Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 449

"Do you believe her?" I pressed on, though the real question I wanted to ask was buried far deeper. I had seen the craziness of both Russel and Neil in my past life.

What I feared most was that Russel had some dark secret with Karina because of me. If that was the case, I wouldn't be able to handle it.

Russel moved closer to me; his gaze lowered onto mine. His skin was pale and flawless, his features cool and refined. There was a deep gentleness in his eyes that seemed genuine. His voice was low yet soothing, "Why would I believe her? I only believe in you. So can you stop pushing me away?"

At that moment, little Brandon in his arms let out a giggle; his baby voice sounded incredibly cute.

"It seems he agrees. What about Serena?" Russel turned his head to Serena in my arms.

He was deliberately changing the subject, not wishing to hear my response.

Serena was behaving at that moment. It seemed that after being held by Neil for a while, her needs were satisfied. She was in a good mood, gnawing on her little hand and occasionally letting out a giggle.

"Let's talk about it later." My mind was in a whirl, unable to think about these things, so I casually replied.

But my casual remark seemed to relieve Russel; the usually cold and aloof man now resembled a nervous little boy. The calm facade he was trying to maintain crumbled, revealing a more relaxed expression.

"Okay." He bent down to give Brandon a kiss.

...

Three days later, I got a call from Stella.

I thought that after Ariana's dismissal, she and Mitch could have an honest conversation and give Mitch another chance. But to my surprise, she was saying goodbye. "Mitch and I have decided to divorce. After the paperwork, I'm taking the children back to Rosemont."

"What?" I was taken aback, unable to comprehend, "Divorce? Mitch agreed to divorce?"

"Yes, we talked for a couple of days and decided it's best not to continue. There's a thorn in our hearts that leads to fights. There's no point." Stella's tone was seemingly relaxed, but I knew she was suffering. She had invested so much into this marriage.

"Stella, Mitch didn't sleep with Ariana, nor did they have a clear affair. Are you sure about this?" I tried to persuade her, knowing how precious marriage was. Unless there was a fundamental issue, one should think twice.

Stella gave a bitter laugh. "Rena, I'm not you; I can't tolerate it."

I fell silent. When I was with Neil and was facing his endless scandals, I never thought of divorce. Even when Stella advised me to have some dignity, I couldn’t do it.

After all these years, I hadn't changed. Deep down, I wasn't as independent as I seemed. Emotionally, I was always dependent on others.

But Stella was different. She couldn't tolerate the slightest sand in her eyes. If Mitch did something to upset her, he would have to pay the price.

And Mitch's price was a broken family.

"Okay, Stella. As long as you feel happy, that's all that matters. Whatever decision you make, I'll support you." I refrained from saying anything else. Just like how Stella had supported my decisions, I chose to support her.

After a while, Stella hung up the phone. She and Mitch would return to Rosemont in a few days to handle the divorce, and divide up their assets.

When I told Alicia and Barbara the news, their reaction was similar to mine. But in the end, they chose to support Stella.

Sometimes when trust was lost, it was replaced with endless suspicion. Forcing to continue would only bring back the pain. Regardless, Stella and Mitch's love story and marriage left me with a sense of regret.