Chapter 2

A year ago, on a snowy day.

I received a call from the hospital saying my dad was in critical condition.

On my way running to the hospital, I fell.

The ground was too slippery. The snow had started without any warning, and no one was prepared for it.

The roads were already starting to freeze over.

By the time I finally rushed into the hospital, the critical condition notice had already been issued.

The nurse handed me the forms, telling me to sign.

I was completely numb, my hands shaking so violently I could barely hold the pen.

I tried to call Julian, but I couldn't get through.

My mother was having a total emotional breakdown and couldn't hold herself together.

The doctor was pressing me, so I had no choice but to sign the critical condition papers myself.

But they still couldn't save him.

The day my dad passed away, Julian sent me a text.

[Out of town for business.]

Over the next few days, I was at the funeral home arranging my dad's service.

I dragged my mother through all of it entirely on my own.

It wasn't until the third day, when I went back to the hospital to pick up my dad’s final medical records.

In the elevator, I overheard two nurses gossiping:

"Who is that gorgeous guy staying in the VIP ward of your department?"

One nurse replied:

"He's a big deal. The owner of Nova Tech."

"Julian Reed."

The other nurse asked:

"He's so hot. Did you get his number?"

"And he's so sweet. I see him pushing his girlfriend's wheelchair in the garden every single day."

The first nurse sighed, "His girlfriend is so incredibly lucky."

My mind went completely blank.

As I walked out of the lobby, I saw Julian.

Standing next to him were several doctors and his ex-girlfriend, Vivian.

Those doctors were all top-tier specialists in the country.

The group was heading toward the inpatient building.

That was the moment I realized Julian's "business trip" was nothing but a lie.

During the days my father was dying, he had gone completely off the grid just to accompany his ex-girlfriend.

The night I returned home from the funeral home, I confronted Julian about why he was with Vivian.

His brow furrowed slightly.

"Are you tracking my location?"

I tried my absolute best to control my shaking voice.

"Julian, you lied to me about the business trip, didn't you?"

"I saw you and Vivian at the hospital this morning."

"She’s your ex. Why can't you keep some decent boundaries?"

Julian looked up, his eyes perfectly calm as he stared at me.

"Chloe, she is my ex."

"But we aren't enemies."

He explained to me with chilling rationality.

"I was at the hospital because her father just passed away, and she couldn't take the shock. She had to be hospitalized."

"When you called me, I didn't see it. I was indeed traveling at the time."

"I didn't lie to you."

During that entire month, he and Vivian stayed in constant contact.

In the middle of the night, I would feel the bed shift as he got up to take phone calls.

One night, soft crying sounds drifted from the study. I saw his tall silhouette standing by the window.

He was speaking into the phone with an incredibly gentle, comforting tone.

"Yeah."

"I'm here, don't be scared."

"I'll come over tomorrow."

Julian didn't come back to the master bedroom for the rest of that night.

The moment dawn broke, he left the house.

I knew the person on the other end of the line was Vivian.

I said to him:

"Julian, she’s been contacting you since a month ago."

"You constantly come home in the middle of the night."

"You've been spending all your time with her."

"She clearly knows you're married. Why is she still crossing the line?"

"What you two are doing is cheating."

Julian’s eyes went instantly cold.

"Chloe."

"Don't make it sound so disgusting."

His protective stance over Vivian made me completely lose my mind.

"Her father just died, and she’s all alone now. Can you stop being so venomous with your words?"

My nose stung, and a wave of intense grievance rushed up.

My father was in critical condition, fighting for his life until he died, and I had to endure all of it alone.

Yet he was spending his time comforting his sad ex-girlfriend.

"Julian, that's her own damn problem."

The moment those harsh words left my mouth, Julian's face darkened completely, his eyes flashing with a cold anger.

He said coldly:

"Chloe."

"How can you say something so incredibly malicious?"

Julian stopped talking to me, looking at me with a gaze that was distant and utterly detached.

I watched his silhouette walk away.

After that explosive fight, we entered a cold war that lasted for a whole year.

Vivian was in a terrible mental state, so she went abroad to recover.

Julian went with her.

The day he packed his bags, he looked up and gave me a cold, sharp glance. That look was so empty and cutting.

I suddenly realized that whatever we had was completely dead.

We said nothing to each other.

But once I calmed down, I remembered that Vivian had also lost her father. I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for what I had said.

So, I sent Julian a text:

[I apologize for what I said. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have lost my temper like that.]

He never replied.

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