The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 1558

Abby's words trailed off. Messing with Rachel was one thing; Rachel deserved it. But Stella was the innocent one caught in the crossfire.

As for the culprits… she was tired of cursing Rachel. And Haynes, though he'd acted like he was under a spell, she could almost understand it, considering he was surrounded by people like Jasper, Foreman, and a mother like Deanna O'Brien. Under that much pressure, being brainwashed was slightly more forgivable. Plus, he had behaved decently since learning Rachel's true colors, relaying the facts about Joshua without adding any personal bias or slander, which had restored a bit of her respect for him.

And Joshua… Abby just couldn't bring herself to condemn him completely. He was terrible, yes, but when he decided to be good to someone, he was impeccably so. Then again, he could also harm an innocent person for his own amusement. He had surely done plenty of ruthless things for Stella's sake, eliminating her enemies. Those people may have wronged Stella, but they had no quarrel with Joshua. Just like Stella, in the beginning. In essence, Joshua clearing obstacles for Stella wasn't so different from Leonard destroying her hand for Aurora. To the people he destroyed, Joshua was an irredeemable monster. But if he were kind to everyone, wouldn't he just be a people-pleaser? Abby was torn.

Her attempt to console Stella was a mess.

Stella remained silent, her eyes fixed on the violins, lost in thought. Abby decided to drop the subject. It was understandable that Stella needed time to process the truth.

She turned to Stella. "Should we check out the other rooms?"

Stella gave a slight nod.

"Oh, Joshua," she whimpered dramatically, "please send another Rachel to steal my man! I wouldn't mind! If a husband and kids are this valuable, I'd sell them in a heartbeat… Is it too late for me to get married and have a baby?"

Her eyes gleaming, Abby continued her search like a pirate who'd just found a treasure map, chattering nonstop about her discoveries to Stella. Stella followed quietly behind her the entire time, neither stopping Abby's exploration nor saying a word.

By the time the sky outside grew dark, Abby was still far from finished exploring.