He texted back: [Don't go down at night for the next few days either.]
Clara replied with a meme that said, [None of your business].
Julian laughed out loud. He lazily thought to himself that having Clara around definitely made life more entertaining.
It was just like having a cat—coming home exhausted after a dull day of work, only to have her amuse him and lift his spirits. It was perfect.
Just then, Arthur called again. "Mr. Lowell, are you almost at the hospital? Seraphina is waiting for you."
Julian's good mood instantly evaporated. He rubbed his temples. "Yeah, I'm close."
"Understood. Also, regarding the meeting with Professor Thorne, we have a lead. He is available the day after tomorrow. You can discuss Seraphina's competition slot then."
At the mention of business, Julian's demeanor shifted to pure professionalism. "Got it. Make the arrangements."
"Understood."
"..."
After hanging up,
Julian fired off one last text to Clara before driving off without a second thought.
He didn't love Clara.
Therefore, when it came down to actual priorities, whatever was going on with Clara simply didn't matter as much.
...
Clara only saw Julian's messages when she woke up the next morning.
Julian: [Clara, I'm going to be tied up with work for the next two days, so I can't keep you company. I'm sorry. Get some rest, and call me if you need anything.]
He had also sent a few texts earlier that morning: [I ordered you breakfast. It should be there soon. Make sure you eat.]
[Isn't it almost that time of the month for you? Don't drink anything cold, or your cramps will act up again.]
Pressing her cheek into the pillow, Clara read through the messages, her heart fluttering uncontrollably.
She had suffered from severe cramps for years. Normally, she just popped a painkiller and forced herself to push through work and social events.
He had never once shown concern about it before.
Honestly, she used to hope he would, but after waiting in vain for so long, she had eventually stopped expecting anything.
His sudden change in behavior was genuinely shocking.
She read the texts over and over, even taking a screenshot, before finally replying:
[Got it.]
She didn't write anything overly affectionate. She maintained her dignity as a woman—three years of his freezing indifference had taught her that throwing herself at a man never ended well.
After sending the text, she washed up just as the delivery driver arrived with her breakfast.
It was from her favorite breakfast spot, and included a warm bowl of soup.
Julian had actually put thought into this.
A soft smile broke across her face. After a moment's hesitation, she snapped a picture of the food and sent it to him:
[Thank you, the breakfast is great.]
[Have you eaten?]
[What did you have?]
After hitting send,
her heart raced in anticipation.
But several minutes passed without a response.


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The readers' comments on the novel: Three years of loving him, three days to erase myself from his world