When I woke up, I found myself in a hospital room.
"Madam, you're awake!"
The housekeeper, a hired help, looked at me with concern.
"I knocked on the door for a long time, then I called you, but when I heard the phone ringing inside, I just went ahead and opened the door."
"By the time I came in, you had collapsed on the floor. The doctor said it was a severe stomach cramp, and you need to rest and take care of your health."
In a hoarse voice, I asked, "Julian? Where's Julian?"
"I tried calling him, but I couldn't get through."
I bitterly tugged at the corner of my mouth.
It seemed like Julian and Victoria Harrington hadn't finished yet.
After the housekeeper left, I took my phone and sent a message to Sebastian Wentworth.
"I'm certain."
After finishing my IV drip, I grabbed a few boxes of medication and left the hospital, wandering aimlessly outside.
All I could do now was be thankful I had called Sebastian.
I only needed to wait one more week, and after that, there would be no more Adelaide.
Unknowingly, I found myself at a small restaurant where Julian and Victoria had often come during their school days.
Back then, Julian and I were poor, and we had to pinch pennies at the cafeteria.
Only on weekends, when we could splurge a little, did we treat ourselves to a meal at this small restaurant, where each dish cost around ten dollars.
The restaurant owner's wife happened to be outside taking out the trash.
She squinted at me for a moment before suddenly calling out enthusiastically:
"Hey, aren't you Adelaide?"
I was a bit surprised, "Miss, you still remember me?"
She led me inside with a warm smile and said, "How could I forget? You two were such a handsome couple."
"You must be in your early thirties now, right? How are you and that guy doing?"
Looking at the kind smile of the restaurant owner's wife, I suddenly thought of my own mother.
I hesitated for a moment before telling a little white lie.
"We're fine. We've been married for five years."
The owner's wife immediately clapped her hands in delight. "That's wonderful! I always knew you two were meant to be."
"I remember one time, you were crying while eating here because your tutoring job hadn't paid you. Your boyfriend ran ten kilometers in the snow to buy you your favorite pastries to cheer you up."
I forced a smile and listened to her reminisce, trying to seem happy.
But my mind drifted back to that winter.
I also remembered clearly—after a semester of working hard as a tutor, I asked for my payment from the parents, only to be scolded harshly.
I had planned to buy Julian a birthday gift with the money, and maybe treat him to a real dinner.
But by the time his birthday arrived, I still hadn't received my pay.
To avoid me feeling burdened, Julian had decided to celebrate his birthday in this small restaurant instead.
As we ate, I became more and more upset, and all the accumulated frustrations finally erupted that day.
To comfort me, Julian asked the owner's wife to look after me while he went to buy me my favorite pastries.
That day, the snow was falling heavily, and taxis were impossible to find. The buses had stopped running.
So, he had to run to get them.
Ten kilometers, plus the time spent waiting in line, it had taken him two hours.
The next day, he developed a high fever.
I called him a fool, but he only laughed.
"With a treasure of a girlfriend like you, I'd gladly be a fool."
This event stirred up other moments from the past.
I remembered Julian Moore once getting into a fight to protect me, breaking his bones and ending up in the hospital. I remembered how his first savings were spent on buying me an engagement ring. I remembered how a certain businesswoman had targeted me, and Julian had turned down a multi-million-dollar business deal just to back me up.
The more I thought about it, the more I felt my life had been split in two.
My heart felt like it had been torn in half.
Perhaps noticing something was off with my expression, the restaurant owner's wife gently advised me to take care of myself.
I nodded absently and said my goodbyes, heading back home.
When I got home, I found Julian's assistant waiting.
"Adelaide, where have you been? I've been trying to reach you, but you didn't answer my calls or messages."
I answered flatly, "Just went for a walk, my phone ran out of battery."
The assistant jokingly added, "If you hadn't come back soon, Mr. Moore was about to call the police, he was so worried."
I chuckled awkwardly.
"You called me this afternoon, was something wrong?"
After the assistant left, Julian walked over, took my bag, and wrapped me in his arms.
I muttered in his embrace, "Nothing, just made a mistake."
Julian smiled, "I thought you missed me."
Normally, I would've playfully replied, "I did miss you."
But now, I felt so exhausted, and I didn't want to be affectionate with him, so I gently pulled away from his embrace.
Julian must have sensed my change, his brow furrowing slightly.
"Is your stomach acting up again?"
Before I could answer, the doorbell rang.
At first, Julian didn't want to answer, but the doorbell kept ringing, so he reluctantly let go of me and went to open the door.
When the door opened, Victoria Harrington stood there, looking a little guilty, holding a basket of fruit.
