Cross My Tigress Face the Wrath (Stella)

Early next morning, Tegan flew off for a medical conference abroad.

As Stella got a ring from Susanna, she said on the phone, "Looks like your cousin's gonna pack on pounds for a bit longer. Tegan's out of the country, mentioned something about being away for a month." "How'd you know? Tegan rang you up?"

Stella replied, "Yeah, got a call around one in the morning."

"One in the morning? To share travel plans? Has she lost her marbles?"

It wasn't like everyone could just flip their sleep schedules upside down because Tegan decided to.

Stella sighed, "It was about Ursula."

"Ursula? What about her?"

Stella said, "Ursula ended up in the hospital last night, hit with a bunch of illnesses."

"A bunch? How many? Like what?"

Susanna was shocked at the news.

Just yesterday, spotting Ursula with Yorick near the maternity ward had them betting on a baby bump, not a bout of illnesses.

Stella shared, "Uterine cancer, heart disease, and seemingly liver cancer too."

The news made Susanna gasp, "All, all that? And she has uterine cancer?"

It was clear neither of them was well-versed in medical knowledge, their reaction to the uterine cancer news a bit off-kilter.

Like Stella, as Susanna heard the uterine cancer, her tone unwittingly turned strange.

"How should I know? Tegan said she's not one to spread rumors. She won't gossip, let's not add to the gossip mill."

Susanna agreed, "Fair, not gossiping. But, this puts Ursula and Yorick's future in a bind. Which family would accept someone with such health issues as their first choice?"

The Quarry elders already frowned upon Ursula's background as a maid's daughter. Her illnesses only added fuel to the fire.

"You'll need to tread carefully. With Ursula's condition, the Quarry elders will push for you and Yorick to tie the knot sooner to prevent any rekindling of old flames."

It was too late to find someone else, so they would hold onto Stella at all cost, especially given her Larkin family ties. This would, in the Quarry's eyes, counterbalance Ursula's influence.

Susanna's remind was right.

The Quarry elders are keeping a close eye on Ursula; her being in the hospital last night had already been noticed by them. Besides, they'd learned of Ursula's illnesses; among them, what they couldn't accept the most was uterine cancer.

...

After a simple breakfast, Stella, busy with work at her design studio, received a call from Yorick's mother, "Star, come to the manor this noon, will you? I'll personally cook your favorite, I'll tell Yorick to pick you up."

Stella declined directly, "Thanks, Imogen, but I have some things to attend to this noon, I'll have to pass."

She really was tied up. The project StarRiver offered this time was grand; she determined to take part in it personally.

Hearing she was busy, Imogen signed, "You don't want to even see me?"

Stella was speechless.

Imogen pressed, "Or I go to meet you?"

"Don't. I'll swing by this noon."

Stella had no choice but to agree for Imogen insisted on meeting her, thinking it was better to clear things up in person. After all, people's attitude was palpable when talking face to face. Shortly after hanging up, Stella received a call with a strange number.

She picked up, "Hello."

"It's me."

Yorick's voice came from the other end.

Stella barely controlled the urge to hang up directly, but in fact, Yorick was also irked by calling her, because each time she got Yorick's call, he'd be block-listed.

Orion's number has already been in the list. Right now this number was unknown, yet unexpectedly, she'd block-list the number few moments later.

"My mom asked me to pick you up. Did you say you'll come to the manor?"

At the time, Yorick's voice was laced with indescribable exhaustion.

Stella gave a simply acknowledgement.

"Where should I meet you then?"

"I'll go straight to the manor, you don't need pick me up."

Even walking in the same road would make her feel the air around was polluted.

Yorick noticed the aloofness in her tone, his head throbbing in frustration, "I'll pick you up, wait for me at the Silk-River Residences."

Not bothering to utter another word, Stella directly hung up.

Yorick, on the other side, like what Stella had thought, had stayed at the hospital for Ursula the entire night. Now with Stella ignoring him like that, he felt utterly exasperated. Orion, who was driving, comforted as he couldn't stand to see the scene, "The more a woman cares, the angrier she gets."

Yorick replied, "Is that so?"

Orion nodded, "If I don't care at all, I won't make any scene."

This notion offered Yorick a glimmer of solace amidst the heated strife.