The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 396

When my mother passed away so suddenly, and I was thrown out of the Williams family’s house, I would’ve ended up on the streets if you hadn’t helped me. I probably wouldn’t have even had a chance to say goodbye to her.”

But her words didn’t comfort Antoney. He just shook his head and said, “I still feel useless. I can’t protect you now, and I couldn’t protect my mentor back then, either. She was terminally ill, and I didn’t even know.”

Stella replied softly, “Antoney, none of this was your fault. You don’t need to blame yourself.”

Her mother had hidden her illness from everyone. She’d even sent Stella to live with the Williams family, afraid Stella would notice something was wrong.

Unlike the tragic stories you see on TV, Stella and her mother had never struggled to make ends meet. In fact, they lived quite comfortably. Otherwise, her mother wouldn’t have been able to support Antoney as well.

Before leaving the Williams family, Stella’s mother had taken a large sum of money with her. She was a talented violinist—she made good money from performances and teaching students. Thanks to her, Stella never lacked for anything.

Her mother always gave her the best she could afford—food, clothes, everything. When Stella got older, she developed a sense of thrift and once told her mother she didn’t need the very best of everything. But her mother insisted. “I want you to have the best, so you won’t be dazzled by a man’s shallow gestures when you grow up. I want you to see the world for yourself.”

They traveled together often, visited fashion shows and concerts. But her mother was just as strict as she was generous. Stella’s achievements with the violin didn’t mean she could slack off in her studies.