She Quit Her Family and Found Herself novel Chapter 12

Brandon fell silent. He knew full well that Conrad wasn't looking down on housewives. He was just mourning the loss of Hulda's most precious seven years.

After all, Hulda was his absolute favorite, his final and most brilliant protégé. If she wasn't, he wouldn't have given her his own last name, Atherton, after the tragedy she went through seven years ago.

"I'm so sorry..." Hulda's voice choked with tears.

She hadn't cried at that disastrous wedding.

She hadn't cried when Herbert had ruthlessly humiliated and belittled her.

She hadn't even cried when she made the final decision to divorce him.

But right now, the tears freely fell.

Because she realized she had been wrong—spectacularly, catastrophically wrong.

Yet she didn't dare sob too loudly, feeling utterly ashamed to break down in front of her mentor.

Seeing his beloved junior colleague looking so miserable, Brandon let out a heavy sigh. "Dr. Atherton, you can't put all the blame on her. She had her demons. Seven years ago... well... let's not bring that up. She's already made up her mind to come back to the institute. Your absolute favorite student is returning. You should be thrilled. If you keep yelling, you'll scare her away, and then you'll really regret it."

"Hmph, I have plenty of students. What's one less?" Conrad glared at Hulda, though the true bite had vanished from his tone. "Are you really sure this time?"

"Yes!" Hulda nodded firmly, her eyes filled with a resolute clarity. "I'm sure. I've already decided to divorce him. I'm going to get myself back on track as quickly as possible and return to the institute."

Hearing her conviction, the remaining anger melted off Conrad's face.

When he had first learned that Hulda was determined to leave the institute, he had been furious. Then, when he found out she had gotten pregnant out of wedlock, rushed into a marriage, and was having a child, his fury peaked. He had severed ties with her completely.

Because of that fallout, he had never even bothered to find out exactly who it was she had married.

Looking now at the dark circles under his beloved student's eyes and the undeniable exhaustion that marriage had ground into her bones, he still didn't ask who the man was, or why they were divorcing.

"Thank you."

"We don't need to say thank you between us." Brandon watched her step into the elevator before heading back to Conrad's room.

It was exactly midday, and the sun outside was blazing.

Feeling a little physically drained, Hulda decided to avoid the heat. Instead of walking outside, she took the indoor skybridge.

It connected directly to the inpatient ward of Aldercy Central Hospital. As long as she walked through the first-floor hallway, she could exit through the main lobby and catch a cab.

But just as she was walking past one of the private suites, a voice drifting out made her stop dead in her tracks.

"Sylvie, how are you feeling? I was so worried about you."

It was the voice of her six-year-old son, Miles Jewell.