THE WIFE HE COULDN’T KEEP

Chapter 9

Stella woke with a smile on her face.

She hadn't felt this light in years. The weight that usually pressed on her chest was gone. Replaced by something warm. Something hopeful.

Bryan.

She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, replaying every moment of last night. His laugh. His eyes. The way he looked at her like she was the only woman in the world.

He'd walked her to her car. Held her hand. Kissed her cheek.

"I'll call you tomorrow," he'd said.

She'd floated home. She'd barely slept. She didn't want to sleep. She wanted to hold onto the feeling for as long as possible.

Her phone buzzed on the nightstand.

She grabbed it, her heart racing.

Good morning, beautiful. I had a wonderful time last night. Can I see you again this weekend?

Stella smiled so wide her cheeks hurt.

She typed back: I'd like that. 😊

She set down the phone and hugged her pillow. She felt like a teenager. Giddy. Nervous. Excited.

It was terrifying. And wonderful.

***

The triplets were already awake when she walked into the kitchen.

Leo was standing on a chair, reaching for the cereal box. Maya was drawing at the table. Aiden was sitting quietly, watching his siblings with his usual serious expression.

"Mama!" Leo shouted. "You're up!"

Stella laughed. "I'm up. What are you doing?"

"Getting breakfast. Aiden said we should wait for you, but I'm hungry."

Aiden rolled his eyes. "I said we should wait because you'd make a mess."

"I would not!"

Stella intervened before they could argue further. She lifted Leo off the chair and set him down. "Sit. All of you. I'll make breakfast."

Maya looked up from her drawing. "Mama, you're smiling."

Stella blinked. "Am I?"

"You're humming too."

She hadn't noticed. She was humming. And smiling.

"I am happy, baby."

"Because of the man from the park?" Maya asked.

Stella's eyes widened. "How did you know?"

Maya shrugged. "You talked about him. And you wore your pretty dress."

Stella knelt down beside her. "Yes. Because of the man from the park."

"Can we see him again?"

"I don't know, baby. Maybe."

"I liked him," Maya said. "He pushed me on the swings."

Leo chimed in. "Me too! He pushed me higher than Mama does."

Stella laughed. "I'm sure he did."

Aiden was quiet. He was watching her with that serious look he always had.

Stella caught his eye. "Aiden? What do you think?"

He was silent for a moment. Then: "Is he nice?"

"Yes, sweetheart. He's very nice."

Aiden nodded. "Okay."

She crossed the room and pulled him into a hug. He didn't resist. He hugged her back.

"Can I have pancakes?" he asked.

She laughed. "Yes. You can have pancakes."

***

Across the city, Joshua Sterling sat in his office, staring at the report on his desk.

The photographs. The phone records. The doctored evidence.

He'd been looking at them for hours. He couldn't stop. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Stella's face. The night he threw her out. The tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I'm carrying your child, Joshua. Please. Just take a DNA test."

He'd told her she was ordinary. He'd told her she was nothing.

And she'd been carrying his children.

Joshua slammed his fist on the desk. The anger was consuming. But not at Stella. At himself.

He'd been so blind. So arrogant. So consumed by pride that he couldn't see the truth.

She had loved him. She had trusted him. She had given him everything.

And he'd thrown it away.

His phone buzzed. His investigator.

"Sir, I've been looking into the evidence. The photographs were doctored by a professional. Someone with access to high-end equipment. The phone records were altered too. This wasn't amateur work."

Joshua's jaw tightened. "Who?"

"I'm still working on that. But I found something else. The person who did this knew your schedule. They knew when you'd be away. They knew when Stella would be alone. This was someone close to you."

Joshua's blood ran cold. Someone close to him.

"How close?"

"Very close, sir. I'm following a lead. I'll report back when I have more."

The line went dead.

Joshua stared at his phone. Someone close to him had framed Stella. Someone who knew his schedule. His habits. His weaknesses.

Who had wanted Stella gone so badly?

He thought back to six years ago. His mother had never liked Stella. But would she go this far? Would she destroy her own son's marriage?

He didn't want to believe it. But he couldn't rule it out.

He had to find out. He had to know the truth.

***

At the Hayes penthouse, Stella was cleaning up after breakfast.

The triplets were in the living room, watching cartoons. She could hear them laughing. Arguing. Being kids.

She smiled. This was what mattered. Her children. Their happiness. Their safety.

She'd spent six years protecting them. Six years building a life without Joshua. Six years making sure they never knew the pain she'd survived.

And now Bryan was in the picture. Someone who made her happy. Someone who made her feel seen.

She was scared. Terrified, actually. She'd been hurt before. She'd been destroyed before.

But Bryan wasn't Joshua. He was kind. Patient. Understanding.

Maybe it was time to take a chance. Maybe it was time to let someone in.

Her phone buzzed. A message from Bryan.

I can't stop thinking about you. 😊

She smiled. She typed back: Me neither.

The truth remained hidden. The voicemail from Joshua still sat in her blocked folder, unread. The investigation into the frame-up was just beginning.

But for now, Stella was happy.

And that was enough.