During her recovery, Cedric Clarke and Ableson Joyner kept a close watch over her every day. Even though Stella had lost her memory, her personality hadn’t changed one bit–she was as outgoing and sociable as ever. The only real challenge was that her trust and reliance on Cedric far outweighed anything she felt for Ableson.
Cedric, of course, was happy with this arrangement. Ableson, on the other hand, felt a pang of jealousy.
The couple tried several times to talk things through with Stella, but nothing seemed to get through to her.
In fact, the more they tried, the more resistant Stella became–until one day, right in front of Ableson, she boldly declared that she liked Cedric best.
Scarlett was stunned silent.
Ableson retreated into himself.
Cedric’s feelings, meanwhile, were far more complicated.
On a personal level, hearing Stella confess her feelings was a dream come true for him.
But as a doctor, Cedric knew better than anyone that her affection was likely just a side effect of her amnesia. This sudden rush of emotion felt too abrupt, too untrustworthy.
Still, there was no point trying to reason with her now. Since the accident, Stella seemed to have been overtaken by a hopeless schoolgirl crush; whenever Cedric walked in, her eyes would practically light up. Frankly, it was… a serious case.
As Stella’s discharge date approached, she even suggested moving in with Cedric after leaving the hospital. The idea left Ableson deeply unsettled–so much so that he immediately asked Cedric to meet him for a private talk.
“When Star’s in her right mind, she always says she doesn’t want to date or get married. But there’s something you should know about her–she’s got a weakness. Just like her mom, she’s a sucker for a handsome face.”
Cedric blinked in surprise.
Ableson, a university professor, had always been the picture of sophistication. Back in college, he was the golden boy–smart, good–looking, the whole package.
Truth be told, Scarlett had fallen for him because of his looks.
In Ableson’s eyes, Cedric was just as impressive–handsome, capable, and from a distinguished family. But for a middle–class family like theirs, the Clarkes‘ world was on a whole other level. The rules and expectations were endless, and Stella’s free–spirited nature might not fit in.
Cedric understood Ableson’s concerns.
He looked at Ableson with complete sincerity. “Mr. Joyner, I promise you–I do care about Dr. Joyner very much. But as her physician, I know she’s still recovering. I’ll make sure to keep things appropriate.”
Ableson nodded, relieved. “I’m glad you understand. Honestly, Cedric, I have nothing against you. If Stella were herself and told me she liked you, I’d support her completely.”
But as a father, Ableson worried more about whether Stella might regret things down the line.
He’d been young once himself. He saw the way Cedric looked at his daughter–he knew there was real feeling there.
He truly believed Cedric was a man worthy of Stella’s trust.
But that was only half the story. If Stella and Cedric rushed into a relationship now, only for her to regain her
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memory later and realize her feelings weren’t real, it would be a mess.
In truth, Cedric felt exactly the same way.
He didn’t want Stella to regret anything either, so he agreed to Abeson’s request to have a more honest conversation with Stella in the days ahead.
When Ableson and Cedric returned to the hospital room, they found Stella sulking.
The moment Cedric stepped inside, her face lit up. “Cedric, did my dad give you a hard time?”
“Not at all.” Cedric walked over to her bedside, and Stella immediately grabbed his hand.
This had become the norm lately–no matter how many times the three of them explained things, Stella stubbornly insisted that she and Cedric were madly in love.
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