At that moment, upon hearing what Stella just said, the entire hospital room froze in disbelief. The air grew heavy, and silence pressed against every corner of the room. Even the ticking wall clock seemed louder than normal, echoing in the tense atmosphere.
Her father stiffened in his chair, eyes narrowing. Her mother's hand paused mid-stroke as she had been gently smoothing the blanket over Stella's legs. The nurses outside the glass partition seemed to stop moving as if the weight of her words carried beyond the room.
A lady? How could a lady do this? How could a woman, someone who society painted as the weaker vessel, deal such a blow that it left Stella hospitalized, broken nose, missing teeth, and fainted from humiliation? The image simply didn't fit in their minds.
Immediately, Benedict's voice broke the silence like thunder. His military tone, sharp and commanding, filled the room.
"I hope this is a joke, Stella."
