The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 1939

"Joshua never learned how to love himself, so his feelings for you are completely unfiltered and absolute. But given your past, you could never match that burning intensity. It's nearly impossible for him to get the equal return he desperately seeks from you. So, triggered by his illness, he might gradually spiral into extremes.

"Ms. Cameron, the reason I'm telling you this is that in your world, love might only take up a third of what matters. But for Joshua, it is one hundred percent. His feelings for you aren't normal, and they certainly aren't healthy. Since they're unhealthy, they need to be adjusted and treated. If you truly want what's best for him, you have to learn to let go.

"I know how hard this is for you. I know the feeling all too well. But you won't die without him. If you just let his illness run its course, he's going to lose his mind, and then he'll die. Do you really want Joshua to become just another ghost story in the Gardner family?"

Stella's eyelashes fluttered. "Ghost story?"

Laurel looked her dead in the eye and enunciated every word. "Every single head of the Gardner family dies before they hit thirty."

Stella's heart gave a violent lurch.

Laurel pressed on. "I know you're desperately searching everywhere for doctors, but honestly, I don't hold much hope. Even with this Dr. Winter, I doubt she can do anything. Otherwise, with all their money, the previous generations wouldn't have been plagued by this curse for so long.

"I'm telling you all this today so you can start preparing for the worst. People have to learn to let go. If he can't learn it, you have to teach him. And of course, I'm not saying this out of selfish motives. I can state definitively that Joshua and I are over. Even if you two break up, we will never be together. I have zero intention of getting back with him."

Stella sat in silence for a long time before asking a completely unrelated question.

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