Semua Bab New Body, Old Obsession… Complete Decadence: Bab 11 - Bab 20

Josephine jolted awake from her nightmare.Without even slipping on her slippers, she rushed to her daughter's room. Only when she saw Julie sleeping soundly did she finally breathe a sigh of relief. Unable to resist, she leaned down and gently kissed her daughter's cheek.Julie stirred, murmuring sleepily, "Mommy…""I'm here," Josephine whispered, lying down beside Julie and pulling her into her arms. As she held Julie, feeling her warmth and breath, the chaos in her chest slowly settled.But sleep wouldn't come.Once Julie drifted back into a deeper slumber, Josephine quietly got out of bed and stood by the window. Outside, the moon hung high, its silvery glow spilling softly through the curtains. The moonlight was calm. Her heart was anything but.Yet she wasn't the only one wide awake that night.Julian hadn't slept either.He was scheduled to assist Dr. Wright in surgery the next morning. He needed a clear mind and good rest. But his thoughts churned endlessly, looping

After returning home, Dr. Jenkins immediately called her daughter. She had easily seen that the man who visited her office that afternoon was no ordinary person, but she wasn't worried. She had already altered that medical record long ago.There was nothing for him to uncover.Phoebe had been pregnant with twins. But by the time she was brought to the hospital, she was already suffering from massive hemorrhaging. The baby boy didn't survive—only the girl did.If Phoebe hadn't saved her daughter, Queenie, back then, Dr. Jenkins wouldn't have risked bending the rules. But since it was within her power, she chose to return the favor.Phoebe and Queenie had been in neighboring classes during high school. Phoebe was overweight, and Queenie had freckles on her face. Both were outcasts in their own ways. Their classmates excluded and mocked them. Queenie was cruelly nicknamed "Freckle Girl" behind her back. Since they were from the same small county, they naturally grew closer, lean

When Lady Luck visited her for the third time, it was during the first semester of her final year in high school.Truthfully, throughout her entire high school life, Phoebe had barely spoken to Julian. It was only until the beginning of senior year that fate pulled them closer—they were assigned as deskmates. But even then, their conversations remained few and far between, limited to the occasional exchange.One day, she accidentally picked up the wrong textbook. She had filled it with notes throughout the lesson, only to discover after class that it wasn't hers—it was his. His name was written inside in a sharp, angular script.She stared at the handwriting for a long time.Her own writing now sat side by side with his on the same pages. It was as if, in that subtle overlap, two lines that had never intended to meet had quietly drawn closer.But after just three months, the seating arrangement changed again.Phoebe's high school life was both ordinary and not. She pushed herse

Sylvia asked her name, and she replied, "Phoebe."At the sound of it, Sylvia's expression shifted, turning unpleasant. She stared at Phoebe's face for a long moment, as if something about it irked her."A video?" Sylvia scoffed. "Does anyone actually see Sabrina stealing money in that video? Is it clearly shown? All it shows is her looking through Phoebe's desk drawer. Who's to say she wasn't just looking for wet wipes or a sanitary pad? She's a girl, after all."Indeed, the video only showed Sabrina reaching into Phoebe's desk. It didn't capture the act of taking money.Sabrina's eyes welled with tears on cue. "Mr. Brenworth, Mom… I was on my period. I knew Phoebe had pads in her bag, so I wanted to borrow one."I'm sorry, Phoebe, I didn't ask your permission before looking in your bag. Please don't be mad. But I really didn't take the money. I wouldn't! I don't need that nine hundred dollars. Besides, we're friends. Why would I do something like that to you?"Sylvia let out a d

Inside the bedroom, the bedside lamp cast a warm, amber glow.It fell gently across the bed and onto Josephine's face. Her skin was porcelain-pale, smooth with a soft luster. Her expression was tender as she gently patted Julie's back.In her sleep, Julie murmured, "Mommy.""I'm here, sweetheart," Josephine replied.Of all the choices she had made over the past seven years, the one thing she never regretted was having Julie. She truly believed her daughter was heaven's most precious gift.Of course, heaven had taken something from her, too.Josephine loosened her blouse and lowered her gaze to her flat, pale abdomen. The C-section scar had faded over time into a faint pink line, barely visible against her cool-toned skin. Even after seven years, the mark remained clear.In the quiet of the night, her thoughts always drifted back to that day.She wondered if she had gone to the hospital just a little earlier, would her baby boy have survived?Or if she hadn't argued with her au