CHAPTER 126: I SHOULD PROTECT YOU!

That afternoon at the Walters’ residence.

As soon as Stella stepped into the house, Alicia practically dragged her to the master bedroom by the wrist.

"Mom, what are you doing? You hurt my wrist!"

Despite the complaint, Stella didn’t even try to resist. She already knew what this was about.

After all, she did drop a bomb at the company this morning.

And instead of going home right away, she had stopped by her apartment to drop a few essentials: clothes, makeup, a laptop, and snacks, just in case her father decided to throw her out of the house.

Well, she was ready for war.

However, now...

Stella sat on the edge of her mother’s bed, watching her pace back and forth before finally stopping and turning to her, her eyes red and trembling.

"What have you done, Stella?" Alicia demanded, voice shaking. "Why would you do that? Why didn’t you tell me first?"

"Mom..." Stella sighed and tried to sound calm, even smiling faintly. "Because if I told you, you would’ve stopped me."

"Of course I would’ve stopped you!" Alicia snapped, her voice rising. "Do you know how big this scandal is? Do you have any idea what you’ve started?"

She grabbed her daughter’s hand, not to hold it, but to slap it... first gently, then harder.

"Mom, hit me all you want," Stella said, steadying her voice. "But I couldn’t just stand there and let them hurt you. Or hurt me..."

Her words finally broke through Alicia’s anger. She blinked, her lips shaking as she shook her head.

"You... You...can’t do this, Stella. You just can’t. Now everyone’s reading about your father’s affair. The company’s image is in turmoil now. What will your grandparents think? Your father will come home furious. He’ll take it out on us. You know that, right!?"

Alicia’s eyes filled again with tears, and she clutched Stella’s hand tightly.

"I do, and I don’t care, Mom," Stella said quietly, the anger simmering under her tone. "They don’t matter. Not Father, not his perfect family. He always hurts us and never even thinks about us, or considers our feelings, in whatever he does."

She continued, "I don’t want to live like this... pretending everything’s fine when he’s out there cheating, lying, and ruining lives. Even Lana almost ruined my life..."

Her voice caught at the last word.

Alicia frowned, her tears slowing as her instincts sharpened.

"What do you mean? What are you talking about, Stella? What did she do to you?"

Stella froze. She hadn’t meant to say that much. Her chest tightened as she looked away.

"Stella Walters!" Alicia called. Her tone is firmer now. "What did that woman do to you? Tell me..."

Her mother’s grip tightened, not to hurt her, but to force the truth out.

Under that anxious gaze, Stella couldn’t find a chance to hide it. She inhaled deeply.

"It was at Grayenfall," Stella started, her voice shaking. "Lana set me up. She asked me to meet someone there for an office matter... but it was a trap. That man, Lewis Harrison, he... he almost..."

Stella’s hand clenched tightly to remember that. It’s hard for her to finish her sentence.

"Mom, if that kind person hadn’t helped me, I don’t even want to think about what would’ve happened. I... I might kill myself if Lewis Harrison rape me."

For a second, Alicia just stared at her, utterly shocked. Then she gasped, covering her mouth.

"Oh my God..." She pulled Stella into a tight embrace. "My baby... oh, my poor baby... are you okay? Did that man... Really didn’t touch you?" Her voice was shaking.

"No," Stella quickly said, "He didn’t have a chance. Someone stopped him in time."

Alicia loosened her hold just enough to look at her daughter’s face. "Who?"

"Someone," Stella said vaguely, forcing a small smile. "It doesn’t matter who. What matters is that I’m fine now. That’s why I stayed there for another day to calm down and figure out how to destroy Lana once and for all."

Alicia stared at her, her expression a mix of pain and disbelief.

Slowly, the guilt began to set in her heart. She realized just how blind she’d been, pretending not to see the cracks in her marriage, ignoring her daughters’ suffering to protect the family’s reputation.

Her heart clenched. All the ambition, all the years of keeping quiet to protect their "family image," suddenly felt meaningless.

"I’m sorry, Stella... I’m a bad mother. I’m a terrible mother..." Alicia whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I should’ve protected you. And, I should protect your sister..."

"Mom..." Stella can’t hold her tears either.

Alicia’s hand trembled as she held her daughter’s.

"You’re right. I was a coward. But not anymore. I don’t care what happens to your father or that company. I’m with you now."

A faint smile returned to Stella’s lips. She was squeezing her mother’s hand.

"Then brace yourself. Because Dad’s not going to take this quietly."

Before Alicia could respond, a deep voice thundered from downstairs.

"Alicia! Stella! Where the hell are you?!"

They both froze.

"Oh no," Alicia muttered, her face draining of color.

The bedroom door suddenly slammed open.

William Walters stood there, his face red with rage, his tie crooked, his eyes wild.

"What the hell did you do, Stella?!" he roared, striding into the room. "Do you have any idea what you’ve done to this family?!"

"William, please..." Alicia tried to intervene, but he pushed her away.

"You stay out of this, Alicia. You’ve spoiled her enough!"

He turned back to Stella, pointing an accusing finger.

"Do you think ruining me will make you look righteous? You think the world will pity you?"

"Of course not..." Stella said with a calm smile. "But they’ll finally see what kind of man you really are." She laughed while standing by the bed.

Stella saw her father open his mouth to say something, but she stopped him.

"...And now you only return after you comfort your woman out there? My goodness, Dad, are you forgetting that you still have a legal wife here? Did you even feel sorry for my mother?"

"Watch your mouth, young lady," William snapped, his voice sharp enough to hurt Stella’s feelings. "You’re still my daughter. You’re still living under my roof... Don’t you dare talk to me like that!"