Chapter 34: Sick
After dinner, Chloe walked Wyatt to the door, and he headed home. She tidied up the remaining dishes. before heading to her room. Despite feeling quite tired, she assumed she’d have trouble falling asleep- but she ended up sleeping straight through until the next morning.
Mia sat at her vanity, glancing at Chloe, who was busy working through a practice exam. “Sometimes, I really envy you,” Mia said. “Your days are so simple and efficient–just studying and resting at home. Unlike me, who not only has to work but also deal with social obligations. Do you know? My parents actually want me to go on a blind date today.”
For Mia, getting dressed and doing her makeup was usually a relaxing and enjoyable process, but today, she clearly wasn’t in a good mood.
Chloe knew that Mia hated the idea of blind dates, so she changed the subjec. if you really envy me, why don’t you put everything aside for a day and come study with me at the library? Who knows, maybe you’ll find some joy in it.”
If Mia had to choose, she’d definitely prefer the blind date. After all, she was no fan of studying. She was relieved to be done with school and wasn’t eager to put herself through more academic torture.
“Oh, by the way, I’ve finished editing the photos we took the other day. I’ll send them to you, and if you’re okay with them, I’ll post them.”
Chloe knew how much Mia cared about her photos, so she was curious to see the final edits. Mia sent the photos to Chloe’s phone, and Chloe scrolled through them, laughing at the funny ones and the close- up shots of the two of them together. There were some candid shots of Mia, where she didn’t look as polished as usual, no matter how much retouching had been done.
Mia had struggled to edit some of the pictures, finding it ridiculous how Chloe managed to capture her in such awkward poses.
As Chloe went through the photos, most of them featuring her and Mia, she noticed in the last few frames a familiar figure–or rather, two familiar figures: Layla and Julian. Although they were more like background extras in the photos, to Chloe, it felt like she was the one intruding into their world, a mere bystander in their story.
Julian woke up in pain, calling out for Megan. He had been jolted awake by the intense pain in his
stomach.
Stumbling out of his room, he noticed that the massive villa was eerily empty–there was no one else around. The waves of pain from his stomach were relentless, leaving him pale, weak, and drenched in cold sweat.
He rushed to the bathroom but couldn’t throw up, and his body felt colder by the minute. The familiar sensation of his recurring stomach issues made him realize that his chronic gastritis had flared up again. There was usually medication kept in the house for these episodes, thanks to Chloe’s foresight.
Calling for Megan yielded no response, so Julian started searching for the medicine cabinet himself. Eventually, he found the box, only to discover it was empty.
Enduring the pain, Julian called his assistant and instructed him to buy some medication.
The assistant, well aware of Julian’s medical condition, rushed to the pharmacy and hurried to the villa with the medicine.
Chapter 34: Sick
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“Boss, I’ve got the meds,” the assistant said as he arrived.
When the assistant entered, he was shocked to see Julian looking ghastly, as pale as a sheet of paper and covered in sweat, like someone who had just been pulled from the water. It was the worst he had ever seen Julian.
Julian wasted no time, taking the medicine from his assistant and quickly swallowing it. “You can go now.
Despite the obvious distress, Julian wanted to be alone, so he sent his assistant away. The assistant hesitated, unsure if he should leave given Julian’s condition.
“Boss, would you like me to prepare some food for you?”
“No, if I need anything, I’ll call.”
Reluctantly, the assistant left, thinking the situation was under control. But two hours later, he received another call from Julian.
“What’s going on? You’ve been working for me for years, and you can’t even buy the right medicine? The pills you got me are doing nothing!”
Julian’s frustration was palpable, but the pain he was in made it difficult for him to speak clearly.
The assistant, unfamiliar with Julian’s specific medical preferences, had bought the medicine based on a pharmacist’s recommendation. He had no idea the pills would be ineffective.
“I’m so sorry, boss. I didn’t know. I’ll go buy the correct ones right away. Do you know the brand you need?”
Julian was about to answer but found his mind blank. He had no idea what the medicine was called because Chloe had always taken care of it for him. She had always handled everything, from the brand to the dosage. Now, he realized he couldn’t even remember the name of the medicine.
Frustrated and irritated, Julian decided to call Chloe. But the call didn’t go through–he had forgotten that she had blocked him after their breakup.
Julian’s face darkened. He had almost forgotten that since their split, Chloe had cut off all contact with
him.
Just then, Megan returned.
She had been out shopping for groceries and only came by at specific times to cook and clean, so she had no idea that Julian had been in such pain earlier.
As Megan set down the groceries, she turned to see Julian standing behind her, his face twisted in pain, startling her.
“Your phone–let me borrow it. I need to make a call,” Julian demanded.
Shocked by his appearance and tone, Megan found herself at a loss for words. What had happened?
Chapter 35: Ruthless
