Chapter 35: Ruthless
After taking the phone from Megan, Julian wasted no time dialing Chloe’s number. He didn’t hesitate for a second, as if the number had been etched into his mind for a long time–embedded deep in his memory, impossible to forget.
The phone rang a few times before Chloe answered.
“Megan, is there something you need?” Chloe’s familiar voice echoed through the receiver, and a wave of frustration surged in Julian’s chest. Yet, all the angry words he had planned to say dissolved into a simple, strained sentence: “I’m sick.”
Hearing Julian’s voice, Chloe paused for a moment, surprised. She hadn’t expected him to call. But then again, maybe it wasn’t so strange. If something was wrong, of course, it would ulian.
As she listened, an image flashed in her mind of the photos where she felt like an outsider, intruding on someone else’s world.
“Well, I’m sorry, but I’m not a doctor. I can’t help you with your illness. If you need something, I suggest you call your family doctor,” Chloe responded coldly before hanging up the phone.
Her indifferent tone stunned Julian. The way she spoke made him feel like a stranger. Not too long ago, they had shared such a deep connection, and now it was as though that bond had been severed entirely.
Furious, Julian grabbed the phone and hurled it against the wall. Megan barely had time to react as her phone shattered upon impact.
Already in severe pain from his stomach issues, Chloe’s harsh words only made Julian feel worse. The discomfort in his stomach intensified, and waves of pain coursed through him.
Without a word, Julian staggered upstairs and locked himself in his room. He couldn’t understand why Chloe was so smug–did she think he couldn’t live without her? Ridiculous.
Meanwhile, Megan picked up her broken phone, feeling a wave of sorrow. She sighed, thinking about how everything had led to this. Chloe was a wonderful girl, and instead of cherishing her, Julian had driven her away. Looking at the current state of things, Megan thought that perhaps Julian deserved this fate.
After cleaning the house as usual, Megan knocked on Julian’s door to check on him, but there was no response. Assuming he had fallen asleep, she left quietly.
That afternoon, Ella arrived. Using her fingerprint, she unlocked the front door and entered the villa, which was eerily quiet.
“Hey, where are you? Mom said you’re supposed to meet someone today. The appointment’s already been set. Where are you?” she called out, wandering around the house but finding no one. After searching for a while, she tried calling Julian’s phone, and the ringing led her to find his phone abandoned on the
coffee table.
Assuming he must still be home, Ella went upstairs to check his room. Unlike Megan, Ella had no reservations – she knocked on his door, and when there was no response, she opened it and walked in.
The moment she stepped inside, Ella immediately sensed something was wrong. Rushing into the room, she found her brother lying on the floor, pale as a ghost. Panicking, she quickly called for an ambulance.
The burning pain in Julian’s stomach finally subsided, and he felt like he could breathe again. Opening his eyes, he saw the sterile white surroundings of a hospital room, realizing he was no longer at the villa.
Chapter 35: Ruthless
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Adam, who had been sitting by his side, immediately noticed Julian stirring. He quickly called for a doctor and poured Julian a glass of water.
“Thank God you’re awake. Ella called us earlier and said you passed out. We were all scared out of our minds, so we rushed over here.”
“Yeah,” someone else chimed in. “You usually seem so healthy–what happened? When Ella called, she was so worried, we were all breaking traffic laws trying to get here.”
As Julian’s friends continued to speak, he scanned the room, noticing the many familiar faces surrounding his bed. Ella stood nearby, looking worried, and even his mother, Madison, had come.
Everyone seemed to be there–everyone except Chloe.
His chest tightened with anger. How could she be so heartless? Even after he had was sick, she didn’t care enough to come.
d her, told her he
Adam, sensing Julian’s frustration, quickly explained, “I asked the doctor earlier. He said your lifestyle has been too irregular lately, and you’ve been drinking too much. That’s why you ended up with a perforated
stomach.”
Ella added, her voice laced with concern, “When I came to the villa and found you collapsed, I thought the worst. The doctor said you’ll be fine as long as you take care of yourself, but honestly, I thought you weren’t going to wake up.”
Madison, who had been silent up until now, wore the darkest expression of all. Her son’s condition had been caused by his reckless lifestyle, and she wasn’t happy about it.
“And where’s Chloe?” Madison asked suddenly. “We’ve been here for hours, and I haven’t seen her. Why
hasn’t she come?”
Ella wanted to ask the same question. In the past, Chloe would have been the first to arrive, tending to Julian with the utmost care. But this time, she was nowhere to be seen.
The room fell into an awkward silence. No one quite knew how to answer.
Finally, Daniel spoke up, breaking the tension. “They broke up, so it’s not surprising Chloe didn’t come.”
As soon as Daniel finished, Madison’s face darkened further. “They’ve been apart for long enough. Chloe should’ve cooled off by now. Honestly, how childish.”
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