Chapter 7: Vile Thoughts

"Professor Lauren once told me that she had a few regrets in life that she would never be able to resolve. First, life is too short, but scientific research is too long. Second, she had no children to carry on her legacy. And third, was you." Wyatt looked at Chloe calmly. Even though this was his first time meeting Chloe, it wasn’t the first time he had heard her name. The first time he heard it was from Professor Lauren herself. Back then, he couldn’t understand why a name could be mentioned by the professor in the same breath as scientific research. And he could sense the deep regret in Professor Lauren’s voice whenever she mentioned Chloe, almost as if it was an unshakable burden in her heart. What kind of regret would make someone so unforgettable, to the point that it became a lingering heartache? Chloe hadn’t expected to hear such things from Wyatt. In that moment, she felt again just how deeply her past decisions had hurt her mentor. Even though it was just Wyatt telling her, she could vividly imagine the disappointment and sorrow in Professor Lauren’s eyes when her name was mentioned. Chloe felt an overwhelming ache in her chest, a suffocating sense of guilt. She was at a loss for words, while Wyatt calmly handed her a piece of paper with his phone number written on it. "Here’s my number. If you need anything, contact me." --- Julian arrived at Arctic Restaurant right on time. He had attended similar setups many times before, and he didn’t mind meeting different women. After all, it was just a meeting, mostly to keep his family at ease. There was no harm in going through the motions. As soon as he sat down, he buried himself in his phone, attending to work, clearly indifferent to the situation. The woman sitting across from him, however, gazed at him with admiration. "Before I came, your aunt told me that your health hasn’t been great, especially your stomach. I know a really good doctor. I could recommend them to you, and you can contact them sometime…” The woman excitedly shared her plans for Julian, but her words didn’t register with him at all. He had no interest in what she was saying. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Julian spotted something. A familiar figure caused him to sit up straight, his previously nonchalant demeanor vanishing instantly. The stark contrast in his behavior didn’t go unnoticed by the woman, who quickly sensed something was off. Following his gaze, she saw that Julian was looking at a woman dressed simply. Despite her plain attire, the woman’s striking appearance stood out. Julian had been irritated about being here in the first place, but he had come to appease his family. However, the moment he saw Chloe, it seemed like everything else became tolerable. But what truly bothered him was the small smile Chloe had on her face while she was with the man across from her. Why was she smiling like that at him? Julian turned back to the woman in front of him. "Time’s up. I’m leaving." He had mentioned when he first arrived that his time was limited and he could only stay for half an hour. Now that the time was up, he was ready to leave. The woman knew she couldn’t stop him, so she didn’t try. After all, if she managed to meet him once, there could always be a second time. Meanwhile, Chloe and Wyatt had finished their conversation and were preparing to leave as well. Wyatt left first, and Chloe stood by the side of the road, waiting to catch a cab. But before one could arrive, someone else appeared beside her. "So, this is your new guy? Not much, is he? I didn’t expect your standards to drop so much after leaving me. Or maybe this is all you can get now?" Julian’s words dripped with scorn as he assumed the worst about Chloe and Wyatt’s relationship. The disdain in his tone made Chloe’s heart tighten with discomfort. Who gave him the right to speak to her like that? And why did he assume that her relationships with any man were as degrading as he made them out to be? Julian’s sneer faded as he took a closer look at Chloe, realizing that she had changed. She resembled the woman he had first met—dressed simply, far from the polished version of Chloe he had grown used to. But her eyes now shone brightly, filled with life once more. Since leaving him, she had clearly undergone significant changes, but Julian believed this was only temporary. And the fact that she had changed in this way made him feel deeply uncomfortable. "After all these years, your taste hasn’t improved at all. If you’re going to find someone else, at least pick someone less embarrassing. Otherwise, how do you expect me to hold my head high when people compare us?" "No improvement at all?" Chloe was taken aback by his remark. So this was what he truly thought of her? Julian didn’t see anything wrong with what he had said. What had truly unsettled him was the way Chloe had smiled at that man, a soft, approachable smile. Once, that smile had been reserved only for him. Now it was aimed at someone else, and that gnawed at him. Even though they no longer had anything to do with each other, it didn’t matter. They had a history! His possessiveness surged to new heights in that moment. Even though they were no longer together, he couldn’t bear the thought of Chloe being with someone else. "Think whatever you want. I’m leaving." Chloe didn’t want to continue the conversation and turned to go. "You’re leaving? Fine. But this time, I hope you’re more determined than before. If you leave now, don’t come crawling back. You’ve changed a lot this time, I’ll give you that. But let me tell you, if you ever want to apologize, it’s not up to you anymore. I’ll decide if I’m even willing to forgive you. After all, there’s a limit to how much of this I’ll tolerate." Julian spat his harsh words. It dawned on Chloe then—he thought this was all just a game to her. He hadn’t taken her decision to break up seriously at all. After all these years, he still saw her as the same person who would always come back. No wonder he found this whole situation laughable. Chloe didn’t bother explaining herself any further, but deep down, she felt an intense sense of hurt.