로그인Gemma.I opened my eyes and the soft morning sunlight streamed through the curtains. I sat up on the edge of the bed and stood up. My legs felt shaky on the floor. All of a sudden, my head spun and everything went sideways. I put my hand against the wall and froze, waiting for the dizziness to go away.Not today, I thought, taking a slow breath. Julian couldn't see me like this.After a few seconds, the feeling passed. I felt much better.I walked over to the armchair where Julian had left some fresh clothes for me, a pair of sweatpants and his oversized black hoodie. I put them on. It was way too big for me, the sleeves hanging far past my wrists. It smelled just like him, warm and comforting.Rolled the sleeves up to my wrists and walked out of the bedroom.The penthouse was quiet, but as I walked down the hall, I heard the clanking of metal coming from the glass gym at the end of the corridor. I opened the door quietly and leaned against the frame.Julian was working out, doing pu
Julian."It's Joe," I said.Gemma’s eyes went wide. I could tell she remembered him immediately, the guy from her culinary school who had tried to bully her, the one I personally canceled to put him in his place."Joe?" She gasped, her voice shaking. "He thinks he can spray-paint my car to get back at me," I said, my jaw clenching tight. "He’s wrong."Before I could respond, the doorbell rang."I called Gigi," I told her softly. "She's staying with you."Gigi burst into the room a second later, running straight to the couch."Gemma!" Gigi cried out, throwing her arms around Gemma's neck. "Oh my god, are you okay? I was so scared!"Gemma buried her face in Gigi's shoulder, her small frame trembling as she held onto her friend.I stood by the door, watching them. My eyes stayed locked on Gemma. She was white, with dark circles under her eyes, and she looked completely drained. Something wasn't right.Deal with Joe first, I told myself, turning toward the door. Then figure out what Gemma
Gemma The nurse tapped my inner arm and wiped a cold alcohol swab over my skin. "Going to feel a small pinch," she said. I flinched when the needle pierced my vein, clamping my teeth together. She taped the tube down to my forearm, turned a dial on the wall unit, and pulled a blanket over my legs. "It'll take about an hour and a half," she said. "Press the button if you feel sick." “Thank you.” She nodded pulled the curtain shut and left, it was just me. Click... click... click. The machine beeped beside my ear. I stared up at the clear bag, watching the drops fall one by one. I was terrified. Every second sitting in that chair, my chest felt tighter, like the air in the room was running out. I wanted to rip the tape off my arm, jump out of the chair, and run. But I couldn’t move. To keep me from screaming, I forced my mind back to the night. I thought about Julian. How I sat across from him at the restaurant, watching him laugh as he admitted he was trying not to love me. I
Gigi."Ma’am, someone is here to see you."I didn't look up from my computer screen. "Oh, okay. Let them in."I kept typing away at my keyboard, adjusting a file layout on my monitor. The glass door swung open, and someone walked over to my desk."Welcome, how can…" I stopped mid-sentence the moment I looked up. My expression turned cold instantly. "And what are you doing here?""Is that how you talk to a client?" Damian said as he sat down in the chair across from my desk, completely unbothered.He leaned back, crossing one leg over the other with that arrogant smirk on his face.I leaned back in my seat, crossing my arms over my chest. Inside, my blood was boiling. The nerve of this man. After our last encounter, I had actually checked my phone for days waiting to see if he would call or text. Not because I was desperate, I don't do desperate but because the chemistry between us had been ridiculous, and I wasn't used to being ghosted. Seeing him sitting in my office right now, actin
Gemma.I couldn’t bring myself to tell Gigi the truth at Anne’s birthday party.Even when she stood there looking at me with worry in her eyes, I couldn’t get the words out. So I lied.The next morning, after class, I went straight to the hospital for my appointment.Dr. Harris looked up from my file, adjusting his glasses. "The treatment plan is set, Gemma. We start next Tuesday. You’ll need to be here twice a week for monitoring.""Twice a week," I repeated, typing the dates into my phone calendar. "How long does each session take?""About two hours. You might feel tired afterward, so plan your schedule around it.""Understood. Thank you, Doctor."I left his office, walked to the parking garage, and got into my car. But I didn't drive straight home. The last time I spoke to my son, something about his voice had felt off. With my treatment starting next week and the fear of how it might go, I couldn't just sit around and wonder. I needed to see him.I drove over to his school just
Gemma."Chloe! Oh, you made it!"Anne’s voice instantly cut off the awkward silence."Mama!" Chloe squealed, dropping her arms from Julian's neck and hugging Julian’s mom.I stood there and watched. Was I annoyed? Yes. The girl had just thrown herself all over Julian. But I kept my face neutral. I wasn't going to make a scene at a birthday party over a hug.Chloe pulled back from Anne with a big smile. "Happy birthday! You look so pretty tonight.""Thank you, dear. I'm so glad you came," Anne said. Then she turned to us. "Chloe, have you met Gemma? And her friend Gigi?"Chloe looked over at me. Her smile stayed on her face, but she gave me a quick side-eye, looking me up and down. It was fast, but I saw it."Nice to meet you," Chloe said, sounding totally fake."Nice to meet you too," I said, giving her a simple smile.Julian put his hand back on my waist and leaned down close to my ear. "She’s like a sister to me. Our families have known each other forever.""Sure," I whispered back,







