life.

And every single time, Stella had replied with flawless, polite precision, even offering the obligatory words of concern when appropriate.

But he had never realized that her perfect politeness was the exact wall she built to keep her distance—the careful boundaries she maintained to ensure she never "bothered" him.

Hearing Jarrod finally ask that question, an inexplicable, agonizing ache surged in Stella's chest.

She wanted to tell him that she hadn't felt that way, that she hadn't found it suffocating or miserable. But the sting in her nose was entirely out of her control, and her eyes burned fiercely.

A lump formed in her throat, rendering her completely speechless.

Just seconds ago, she had looked so vulnerable and hurt. Wasn't she supposed to throw herself into his arms now and pour out all the grievances she had harbored over the years?

Asking him if something had happened... did she think he was just saying this on a whim?

Before Jarrod could even formulate an answer, Stella continued with an air of complete clarity, "Look, me helping Serena and Chloe tonight was just a reaction. I would have done the exact same thing for a complete stranger. It doesn't mean I suddenly like them, and I have zero intention of using tonight's incident to somehow fix my relationship with them."

"As for us... we've been married for three years, and things ended up this way. It's not entirely your fault. I'm to blame as well."

Stella spoke the absolute truth. "I never planned on truly becoming part of your family. I never viewed you or them as my actual family. I just passively went through the motions of being 'Mrs. Fuller,' waiting for the three years to be up so I could get my freedom back. So you don't need to feel guilty, and you don't owe me an apology."

Jarrod listened to her words, the crushing sense of dread growing stronger by the second.