Semua Bab New Body, Old Obsession… Complete Decadence: Bab 31 - Bab 40

Julian released his grip. His fingers felt damp. His voice was hoarse as he muttered, "Sorry." What followed was a silence both brief and endless. Josephine left the restroom, and Julian still leaned against the wall, his emotions pulled by some uncontrollable force. He wasn't sure if it was the tear-filled, self-mocking sadness he'd glimpsed in her eyes, or the unsettling familiarity she stirred in him. She felt like someone he thought he recognized but didn't. The truth he sought, the sense of familiarity she evoked—it carried a faint shadow of Phoebe. Julian knew she wasn't Phoebe, yet he felt possessed, trying to piece together two completely different people as one. He raised a hand and pinched the bridge of his weary nose. Something was seriously wrong with him. … It seemed that mentioning Madilyn's name had changed something. Josephine's carefully woven lie—a blend of truth and falsehood—restored their relationship to a delicate balance. In the past month, she

Marianne liked flipping through fashion magazines. Being in client services, she met a lot of people and had pulled out her phone to look up the watch Julian was wearing. Without waiting for Josephine's response, she went on, "It's from a niche brand, a really stylish design. More expensive than his car. You only get to buy these kinds of watches if you're a serious player. I wonder what kind of background Myra's boyfriend has?" Marianne loved to gossip. Josephine was usually more reserved, but once Marianne started on topics like this, she just couldn't stop. As they waited for the car by the curb, a breeze drifted past, making Josephine shiver slightly. Right then, the car arrived. They got in. Marianne kept chatting on. There was never a dull moment with her. She knew Josephine's personality well, but hadn't expected her to actually respond and say, "Like matches like, right? Myra's grandfather was a general, so her boyfriend's family must be powerful, too." Marianne n

At that moment, Vera called Julian and asked how things were going between him and Myra. She mentioned that Myra's mother, Agatha Wesley, would be visiting tomorrow and urged him to come home as well. "Mom, just go ahead and decline for me." "Oh my, my chest hurts... I might have to call an ambulance..." "Don't waste an ambulance on that. If you call now, my colleague is on duty at the hospital, and they might drag me over. We've got all the medicine we need at home." Three hours earlier, it was Vera again, calling about her high blood pressure and insisting he promise to have dinner with Myra. That was how Julian finally agreed. "You brat, my blood pressure's gone up again..." Vera and Agatha were card-playing buddies who met weekly. Vera liked Myra and was eager for her to get along with Julian. Whether they were a good match, she said, they had to see each other in person. "If you really don't like Myra, I'll decline for you. What about the lady from the Wright family?

On Thursday, Julian took a day off. That afternoon, he managed to book an appointment with a psychologist at Connaught Hospital. It was quite a distance from Glenmarie Hospital, crossing into the northern district of the city. After all, Julian was a standout young doctor at Glenmarie Hospital, well known among his peers partly due to the hospital's own promotion of him. Though seeing a psychologist wasn't shameful—most people nowadays dealt with some form of mental health issues—he still felt uneasy. When his turn came, Julian stood outside the doctor's room and couldn't help but smile bitterly at himself. He finally understood what it felt like for patients to deny their own illnesses. He didn't want to unload his troubles on a stranger. But relief was elusive. So he pushed open the door and stepped inside. The lady doctor, Dr. Pearce, asked a few questions. Julian shared some of his recent psychological struggles. She looked at him and asked, "Do you like her? Your first l

Dr. Pearce's words cut right through the fog, piercing straight to Julian's heart. Julian stood rooted, his expression calm and indifferent as always, but his hand tightened around the door handle. "Julian, from a woman's perspective, after hearing your story, there are some things I want to share with you. "Maybe she didn't avoid sharing her life with you because she didn't want to, but because she was insecure, sensitive, and fragile. From your description, she didn't attract you with her looks; she was a chubby girl who used certain means to threaten you into the relationship. "She knew that being with you wouldn't last long. "She studied hard, worked tirelessly, was kind—like a small blade of grass, scorched under the blazing sun but still stubbornly growing. When life was tight, she'd go hungry for a week just to save a stray cat. You thought she was foolish, but somehow, you were drawn to her. "Because deep down, you wanted to save that cat too. Both of you are kind a