Awakened Housewife Ignore Betrayer's Begs (Scarlett) novel Chapter 45

Chapter 45 Shattered Illusions

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Finished

Even though she worked in the demanding field of pediatric surgery, Scarlett’s opportunities to actually perform operations remained limited.

Had she not taken that life detour into marriage years ago, perhaps she could have been like Nolan now-a surgeon with a full schedule of complex procedures. But then again, maybe not. Nolan operated on another plane entirely. He specialized in the most challenging surgeries of all-intricate brain operations.

She could spend her entire career striving and likely never close the gap between their skill levels.

Thomas held his thermos, his perennial gentle smile in place. “So, Scarlett,” he inquired, “have you given any thought to pursuing a doctoral degree?”

A spark of hope ignited in Scarlett’s eyes. “I…” She wanted to say yes, to grasp the opportunity.

But before the word could fully form, Sabrina appeared as if from nowhere. “Mr. Newman! Perfect timing! I have a few academic questions I’d love your insight on, if you have a moment?”

Thomas turned at the sound of her voice, his eyes landing on Sabrina and Vincent standing nearby. A slight, almost imperceptible frown touched his brow, his displeasure subtle but clear. “Of course,” he replied, his tone polite yet noticeably cooler.

Sabrina pressed her advantage. “Could we speak privately for a moment?”

Thomas gave a curt nod. “Very well.” With that, he moved to join Sabrina.

Nolan grew visibly anxious witnessing this, starting forward to call out to Thomas, but Scarlett caught his arm, stopping him. “Let it go, Nolan,” she whispered, her voice thick with resigned defeat. “I didn’t even complete a master’s degree. How could I possibly qualify for Mr. Newman’s doctoral program? It’s a futile hope.”

“Scarlett, you are every bit as capable as anyone in our cohort,” Nolan insisted, his grip firm on her arm. “You simply took a different path back then. The best time to plant a tree was five years ago; the second-best time is now. Mr. Newman sees your potential. Are you truly willing to discard this chance?”

Scarlett kept her head bowed, unable to formulate a response that could articulate the storm of doubt and fear within her.

Nolan held her arm, his expression earnest as he continued trying to persuade her.

Vincent had not accompanied Sabrina. He remained standing a short distance away, ostensibly waiting for her while checking work messages on his phone. His attention, however, kept drifting back to Scarlett and Nolan.

He couldn’t hear their conversation, but Nolan’s posture was intense, passionate, and Scarlett’s shoulders were slumped, her face tilted down as if she were fighting back tears.

Vincent observed them silently, Daniel’s taunting words echoing once more in his mind.

If there is truly nothing between them, why is Nolan holding her arm, standing so close?

From his vantage point, it looked as if… they were on the verge of an embrace, or perhaps even a kiss.

Scarlett, unaware of Vincent’s observational gaze, finally managed to thank Nolan. “I know you deliberately brought me to this lecture today,” she said, her voice sof “And I genuinely appreciate it. But starting over

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Chapter 45 Shattered Illusions

now… I’m not sure I’m ready. I don’t even know if I can do it.”

Returning to academia was her greatest regret, yet the prospect of beginning again now terrified her.

Finished

Nolan didn’t press further. He gently reached out and wiped the stray tear from her cheek. “It’s alright,” he reassured her. “You don’t need a master’s or a PhD to be remarkable doctor. You are still you, regardless of the titles.”

Scarlett nodded, drawing a shaky breath. “Yeah. Let’s go

“Alright.”

As they turned to leave together, Vincent, acting on an impulse he didn’t fully understand, called out,

“Scarlett.”

He had been watching them for several minutes, and honestly, he couldn’t even name the tumultuous emotion churning within him.

Scarlett was his wife, yet here she was, sharing an underably intimate moment with another man.

Claiming it didn’t bother him would be a lie.

Yet, his anger wasn’t fierce enough to drive him to confront Nolan physically.

Still, he had called her name, though he wasn’t sure what he intended to say.

Scarlett halted at the sound of Vincent’s voice. She glanced at Nolan, hesitated for a brief second, then said to him, “You go on ahead. I need to speak with Vincent.”

Nolan didn’t know what she needed to discuss with her x-husband, but recognizing the complicated history, he felt it wasn’t his place to interfere. He simply nodded his agreement.

Once Nolan was out of earshot, Scarlett walked over to Vincent. “I want to talk to you about Vanessa’s education,” she stated, coming straight to the point.

Vincent’s eyes narrowed in confusion. “Oh?”

From his reaction, Scarlett could guess the truth immediately. When Vanessa had bullied a classmate, the teacher had evidently only contacted Sabrina, not Vincent.

“Vanessa is becoming spoiled and domineering,” Scarlet said, her voice firm with concern. “You can’t just let this behavior continue unchecked. You’re her father. Yo need to step up and parent her.”

Vincent was completely in the dark about the bullying incident. He assumed Scarlett was launching another criticism against him, and his tone became defensive. “And aren’t you Scarlett? Don’t you share that responsibility?”

Scarlett had no desire to argue. She replied with a calmhat belied her frustration. “If she genuinely saw me as Scarlett, we wouldn’t be having this conversation rig now.”

Vincent’s mind, however, was still anchored to Scarlett’absence from the kindergarten parent-child event. “Perhaps you should do some introspection about why anessa behaves the way she does toward you,” he retorted. “Have you ever considered the problem mightie with you?”

Scarlett met his gaze squarely, her conscience clear on his matter. “Where Vanessa is concerned,” she answered honestly, “I have nothing to reproach myself r.”

09:27 Wed, Jan

Chapter 45 Shattered Illusions

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Finished

Vincent remained unsatisfied. “If you believe Vanessa’s behavior is unacceptable, then you go and correct it. As far as I’m concerned, she has always been a good chill.”

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Awakened Housewife. Ignore Betrayer’s Begs