Chapter 2

Julieta was wearing only a thin nightgown when she was shoved out into the yard. The downpour instantly soaked her to the bone.

Shivering uncontrollably, she pounded on the gate, begging Emerson to let her in.

But Lilian clutched her stomach and said something Julieta couldn't hear. Emerson scooped her up and carried her upstairs without a second glance.

For two hours, Julieta kept pounding on the door until her palms were raw and her voice was hoarse. But no one paid her any attention.

Finally, Julieta gave up struggling. She curled up in the corner, drained and powerless.

With what little strength she had left, Julieta desperately pulled off the ill-fitting wedding ring and flung it into the muddy ground.

As her consciousness faded, Julieta's mind drifted back to a long time ago.

The Summers family had been doctors for generations. Her parents had once saved Emerson's father's life. After her parents passed away, Julieta took over the family apothecary and became the Hensley family's doctor.

From the very first moment she saw Emerson, Julieta had fallen for him.

But back then, Emerson was already with Lilian. They were childhood sweethearts, first loves, and completely devoted to each other.

Julieta had always had a secret crush on Emerson, never expecting anything in return.

But in the fifth year of their relationship, after Emerson successfully proposed and they were preparing for the wedding, Lilian disappeared overseas without a trace.

Emerson was left in shambles, unable to find her, no matter how hard he tried.

As his family doctor, Julieta would drop by every now and then to treat his cuts, bruises, stomachaches, and headaches. Her own feelings inevitably got tangled up in the process.

However long Emerson stayed in his slump, Julieta was always there for him.

Finally, one day, Emerson asked her if she had feelings for him and if she wanted to see where things might go between them.

Four years of secret longing, three years of dating, and five years of marriage. Julieta poured twelve years of her life into this.

It was only then that Emerson finally started to notice her allergies, remembered she was deaf in her left ear, and realized her legs would ache whenever it rained.

Only then did he begin to cancel all his work, staying by her side without even changing out of his clothes whenever she was sick.

He even learned how to massage her legs, just so he could help her sleep better every time it rained.

She could see the love in his eyes grow deeper day by day as he cared for her more and more.

She watched as Lilian gradually faded from his life, as she became the only one in his eyes, and as their little family was about to welcome a new member.

But just as their happiness was within reach, Lilian came back.

By then, Julieta had gone through six rounds of IVF treatments and finally managed to get pregnant after all that hardship.

But on her way to see Emerson, a speeding sports car came out of nowhere and hit her, throwing her into the guardrail. She miscarried on the spot, her life hanging by a thread.

On the way to the hospital, Julieta mustered the last of her strength to beg the nurse to call Emerson, hoping he'd come to see the baby she'd fought for over four years, even if it was for a final goodbye.

But dozens of calls and hundreds of messages disappeared into the void, never answered.

After five hours in the operating room, the doctors managed to pull Julieta back from the jaws of death. But they had to perform a total hysterectomy. She would never be able to have children again.

When she finally woke up from the anesthesia, Julieta was emotionally shattered. In her desperation, she tried reaching out to Emerson again, hoping he'd show up for her.

But every time she called, his phone went straight to voicemail. No matter what she did, she couldn't get through to him.

Julieta kept telling herself there had to be a reason. Maybe Emerson was swamped with work, maybe he was traveling, maybe he was sick.

But then a friend told her the truth. He was at the hospital, taking care of his first love, Lilian, who had come back from overseas.

Lilian had caught a cold, and Emerson was feeling down. He didn't want anyone disturbing her while she rested, so he turned off his phone, canceled all his meetings, and devoted himself completely to her.

Julieta couldn't recall how she reacted. Her right ear, the only one she could still hear with, was filled with nothing but a sharp, relentless ringing.

She spent two weeks in the hospital, but Emerson never visited. Not a single call was returned.

When Julieta finally came home, the first thing she saw was Emerson at their bedside, feeding medicine to Lilian, who lay in their bed.

No explanation, no response. When Emerson turned to face her, the tenderness in his eyes disappeared instantly, leaving only emptiness and fatigue.

In that moment, Julieta realized the seven-year relationship she had forced together was over.

But before Julieta could even make up her mind to leave him, Lilian suddenly claimed her stomach hurt after drinking the soup Julieta made.

Emerson thought Julieta was blinded by jealousy, accused Julieta of poisoning Lilian, and sent her straight to jail.

Julieta tried to explain, argued, and even threatened divorce. All she got was Emerson's cold order. "Get yourself together and pay for your mistake."

Lilian had her stomach pumped and was officially deemed to have suffered only a minor injury.

Julieta had miscarried and hadn't even finished her post-miscarriage recovery before she was detained for fifteen days.

From the hope she once clung to, through all the heartbreak and scars, Julieta finally understood that what was not hers could never be hers.

Letting go was the only thing she could do now.