Once His Now My Own Novel by SHAN

Stella’s POV

Ethan stood tall at the project bidding conference, every inch the poised businessman, yet beneath the polished suit, I could sense his tension. He wasn’t here just to win a design project—he was here to prove something, to fight Jacob’s company for more than just a contract. It felt personal.

During the intermission, whispers started circulating. I followed the sound of heated voices and found them in the restroom–Ethan had Jacob’s tie clenched in his fist, fury distorting his usually composed face. He looked like a man on the edge of losing everything.

“Stay away from her!” Ethan growled, raising a fist to strike.

Before he could act, the event organizers arrived, their faces painted with disappointment. Ethan‘ s temper had cost him not only his dignity but also his chance. Without hesitation, they disqualified him from the competition. Jacob’s company secured the bid, and just like that, I was named chief jewelry designer.

Before I could answer, Lily stormed forward, her eyes gleaming with malice. “Ethan, don’t let her fool you! We both saw it–Stella was with that guy on your birthday! How can you still deny it? She’s nothing but an immoral—”

Her accusations hung in the air, but before she could finish, Ethan’s hand came down hard across her face as he roared, “Shut up!”

The crack of his slap and his loud voice echoed through the hallway, freezing everyone in place.

Lily staggered back, clutching her cheek, her eyes wild with shock.

“You… you hit me?”

Ethan’s voice was colder than I’d ever heard it. “Yes, I hit you. And I should‘ ve done it sooner. If it weren’t for your lies, Stella wouldn’t be divorcing me.”

Tears welled up in Lily’s eyes, but instead of pity, all I felt was a hollow satisfaction. She ran from the scene, her sobs trailing behind her, leaving Ethan and me standing in the silence.

His gaze softened as he turned back to me, regret written all over his face. “Stella, I was blind. I see it now–I was wrong. Come back to the company. I’ll make you the design director. We can start over.”

For a moment, his words might have swayed the old version of me–the woman who once thought Ethan was everything. But now, I saw his offer for what it truly was: not a recognition of my talent, but an attempt to keep me under his control.

I crossed my arms and met his pleading eyes with cold indifference.

“Ethan, you still don‘ t get it, do you? What I do, who I work with–none of that has anything to do with you anymore. We‘ re over.

Panic flickered across his face as he realized how serious I was. He dropped to his knees in front of me, a sight I never thought I’d witness. “Please, Stella,” he begged, his voice breaking. “I was wrong. Don’t leave me. I can’t live without you.”

I took a step back, disgusted by how far he had fallen. The man who had once ignored my calls and messages, who had belittled my every effort, now knelt before me like a beggar. I didn’t feel triumph–only exhaustion.

“There’s no second chance for us. Ethan. Not anymore.” Without another glance, I turned and walked away, leaving him on the floor, his pride shattered.

Three days before our scheduled divorce hearing, Ethan‘ s grandmother celebrated her birthday. I had no intention of being there, but she was the only person in the Lewis family who had ever shown me kindness. So, against my better judgment, I attended. When I arrived at the old Lewis estate, Butler Jack stood at the door, his expression haughty. “Miss Stella, I don’t believe you belong here anymore.”

I raised an eyebrow. The butler’s contempt was no surprise–after all, I had always been an outsider in the Lewis family, treated with disdain by even the servants.

“Is that so?” I replied, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “Shall I tell Ethan you’re turning me away?”

Butler Jack’s smirk faltered. He knew better than to cross me when the stakes were so high. “Of course not, Miss Stella,” he stammered.

“It was just a joke…”

“If that’s your idea of humor, you might want to consider retirement,” I retorted, brushing past him.

Inside, Ethan handed me a bouquet of baby’s breath, his hopeful smile tinged with uncertainty. I accepted it but then threw it directly into the trash in front of all the servants.

Ethan’s face froze. “Stella, isn’t baby’s breath your favorite?”

It wasn’t that I loved baby’s breath; I loved everything Ethan gave me. Even if it was something Lily didn’t want, I treated it like a treasure. But now, I couldn’t care less.

I shrugged indifferently and lied casually, “I’m allergic to baby’s breath.”

Ethan looked bitter, struggling to find words.

Soon, Grandma greeted me warmly, pulling me to sit beside her.

“Stella, my dear, I know Ethan has made mistakes, but life is about mending what’s broken. Can’t you find it in your heart to fix things?”

I didn’t reply but instead accidentally dropped the teacup in my hand, shattering it on the ground. I picked up one of the shards, examined it in the light, and said with a playful tone, “Grandma, some things, once broken, stay broken. No matter how much you try to fix them, they’ll never be the same. They’ll always be sharp to the touch.”

With that, I tossed the shard into the trash without hesitation.

Grandma wanted to say more, but I had already placed my pre–prepared gift on the table. “Happy birthday, Grandma. I wish you a long life and good health. Rest assured, I’ll still visit you in the future. But I need to leave early today to work on a design project.”

Hearing this, Grandma seemed to realize the finality of my decision to divorce and didn’t press further.

As I left, Ethan immediately followed, desperately crying, “Stella! Stella, please don’t leave. I can’t live without you! If you leave, I‘ ll—”

I got into the passenger seat of my friend’s car and leaned out the window. “Ethan, your life or death is no longer my concern. We’re strangers now.”

With that, I rolled up the window and left without looking back. But I heard the words he shouted before we had gone far.

“Stella, I won’t give up! If you treat me as a stranger, then I’ll just start over and win you back!”