All Chapters of Once a Doormat, Now Untouchable: Chapter 91 - Chapter 100

Sydney's thoughts moved sluggishly, a beat behind. For a moment, she assumed Julian was talking about Penelope's allergic reaction."The wine wasn't poisoned. Penelope just had an allergic—""I meant you," Julian cut in lazily. "When did you become half mute?"She blinked, the sarcasm landing at last. He wasn't talking about the wine. He meant how cold she'd been to his girlfriend earlier.Charlotte, oblivious to the tangle that was the Hampton family, offered a tentative smile. "Maybe Mr. Hampton rushed Ms. Monroe to the hospital?""Right." The word had barely left Sydney's mouth when a faint snort of laughter cut through the air.Julian's cool, distant voice followed. "All bark at home.""Mr. Sterling, not all of us can cut people down with a single sentence," Sydney snapped, her voice tight and measured, each word biting through the tension.What she hated most was how he always stood above it all, passing judgment as if the rest of them lived in the dirt beneath his shoes.

"So just because everyone's saying it, that makes it true?" The female patient's voice rose sharply as she turned to address the waiting area. "You all tell me—this nurse claims Dr. Wilson assaulted someone and got involved in someone else's marriage. Does that sound even remotely believable to you?""No way!""Absolutely not!"Everyone in the clinic had seen Sydney's integrity and professionalism firsthand. Someone who treated people with that much care couldn't possibly be the kind of person they were describing.The young nurse, clearly flustered now, snapped back, "It's not up to you to decide what's true! That kid's already in the hospital, isn't he?""Dr. Wilson!" someone called from the nurse's station, cutting her off.The nurse immediately went silent. Her face flushed red as she turned toward the entrance.Sydney walked in, calm and composed. She didn't look angry at all.She approached the nurse and said evenly, "Starting tomorrow, you'll be reassigned to another doc

Sydney led the two police officers into the surveillance room. Marcus was already waiting.Once they finished watching the footage, the officers' expressions changed."Mrs. Hampton, please wait a moment," the female officer said."Alright," Sydney replied calmly.The male officer stepped outside to make a phone call. He returned a few minutes later, met Sydney's eyes, and said, "Mrs. Hampton, the case has been dropped. We won't need to copy the surveillance footage after all."There was no doubt whose orders they were following.Marcus hadn't expected Caleb to sink this low. Their mentor had been right all along. Caleb, inside and out, had never been worthy of Sydney.Sydney didn't seem surprised. "Got it. By the way, can I sue Penelope for defamation?"The male officer looked uneasy but offered a warning. "That might be hard to prosecute."Whatever the reason, Sydney didn't care to ask. She smiled faintly. "Alright. Thank you for coming all this way."After Marcus walked the

Charlotte didn't quite understand what that line meant, but the atmosphere in the elevator turned awkward in an instant.Sydney noticed the flicker of discomfort on Caleb's face and almost laughed. Then she looked up and met Julian's direct, unwavering gaze."Ms. Wilson, seems like you're not too busy on the project. No need for overtime?"It was a jab without bias. He spared no one.Every word reeked of textbook capitalism, as if he wanted everyone to work themselves into the ground.Sydney's smile faltered. She replied stiffly, "What's left can be done from home.""Oh?" Julian tilted his head, thoughtful. "Even a hopeless romantic like you still has energy for after-hours work?"Sydney rarely felt embarrassed, but she wanted nothing more than to throw herself down the elevator shaft right now.Everyone probably assumed she had wanted to marry Caleb out of obsessive love.Caleb certainly didn't notice her discomfort. If anything, he looked pleased, chuckling softly. "Don't te

Caleb suddenly turned to her, eyes sharp and unblinking. "Also? Who else goes by the nickname Precious?"It wasn't exactly rare. Plenty of kids were called that growing up. Still, the way he was staring made Sydney feel uneasy.She dropped her gaze, hiding her reaction. "No one. Just figured it's a pretty common name."Today had already shown her how far Caleb would go to protect Penelope. If he found out Penelope used to bully her? He'd take her side again. Or worse, he'd let Penelope twist the truth and play the victim.And Sydney wasn't even completely sure. Not yet. 'But this pendant…'She pressed her lips together, then looked up with an innocent expression. "Cal, this pendant is really unique. Can I borrow it for a few days? I have a friend who makes jewelry. I want to get one just like it."Maybe it was guilt over what happened to Timothy. Or maybe he'd always known he owed her more than he could repay. Either way, faced with Sydney's soft, slightly pleading look, Caleb he