Chapter 1607
When Love Comes Late
Juliette, sensing the tension, quickly intervened, saying, âMatthew, youâve got it all wrong.
Itâs me whoâs expecting.
Stella was just accompanying me to the hospital today.
â
Caught off guard and visibly relieved, Matthewâs reaction only served to upset Stella further.
Removing Julietteâs hand from hers, Stella said softly, âI donât feel well.
Iâm going to lie down for a bit.
â
She then turned around to head upstairs.
Juliette and Oliver exchanged worried glances, both turning their attention to Matthew almost instinctively.
Realizing his mistake and the pain it caused Stella, Matthew stated simply, âGo ahead and enjoy your evening.
I need to talk to Stella.
â
With a concerned glance toward where Stella had gone, Juliette said, âForget about us.
You should have a nice talk with Stella.
â
Matthew nodded and headed upstairs.
Stella dashed to her room and flopped down on her bed.
She couldnât help but feel down, thinking about how Matthew had acted.
She heard the door open behind her but didnât bother to look.
Matthew sat down beside her and softly ran his hand over her back.
Stella, feeling irritated, quickly moved his hand away and snapped, âDonât touch me.
â
âI get that youâre upset with me, but could you hear me out first?â
Matthew asked, his voice soft.
Stella flipped over, sitting up to face him with a scowl.
âFine, Iâm all ears,â she said, clearly annoyed.
Matthew was tempted to tease her by pinching her cheek as he saw her angry
expression, but the moment he reached out, Stella swiftly moved away.
âDonât even think about touching me until Iâve heard a good enough reason from you!â she warned him.
Matthew pulled his hand back, offering a sheepish smile, and then paused for a moment before he opened up about various experiences from his childhood.
In the end, he concluded, âIâve been suffering from claustrophobia since then, and I wasnât sure how to handle the idea of welcoming a new baby.
Iâve never really known what itâs like to feel fatherly love, so Iâm at a loss about how to be a good dad.
â
Stella remembered when she had just returned to work as Matthewâs assistant.
Back then, Matthew struggled with flying on planes.
Stellaâs heart felt heavy.
Matthew took Stellaâs hand and said, âIâll work on letting go of all the negativity, but I need some time.
I know my words hurt you earlier, and I hope you can overlook them.
Believe me, I love you.
â
Stellaâs anger cooled a bit, and she felt more pity for him.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
âYouâve never shared this with me before.
â