She’s Done. He’s Breaking novel Chapter 5

**TITLE: She’s Done. He’s Breaking**

**Chapter 5**

A shadow crossed Sheila’s face, darkening her features like a storm cloud gathering on the horizon. In a sudden burst of frustration, she slammed her palm against the table, the sound echoing in the tense atmosphere. “Stella!” she called out, her voice sharp as a knife.

Stella, however, didn’t spare a glance over her shoulder. She simply turned on her heel, her heart pounding as she walked away, the weight of the confrontation heavy on her shoulders.

Back at her workstation, she retrieved a small mirror from her drawer, the glass reflecting a faint streak of blood that marred her cheek. The cut wasn’t deep, but it was enough to remind her of the chaos that had just unfolded. She pressed a damp tissue against the wound, a resigned sigh escaping her lips. At this point, what was one more scar? It felt trivial amidst the turmoil of her life.

Her thoughts wandered to Audrey, a fleeting image of her face flickering in her mind. There was something hauntingly familiar about it, a ghost of a memory she couldn’t quite grasp.

As the day began to wane, the familiar sound of her phone ringing broke through her reverie. She glanced at the screen, her heart skipping a beat at the sight of her father, Gary Roberts, calling. “Stella, you won’t believe it,” he began, his voice laced with excitement. “Jonathan is back! You should come home for dinner tonight.”

Stella’s heart soared at the mention of his name. “Jonathan’s back? I thought he was supposed to return on the 15th!” she exclaimed, a spark of joy lighting up her features.

“He finished his work ahead of schedule,” Gary replied, his tone warm and inviting.

“That’s fantastic! I’ll be home right after work,” Stella said, a smile spreading across her face as she hung up, anticipation bubbling within her.

The drive back to the Roberts residence was filled with a mix of excitement and nostalgia. Their home was a spacious, single-level apartment nestled in a mid-range complex in Weston, a place they had purchased earlier that year. It had always felt like a sanctuary, a haven where she could escape the chaos of the outside world.

Gary managed a moderately sized real estate company, Welleon Realty, and while they didn’t live in opulence, they were comfortable. Stella had grown up enveloped in that sense of stability, a warm blanket of security that had wrapped around her for years.

But the winds of fortune had shifted. The real estate market had taken a nosedive, and a failed investment had left Gary’s company teetering on the brink of bankruptcy over six months ago. Yet, when Gary found out about Stella’s pregnancy with Tristan’s child, he hadn’t pressed her to return home or demanded explanations. Instead, he had offered her unconditional support, a lifeline in tumultuous waters.

Stella’s gaze fell upon her father’s worn face as she entered the apartment, the lines etched into his skin telling stories of sleepless nights and mounting debts that threatened to uproot their lives. In that moment, she made her decision. She would turn to the Somertons for help, but it wasn’t purely out of selflessness. She needed this for herself, for her own sense of survival.

She settled onto the edge of her bed, her fingers brushing against the photo album resting on the nightstand. As she opened it, the first image that caught her eye was a torn family portrait, the edges frayed and worn with time.

The photograph was a relic from her past. She had only been eight years old then, and in it, a young, handsome Gary held her tenderly in his arms, while her 14-year-old brother stood proudly beside him, with Emma on the opposite side, her smile bright yet distant.

Stella had ripped the photo herself, a manifestation of her hatred for Emma, who had taken her brother away and abandoned both her and Gary. Many years had passed since that moment, and the sharp sting of betrayal had dulled, but the memory lingered like a shadow.

Turning the page, she came across another photograph. A teenage girl, dressed in a white dress and adorned with a light-brown woven hat, stood amidst a grove of golden maple trees. Sunlight danced upon her radiant smile, illuminating her delicate oval face, framed by flowing black hair that seemed to shimmer in the light.

Yet it was her eyes that captivated Stella the most, glimmering like stars scattered across a night sky, filled with dreams and untold stories.

Years later, however, a serious illness had forced her to begin hormone treatments, and her body had gradually changed, becoming fuller in ways she hadn’t anticipated. No matter how hard she tried, shedding the weight felt like an insurmountable challenge. She had learned to navigate life with strict diets and relentless workouts, doing everything in her power to prevent her weight from rising further.

Stella’s mind returned to Audrey, the girl she had encountered earlier that day. The resemblance was striking, almost eerie. Audrey’s features, particularly those captivating eyes, mirrored the girl in the photograph with an uncanny precision, stirring something deep within Stella—a connection she couldn’t quite articulate.