37 Chapter 39
Chapter 39 Severed Ties and a Mysterious Guest
Julian stood beside me in the hospital hallway, his face a mix of anger and disgust as Ivy’s screams echoed through the closed door behind us. I’d never seen him look at her with such contempt before.
“I can’t do this anymore,” he said quietly, running a hand through his disheveled hair. “She’s not the person I thought she was.
I wanted to say “I told you so,” but what was the point? Instead, I watched him with detached curiosity. The man I once loved was finally seeing what had been obvious to everyone else.
“What are you going to do?” I asked, more out of politeness than genuine interest.
Julian turned to me, his eyes pleading. “Hazel, I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but-
A nurse rushed past us into Ivy’s room, cutting him off. Seconds later, she burst back out, calling for a doctor. “Code Blue! We need assistance!”
More medical staff appeared, running toward Ivy’s room with urgency that suggested something serious was happening. Julian’s face paled.
“She must have worked herself into another crisis, I murmured, feeling a strange emptiness where satisfaction should be.
We moved away from the doorway as doctors rushed in, Eleanor’s panicked voice carried into the hallway, “Do something! She’s turning blue!”
Julian hesitated, clearly torn between guilt and the desire to escape.
I
“You should prob. ly go in,” I told him. “They’ll blame you if you don’t.”
He looked at me with such raw misery that I almost felt sorry for him. Almost.
“I can’t keep doing this, he whispered. “This cycle of emotional blackmail… it’s destroying me.”
Against my better judgment, I found myself saying, “Then don’t. Walk away, Julian.”
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He stared at me in surprise, then stightened his shoulders. “You’re right.”
To my astonishment, he turned and walked toward the clevator, leaving Ivy and her crisis behind. I followed him, not wanting to be left alone to deal with Eleanor and father when they eventually emerged.
my
“I’m sorry, Hazel, Julian said as we waited for the elevator. “For everything. I was weak. 1 let myself be manipulated. I hurt the one person who was always there for me.”
The elevator arrived with a soft ping. We stepped inside, and I pressed the button for the lobby.
“I don’t care,” I replied honestly. “I don’t feel anything for you anymore, Julian. Not hate, not love. Nothing.”
My indifference seemed to hurt him more than anger would have. His face crumpled.
“I deserve that,” he whispered.
We rode down in silence. As the doors opened, he touched my arm lightly.
“For what it’s worth, I’ll always regret what I did to you.”
I gave him a smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “Goodbye, Julian.”
Walking away from him felt like closing the final chapter of a book I no longer wanted
to read.
That evening, I called my grandmother to verify Ivy’s claims about my mother.
“Is it true?” I asked after recounting what Ivy had said. “Did my mother have an affair?”
My grandmother’s laugh was bitter. “Oh, darling. Is that what they told you? No. Your mother never cheated on Harrison. It was the other way around,”
“What do you mean?”
“Eleanor was Harrison’s mistress for years before your mother even knew about her,” she explained, her voice heavy with old anger. “Your father had been cheating on your mother practically since they were married. Eleanor was pregnant with Ivy while your mother was still carrying you.”
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The revelation hit me like a physien w. “So Ivy is actually my half–sister?”
“Yes. Harrison kept Eleanor as his mistress until your mother found out when you were about five years old. The discovery crushed her spirit.
Tears stung my eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”
“Your mother made us promise not to. She didn’t want you growing up with that burden. My grandmother sighed. “But since they’ve twisted the truth to hurt you, you deserve to know. Your mother was a good woman who loved an unworthy man. Don’t let them tarnish her memory.”
After ending the call, I sat in silence, processing this new truth about my family. It explained so much–my father’s favoritism toward Ivy, Eleanor’s special hatred for me, the way my mother had withered away from depression.
The weekend passed in a blur of work and emotional processing. Despite everything. my thoughts kept drifting to Damien Sterling. His intensity, his touch, the way he looked at me like I was precious.
But reality always intruded. He was from a completely different world–one of unimaginable wealth and power. I couldn’t afford to build fantasies around a man so far removed from my reality.
Monday morning, I threw myself into work, grateful for the distraction. My small team was growing, and the pressure to succeed weighed heavily on me–especially knowing my friends had invested in my company.
“You’re going to burn out,” Victoria scolded when she called to check on me Sunday evening. “You need to let loose a little.”
“I don’t have time, rotested. “The business-
“Will still be there tomorrow,” she interrupted. “Meet me at Euphoria tonight at eight.
No excuses.”
I agreed reluctantly, knowing Victoria wouldn’t take no for an answer. Euphoria was one of the city’s most exclusive nightclubs, meaning I’d need to look the
part. I selected a simple black dress that hugged my curves without being too obvious, paired with stiletto heels and minimal jewelry.
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When I arrived, I was surprised to fi not just Victoria, but several other friends at a
reserved VIP table.
*Surprise!” Victoria grinned, handing me a sparkling cocktail. “We decided you needed an intervention.”
Among the group were Sarah and Michael Chen, Lisa Williams, and Robert Taylor–all friends who’d invested in my company
“To Hazel and Ashworth Bespoke, Robert raised his glass. “The fashion world’s next big
success story.”
Everyone clinked glasses, but I felt a stab of anxiety. Had they invested because they believed in me or because they thought I had Sterling backing?
As the night progressed, the inevitable questions about Damien Sterling began.
“So,” Lisa leaned in conspiratorially, “are you and the mysterious Mr. Sterling an item? The gossip columns are buzzing.”
I nearly choked on my drink. “Gossip columns?”
“You haven’t seen?” She pulled out her phone, showing me a blurry photo of Damien and me leaving the charity gala together. The headline read: “Sterling Heir’s New
Romance?”
“It’s not like that,” I said quickly. “We’re just… acquaintances.”
“Acquaintances don’t look at each other the way he was looking at you in this picture,”
Sarah teased.
I felt my cheeks burn. “It’s complicated.”
“Complicated usually means interesting.” Robert said with a wink.
“I just don’t want a of you thinking I have some sort of safety net, I blurted out.
“Your investments-”
“Are based on your talent and business plan,” Michael interrupted firmly. “We believe in you, Hazel, not who you may or may not be dating.”
Their faith in me was touching, but I still felt uncomfortable. The conversation mercifully shifted to other topics until Victoria’s phone rang. She stepped away to take
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the call, returning moments later with a mysterious smile.
“There’s a new friend coming,” she announced. “Someone you don’t know, but who has- helped you a lot.
My stomach tightened. “Who is it?”
Victoria’s eyes gleamed with mischief. “You’ll see. They just arrived.”
I turned toward the entrance, heart suddenly racing with anticipation and anxiety. Who could possibly be coming to meet me?
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