The rain last night was much less intense.
When Stella woke up the next morning, she saw that the branches of many plants in the backyard had snapped off from the strong wind.
She pushed open the window to bring in the fresh air.
She stood on the balcony to sober up a bit. Then, she changed her clothes as she usually did every morning, walked downstairs to sit on the sofa in the hall, and waited for Ben to come and pick her up.
Ben arrived right on time. His expression eased a bit when he saw Stella sitting there, all ready and waiting.â Mrs. Ford, the trial is about to begin. Letâs go.â
Stella stood up and walked silently to him.
He studied her face and said to her out of concern that she would feel nervous, âDonât worry too much.
Everything has been taken care of. Miss Cohen has dropped the charges and will not appear as the plaintiff. There will only be Mr. Warren...â While he reminded her of the precautions, she felt rather calm.
She was in fact much calmer than she ever was in such a situation.
As he was talking, he noticed the unprecedented calmness on her face. Finding it rather unusual, he stopped. âMrs. Ford, is there anything you donât understand?â
âNo. Ms. Hampton has told me all about it yesterday.â
She smiled and said to Ben, âYou donât have to be too nervous. Itâs my business. You make it look like youâre the defendant.â
She was still in the mood for jokes, so Ben touched his nose and smiled reservedly.
Indeed, he looked a little uneasy. Finally, he decided to tell her. âSorry, Mrs. Ford. I was the one who accidentally told Mr. Ford about you and Justin yesterdayâ¦â
Stella seemed unconcerned and showed no expression on her face. âYou are his personal assistant. Itâs your job to supervise me. Donât worry about it.â
Ben was surprised by her answer. He felt odd and was still a little guilty. âI know there is nothing between you and Justin, and I was just reporting to him about your day, as usual, I didnât expect that Mr. Fordâs reaction would be so bigâ¦â
When he said this, he felt a little guilty.
If this had happened in the past, he would never believe that a friendly hug would enrage Weston this muchâ
When Weston was with Guinevere, he never even cared when Guinevere shot intimate scenes. But after he got together with Stella, he turned extremely over possessive.
Ben saw him do a lot of things that he would never have done before. It wasnât his first time displaying such pure and intense possessiveness, though, so he felt a little sorry for her.
It was obviously a small matter, but it could have caused them to fight.
Stella smiled and did not say anything. âLetâs get in the car.â
He pulled open the car door and watched her get in.
The car wafted steadily across the road. Everything was going well.
In the car, she suddenly asked, âWhere is he?â
âMr. Ford has a multinational meeting today, so he cannot accompany you to the trial,â Ben stiffly made an excuse for Weston.
He rarely lied, so he was a little nervous.
Weston shouldâve been by her side at a time like this.
He had made so much preparation for her, so Ben thought he wouldâve definitely accompanied Stella, what more in such a period.
Besides, the meeting wasnât that important and could have been postponed. But to his shock, Weston wasnât showing up and was simply letting her face it alone.
He had no idea what went on in Westonâs mind.
He obviously treasured Stella and took care of everything, yet he was absent at such a time.
Was it necessary to be so angry, though?
Stella propped up her chin and looked out the window, ignoring Benâs comfort.