The Years Between Signing and Seeing novel Chapter 214

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Stella cut her off again, her voice firm. “Suzie, don’t worry. As much as I hate Jamie right now, I don’t think he’s that despicable. He’s probably just furious because he thinks you betrayed him, and he’s trying to scare you because his pride is wounded. As for Oliver and me, I’m not afraid of him, and neither is Oliver. We’re friends. We’re in this together, for better or worse. You don’t need to worry about us.”

Stella paused, taking a breath. “That said, we did break their equipment, and that’s on us. I’ll talk to Oliver and we’ll figure something out. Until we have a plan, you just meeting me at the mall for a bit isn’t a big deal. He won’t notice, and he won’t give you a hard time for it. By the way, has he… hurt you? Is he treating you okay?”

Hearing Stella’s words filled Suzie with gratitude. With a friend like her, she felt she had everything she needed in life.

Though Stella couldn’t see her, Suzie instinctively shook her head. “No, he hasn’t mistreated me physically. He’s even hired a private nurse for the pregnancy. But… he warned me not to pull any stunts.”

Stella snorted. “Well, I guess he’s not completely heartless. Otherwise, I’d be kicking down his door. In that case, you just focus on eating well, sleeping well, and pretending to obey him. Charm him, and then find your chance to get out.”

Suzie couldn’t help but let out a teary laugh. She and Stella were on the exact same wavelength. Wasn’t she already putting on an act of total submission?

But as she laughed, fresh tears streamed silently down her face, a profound sadness welling up inside her.

Other people get divorced and move on. She got divorced and was still trapped in his web. She was exhausted from playing a part for him, for Margaret, for everyone. The weight on her heart was too heavy to put into words.

Taking a moment to compose herself, Suzie said, “Stella, let’s stick to the plan for now. I can’t stay on the phone too long. I’ll call you as soon as I get another chance. Don’t call me back.”