The Year I Stopped Being His novel Chapter 131

"You don't deserve to be a father, much less a human being."

...

Garrison Foster was left completely alone in the tearoom.

He stared at the cup of tea in front of him for a long, heavy moment.

Then, he picked up his phone and scrolled to that all-too-familiar number.

Sloane Taylor.

He stared at her name, his thumb hovering over the screen for what felt like an eternity.

Ultimately, he set the phone down.

Outside the window, the night had fully descended.

He had no idea how he walked out of the tearoom or how he made it to his car, but when his senses finally returned, he was sitting in the driver's seat, his freezing hands gripping the steering wheel.

Right then, the phone on the console buzzed to life; it was his assistant, Dawson.

"Dawson," Garrison answered, forcing his voice to sound steady. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, Professor Foster," Assistant Dawson said carefully. "I just wanted to check your schedule for next Monday. The hospital has arranged an academic exchange at a private facility in the capital called Evermore Medical Center, and they specifically requested your presence."

"Alright."

Garrison replied softly. "I'll be there."

*

Meanwhile, at the Endurance Station in Antarctica.

The departure time was set for 3:00 AM on June 10th.

It wasn't about rushing; at this hour, the temperature was relatively stable, making the ice pack as safe as it could get.

Sloane double-checked her gear one last time. Wetsuit, oxygen tank, headlamp, spare batteries, emergency beacon—she confirmed each item before zipping her backpack shut.

She looked up and gazed out the window.

It was pure, pitch-black darkness outside.

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