Stella loved Conrad for ten years, married him for three. He filed for divorce 101 times—the last time, because she wore the wrong dress to a party. She begged, knelt, and humbled herself to get him to withdraw every previous filing. This time, she signed. Conrad assumed she'd come crawling back—until he found her closet empty, her documents gone, and her number disconnected. Until he saw Stella in a wedding dress, walking toward another man. Everett, San Diego's richest man, had searched for her for seven years—the girl who pulled him from a fire while Conrad lay unconscious nearby. He puts a hearing aid in her ear, shields her from acid attacks, and declares: "She is the only woman I have ever wanted." Conrad finally learns the truth—she saved him too, but Vanessa stole the credit and destroyed their marriage. He kneels in front of Stella, sobbing, begging for one more chance. She looks at him and says: "Too late."
