Chapter 4
“You ungrateful bastard!” Rashad bellowed.
Julia felt like she had heard those words a thousand times. At this point, the doctors who were supposed to be off duty had returned. Even though no one was standing by to watch the drama, passersby could still catch bits and pieces of their
conversation.
Julia coldly furrowed her brow, turned sideways, and prepared to leave. “It’s late, and this is a public place. Don’t make a scene
here.”
“You insolent girl, how dare you talk back!” Rashad was embarrassed that Julia dared to retort and, in anger, gave her a hard shove. Julia stumbled and fell to the ground. Her arm scraped harshly against the cement, causing her to wince in pain and turn pale.
Suddenly, a voice called out. “Dr. Valentine!”
There was a basketball court outside the dormitory where many interns and medical staff gathered to play after work. Among them, a young man who had been keeping an eye on Julia saw her fall. Without a second thought, he tossed the basketball aside and rushed to help her up gently.
“Thank you,” Julia said as she staggered before grabbing the young man’s arm to steady herself.
“What are you doing?” The young man stood in a protective stance before Julia as he questioned Rashad and Eliza.
Seeing that someone had intervened, Rashad and Eliza stopped their tirade. They glared at Julia before leaving while grumbling.
Relieved that her parents had finally left, Julia breathed a sigh of relief. As she relaxed, the pain in her arm became more pronounced.
“Dr. Valentine, are you okay?” Byron Farley, an intern she had been mentoring for the past six months, stood before her as he looked at her with concern.
Julia nodded her head and tried to hide her arm behind her back. Byron, noticing her actions, promptly pulled her arm forward and examined the bruises, his brow furrowing tightly. “I’ll take you to disinfect that,” he said.
Julia tried to pull her arm back, but he held on tightly.
Tm fine…” Julia said.
Byron’s gaze fell on Julia’s finger. He noticed that the wedding ring she always wore was missing. He paused for a moment. “Dr. Valentine, where’s your ring…
Julia paused and casually replied, “I’m divorced.” Then, she pulled her hand back and smacked Byron on the back of his head. “Is this something a little brat like you should be prying into?” she scolded.
Even though it was a solid smack, Julia didn’t put much force into it. Byron pretended to be aggrieved and rubbed the back of his head.
Julia chuckled, feeling that despite Byron’s tall and handsome appearance, he was just a kid.
Seeing Julia laugh, Byron muttered under his breath. “I’m not a kid anymore. I’m a man.”
His voice was so low that Julia didn’t catch it. “What did you say?” she asked.
Byron put his backpack on Julia’s hands and grinned. “I said that today is a good day, perfect for me to bandage you up.” With that, he lifted Julia’s hands and placed them on his shoulders, effortlessly lifting her.
Hey… Julia was startled.
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2:55 PM
Chapter 4
“Don’t move, or you’ll fall,” Byron teased as he loosened his grip slightly.
Julia immediately felt the sensation of weightlessness. To prevent herself from falling awkwardly, she quickly grabbed Byron’s neck and exclaimed, “You little rascal!”
She used too much force unintentionally, which almost choked him. His voice was hoarse as he said, “Dr. Valentine! Dr. Valentine!”
Seeing his face turn red, Julia quickly let go and apologized. “Oh, I’m sorry!” Then, she huffed. “Consider this a punishment.”
Byron coughed a few times and adjusted Julia’s position on his back to make sure she was secure.
Not far away, a low–profile Rolls–Royce was parked on the roadside. “Boss, Mrs. Mullins is…” Joel Terry, Joseph’s assistant cum driver, glanced outside, hesitant to continue.
Joseph’s eyes were fixed on the two people not far away, unaware that his brow was tightly furrowed. Their actions seemed intimate, and the young man with Julia, though restrained, clearly had feelings for her. Joseph could see through a college student like him at a glance. But Julia’s attitude toward that young man was jarring.
There haven’t been many occasions in which Joseph would meet Julia, but she had always appeared obedient and gentle in front of him. To put it harshly, she seemed lifeless. He had never seen her so lively, playful, and energetic.
Joseph pressed his lips together tightly. ‘So, Julia likes younger men?‘ he wondered. ‘But we had just divorced. Has she lost interest in me? Is that why we got divorced?‘
Joseph’s eyes grew dark, and the oppressive aura emanating from him made Joel shiver.
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