billion book
Chapter 16
Before he could finish, Estrella’s phone buzzed inside her purse. It was a client on the other end. NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.
Without hesitation, Estrella picked up, “Hello, Danny.”
As soon as she answered, Danny launched into a tirade of complaints, going on and on without end.
Drew’s intended words got stuck in his throat, unsaid. But what really got to him was Estrella’s constant referral to Jason as “your boss.” It struck Drew that the gap between her and Jason was widening by the minute-she didn’t even use his first name anymore.
Over ten minutes later, they pulled up to the law firm, and Estrella, still on the phone, managed a quick thanks to Drew before dashing upstairs.
That evening, Jason returned to Sandalwood Qasis, while Estrella was out of town on business. For the next three days, Jason kept coming home, but Estrella was away on business in Silverbrook. She didn’t come back once during that time. Jason got a taste of
what it was like to be home alone.
It wasn’t until Saturday afternoon, when everyone else was off, that Estrella returned from Silverbrook. She went straight to the office to catch up on work. The life of a lawyer often meant no regular hours.
Buried in case files, Estrella lost track of time. Her mom called at dusk, inviting her for dinner, but Estrella was too swamped even to eat.
Clutching her freshly organized documents in one hand and pressing the other to her stomach, she ignored the twinge of pain that had started during her train ride home.
However, following that, her stomach pain grew more intense than before, making her unable to straighten her waist. She felt weak all over, with cold sweat breaking out on her forehead.
Unable to bear the discomfort any longer, she grabbed her phone and dialed Jesse, “Hey, Jesse, you up?”
Soon after, Jesse, with her short hair and in a dark floral shirt, rushed over, scolding her, “How on earth did you wait this long to ask for help?” Without another word, Jesse helped Estrella downstairs.
At the hospital, the doctors diagnosed severe gastroenteritis. They admitted her and hooked her up to an IV.
By her bedside, Jesse lectured her with a stern face, “Everyone else is resting, and here you are, working yourself sick. Do you own the firm? Is all the money going straight into your pocket?”
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Estrella replied weakly, “What else am I supposed to do when I’m off?”
Thinking about how things between Jason and Serene were getting out of hand, and how the office gossip had reached her ears, Jesse lost the heart to scold Estrella further. We all needed an outlet for life’s frustrations.
They didn’t notify Jason or Estrella’s family about the hospitalization, but by the next day, word had gotten out anyway.
Early in the morning, Cole and Autumn came to visit, fussing over Estrella for hours. Estrella placated her parents with a story about eating something bad while on business, then gently ushered them out.
When they were alone, Jesse chuckled, “Your mom sure can nag.”
Estrella quipped, “You should see her when she cries.”
Jesse pocketed her hands, her smile tinged with envy. Jesse often wished for that kind of attention from her mother, but those days were gone.
Just as Estrella settled back into bed, the door swung open again. To her surprise, it was Jason. “What are you doing here? Not busy today?” she asked, taken aback.
Jason replied dryly, “What would I be busy with on a weekend?”
Estrella fell silent. His tone wasn’t like the old days. After a moment, she turned to “Jesse, could you get him a glass of water, please?”
Jesse,
Her polite request, along with her initial surprise, made it seem like Jason wasn’t her husband but an old friend she hadn’t seen in ages.
“Sure,” Jesse agreed, grabbing a bottle of mineral water from the fridge and offering it to Jason, “Mr. Jason, here’s some water.”
Jason didn’t take it, instead staring coldly at Estrella and demanding, “Estrella, is Jesse your husband now?”
The night before, Jason had waited up for her, only to be told by Bryce the next morning that she was in the hospital. Everyone knew about her condition and visited, except for him.
At Jason’s accusatory tone, Estrella chuckled, I didn’t want to trouble you.” All she wanted from Jason was a child; she had no expectations beyond that.
But Jason’s mood darkened further, “Estrella, cut the sarcasm.”
Estrella was trying to be cordial, yet Jason was unrelenting. She couldn’t help but laugh, “Jason, have ever fulfilled your duties as a husband? What right do you have to be upset?”
Jason retorted, “I haven’t, but can Jesse?”
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Estrella’s expression hardened at the mention of Jesse, “Jason, are you really picking a fight with me?” She usually let his comments slide, but not when they were aimed at Jesse.
Jason was about to respond when Jesse stepped forward, her voice cold, “Jason, you are here to blame Estrella now, but where were you when she needed you?”
Before Jason could answer, Jesse continued, “Yes, Estrella didn’t call you last night, but do you even know why she didn’t? That’s because when she called you last year after the accident, asking you to come over and sign some papers, you hung up on her. She stayed in the hospital for more than ten days, and you never went to see her.”
Jason’s face went ashen with the realization. A whole year had passed, and she hadn’t
even mentioned that car accident once.
In that moment, Jason’s mind was flooded with images of Estrella, the way she always seemed to carry a smile just for him. No matter how much he pushed her buttons or how icy his demeanor, she had a knack for defusing the tension with a few light-hearted words or a witty quip. It was her way, he realized, of keeping the peace and hiding her own hurts.
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