Love After Divorce by BELLA

Chapter 22:.

Stella peeled an apple for her grandmother as they talked about her life abroad over the past six years,

especially the tshe spent in France when Adrian was still a toddler.

Stella had not had the opportunity to bring Adrian hto meet his grandmother. So her grandmother only

knew that she had a son, but she had never seen or met him.

“Stella, he's so cute! He sure is the cutest little boy in the world,” Grace praised, looking at Adrian's picture on

Stella’s phone.

But then, with a shrinking heart, he asked, “Stella, he’s already five years old.... But you've never toldwho

her biological father is...”

Stella’s hand, holding the apple, stopped. She had never discussed Adrian's father with anyone except Emily, not

even her grandmother. Now that she was divorced and the man was about to marry someone else, it seemed

even more unnecessary.

Stella didn’t want to talk about him. She knew that if she told her grandmother about RK and how she was about

to get married, Grace would feel sorry for her and Adrian. She didn’t want to affect her grandmother or her life

because of that man.

“Grandma, Adrian’s biological father is no longer in this world,” Stella said, ending the conversation.

Grace sighed, “Ah, what a poor child. He had no father when he was a child. What a poor child!”

Grace was a very optimistic and open-minded woman, so it wouldn't be long before she was back in a good

mood. “Well, it’s no big deal.... We'll find him a good stepfather. | think Rene is a good boy; let them spend more

ttogether...”

Stella didn’t know what kind of charm that man had or if he had worked magic on her grandmother, because

Grace loved to talk about him and wanted to make him Adrian's stepfather.

Stella felt she had to meet this man named “Rene” for sure.

“But it's a shyour mother is no longer here.”

Grace looked at Adrian's picture and said regretfully, “Stella, if your mother were still here, she would be very

happy after having such a handsgrandson.”

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Stella's mother had not been with her since she was a child.

Stella learned from her father and grandmother that her mother was ill and had died after giving birth to her.

Because she had lived with her father for so many years, it was only after she had a “so-called sister,” Sophia,

and a stepmother, that she becsensible.

“Grandma, it's okay. As long as you're healthy, that’s all that matters to me.”

Stella said, resting her head in Grace's lap.

Grace looked at Stella fondly and then at Adrian's picture. Since Stella was in France and her grandmother had

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let her return, she didn’t want her to worry about her health. Grace had never seen Adrian and had only heard

about him.

The whole afternoon passed quietly.

There was a knock at the door...

It was Emily, who had taken Adrian to the hospital to see his grandmother. Adrian was wearing a dark blue coat

and a red scarf around his neck. In his school uniform, his chubby little face looked cuter.

Adrian carried a child’s school bag over his small shoulders and walked toward Stella on his little legs. He looked

at Stella with a confused look on his face.

Stella rubbed her son's fluffy little head and said, “Baby, this is Mommy's grandmother, your great-

grandmother.” “Baby, call her great-grandma...”.

Adrian listened to his mother’s words and said, “Great-grandmother...".

“Ahhh!”

Grace's heart melted at the sound of his sweet little childish voice. She reached out to help him with his

backpack. “Adrian, take off your backpack. You must be tired.”

Adrian obeyed and turned around so she could take his backpack from him. “Thank you, great-grandma!”

“Ahhh, such a polite little boy. He's so cute.”

Grace looked Adrian over from head to toe, sitting on the hospital bed. “Our Adrian is such a handsboy. And

those beautiful blue eyes.... I'm sure when he grows up, he'll attract a lot of women.”

Grace was very fond of Adrian and kept praising him. But when Stella found out, she scoffed.

“His father also attracts a lot of women, and his son has inherited this trait from him.”

Emily, who was standing off to the side, heard it and smiled too. Grace, noticing this, said, “Stella, your friend

has been so kind. She always visitsand takes care of me. You shouldn't forget to thank her.”

Stella nodded and said, “Of course, Grandma.”

Emily interjected, “Grandma, it’s notyou should be thanking, but the gentleman who has been taking care of

you for the past six years...”.

“You know him too?” Stella looked at Emily in surprise.

“No, | don’t know him. But grandma often talks about him. She says he’s a handsome, rich, kind man. Besides,

he’s like you. He's also divorced and has a son.”

Emily paused and looked at her with a smirk. “You two are the perfect couple.”

Stella heard this and looked at her “good friend” angrily. “So that’s the reason you keep introducingto these

men.”

When she was in France, Emily had set her up on several blind dates, all with divorced men, seven with

children. They were all from different backgrounds. Only now did she know the reason... It was all her friend's

plan.

“Yes,” Emily admitted with a shake of her head.

Emily looked at her and continued, “I have always believed that love should be fair. If you marry someone who

has not been married before, there will be a lot of fights and disagreements between the two of you in the future

because of the imbalance in your lives.

| am doing all this for you.”

“Yes, yes, Emily is right.”

Grace looked at her and nodded. “You and Rene are alike. In the future, when you get married, everything should

balance out.”

Emily also nodded.

Stella looked at them and was speechless. “Do you also know René?” she asked.

“No, but Grandma often talks about him. But I've never seen him or heard from him,” Emily replied.

“Ohhh,”

Now Stella wanted to meet him. From his words, she was even more curious to meet this man named “Rene”.

Suddenly everyone was talking about the blind date and that man, but they forgot about the little boy sitting on

the stool and looking at them.

Adrian looked unhappily at the three women in front of him. They were so lost in their conversations that they

forgot about him. It was as if he were invisible.

All his thunder had been stolen by that man named René. So he purposely raised his voice. “I'm hungry. | want to

eat.”

Hearing the little childish voice, they only now remembered that there was still a child in the room.

Talking about proposing blind dates in front of a five-year-old didn’t seem right. They were also talking about

stepfathers and second marriages....

Grace heard his words and quickly grabbed fruit, cookies and milk from the next table and handed them to

Adrian.

She looked at him and said, “Adrian, I'm sorry. It’s my fault and | haven't been considerate enough. Here, eat

this. If you don't like it, I'll get you something else.”

Adrian looked at the food and pouted. “I don't like it.”

| preferred snacks like...

“Chat and samosas”.

They were not abundant in France, but they were abundant in the countryside.

Grace looked at the food and said, “Stella, all these fruits were bought by Rene. He's a very thoughtful boy.

Every the comes to visit, he brings something different because he’s worried I'll get tired of the sfood.”

Stella nodded, understanding her grandmother's subtle message: she loved to praise René.

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Stella peeled an apple and gave it to Adrian. “Honey, eat this for now and drink smilk. Later I'll take you out

for something to eat.”

Adrian listened to his mother’s words and nodded.

Then he took the apple from her hand and obediently began to eat. Grace was sitting next to him, looking at him

fondly.

| was still chewing the first piece when there was a knock at the door. The knocks were measured: three times,

neither too fast nor too slow.

From the manner of the call alone, it was clear that the person outside was polite and trustworthy.

Grace had heard those knocks enough times to know who was behind the door without opening it. She got up

quickly. “It must be Rene, coming to seeafter work.”

She hurried over to open the door. Stella also followed closely behind. Suddenly, a familiar figure stood in the

doorway.

“RK?”

Stella was stunned - why was he here?

He was still wearing the sblack suit and pants as in the morning. His polished black leather shoes shined

and his hair, combed back with wax, gave him an even more elegant look.

His blue eyes, like the deep sea, hid his emotions. It was difficult to know what he was thinking. His demeanor

was that of a businessman. Right now, his clothes and temperament didn’t seem to fit in this place.

Before Stella could even ask why the man was following her to the hospital, he walked in and said....

Perhaps because of his overly attractive appearance, it was hard to ignore his presence, and anyone could see

him at a glance. “Hello, Grandma, how are you?”

Stella was shocked. Did she cto see her grandmother?

How did you know her?

Stella stood next to Grace with a surprised expression. Grace looked at the fruit and tonics in her hand and took

them from her. She looked at him and smiled, “Rene, don’t just stand there. Cin and sit down.”

“Okay.

RK responded with a slight smile on his lips.

As he entered, he paused for a moment and looked Stella in the eye.

Grace handed the items to Stella, who stood in the corner like a statue. “Stella, helpput these things aside.”

Stella muttered, picking up the items as she looked at RK in confusion.

Why did he know his grandmother and act so friendly?

“Great-grandma, who is this guy?”

Adrian, who was sitting on the small stool, looked at him and asked.