“Help me prepare an evening dress–the one you pressed yesterday.“%
At my words, Julian didn’t respond right away. Instead, he quietly poured a glass of warm water and brought it to me.”
“Claire,” he said gently, setting the glass down, “you really can’t keep pushing yourself like this. You need rest.*””
His voice camed worry, not frustration. He moved behind me and began to massage my tense shoulders with practiced care.
I took the glass and finally closed my laptop.
“I’m fine, Julian I know my limits.“”
I placed a hand over his, reassuring him.
Julian Hart had been by my side for more than four years–first as my assistant, then as my partner. For two of those years, we had quietly built something solid, something real. The entire lab supported us. They saw in him what I did: dedication, kindness, and unwavering loyalty.
He worked with me night after night, running simulations, troubleshooting trial errors, reshaping drug experiment frameworks. Every success I had–he was part of it.”
That evening, hand in hand, we arrived at the National Medical Summit.
For years, the National Laboratory had shielded me from the noise of the outside world. Few knew that I, Professor Foster–the name now whispered in reverent tones across the medical field–had once been the abandoned woman mocked and discarded by Linwood Pharmaceuticals.
Until tonight.
Under the glare of stage lights, the host’s voice rang out.
“Our keynote speaker–Professor Foster, Director of the National Medical Research Division!”
The audience turned toward the spotlight, and then the murmurs began.
“Wait–wasn’t she the former chief medical consultant for Linwood Pharmaceuticals?“}
“Oh my god… is that her? She’s Professor Foster?!“}
“Unbelievable. She single–handedly lifted the nation’s pharmaceutical standards… And she used to be a discarded daughter–in–law?“}
“Wasn’t she the one people mocked online, saying she’d never recover?“}
“Turns out she was right all along. Time really does prove everything.“>
“I bet the Linwood Corporation is choking on regret right now–wait, aren’t they already defunct?”
The room buzzed, the internet exploded, and in that moment, I was no longer a forgotten shadow–I had become a symbol. A vindication.
That night, I returned to the public eye not as a victim, but as a visionary.
And, of course, the Linwood family noticed.§
The very next day, Mr. Linwood sent word through an old colleague, asking me to call him.}
I stared at the message for a long time.
Then set the phone down.
I didn’t return the call–not out of resentment, but because I no longer knew how to help him. Some things were simply too far gone.
Months passed. The project I had poured three years of my life into finally reached its conclusion.
And I proposed to Julian
Yes–I proposed.
The lab celebrated. The organization granted me a long, well–earned break. For the first time in years, there were no experiments demanding my attention.
The peace was… unsettling.”
Perhaps the universe heard my restlessness–because it sent Ethan back into my life.}
The encounter happened while I was helping Julian pick a wedding dress–for me.”
“Claire!”
The moment I heard that voice–strange yet painfully familiar–I paused.
My heart stirred, but only for a second.
I turned around.}
Ethan stood at the entrance, disheveled, eyes red–rimmed and filled with something between regret and desperation.}
“It’s you,” I said calmly. “What do you want?“>
There was no pretense.in my voice, but also no cruelty. I simply didn’t owe him more than that.
He looked as if he’d been punched.
“I–I just want to talk. Please… can we talk?”
His voice trembled. His lip quivered as he bit down hard to keep it steady.
I felt a warm hand slip into mine.
Julian had appeared by my side. His grip was gentle, supportive–not possessive.
S
hina k
Chapter 8
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3.37 PM
“It’s okay, Claire,” he said softly. “If you need to talk, I’ll be right here.”% I nodded, then turned back to Ethan.
“No need to go anywhere else. Say what you came to say. Here is fine.“% Ethan opened his mouth once, then again–but no words came.X
Only tears.R
Tears that streamed down his cheeks like they had waited years to fall.
“Claire… I was wrong. Everything I did was wrong…“}
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