Chapter 1 Chapter 1

The first thing Stella Judd did after she was reborn was kneel in front of her parents to beg sincerely, "Mom, Dad, if I have to marry into the Chilton family, I want to marry Eric!" Her parents were surprised. "Don't you like Noel, Stella? Don't you remember that Eric is Noel's uncle?" Something flashed across Stella's eyes as she was reminded of a memory. She spoke sadly, "I know what will happen if I continue liking Noel. I can't ever be with him. "Mom, Dad, I've never asked you for anything. As a heiress who has enjoyed a luxurious life in this family for as long as I can remember, I know it's my responsibility to uphold this marriage alliance. This is my only request, so I hope you can agree to it." Stella's head turned red from hitting on the floor as she bowed. Her parents sighed softly and pulled her up. "If you've made your decision, we'll visit the Chiltons to talk about this. Eric Chilton is powerful and highly ranked. He might not agree to marry you. You have to be prepared for rejection." Her parents consoled Stella while preparing lavish gifts for the visit to the Chiltons. As their black sedan drove off, Stella turned back to look at their living room. It was filled with the same furniture it had contained all her life. This rebirth still did not feel real to her. Her phone on the table suddenly buzzed. "Hey, come over." Noel had sent her a message asking to meet up. A bar's address was attached to it. Stella thought it was a good opportunity to inform Noel about her request to marry another man. She left immediately to clear things up with him. As she pushed open the door to the private room, a bucket of cold water came pouring down. Stella was drenched from head to toe. The cold penetrated her skin, and she could not help trembling. Laughter came from all around her. "Hey, isn't that our dear heiress from the Judds? What happened to her? She's all wet." "Serves her right for running after Noel everywhere he goes. She deserves it for being a bootlicker that doesn't know what's good for her." Noel approached Stella with a cold look. His eyes were unhappy. "You can't wait to marry me, can you? The moment the news of a marriage alliance got leaked, you got your parents to immediately visit my family to discuss it. The entire city found out about it, and everyone in our social circle knows the news. Are you happy now?" Stella knew he had misunderstood the situation. She wiped away the water on her face and brushed the wet hair sticking to her forehead aside. Stella looked calmly at Noel. "The marriage alliance between our families is a done deal. It doesn't matter where our families discuss it. You don't need to worry about it. It has nothing to do with you." Noel was taken aback but quickly sneered. "It has nothing to do with me? Are you trying to tell me that I'm not the one you're marrying? What a joke. Which other Chilton could you marry?” Stella was about to answer him when the door, which had not been shut properly, was pushed open again. Sophie Taylor walked through the door. She heard everything and began to tear up. "Mr. Noel, I-I heard you're getting married. I came here to congratulate you. I wish you and Miss Judd happiness and bliss in your marriage." Sophie ran out of the room with red eyes. All that remained was the sound of her sobbing. "Wait, Sophie!" Noel got anxious. He pushed everyone out of his way to run after her. Stella fell onto the table from the push and wounded her forehead, which started to bleed. It was a scary sight. She felt intense pain from the wound. Old memories washed over her as she watched them leave. In her past life, Stella and Noel grew up together and were close. When they reached adulthood, her parents told her about the marriage alliance between both families. That was when she remembered how Noel had always taken good care of her. Of course, she picked him as her husband without hesitation. However, his attitude toward her gradually changed when he found out about the marriage alliance. He was initially angry, but then he turned cold. Eventually, disgust was all there was left. Stella did not understand his change in attitude but still decided to marry him. She thought things would slowly change for the better after they got married. They later had a child together, but Stella found millions of Sophie's pictures in the study that Noel kept with great care. That was when Stella found out that Noel was in love with his nanny's daughter, but he could not be with her because of their difference in status. Sophie married someone else two years later but did not enjoy a happy marriage. Noel got drunk every day because of this. He felt sad for Sophie's predicament. It was the happiest day of Noel's life when Sophie's husband died in a car accident. Stella watched all of this unfold with a chill in her heart. All she could do was ignore the situation and focus on bringing up her daughter. Things changed when Stella's daughter and Sophie's son were involved in a kidnapping. The kidnappers forced Noel to choose only one child. He hesitated for a few seconds before choosing the boy who was not related to him at all. Their daughter was pushed off the building the next second. She died from the fall. Stella broke down after witnessing her daughter's death and jumped off the building as well. Now that she was reborn, Stella no longer wanted to torture herself. All she wanted was to have nothing to do with Noel. Everyone in the private room was still laughing and throwing sarcastic comments at her. "You shouldn't force things to happen. Why get married when Noel doesn't want to marry you?""A certain bootlicker is about to face a lifetime of being home alone. After all, Noel doesn't care about her at all." Stella's phone rang while everyone was busy laughing at her. She checked her phone and saw the message her parents had sent her. [Stella! Eric agreed to it! The wedding will be held in half a month!] Her parents were always calm, but they had used three exclamation marks in that message. They were really surprised and excited about Eric agreeing to the marriage. Stella was relieved. She forced herself to stand up and look at the people laughing at her right in the eye. There was a determined look in her eye. "You don't need to worry if I’ll have a happy marriage. It doesn't have anything to do with Noel, either. "Please let him know that I'm getting married in half a month and he isn't the groom!"

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

Stella went to the hospital to take care of her wound after leaving the bar. When she returned home, she gathered everything related to Noel and sealed them in a box. Her parents returned home just in time to see this and were taken aback. "Stella, have you really let go of your feelings for Noel? Are you sure you don't like him anymore?" Her parents felt relieved to see her nod without hesitation. They said with a smile, "That's good to know. Eric is busy working overseas. We and the Chiltons got on a video call with him to discuss the marriage. "Eric is much more mature and dignified than Noel. He suits you better, but he has a reputation for having very high standards, which is why we never considered him. We thought he wouldn't agree to it, but he said yes very quickly." Stella's eyes turned red immediately. She knew Eric would agree to the marriage when she first made the decision. Most of the younger generation were afraid of him due to the generational gap, and Stella was no exception. She rarely talked to him and only saw him at banquets. The only thing Stella knew about him was his passion for work. He had founded a commercial empire that was at the top of all the business charts. He remained a bachelor. When he was thirty-five, he died. A stack of love letters was found in his room when his family went through the things he left behind. Every letter was penned to someone he called 'My Star'. No Chilton knew who this person was. Stella was the only one who knew. Stars had filled the sky on the day she was born, and she was named Stella after the stars. She even went by the nickname 'Star' with her close family elders. She had no idea that this cold, aloof man who always looked distant and unreachable had secretly loved her his entire life. If God was willing to give her another chance at life, she was willing to give both of them a chance. While she was in a daze, her parents took out a gift box and handed it to Stella. They sounded happy when they spoke to her. "It's your birthday tomorrow, Stella, but Eric won't be able to make it back. He got his assistant to bring you this present from his study. Do you like it?" Stella opened the gift to see a brilliant ring. It was the most expensive ring auction ever held by Sotheby's in fifty years. The ring was called 'Reach for a Star'. Stella was lucky enough to have seen it once before, and she never forgot about it. She did not expect Eric to give her such a valuable gift. It filled her heart with warmth. Noel had stopped giving her gifts in their last life right after news of their marriage alliance got out. She had forgotten what it felt like to receive a gift from the man she loved. Stella's birthday party the next day was held at 7 PM sharp in the most luxurious hotel in the city. All the guests went up to her to wish her a happy birthday. Stella was also smiling as a huge burden had been taken off her shoulders after settling her marriage affairs. That was until a commotion came from the crowd halfway through the party. Everyone turned to look toward the entrance. Stella turned to look as well. Noel had come to her party along with Sophie. That was not the worst humiliation of the night. The most humiliating moment was Noel's buddies coming toward her while carrying a large plaque. The words on the plaque stood out like a sore thumb. "A Wretch Demanding Respect" For: Stella Judd. The guests crowded forward to see what was happening. They whispered to each other and gossiped about the situation. Stella turned pale. She clenched her hands and stared at the troublemakers. She spoke to them coldly. "What’s the meaning of this?" Noel's buddies sniggered as they looked at her. They deliberately spoke louder. "Shouldn't you ask yourself that question? Didn't you claim Noel wouldn't be your groom? Why did he return home to discover his family preparing for a wedding? Stop playing hard to get. No one plays a better game than you, Miss Judd. These words are perfect for you." "I told you she was just putting up a stubborn act. She's been running after Noel for years. Everyone knows how she grovels at Noel’s feet. It's so bad that she’s lost all her dignity, yet she claims she doesn't like him anymore and won't marry him? She’s just using a stalling tactic. Who else could she marry when Noel is the only one in Chilton family in the same generation as her?" Laughter filled the hall. Noel looked at her coldly as well. "Stop doing useless things like this, Stella. Don't even think about getting my attention. The only thing I can give you after we get married is allowing you to use the name of Mrs. Chilton and nothing else." He had told Stella the same thing in her past life. Noel did not lie about that. He gave her nothing else in their seven years of marriage besides the name of Mrs. Chilton. Everyone began talking about this when they heard Noel's words. Stella turned pale instantly and took a deep breath. She raised her voice. "I don't need you to give me anything, Noel Chilton! Listen up. You're not the one I'm marrying, and I'm not marrying someone from our generation. I'm marrying…" Before she announced the name of her groom, Stella was interrupted. Sophie suddenly covered her mouth and nose. Small rashes began appearing on her face, and she fell into Noel's arms with tears in her eyes. "Mr. Noel, I'm itching everywhere. Why are there so many hyacinths here? I'm allergic to them!" Hyacinths were Stella's favorite flower, which was why every corner of the hall was decorated with them. Noel looked anxious as the woman in his arms began to breathe with increasing difficulty. He kept calling out to Sophie and hoisted her up by the waist to carry her in his arms. He left behind two sentences before he left. The first sentence was for Stella. "You're not allowed to plant or display hyacinths anywhere after we get married, Stella Judd!" His next sentence was for his buddies. "Tear this place apart after I leave!" "Alright, Noel! We'll get the job done!" They went to work right away as they flipped tables and chairs over like a bunch of hooligans. They wrecked everything in sight. Stella's birthday cake was all over the floor while pieces of wine glasses and plates flew everywhere in the air. The fresh flowers were stamped into a pulp by the guests who were trying to avoid the sudden attack. "Stop! You have no right to wreck my birthday party! Stop it!" "You'll be marrying Noel soon. You should put your husband's words above all else and do whatever Noel tells you to. Hahahah!" Stella yelled until her voice was hoarse, but she was unable to stop the violence. All she received in return was endless laughter in her face. All her guests left as her birthday ended in shambles.

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

Stella locked herself in her room for the next few days. She refused to leave. After her parents found out about Noel's ridiculous actions, they were grateful that they did not marry Stella to him. They insisted on going to the Chiltons, but Stella finally left her room to stop them. She did not want to cause any trouble when the wedding date was near. After talking her parents out of it, she fetched a design from her room. Stella did not lock herself in the room because of Noel. He was nothing to her now. She had stayed inside the room to design a wedding ring for Eric. Stella knew how valuable 'Reach for a Star' was, and she wanted to return the sentiment. She wanted to repay his love for her. She handed the drawing to the housekeeper and instructed him to find an expert to carve out her design. However, the wedding ring never arrived, even after the expected delivery date. Stella went to inquire and found out that Noel had been there to pick up some jewelry. He noticed the ring right away and took it with him after asking about it. All he said after taking the ring was, "It's going to be mine anyway. You don't need to inform Stella to pick it up." The employees knew about the marriage alliance between the Chiltons and the Judds, so they did not stop him. Stella's heart sank. She quickly headed to the Chiltons to see Noel. She wanted the ring back. Stella saw Sophie seated in front of a mountain of delivery boxes the moment she stepped inside the Chiltons' house. She was speaking coquettishly. "You bought everything in my online shopping cart without my knowledge again, Mr. Noel. How am I supposed to repay you when you're so good to me?""I was happy to do it. You don't need to repay me at all. Also, I've told you plenty of times before not to call me Mr. Noel." That was when Sophie called him 'Noel' shyly. Stella did not even blink when she saw how they were flirting with each other. She quickly entered the house. Noel turned to look when he heard footsteps. He frowned when he saw that it was Stella. "What are you doing here?""Give me back the wedding ring you took." Noel raised an eyebrow when he saw Stella reach her arm out for it. "It's gone." Stella was taken aback, and her tone turned grim. "What do you mean?" Noel was still thinking up an excuse when Sophie, who was sitting on the floor, suddenly spoke up timidly. "Miss Judd, I read online about how easy it is to open boxes with a wedding ring, so I used it to open hundreds of these boxes. It's scratched now. Do you still want it back?" Sophie opened up her hand to show the badly scratched ring in her palm. How dare Noel give Sophie her wedding ring to open delivery boxes! Stella was furious, and the anger spread to every cell in her body. She could no longer control her emotions, and her eyes turned red. She stared at the two shameless people in front of her. "What right do you have to take something that belongs to me without asking, Noel Chilton? How dare you destroy it, Sophie Taylor! Don't you know the meaning of respect?!" Noel's good mood was destroyed when he saw Stella break down because of the ring. His tone was filled with annoyance. "You were going to give me the ring anyway. Why are you making a fuss over it? "By the way, I've decided not to hold a wedding. It's pointless for you to design a wedding ring. Stop wasting your time." Stella clenched her fists at his nonchalant arrogance. She emphasized once more, "That wedding ring wasn't meant for you, Noel Chilton!" "Who else could it be for but me? It's time to stop your petty act, Stella. You're going overboard." Noel replied to Stella sarcastically while throwing the ring out. He pulled Sophie out of the house. "Let's not stoop to her level and waste our time. Didn't you say you wanted to learn to drive, Sophie? Come on, I'll give you a lesson." Stella was furious and upset as she watched them walk out the door. She wanted to run after them, but she could not do two things at once. She crouched to the ground to search for the ring first. It took Stella half an hour before discovering it in the flower bed. She put it in her pocket carefully and turned to leave without hesitation. It was too late to make a new one. Stella could only get someone to restore it and hope that it would be as good as new. As she walked out of the villa, she heard an unexpected sound. Stella looked up to see a car speeding toward her. Her eyes widened. There was a loud bang, and Stella flew off 30 feet away. She landed in a pool of blood. Sophie looked scared in the driver’s seat. She was crying when she got out of the car. "Oh no! Oh no! I just learned to drive and mistook the gas pedal for the brake. I'm in trouble now. Miss Judd is bleeding terribly. Will she be alright, Noel?" Noel frowned as he looked at the stone steps covered in red from the blood. He comforted Sophie while holding her in his arms. "It's going to be fine. Stella loves acting pitiful. She's just putting on an act right now. You can ignore her. She'll wake up later once she finds out there's no point acting. Don't be afraid, Sophie. Don't cry." Stella was in a daze when she heard his words. She felt a chill all over her body and could no longer stop the tears flowing from her eyes. She had always thought Noel cared a little for her, even though he did not love her. They had known each other for years, after all, and grew up together. He had blatantly brushed her off to comfort Sophie. Why did she even fall for him in her past life? Stella struggled to call for help. She had just managed to grab her phone when she lost every ounce of strength within her. Darkness came and completely consumed her. When Stella opened her eyes, it was already the next day. Not long after she woke up, the doctor walked in with her medical records. He said grimly, "Why didn't you come to the hospital right away after your accident? You shouldn't have waited until you lost so much blood before coming here. This isn't something to be taken lightly." The memory of how she passed out returned to her. She wanted to explain things, but she could only smile bitterly as she had no idea what to say. Was she supposed to explain that her childhood friend was too busy comforting another woman and had left her lying in a pool of blood? The doctor did not ask further questions. He continued, "Where's your husband? He should help you with hospitalization." Stella's anesthesia had not worn off, so she spoke without further thought. "He's out of the country." The door opened as she spoke. Noel walked into the room as he stared right at her. "Who's out of the country?"

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

"Isn't he right there? He signed your surgical consent letter. I guess you’re her husband. Didn't I tell you before that you need to watch her constantly while she's unconscious? Where did you go? Count yourself lucky that nothing happened to her. You should get the admission procedures done." The doctor tore off a hospital form and passed it to Noel before leaving the ward. "He's not my husband!" Stella was still trying to explain long after the doctor left. For some reason, Noel felt a little unsettled about this. "That's enough. I've already taken you to the hospital, haven’t I? Are you still playing hard to get? It's about time you stopped this game." He placed a bag on the table. His tone softened when he saw the gauze on Stella’s head. "It's still hot. Have a bite." Stella was taken aback to see the familiar logo. Every time she was sick, Stella would get all princessy and refuse to eat anything. Noel would go dozens of miles away and get into a long queue to buy this strawberry tart to cheer her up. However, he stopped pampering her this way after finding out about the marriage alliance in her past life, and it was the same in this life as well. Stella looked at the piping hot pie but did nothing. She closed her eyes softly. The next second, she heard Noel's hesitant voice. "Sophie didn't do it on purpose. Don't give her any trouble over what happened." So, he was doing this because of Sophie. Stella opened her eyes and laughed until she cried. "Noel, what she did was intentional injury. I'm reporting this to the police. She deserves to be punished." Noel's expression froze. He got exasperated. "I bought you something and apologized on her behalf. Don't push this any further, Stella." Stella smiled when Noel failed to keep up the pretense. She looked at him with reddened eyes. It was a silent stand-off. Noel soon rubbed his temples. He knew how stubborn Stella was. He sighed heavily. "Let's come to a compromise. You're just losing your temper because you want me to marry you. I'll give you a wedding. Our families are preparing that wedding you've always wanted. Are you happy now?" Stella lowered her eyes when she saw Noel trying to reason with her. She could not help remembering the past. Noel did not show up for their wedding in her past life. He was disgusted with her and the wedding. Now, he was relenting because of Sophie's sake. Even though he did not like Stella, he ended up marrying her in the end. It was probably because his family had threatened him. Sophie was his only weakness and the daughter of a maid. It was easy to force him to marry the heiress. Noel would definitely give in. However, Stella was not going to repeat that mistake in this life. She decided to make things clear. "I don't need you for the wedding. You're not the groom. It won't affect anything even if you don't show up." Noel was enraged. He was about to lose his temper when his phone rang. When he saw Sophie's name, he turned to leave without a care. Stella watched the door close slowly and picked up her phone to call the police. After explaining the situation, she found out something unexpected. "I'm sorry, Miss Judd. We were informed that the car accident was unintentional. Your fiance signed off on the settlement. You can't make an official report now." Stella could hardly breathe when she heard the reply. Exhaling and inhaling became extremely difficult. Stella flung her phone onto the wall. She felt the pain from her limbs extend into her heart. In the end, she could no longer take it, and her sobs echoed in the empty ward. Noel would visit her almost every day with fruits and soup. He even got several doctors to work together to tend to her injuries. Stella's emotions had stabilized, and she ignored Noel throughout. Noel got slightly anxious when he saw how cold she was to him. He had no idea why she was being difficult. However, he tolerated it because she was still recovering. Stella refused to get into his car on the day she was discharged. He could no longer take it and started to threaten her. "When are you going to stop throwing a tantrum when I've already given in to you? Aren't you afraid I'll refuse to marry you if you continue this?" Stella knew there was no use explaining things when he did not believe anything. She lowered her head and pretended not to hear him. Noel thought she was finally relenting, and his mood improved. He even started to speak in a nicer tone. "Don't lose your temper like that again. I'm taking you back for a family dinner because my Uncle Eric is back today. He's the head of the Chiltons and will be announcing our marriage alliance to everyone in the family tonight. You have to be there since I've agreed to the marriage. I'll give you a grand wedding. Happy now?"

Chapter 5 Chapter 5

Stella finally looked up at Noel. There was a tinge of excitement in her voice, which was a change from her coldness in the past few days. "Your uncle is back in the country?" Noel was relieved and smiled when he saw Stella back to normal. "That's right. Are you so eager to marry me? Don't worry. I'll be at the wedding. Just stop acting like this in the future. You can play hard to get a couple of times, but it's annoying if you do it too often," Noel said as he opened the car door. Stella knew it was pointless to explain anything to him. She stayed in the car and said, "I want to go home. I want to put on some makeup and change my clothes." Noel figured she must love him a lot to put so much effort into this dinner. She probably wanted to leave a good impression on his uncle. He raised an eyebrow and agreed to something she wanted for once. After Stella got ready, they headed to the old Chilton mansion. Many people were attending the dinner, and they were not surprised to see Stella there. All of them greeted her. After she returned their greeting, she sat in a corner and waited for Eric to appear. Stella had no idea what it was going to be like when they reunited. She was distracted the entire night, and her heart kept beating wildly. Noel was next to her and quickly noticed that she was out of sorts. He looked at her unhappily. "I'm here, aren't I? What's with that dazed look on your face? I'm warning you one last time. I've already agreed to marry you. Take that look off your face, or I'll break my promise to you." Stella wanted to refute his words but stopped herself. He was about to find out that he was not the groom. There was no need to waste her time on him. The doors to the hall finally opened after a few minutes. Everyone turned to look expectantly. However, Eric did not appear. Old Mr. Chilton walked in instead. He walked up the stage unsteadily and announced to everyone, "Eric met with a minor accident and couldn't make it to his flight on time. He's still out of the country and won't be able to attend tonight's dinner." Stella immediately stood up when she heard the news. Her voice was filled with worry. "How is he, Grandpa Chilton? Is it serious?" Old Mr. Chilton waved his hand and comforted her, "He's fine. It won't affect anything. Don't worry, Stella." Noel frowned and pulled her down to sit. He began lecturing her in a low voice. "The marriage alliance has been set in stone. Stop trying to show off your place as a Chilton wife by showing so much concern about my uncle when you haven't even officially married into the family. This isn't appropriate!" Stella could no longer take it. She was about to say something when Old Mr. Chilton coughed. The entire hall turned silent. "We've asked everyone to be here today to announce the marriage alliance between the Chiltons and the Judds. The wedding date has already been set. It will be in a week at Southridge Mountain Villa. "The married couple will be the daughter of the Judds, Stella…" While Old Mr. Chilton was announcing the couple with a hearty voice, Noel received a message from Sophie. Something must have happened to her because the look on his face changed. He left the dinner quickly and did not finish listening to Old Mr. Chilton's announcement. "And the groom is the head of the Chiltons, Eric!" The entire hall boiled with excitement at the unexpected reveal of the groom. Everyone began whispering to each other. "Did I hear things wrong? Eric? Isn't it supposed to be Noel?" "Yeah. Why is it Uncle Eric? I thought he avoids women. Why is he marrying a young woman?" Their discussion filled the entire hall. Even though everyone was shocked, no one dared comment much because of Eric's status within the family. Everyone got up to congratulate Stella. After the dinner ended, Stella went to see Old Mr. Chilton because she was still worried about Eric's accident. Old Mr. Chilton patted her shoulder. He looked happy. "Eric took some pictures. I had a look, and his injuries are really minor. He'll recover very soon. Just focus on the wedding, Stella." Stella was relieved to hear this. She stayed at home for the next few days preparing the wedding invitations, the gown, and everything else. She ignored whatever was happening out there. During this time, Stella received numerous messages from Noel's buddies, but she did not read any of them. That was until one day, when she accidentally clicked one of their messages while she was taking a break. That was when she noticed all of them were talking about the same thing. "Noel was hospitalized because he got hurt. He's been admitted to the Central Hospital. He's now in Ward 609. Aren't you coming to see him? Remember to bring along Noel's favorite chicken soup." "Why aren’t you replying to our messages? Are you still playing hard to get? This is getting old. Isn't it time to end this?" "Come on, Stella Judd. What are you doing? Stop your pretences, bootlicker, and come over quickly!" It was nothing but a joke to Stella when she read those messages. She took a few seconds of her time to type out a message for them. "You guys, Noel has nurses and Sophie to take care of him after his accident. What has it got to do with me?" Stella started to check her social media after sending out the message. She noticed Noel had posted his selfies in the hospital after scrolling for a bit. Stella remembered how Noel rarely updated his social media and found it a little strange. However, she was not bothered by it and left his page after a quick glance. She went on to inquire about Eric from other Chilton family members whose contacts she had added to her phone a few days ago.

Chapter 6 Chapter 6

Stella visited her family's aquafarm the next day after finding out Eric enjoyed fish. She wanted to catch a few fish to practice cooking them for Eric in the future. She had just picked a fish she liked when she turned to see Sophie walking toward her. Stella had no idea how Sophie had managed to get inside. Sophie was wringing her fingers while looking pitiful. "Miss Judd, are you angry because you found out that Noel got hurt from a fight while trying to protect me? This is entirely my fault. Blame me if you must. I know you're his fiancée. I'm just the daughter of a maid and not worth any of his time…" Stella frowned when she heard Sophie's tone, which was not as innocent as it sounded. She turned to leave. Sophie grabbed her hand. Stella was bewildered until she saw a taunting smile on Sophie's face. Before Stella realized the reason behind Sophie's change of expression, she saw Sophie raise her hand to slap herself hard several times. She wept uncontrollably after that. "You can yell at me and hit me as much as you like, Miss Judd. I won't blame you for it. All I ask is for you to stop being mad at Mr. Noel. I'll let you do anything you want to me if you agree to visit Mr. Noel. I promise I won't resist." Stella's eyes twitched when she saw Sophie's abnormal reaction. She realized something was wrong. She was about to pull her away and leave when she saw Noel barging in with a group of people angrily. They surrounded Stella and Sophie. "Why did you hit Sophie, Stella? I've already promised you a wedding. Stop pushing things too far!" Stella looked at him coldly. "I didn't hit her. There's a security camera over there. You can check the footage for yourself." She wanted to leave after that, but Noel was filled with rage and glared at her without listening to her explanation. His voice was cold. "I used to think that you were just pampered and spoiled because of the way you were brought up. It now seems like you're just rotten to the core!” He got his buddies to hold Stella down while he held up Sophie's hand. "I won't allow you to suffer any humiliation, Sophie. Hit her back!" Sophie initially sobbed and claimed she did not dare to do it. However, once everyone around her encouraged her and declared their support, she stopped pretending and slapped Stella hard with everything she had. Stella's cheek became swollen following the loud echo of the slap. Her forehead, which had not completely healed, began bleeding. She felt a burning sting from her cheek that hurt tremendously, and her ears started to ring. While no one was paying attention, Sophie took the opportunity to push Stella, who was still reeling from the pain, into the water. After that, she pretended to look worried while insisting on saving Stella. Noel watched all of this coldly and left with his men. "Ignore her. The water isn't deep. She won't drown." Stella struggled in the water for a long time. She was about to be exhausted when someone finally noticed her and pulled her out of the water. She ran a high fever that night after returning home. It did not die down by the next day. Stella dreamt a lot about her past that night and kept muttering nonsense with tears in her eyes. "I feel horrible, Noel. Didn't you leave to get me strawberry tarts? Why aren't you back yet? "It's my fault. I'm sorry, Noel. I promise I won't ever hide the love letters other girls give you again." Noel happened to walk in and was taken aback when he heard her muttering. He was reminded of how Stella used to follow him everywhere and how he was happy to let her do so while pampering her. The memory softened his heart. "How did things end up this way for no good reason? If you didn't insist on marrying me, I would have treated you as my sister forever." Stella heard him while in a daze and woke up. When she opened her eyes, Noel was back to his arrogant self and growled, "Grandpa said you were sick, so he made me come over to visit you. Don't read too much into this. I was forced to come here. Otherwise, I would never have stopped by." Sophie walked in timidly the next second and began to apologize in a fluster. "It was my fault for everything that happened yesterday, Miss Judd. Please forgive me." Stella had been slapped for no reason and pushed into the water. She had only just managed to get herself together and had lost the strength to argue. She tried her best to sit up and kick them out, but then she saw Sophie staring intently at her neck. Stella touched her neck. She was wearing a necklace Noel had gifted her as a coming-of-age present. Noel noticed it as well. He knew how important the necklace was to Stella, and his eyes lowered slightly. "I'll custom make another necklace for you when I get back, Sophie…" However, he stopped talking halfway. Stella pulled the necklace off and flung it away. She forced herself up and picked up a box she had previously packed. She took the box and necklace over to Noel. A chill ran through Noel's heart when he noticed the coldness of her actions. "What's the meaning of this?" Stella pushed the box into his hands and said softly, "I'm getting married soon. My future husband might misunderstand if he sees the things you gave to me before. I'm returning them to you, Noel Chilton. From now on, there's nothing between us." Noel knew she was trying to be difficult again. He tossed the box aside, and everything fell out. He looked at her grimly. "You were the one who hit Sophie first, yet you're acting up now? Aren't I your future husband? What do you mean there's nothing between us? Let's see how you continue this act on the wedding day!" He vented angrily and let out everything that was bothering him before leaving in a huff with Sophie in tow. Stella smiled at the mess on the ground and softly called for somebody. "Clean up this mess, and toss everything into the garbage can."

Chapter 7 Chapter 7

Stella received a message one day before the wedding. It was short and to the point. "I'm going back. See you tomorrow." The message had no name or remarks, but she knew who it was from. It was him. Eric Chilton. Her unsettled heart finally settled down, and she had a good night's sleep. A fleet of cars from the Chiltons arrived at the Judds at ten in the morning the next day. Cameras followed behind them. This was a marriage alliance between two major families, and it was about to be streamed live for the entire city for the public to watch. Noel got out of the car and went upstairs. He was stunned when he saw Stella in a white gown. For some reason, he felt deja vu and was out of sorts for a while. It was not until someone gave him a gentle reminder that he reached out his hand to her. However, Stella did not take it. She looked at him calmly and said nonchalantly, "You came to the wrong place, Noel Chilton. You should be seated with the guests." Her words infuriated Noel, and his face fell right away. "Are you doing this again? Don't you know that the wedding will be live-streamed to the entire city? Are you really planning to continue making a fuss until both our families are humiliated?" Stella did not bother to argue with him. She pulled up her skirt and headed downstairs. Noel's empty hands clenched into a fist. He took a deep breath and tried his best to force down his anger before following her out. He was about to get into the backseat when his phone rang. He closed the car door a minute later and looked at Stella, who was inside the car. "I have something important to deal with. I can't be at the wedding. Head over to tell our parents and family to cancel the wedding." He thought Stella would get upset and be humiliated after hearing it. She might even cry. However, all she did was look at him calmly. "I told you before that it doesn't matter if you attend the wedding." It was because he was not the groom. Noel felt a tinge of panic when he saw how nonchalant she was acting, but he still growled, "I said to cancel the wedding! Do you want to end up the laughingstock of the city by having a wedding without a groom?!" This time, Stella did not even bother to explain. She instructed the driver to start the car. The fleet of cars quickly left. Noel was not in the mood to talk her out of her decision. He stopped a car by the road. By the time he arrived at the hot spring villa outside the suburbs, he saw Sophie surrounded by his buddies. He frowned. "Didn't you say Sophie was in danger?" His buddies dragged him inside while laughing. "It was a trick. You wouldn't have run away from your wedding if we didn't lie to you.""We just wanted to see how Stella Judd would humiliate herself today." Noel's expression changed when he heard them. He quickly pushed away the hand on his shoulder and turned to leave. "This is ridiculous!" Sophie hugged his arm and blinked with tears in her eyes. She began to plead with him. "I really have a headache, Noel. Please stay with me. This place is too far from the wedding venue. You won't be able to make it." That was true, but Stella… While he hesitated, his buddies were fooling around and turned on the live stream. The wedding was going on as expected. Everyone laughed sarcastically when they saw Stella was stubborn enough to keep the wedding going. "She's really not going to stop the wedding? It will be so humiliating when the groom doesn't show up.""Does she want to get married so badly? She's risking the respect of both families. What a joke it would be if this doesn't end well." Noel had no idea what Stella was thinking. His expression was quite grim. As he considered giving his family a call to inform them about the situation, he heard yelling from beside him. "The wedding is starting!" Noel looked up to see Stella's father holding her hand to walk her toward the center of the stage. She stood under the spotlight alone for a long time. No groom appeared. Comments started to pop up on the stream asking if the groom had run away from the wedding. Everyone in the room with Noel started laughing so hard that they could hardly sit up straight. Noel had expected this. There was a cold look on his face and anger in his voice. "Moron!" He could not stand to continue watching and reached out to click the button to leave the stream. That was when the host made an announcement. "Let's welcome the groom!" The door, which was shut tight, opened wide the next second.