Chapter 34
I called Jullian because my headache had come back with a vengeance.
He asked me to come to the hospital for some tests.
Since I know everyone there, I went straight to his office and asked about Monica.
He invited me to come to her office, but she seemed to be in the middle of an exam—she was announcing the baby's sex.
Right then, I left the room and thought of Chloe. I couldn't shake the feeling that Denner had been talking about her that day. Since we'd cut ties, I couldn't just show up at her house—and I had no reason to anyway. I went into Jullian's office and waited. Minutes later, he came in looking for me.
“Why did you lock yourself in here? I was looking for you.”
“I didn't want to interrupt. I saw Monica was in the middle of an exam.”
“Yes, a pregnancy pretty far along—almost eight months—and a beautiful big, strong boy. But let's stop talking about other patients. It's your turn now.”
He takes me to a room where they ask me to strip down and put on one of those horrible hospital gowns that doesn't hide anything.
I changed, put on the cap and foot covers, and lay down where the nurse indicated, with headphones on and a button in my hand.
The gurney started sliding into the machine.
I'll admit I'm pretty clueless when it comes to medical tests.
I've never been interested—not even in my own medications, which I often have to take for migraines.
I know the names, but Jullian writes everything down for me because I'd probably take the wrong one otherwise.
I smile at my own thoughts and finally reach a conclusion: to each their own.
I'm an excellent businessman, now known as “The Financial World Magnate.” After landing on the cover and two pages of Forbes—something many businessmen only dream of—they gave me that nickname.
Yes, I admit my wealth multiplied after I changed how I work, with Chloe's help.
She deserved this success even more than I did, but unfortunately, she didn't know how to make the most of it.
The sound of the gurney being lowered and pulled out of that enormous machine brings me back to reality. That's when I see my two friends walk in, looking at me and laughing.
“Tell me the joke so I can laugh too.”
“The joke is you, dressed in that outfit, which…” Monica looks me up and down and finishes: “Which doesn't make you look sexy at all.”
“Seriously, my friend, that outfit doesn't look good on you. Go get changed.”
I make a face at both of them, and they burst out laughing—especially when I turn around, trying to hold that little gown together without much success.
“At least you have a nice butt.”
I ignore the comment and head back to the room I left minutes ago. Once I'm properly dressed, I make my way to my friends, who are waiting in Jullian's office. I walk in without knocking and find myself facing a scene that's not exactly pleasant at the moment.
“You two can make out somewhere else—this is a workplace, after all.”
“Forgot I'm the boss here, my friend?”
“When it was me making out with my secretaries, you complained. And since when are you two together? Looks like I missed a lot.”
“You literally made out with all the secretaries. Well, sit down and let's talk about your exam.”
At that moment, I notice the tension between them, so I decide not to bring it up now.
“Jullian has been telling me about your constant headaches, so I asked him to bring you here for some tests. This imaging scan we just did was the most important one. Anyway, there's really nothing to worry about—it's just migraines, probably triggered by stress you've been dealing with lately.”
“Since when did you become a neurologist? And you—why didn't you tell me you suspected something? Some friends I have.”
“If I'd told you, you never would have come in for the tests. That's why I kept it from you.”
“At least I could've died having sex. I'd have gone out happy, actually.”
“And are you, by any chance, having sex with anyone? After that brat, you haven't been able to go out with anyone else.”
“Stop fighting, you two look like children.” Monica raises her voice, and the two of us—who really did look like children—shut up immediately.
“Well, my work here is done, so here's your prescription.
I added something to help you relax and sleep better—maybe it'll help with those awful dark circles. Now I'm going to get back to work.”
She opens the door, and Jullian and I watch her until she slams it shut a little harder than necessary, making us both jump and look at each other.
“Alright, spill—what's going on with you two? Didn't your family set you up with that bland girl?”
“That's the problem. But for now, I'm not married yet, right? So I can have a little fun before then. After all, my fiancée—or girlfriend—gets to have her fun, so why can't I?”
“Don't be a jerk to Monica—she's a wonderful person and doesn't deserve this.”
“I know. That's exactly why I'm in this situation. My family wants me to marry the 'bland girl,' and they won't support me if I choose someone else, even someone as wonderful as Monica.”
“Well, my friend, hate to break it to you, but you're going to have to marry that boring girl.”
I see Jullian grab the stapler from the desk like he's about to throw it at me. I open the door and am surprised to find Monica standing there—she heard everything we said. Jullian calls out to her, but she turns and runs off.
“You lost her, playboy.”
I give my friend three pats on the shoulder. He doesn't look as happy as before. I decide to leave him alone, but not before saying:
“If you need someone to cry with, you know where to find me. See you later, my friend.”
And there I leave him, wearing the same expression I've had these past few days.
The longing only grows stronger, and I dream about Chloe almost every night, reliving our moments together.
The nightgown she left at my place has become my pillow, catching my tears, still holding the perfume that reminds me of her.
Yes, I'm suffering, and my idiotic pride won't let me go after her.
The fear of seeing her with someone else—or worse, seeing her pregnant with another man's child—hurts me deeply. But deep down, I chose this path. All I can do now is swallow my tears and my pride and go after my dreams.
I just hope that when that day comes, it won't be too late to win back what I lost.