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Chapter 198 Two Complete Strangers
Josephine sent out her message but only received another red exclamation mark in response. She
huffed and couldn’t help the bitter smile that appeared on her face-Lewis still had her
blocked.
The disappearance of the text made her start to doubt if she had fabricated it or dreamed
about it. Mrs. Jinkins had been discharged solely because they had divorced, and no one was there to
continue paying for her exorbitant medical fees.
Josephine hailed another cab to Patrick’s house to verify these events, only to find his house. locked.
She knocked on the door multiple times, but no one answered.
“Stop knocking. The people in that house moved away two days ago,” the neighbor across opened the
door and said to her just as she was about to give up hope.
Surprised, Josephine looked at the female neighbor in confusion and was about to sign. However, it
occurred to her that the neighbor probably wouldn’t be able to understand her, so she gave up on the
idea.
“The whole family has moved away and in quite a hurry too. This house is probably listed for sale
online by now,” the neighbor continued.
“Is the elderly lady still around?” Josephine finished typing on her phone by the time the neighbor
finished speaking in one breath.
Glancing at Josephine’s phone, the neighbor frowned disbelievingly. “I’m not sure. They were already
almost done moving by the time I noticed. You can give them a call if you want to find
out.”
Josephine nodded gratefully at the woman.
The woman didn’t say anything else besides telling Josephine not to knock on the door anymore as her
child was asleep. Josephine waited until the woman had closed her door before she leaned wearily
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtagainst the wall, feeling the chill bite into her bones.
The hallway lights switched off, leaving her in darkness. Dragging her heavy feet, she walked to the
head of the stairs, sat down, and spaced out while staring at the undelivered message on
her phone.
She found it hard to believe that Lewis had nothing to do with Patrick’s family moving away in a hurry.
But what was he trying to cover up with this? She closed her eyes and leaned groggily against the wall.
The cold draft from the stairwell, combined with her drenched clothes, made her feel even colder. She
wrapped her arms around herself tightly and shivered as she sat on the top step.
Her eyelids grew heavy while she was in a daze, and she unwittingly fell asleep. She had a long dream
about her memories with Lewis from long ago.
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It was a dream where they had strolled hand in hand through familiar streets when he still looked at her
with warmth in his eyes. But intertwined with these pleasant memories were the painful ones she
couldn’t forget.
She also dreamed of him smiling at someone else, ignoring her presence, and how he had heartlessly
abandoned her. Whether it was a dream or a nightmare, these regrets and disappointments consumed
her, leaving her longing for what could have been.
In her semi-conscious state, Josephine perceived distant voices, but their words eluded her
understanding. Lost in the ethereal realm of her dream, vivid images tugged at her thoughts,
accompanied by emotions more intense than reality itself.
With great effort, she opened her eyes, only to encounter a blurry figure that defied her attempts to
bring it into focus. The silhouette resembled someone all too familiar… Lewis. Yearning, she reached
out to touch the phantom image, yet her hand fell lifelessly to her side.
Abruptly, she jolted awake, her surroundings snapping into clarity as the scent of medicinal herbs
pervaded the air, unwelcome and unsettling.
“Are you awake, Miss Vance?”
She turned her head and noticed Dr. Halliday holding a bowl of herbal tonic in his hand. He gently blew
on it before passing it to her. “Drink up. You’ve had a fever for two days now. Thankfully, it has subsided
now..”
She propped herself up against the bed, her gaze still hazy as she struggled to recall what had
happened. Taking the bowl from him, she held her breath and downed the concoction in one gulp
without batting an eye as though it was tasteless. She then returned the empty bowl to him and began
scanning her surroundings in search of her notebook.
“Your health isn’t in any major danger, but refrain from running out on your own next time.
It’s too dangerous.”
Josephine suddenly remembered that she had left the house to visit Mrs. Jinkins. Retrieving her phone
from the headboard, she typed out her question. “How did you find me?”
Dr. Halliday scratched his head and had an awkward expression on his face as he replied, Someone
who lives in the building found you unconscious and called me.”
His response seemed dubious, but she chose to believe him nonetheless. With gratitude in her heart,
she typed out a simple “thank you” on her phone.
“No need to thank me …” He averted his gaze and began keeping his things before continuing, “I’ll be
leaving. You should rest up.”
She nodded, still feeling slightly dizzy. Leaning against the headboard briefly, she threw off her quilt, got
out of bed, and hailed a cab to Alvarez Corp to see Lewis. Her mind was consumed with thoughts of
Mrs. Jinkins, making it impossible for her to stay at home until she confirmed that Mrs. Jinkins was
safe.
The rain that had been falling for the entire week had finally let up today. The sky might be clear, but it
was still cold outside.
Josephine stood in front of the entrance of Alvarez Corp, her fingers clenched tightly around her work
badge, inadvertently aggravating the cut on her wrist and causing her to inhale sharply She paced back
and forth outside the entrance for about ten minutes before finally gathering the courage to walk in.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmThere were more people than usual when she arrived at the top floor. The empty seats in the office
were now filled with people that Josephine didn’t recognize Stopping before Lewis’ office, she raised
her hand and knocked on the door
When no response came, she pushed the door open and entered, only to find the room empty. She
scanned every corner of the room, making sure Lewis wasn’t there, before finally leaving. However, as
she turned to walk away, she collided with a fleshy wall.
Stumbling back a couple of steps, she quickly regained her balance and looked up, only to be
momentarily captivated by a stoic face. It felt like ages since she had last seen those familiar eyes and
gaze.
Since their divorce, they hadn’t had any contact with each other, and in such a short time, it was as if
they had become complete strangers, each going their separate ways.
Lewis held a white folder in one hand while his other hand remained tucked in his pocket. Standing
before her in a suit and tie, he wore a scornful expression as if he was looking at
trash
Josephine pursed her lips. She wasn’t brave enough to look him in the eyes. Gloomily lowering her
head, she moved to sidestep him, but he swiftly positioned the file against the doorframe, blocking her
path before she could take a single step Startled, she raised her head, confusion
etched on her face.
“Who let you in?” Lewis demanded coldly.
Feeling a slight prick in her heart, she raised her hand and signed, “Sorry.” Her sleeve slid down her
arm as she did, exposing her bandaged wrist.
A glint flashed across his eyes as he stared at her wordlessly. It didn’t look like he was planning on
letting her leave either.
The atmosphere between them turned uncomfortable, and Josephine keenly sensed the shift in their
dynamic. It was evident that things had changed since their divorce. Before the divorce, there wasn’t
this estranged and out of place feeling, no matter how angry he was. The divorce certificate now felt
like a sharp blade that had cleanly severed all ties between them
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