Twenty-Six receipts of betrayal Novel novel Chapter 35

Chapter 8

Julian’s POV

First time I saw Wren Hayes was freshman year.

She was bright. Warm. Vice president of the student council.

I’d see her on the quad sometimes, feeding stray cats.

She didn’t have money–had some… dead weight guy hanging around her all the time. Sometimes she’d eat nothing but a granola bar for lunch, but she’d still break off half for the cat.

The cat looked unimpressed. Ate it anyway.

But I remembered her smile.

Senior year, we both got accepted to Cambridge for grad school.

I wasn’t planning on going. But when I heard she’d been accepted too?

Yeah. I went.

Planned this whole casual “oh wow, another American, what a coincidence” thing for orientation.

But she never showed up.

I looked everywhere. Asked around.

Turns out she’d turned it down.

At first, I thought maybe it was money. I was ready to set up an anonymous scholarship, pull some strings.

Then I found out the real reason–that dead weight boyfriend.

From the moment I met him, I didn’t like Garrett Reid.

Turns out my gut was right,

They both enlisted. She was incredible–earned commendations, saved lives, became one of the best trauma surgeons in the field.

I stayed at Cambridge, kept a teaching position. Didn’t actually use it for years.

16:03

Twenty–Six Receipts of Betrayal: My Silence Was the Countdown to His Eternal Regret

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She barely posted online. So when she did, I paid attention–donated supplies to military hospitals under my family’s name–made sure her unit got the best equipment.

She never took any of it for herself. Gave it all to him.

Made me want to throttle the guy.

But I held back. Because she cared about him. Didn’t want to hurt her.

Then the asshole cheated.

Married. And he CHEATED.

I watched the livestream of that victory party. Watched her get humiliated.

Couldn’t take it anymore. I showed up.

She was distant with me. Guarded.

But I was just happy to finally get her number.

I’d had it before, back in undergrad. But she’d stopped using that one.

Later, Garrett and that Scarlett girl started tearing her apart online.

I texted her. Offered help.

She said no.

I was about to go scorched earth on both of them anyway when I saw her post–divorce papers and discharge notice.

That’s when I had a thought:

Is she going to…?

I pulled some strings. Found out her flight info. Bought the seat next to hers.

We didn’t talk much on the plane.

But just being near her was enough.

When we landed, she enrolled at Cambridge. Just like I’d hoped.

Thank God I’d kept that faculty position. And then became her professor.

She was still distant. Careful.

16:04

Twenty–Six Receipts of Betrayal: My Silence Was the Countdown to His Eternal Regret

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Chapter 8

But better than before.

I knew she’d been hurt. Knew she wasn’t ready.

But I wasn’t in a rush.

I’d waited this long.

And could wait longer.