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Home / Romance / New Body, Old Obsession… Complete Decadence / Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

Lahat ng Kabanata ng New Body, Old Obsession… Complete Decadence: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

100 Kabanata

Chapter 1

Josephine Averly never imagined she would see Julian Faulkner again.That day, she brought her six-year-old daughter to the hospital for a routine checkup. Her daughter had a congenital heart condition and required regular follow-ups.But the moment she pushed open the door to the consultation room, she froze.A man sat inside, focused on the computer, a pair of rimless glasses perched on the bridge of his high, elegant nose. His white lab coat was crisp and pristine, giving him a cool, distant air. Everything about him radiated quiet nobility and restraint.Josephine's face drained of color in an instant.She had originally booked an appointment with Dr. Wright, the hospital's top specialist. But he'd been called away for an emergency consultation, and at the nurse's recommendation, she had changed to another doctor."Dr. Faulkner just returned from overseas," the nurse had explained. "He's Dr. Wright's protégé. You'll find him in Cardio Room 8."Now, Josephine stood rigid at t

Chapter 2

Josephine hadn't expected Julie to ask that, not so suddenly.Looking into Julie's bright, clear eyes, she froze.It hit Josephine then—her daughter, worn thin from years of heart problems, was already six. Julie was small for her age, but still old enough to start sensing things. Old enough to feel the quiet absence of a father and realize, slowly, that the line Josephine always used—"Daddy went somewhere far away"—was a gentle lie that no longer held up.There was a photo of her and Julian in a drawer.Julie had seen it once.Josephine hadn't thought a child so young would remember.It was from her high school years—a photo of the top three students in the class. She had cut the third person out.She never imagined that someday, in this very city, she would cross paths with Julian—this time with a little girl in tow.The bus lurched. The driver hit the brakes hard.Josephine pitched forward, instinctively pulling Julie close to protect her. After a few stunned seconds, she

Chapter 3

At ten o'clock that night, Josephine lay in bed and opened a long-neglected chat app.A few messages from Sean were waiting.Sean: [Phoebe, we're having a class reunion next week at Evening Breeze. All the details are in the class group chat. You're the only one who hasn't responded. Are you coming?]Sean: [You never reply to messages. Phoebe, if you're going through a tough time, you can always reach out. We're old classmates. We'll help if we can.]Josephine glanced at the class group chat, where messages kept pouring in.Truthfully, she had considered leaving the group. But with all 48 classmates still in it, quitting now would be obvious. Still, she rarely opened the app.She scrolled up.As expected, no one had mentioned her.Back in school, she was invisible. But not the kind of invisible that went unnoticed. Because she was fat.Even though she had done her best to fade into the background, people still whispered."Fatty.""Pig.""Chubster."Even when she did noth

Chapter 4

The private room was brightly lit. The light shone directly on Julian's face. His expression was as still and cold as a marble statue. Between his fingers, a cigarette smoldered—its ember had burned all the way to his skin, yet he didn't seem to feel a thing.A faint scent of his scorched flesh reached his nose. But his nerves felt numb, like dulled wires. Suddenly, he stood up, bent down, and picked up the jacket that had fallen to the floor.His face remained composed, but beneath the surface, something dark churned in his eyes."There's an emergency at the hospital. I have to go."He left quickly, almost like he couldn't stand to stay a moment longer.Sean tried to catch up, but Julian had vanished down the corridor in a flash. Left with no choice, he turned back to the private room.Inside, the chatter had slowed, and a girl who had remained silent most of the evening suddenly spoke up, hesitating at first, but her soft voice cut through the room like a blade."Haven't y

Chapter 5

"I'm heading upstairs," Julian said as he rose from his seat.Vera clutched her chest as she watched her youngest son's retreating figure.Shane let out a long sigh. "That temperament of his is just like yours. He's nearly thirty, and while his peers are already married and raising children, all he ever thinks about is his work at the hospital.""Hmph. So what if he takes after me?" Vera shot him a glare. "You can sleep in the study tonight. I'm going up too."She had barely stepped onto the stairs when Julian, now dressed and ready, was already coming back down."Mom, the hospital just called. There's an emergency surgery. I need to go in."Before she could react, he was already gone.At the dining table, Shane slammed his hand down. "Look at that! That's your son. Spends every waking moment at the hospital. He's barely been home an hour, and now he's off again without a word. What kind of respectable family would want to marry their daughter to a man like that?""What are you

Chapter 6

Julian lifted his foot and stepped on a plush pink rabbit. It was chubby, pastel, and had two long ears. A pair of tiny bee wings sprouted awkwardly from its back.Julian remembered this odd little toy. Phoebe had loved it. He used to call it a mutant rabbit—neither one thing nor another. Ugly, he'd said. Especially with wings on its back.She hadn't argued. Just glared at him.She really had liked it, and he'd made fun of it just to tease her.They'd gotten it from a claw machine at the movie theater. He'd won it for her. She'd tugged at his sleeve like a child, whining for him to get it. And now, even this stupid thing had been returned.That night, Julian had called her angrily, only to find the number was no longer in service.She hadn't just left. She'd vanished, without taking a single cent.Seven years had passed. He hadn't heard a single word about her since. All he knew was that she had suddenly taken a leave from their university and disappeared altogether.He'd been

Chapter 7

Josephine held her daughter's hand and walked away.Julie glanced back and gave Julian a small wave.A colleague strolled over, grinning. "Relative's kid? That girl looks a lot like you. Good genes in the family, huh?""Does she?" Julian raised an eyebrow.When he looked up again, Josephine and the girl were already out of sight.If he really had a daughter that age, his mother would probably lose her mind with joy. The thought alone was absurd.Still, the girl was… cute.Julian thought of Julie. A faint, unplaceable feeling stirred in his chest.…On the way home."Mom," Julie said, "Potato is still in that doctor's car.""Potato?" Josephine blinked before remembering the milk-colored puppy her daughter had rescued in the middle of traffic. The memory of that near miss made her face harden."Julie, you can't put yourself in danger like that again.""I know, but he wasn't driving fast. He didn't hit me. I got scared and fell by myself.""Still not okay." Josephine reached

Chapter 8

Josephine walked into the living room. She found a sleepy Julie, who was already too tired to keep her eyes open. She gently carried Julie to the bedroom, patted her back, and tucked a pink stuffed bunny into her arms.Afterward, she tidied up Julie's backpack. Her gaze fell on the hand-drawn poster inside. On it was a milk-colored puppy, wagging its tail with joy.Josephine let out a soft sigh.Tomorrow, she decided, she would check out the pet market.…Julian tossed his phone onto the nightstand. A gray towel hung loosely around his neck as he gave his hair a halfhearted rub.Rosalyn stood nearby, rapid-firing questions. "Was it a female patient? She sounded young. And pretty—she sounded pretty. Is she single? Be nicer when you talk, okay? Was that little chubby pup hers?""Rosalyn," he said, voice low, eyelids drooping slightly as he called her name, "since when did you become so nosy?""Oh, come on. I'm just worried about you!"He curled his lips slightly, more smirk th

Chapter 9

Josephine remembered—it had already been a week. Julian had said he was busy, that they'd talk about the dog next week.A few days ago, Josephine had spoken with Stella about it, mentioning she was thinking of getting a puppy. Stella agreed right away. There was a terrace just outside the attic, enough space for a dog to stretch its legs. If Josephine was going to take one in, she'd do it right: proper training, making sure it wouldn't bark too much or disturb the neighbors. And when she got busy, the dog could keep Julie company.She'd been thinking a lot this past week. Not just because Julian had a girlfriend now. Even if he didn't, there was no future between them.She'd just avoid his consultation room when she had to go to the hospital for Julie's checkups.Fleuris City was a big city. She wouldn't run into him again. Not often, anyway.Carrie glanced over at her, catching the faint furrow in her brows. "What's up? Something happened?""You free tomorrow?" Josephine ask

Chapter 10

Josephine sprang to her feet, desperate to leave—like a bird startled by the twang of a bowstring.But she hadn't expected Julian's strong hands to remain locked around her waist.She clenched her jaw. "Dr. Faulkner."Only then did he let go.Josephine stepped back quickly, putting distance between them. She drew in a deep breath."Please, show some respect," she said evenly.With that, she turned and walked out."Respect," Julian echoed, the word curling off his lips, slow and deliberate, like he was rolling it around in his mouth. He found it oddly amusing.He watched her disappear, her pale blue dress slicing softly through the air, swaying with a faint, lingering scent that trailed after her like the echo of a memory.Later, driving out of the hospital, he spotted her from afar.She stood by the roadside, a slender figure in soft blue, sunlight casting a glow over her skin. The familiar scent—fresh and muted—seemed to rise again, as if carried on the scorching summer air,

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