Chapter 6

Stella's POV

Day twenty after the divorce.

Today was Lucas and Emma's kindergarten graduation performance.

Half a month ago, before I'd moved out of the Hunt household, I'd stayed up several nights to personally sew performance costumes for the two children. They were two exquisite little prince and princess outfits, every stitch infused with all my love.

Though I'd decided to let go completely, since the clothes were finished, I decided to deliver them anyway. I'd treat it as drawing a final line under this mother-child relationship.

Carrying the paper bag with the clothes, I arrived at the kindergarten's backstage dressing room.

The dressing room was noisy. I immediately spotted Ethan Hunt and Sophia Warren surrounded by people in the center.

Sophia was holding two sparkly outfits covered in rhinestones, comparing them against the two children.

"Wow! The clothes Sophia bought are so pretty! All shiny diamonds!" Emma spun around excitedly.

"Of course! Auntie specially had these air-shipped from a Paris haute couture workshop. Our Emma and Lucas have to be the most dazzling ones there!" Sophia smiled warmly.

I stood in the doorway, looking at the plain paper bag in my hands, suddenly feeling rather ridiculous.

I walked forward and placed the paper bag on the table, my tone flat. "I finished the clothes and brought them over. You can wear them if you want."

When they saw me, the atmosphere in the dressing room instantly cooled.

Emma glanced at the fabric peeking out of the paper bag and wrinkled her nose in disgust. "These ugly clothes? I'm not wearing them! They're not shiny at all! Like something a beggar would wear!"

With that, she grabbed the little princess dress I'd stayed up with red eyes to sew and threw it hard on the floor, then stomped on it several times.

"Yeah! So ugly! We only want what Sophia bought!" Lucas chimed in.

Black shoe prints instantly appeared on the white hem.

My heart spasmed sharply, but my facial expression remained unchanged.

Ethan Hunt looked at the clothes on the floor, his brow furrowing, his eyes carrying a trace of reproach as he looked at me. "Stella, can you stop forcing your cheap aesthetic on the children? Today is their important day. Do you really have to bring these rags to embarrass them?"

Cheap aesthetic. Rags.

Looking at Ethan Hunt's face, I suddenly felt like the past seven years had been a joke.

I bent down and picked up the dress that had been stepped on, brushing off the dust.

"You're right." I straightened up, looking at Ethan Hunt, the corner of my mouth lifting in a mocking arc. "I was the one disturbing you. You really don't deserve to wear clothes I made."

With that, in front of everyone, I walked to the trash can in the corner and without hesitation threw in those two outfits I'd poured countless hours of effort into.

"Stella! What the hell is wrong with you!" Ethan Hunt was enraged by my actions, feeling I'd trampled on his dignity in front of everyone.

"Trash belongs in the trash can." I dusted off my hands, my eyes coldly sweeping over Ethan Hunt and those two children. "I hope you all enjoy the performance. I won't disturb you two anymore."

I turned and strode out of the dressing room, my back straight, without a trace of attachment.

I left quickly, leaving those trashy people and things far behind me.