Chapter 75
75
Once I felt ready and confident enough, I finally gathered my courage and asked Shaun to accompany me to see Mr. Holland.
The whole way there, I couldn’t stop fidgeting, I kept taking deep breaths, trying to calm myself.
Shaun, ever the composed and sharp–witted professor , glanced at me with amusement. He asked, “Why are you so nervous? You’re Mr. Holland’s favorite student, you know.”
I remained silent.
The truth was, the more someone cared about a person, the harder it was to face them when one had let them down.
Back then, Mr. Holland had put so much faith in me, yet I ended up disappointing him. If I hadn’t overheard at that coffee shop that he still wanted me back in the lab, I would’ve never dared to show up in front of him again.
Shaun noticed I was still tense. He gently patted my shoulder and said, “Don’t stress about it. If Mr. Holland says it’s not too late for you to return, he means it. He’s not going to stay mad.”
I nodded and gave him a small, grateful smile. Just as I was about to respond, a voice suddenly boomed out.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
The yell sounded like a husband catching his wife in the middle of some scandal. Instinctively, I frowned and turned to lock
There he was–Irvin, supporting the ever–fragile Julianne as she stepped out of his car.
The moment he saw me standing there with Shaun, anger flared in his eyes. He looked ready to storm over but hesitated, unwilling to let go of Julianne, probably afraid she’d collapse the second he released her.
The whole scene was almost laughable.
It didn’t matter whether they truly had anything going on between them or not. What kind of woman could tolerate her husband putting another woman on a pedestal, treating her like some rare treasure while barely sparing a glance at his own wife?
I couldn’t even begin to understand how I had endured that life, day after day.
Before I could shake off those thoughts, Irvin and Julianne were already heading my way.
That day, when he stumbled away after our argument, I thought he’d finally let go. But now, as his fiery gaze locked onto mine, it was clear I had been wrong
Irvin was complicated. I couldn’t explain him.
In my mind, love had always been straightforward–one either loved someone or didn’t.
But him? He had spoiled Julianne, cared for her, and treated her like she was his whole world, yet somehow, he had also acted
like he couldn’t bear to lose me.
It was like maybe, just maybe, there was still some part of him that cared.
As he stormed toward me, his anger practically radiating off him, Shaun instinctively stepped in front of me, shielding me.
That small, protective gesture made Irvin even angrier.
If it weren’t for Julianne leaning on him like some delicate porcelain doll, I had no doubt he’d have thrown a punch right then
and there.
He seemed to be barely keeping his fury in check as he said in a stem voice, “Emilia, get over here!”
His tone, his expression–it all screamed, “This is your last warning, Come here right now, or else!”
The old me, the one who used to cower the second I saw him this enraged, would’ve rushed to his side without a second thought,
75
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But now?
1 didn’t move.
Seeing that I wasn’t budging, his voice turned icy, almost chilling Emilia, do you really want Professor Green to ruin his career in academia?”
He wasn’t just threatening me–he was threatening Shaun, too.
I furrowed my brow, about to say something, but Shaun beat me toit.
“Mr. Sawyer,” he said, his one calm but firm, “you might have the upper hand in the business world, but I’m pretty sure you don’t have the power to influence where I work.”
A government research institution had recently hired Shaun because of his groundbreaking work. No matter how influential Irvin was, he couldn’t touch that.
Irvin’s expression darkened as he narrowed his eyes dangerously.
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