My Amnesic Ex Married My Sister, So I Married His Uncle-Chapter 5: Don’t Mess with an Angry Woman

Ethan didn’t understand what she meant. Seeing her distress, he patiently repeated himself.

The words replayed in Stella Sterling’s ears in slow motion. Each one was a knife of a thousand cuts, its tip piercing her flesh, tearing her heart to shreds.

Her vision blurred.

It took all her strength not to blink, not to let the precarious tears fall.

’I can’t let myself become a complete joke.’

Stella Sterling forced a smile, her voice choked with a sob. "Ethan Rhodes, you’re so cruel."

’I should have faced reality sooner.’

’The Ethan I knew, the Ethan I loved... he’s long gone.’

’I don’t know this man.’

Stella Sterling got up and left.

She left in a daze, utterly crestfallen.

This little episode didn’t affect Ethan Rhodes’s proposal ceremony an hour later.

Though she’d left early, Stella Sterling still found herself drawn to the shores of the Sunward Coast.

A massive bonfire lit up a stage draped in white tulle. Ethan Rhodes was kissing his fiancée, his smile full of happiness and adoration.

But he was the one who once said, "Stella, I want to propose to you at a bonfire on the beach. I want my Stella to always be as free as the ocean and as passionate as the fire."

That Stella, along with the Ethan he used to be, had died in that car crash.

Stella Sterling’s vision blurred, as if she were looking through frosted glass.

Suddenly, Kiana Sterling’s delighted voice boomed from the speakers. "Stella! I knew you’d come!"

Kiana Sterling gathered her skirt and ran joyfully toward Stella Sterling, who stood apart from the crowd.

She was panting heavily when she stopped in front of Stella Sterling. It took her a moment to catch her breath.

"Stella, why do you look so awful? Is it because you saw Ethan propose to me?"

Stella Sterling watched her sister’s provocative, triumphant smile with cold eyes.

"This beach bonfire proposal idea was wonderful. I love it."

"I also heard you wanted a sunset wedding on the beach. I think that’s a lovely idea. Do you think Ethan will give me that, too?"

For every degree colder Stella Sterling’s expression became, Kiana Sterling’s smile grew a degree brighter.

"Ethan returned all your things, didn’t he? I was the one who told him to. I said it made me uncomfortable seeing them, and without a second thought, he packed them up and flew over to give them back to you."

With that, she took Stella Sterling’s hand in a show of intimacy.

The crowd was slowly drifting their way. Kiana Sterling smiled sweetly and said, "Stella, why don’t you come on stage and say a few words of blessing for us? Your big sister knows you won’t refuse, right?"

Stella Sterling glanced at the surrounding onlookers, who were smiling and clapping, and yanked her hand away from Kiana’s.

"Are you still asleep? You’re talking nonsense."

Just like countless times before, she’d barely used any force, yet Kiana Sterling still tumbled to the ground.

’But this time, I won’t just stand by and endure it silently.’

Ethan Rhodes rushed over, alarmed. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Stella Sterling ignored him, squatting down to grab Kiana Sterling’s left wrist.

The massive diamond on her ring finger glittered brilliantly, but Stella Sterling just let out a soft laugh.

"What’s wrong, Kiana? Didn’t Ethan buy you the pink diamond ring you love so much? Don’t tell me he couldn’t bear to part with the money?"

The expression on Kiana Sterling’s face instantly froze.

Before Ethan Rhodes could reach them, she leaned down and whispered in Kiana Sterling’s ear, "Do you think Ethan flew all this way just to return some things, or was he taking the opportunity to see me?"

Kiana Sterling’s face grew even paler, her breathing quickening.

’How disappointing.’

’Wasn’t this supposed to be psychological warfare?’

’I haven’t even really started, and Kiana already looks like she’s about to break.’

She said softly, "Are you so sure he returned everything to me?"

"I’ll let you in on a little secret... we have ten years’ worth of letters. One for every month. So, where are those letters? ...Oops, don’t tell me my dear sister didn’t know about them?"

Hearing this, Kiana Sterling clutched her chest tightly.

"You’d better pray he never remembers me."

With that said, she stood up and walked away.

Behind her, Kiana Sterling’s face went deathly pale. After a few ragged breaths, she collapsed in a faint.

—

...

Stella Sterling was in a terrible mood.

She felt as if an overinflated balloon was lodged inside her, constricting her breath and squeezing her heart, with no way for the pressure to escape.

She walked with a furious pace, the neon city lights blurring into afterimages in her eyes.

She wasn’t familiar with this part of the Sunward Coast and had no idea where her aimless wandering had taken her.

She was snapped back to reality when she stumbled upon a mugging. Two homeless men, one of whom was large and burly, brandished a knife at her, demanding her valuables.

As she steadied herself, she noticed someone else slumped nearby.

The man had likely been stabbed. He was slumped weakly against the base of a wall, one hand clamped to his abdomen as dark red blood seeped through his fingers. His head was bowed, and it was impossible to tell if he was conscious.

Stella Sterling frowned. As she debated whether to intervene, the knife-wielding man started walking toward her.

BANG—

A single, explosive crack echoed through the air.

The bullet grazed the ground right by the man’s feet, leaving a scorch mark. This time, the dark muzzle of the gun was aimed at his head.

"Didn’t anyone ever teach you not to mess with an angry woman? Get lost!"

The two men exchanged a look, then ran off, cursing under their breath.

Owning a gun in Lumina wasn’t easy. The muggers were just after money; they weren’t looking to die for it.

Stella Sterling holstered the gun in the pack on her thigh. After a moment’s hesitation, she walked over and, keeping a slight distance, tapped the man on the shoulder. "Are you okay?"

The man lifted his head to look at her.

"Owen Rhodes?"

"...We meet again, Miss Sterling."

His clear voice was overlaid with a rasp, giving it an oddly seductive quality.

’Lumina isn’t like home.’

Even though he looked incredibly weak, Stella Sterling instinctively gripped the butt of her pistol.

’This is too much of a coincidence. How did I run into him again?’

She asked cautiously, "What are you doing here?"

Owen Rhodes shook his head wearily. "Would you believe me if I said I came here looking for you?"

"Looking for me?"

"Did you forget? We had an appointment today."

’I really had forgotten.’

Her mind had been completely consumed with Ethan Rhodes; she hadn’t had the capacity to think about anything else.

A pang of belated guilt hit her, and Stella Sterling reached out to help him up.

"Can you walk? I’ll take you to the hospital."

The tall man used her for support as he stood. Leaning against each other, Stella Sterling finally registered the stark difference in their sizes.

Owen Rhodes could practically envelop her whole.

Probably worried her small frame couldn’t take his full weight, Owen Rhodes didn’t lean on her completely.

He explained as he walked with Stella Sterling toward the hospital.

"I got to your place at two. I waited at the door for fifteen minutes, but you never answered. I don’t have your number, so I tried the door and found you hadn’t even locked it when you left. Your broken phone was on the floor. I thought you’d been in an accident."

’That’s right.’

’I smashed my phone yesterday. I was so frustrated, I just kicked it aside and forgot about it.’

"Well, it’s impressive that you managed to find me all the way out here."

Owen Rhodes didn’t hide it. "I pulled a few strings. But... did something happen? I can help." He paused, as if afraid she’d refuse, then added, "I might be more useful than you imagine."

’I don’t really believe him. After all, two muggers just took him down.’

But mindful of his injury, she decided to humor him, hoping to distract him from the pain.

"Why do you want to help me?"

’There’s no such thing as a free lunch.’

"You’ve helped me twice now, including this time. And this was a life-saving favor. I’m the type who repays his debts. Besides..."

He trailed off, leaving Stella Sterling hanging.

"Besides what?"

Owen Rhodes seemed conflicted, his thin lips pressing into a line.

Luckily, the hospital was just ahead. He said quickly, "We’re here."

Stella Sterling stopped short at his words, her brow furrowing as she looked up.

’I vaguely remember Kiana fainting again... She must have been brought to the hospital by now.’

’I can’t be unlucky enough to run into them here, can I?’