Chapter 138
Eleanor just smiled gently. “Sweetheart, breathe. It is not the end of the world. You go focus on your meeting. I still have Mary, you know.” Then she turned to Jordan. “You don’t need to trouble yourself. Mary and I can handle it.”
“It’s no trouble at all,” Jordan replied. “I’m free. And honestly, Stella won’t be able to relax unless she knows I’m with you.”
“He’s right, Grandma,” Stella chimed in immediately. “Please, just let Jordan take you. I’ll be worried sick otherwise.”
Eleanor’s smile widened. “Alright, alright, you two. If you insist. Jordan can be my escort.”
While Stella headed to the office, Jordan drove Eleanor to the hospital.
Eleanor was huge in high society circles. The second she stepped into the hospital lobby, quite a few people recognized her and came up to
greet her.
Eleanor made small talk with them. One man’s gaze shifted to the person standing by her side. “And this must be Jordan.”
“That’s right,” Eleanor beamed, looking at Jordan with pride. “And she’s my granddaughter’s husband.”
From driving to handling all the paperwork, Jordan did everything. Mary’s only job was to stay by Eleanor’s side.
That man looked surprised. “Your granddaughter’s husband? Wait, did Stella get married or Anna?”
“It’s Stella,” Eleanor said. “They just got their marriage license. They haven’t had a wedding yet. Didn’t you hear about it?”
“Oh, we’d heard whispers, of course,” he said quickly. “I’m just shocked to see him here. Isn’t this prime time at the office for him? For him to clear his schedule for you… That’s really something.”
Eleanor beamed at Jordan. “Well, of course. I told him not to trouble himself, but he wouldn’t hear of it. He said he wasn’t comfortable with two old ladies going alone. And look, he’s been handling everything since we got here.”
“Mrs. Hayes, you really hit the jackpot. So did your granddaughter,” he said.
“Yeah,” Eleanor agreed, her smile never fading. “Jordan’s incredible. Stella is a very lucky girl.”
Everyone in their circle knew about the Hayes family drama. They’d written Stella off as the tragic victim. No one thought she’d be the one to stage such a stunning comeback, leaving the rest of her family looking like the real charity cases.
But the real kicker was Jordan. The man had a reputation for being an absolute shark, so ruthless that most parents wouldn’t let their daughters near him. People figured that when Jordan got nasty, he wouldn’t even spare his own family.
So, everyone was completely stunned to see this cold–hearted man being so respectful and thoughtful with Eleanor.
They had all assumed the marriage was just a PR stunt–Jordan using Stella’s sob story to get more exposure for his company. But watching him now, they had to think that he seemed to really like her.
After that, the people who ran into Eleanor couldn’t wait to spread the word. It didn’t take long for Anna to hear about it. And the news hit her like a punch to the gut.
In Anna’s version of the world, Stella was supposed to be a nobody, rotting in the gutter where she belonged. As long as Stella was around. Anna would always be living in her shadow.
They’d been at the same school for years, but no matter how hard Anna tried, she just couldn’t beat Stella when it came to grades.
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Chapter 138
At home, nobody gave a damn about Stella. But at school, every single teacher adored her and was always comparing Anna to her.
Anna bombed so many classes. Teachers would always say, “Anna, I just don’t understand. You’re twins. How is it she’s getting perfect stores and you’re struggling to pass? Have you ever thought of just asking Stella for help?”
The more she heard comments like that, the deeper her hatred for Stella grew. It hit a boiling point when she found out Stella had gotten into Quentiham University.
The jealousy was a monster she could no longer contain. She couldn’t stand living like this anymore. She had to find a way to make Stella disappear from her life.
So, Anna went crying to Fiona. She complained that it was all because of her poor health, the constant doctor’s visits that had ruined her studies.
That was the only reason she hadn’t gotten into Quentiham. She sobbed about how much she envied Stella.
Fiona immediately fell for it, her face twisting with guilt. “Oh, my darling Anna, don’t. It’s my fault, all my fault. I failed to protect you, and I let you suffer so much pain. You could’ve gotten into Quentiham, too.”
Anna shook her head. “It’s okay, Mom. I guess this is just how things were meant to be.”
“Wait,” Fiona said, a sudden, terrible idea lighting up her eyes. “You’re identical twins. What if… What if you went to Quentiham in Stella’s place?”
This was exactly what Anna had been hoping for, but she knew she couldn’t be the one to say it. She had to be the victim, not the schemer.
“No, we couldn’t,” Anna breathed, playing her part perfectly. “Stella would never agree. She worked so hard to get into Quentiham. It’s her
dream.”
“Stella’s healthy as a horse,” Fiona scoffed. “She can take the SAT for you next year. Or better yet, you two can swap. Let her go to that junior college you got into. That settles it. I’ll break it to her at dinner.”
“Mom…” Anna whispered, a perfect protest.
Fiona waved her off, silencing her. Anna had to fight to keep the triumphant smirk off her face until her mother wasn’t looking.
And so, with Stella out of the picture, Anna thrived at Quentinam University. She was a star student, finishing her degree with honors in just
three years.
But now, the script had flipped. It made Anna’s blood boil. And what made it a thousand times worse was watching Eleanor stand up for Stella, beaming with pride over her. It made Anna sick.
As luck would have it, Anna was at the hospital for an appointment and spotted Eleanor. But Jordan was the first person who really caught her eye. A twisted idea started to bloom in her mind–seducing Jordan.
She thought, ‘If Jordan fell for me, wouldn’t that just break Stella?‘
Anna walked over to Jordan and “accidentally stumbled right into his arms. Her lines were already scripted in her head. What she didn’t script was Jordan shoving her away. She crashed to the ground.
“Anna!” Monroe yelled. He was just returning from handling her paperwork and saw her sprawled on the ground.
He rushed over and helped her up. “Anna, are you okay?”
Anna dared a glance at Jordan. He looked like he’d just been splashed with sewer water, his face a perfect picture of disgust.
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Chapter 138
5 Aug?
He kept brushing off his clothes. After a few swipes, he gave up. He just ripped his jacket off and stuffed it into the nearest trash can
Anna had never been so humiliated in her life. Monroe, seeing her speechless, followed her gaze. His own face turned to stone when he saw
Jordan.
“What the hell, Jordan?” Monroe snapped. “How can you do this to a girl? And she’s your wife’s sister, for Christ’s sake.”
Jordan shot a cold glance at Anna before turning his contempt on Monroe. “What do you even see in her?”
Monroe was already shielding Anna behind him, running his hands over her arms to check for scrapes. She looked physically unharmed.
“What kind of stupid question is that?” Monroe snapped back. “What I see in her is none of your damn business.”
Jordan let out a cold laugh. “She just threw herself at me. A woman who actually loved you wouldn’t do that. I pushed her off it’s what a mari does when he has zero interest in cheating on his wife.”
“She threw herself at you? Seriously, you think I’d buy that?” Monroe scoffed. “She used to be with Lionel, but they broke up. Why the hell would she make a play for you?”
