Chapter 7: The Unloved One Is the Homewrecker
Leaving the ward, Sonya found Julian crouched in the hallway, clearly exhausted. He had been hit in the head the night before, lost a lot of blood, and was still furious. He’d rushed to the hospital and stayed up all night, a mixture of worry and resentment etched on his face. What a beautiful love story.
How could she have been so stupid to think she could make him fall in love with her?
“How is she?” Julian stood up, running a hand through his hair.
“Her wrist wounds are superficial. She didn’t seem serious about killing herself,” Sonya said.
“What do you mean by that?” Julian frowned.
“It’s the truth.”
Julian glared at her. “You must be thrilled that I agreed to marry you. You probably woke up early, grabbed your ID card, and went to the courthouse this morning. Too bad I didn’t show up. That’s why you’re so nasty.”
Sonya stared at him, his self-confidence truly astounding.
“You may have to wait. I’ll help Seraphina with her problems, then we’ll talk about it.”
Sonya sighed. “I told Seraphina about your proposal last night.”
“What?!” Julian frowned. “Why? She needs me now!”
“You’re planning to marry me and keep it from her?”
“Well, I should have been the one to tell her!”
“Fine. Tell her yourself.”
Sonya turned and walked away. One offered marriage, the other compensation. Were they treating her like a dog?
She would watch and see what they did next.
Sonya spent the whole morning working. After seeing patients, she went to the cafeteria with Ashley.
“News of Seraphina’s suicide attempt leaked online, but it was quickly suppressed,” Ashley whispered.
“Oh.” Seraphina came from a powerful family, and with Julian’s help, they could control the narrative.
“Now everyone’s guessing she cheated on Jennings, and the baby is Stone’s.”
“Oh.”
“But some say Jennings wouldn’t be a cuckold. Love makes people crazy. I think it’s possible.”
Sonya listened to the gossip, finally learning something she didn’t know. Liam’s wife seemed well-connected, and Seraphina couldn’t afford to offend her.
So, Liam couldn’t—or wouldn’t—divorce his wife for Seraphina.
In the afternoon, Sonya went to the VIP ward.
Inside, Julian was peeling an apple. Seraphina lay listlessly in bed, as if gravely ill.
“Sonya, you’re here,” Seraphina greeted her softly.
Sonya checked her vitals.
“My chest feels tight,” Seraphina murmured.
Sonya used a stethoscope. Her heartbeat was normal. “I’ll arrange an ECG.”
“Okay.”
As Sonya turned to leave, Seraphina stopped her.
“Sonya, Julian and I grew up together. I thought he was just a good friend, but lately, I’ve realized… I love him.”
Sonya found it amusing. Julian was right there, and Seraphina was talking to her. Typical actress. Fine, she’d play along.
Sonya put her hands in her pockets, watching Seraphina.
“I owe him a lot, and I want to make it up to him. Our wedding will go ahead. This time, I genuinely want to marry him.”
Sonya glanced at Julian, who was still peeling the apple.
“Mr. Jennings, you’re not deaf. Say something.”
Julian looked up, glaring at her.
Sonya shrugged and turned back to Seraphina. “And then?”
Seraphina took a check from under her pillow, looked at Sonya, and slid it across. “Julian doesn’t love you. You should know that. To both of us, you’re more like a homewrecker. But you were with Julian for eight years, so this is compensation.”
Sonya looked at the check.
She was the homewrecker?
Eight years was worth only a million dollars?
“Not enough?”
Julian spoke.
Sonya looked at him, seeing the same arrogant superiority in him as in Seraphina.
“No,” she said.
Julian nodded, taking out a black card from his wallet. “Here’s another five million. Enough now?”
“No,” she said again.
“Hah, Sonya, don’t you think you’re overvaluing yourself?”
Sonya bent down, picking up the check and the black card. She looked at them, a silent laugh lingering on her lips.
“Finally,” she said, tossing the card back but keeping only the check. “This isn’t compensation. It’s repayment.”
She turned to Julian. “Two years into our relationship, you had a falling out with your family and ran away. You said you wanted to start a business to prove them wrong. You needed seed money, and I sold my parents’ house to give you a million.”
Sonya held up the check. “I could have asked you for interest, but you may consider it a tip for your services in bed.”
Julian’s face darkened. “Sonya!”
“Priceless, Julian. You can’t repay it, and you never will.”
“My love was priceless,” she added, walking out.
As she left, she noticed a man in a hat standing outside, holding up his phone. She frowned. The man turned and ran away.
“Hey, what are you doing?” a nurse shouted at the man.
Sonya only saw his back—likely a paparazzi. She didn’t dwell on it. She wasn’t a celebrity.
Back in her office, Sonya excitedly called a real estate agent.
“Olivorsan, I want to buy back my parents’ house. Check with the current owner. I’ll pay over market value.”
“The house has been empty. It might be for sale. I’ll check it now.”
Her parents had left her the house, and she had sold it to help Julian. She’d been saving to buy it back.
She could have asked Julian for the money, but it felt awkward. After all, at the time, she had helped him of her own accord.
Julian knew she’d sold her parents’ house, but after he became successful, he never considered buying it back for her.
As she waited anxiously, Ashley found her.
“Sonya, you’re trending!”
Sonya froze, checking her phone. She had made the headlines.
At the top was a video of her taking the check from Seraphina…
