Chloe returned to the office, with thoughts of Julian Prescott in her head.
He looks very much like Silas, especially around the mouth and nose.
She remembers when her son was born, he too looked a lot like Silas, even the way he would raise an eyebrow was identical.
Back then, in the quiet of the night, she would often gaze at her son and imagine.
If there hadn’t been such a big difference in status between her and Silas, if they were just children from ordinary families, if Silas loved her, would he also love this child?
Could the three of them have a happy little family?
If that day really arrived, she would never let her son have a mother who doesn’t love him like she did.
She would do everything in her power to love him, to give him warmth, to give him the warmest home in the world, with parents that love him most.
But in this world, there’s no such thing as "if."
Every time she indulged in this fantasy, she would be interrupted by the words Silas’s father once said to her.
She could never forget that rainy day.
She had just come out of the teaching building when Henry called out to her.
As she stopped and was about to respectfully call him ’Uncle Prescott,’ a sharp noise erupted in her ear.
The next moment, a stinging pain spread across her face.
That slap landed not only on Sienna’s face but also knocked the umbrella from her hand onto the ground.
The chilling rainwater rolled down her burning cheek.
In her beautiful almond-shaped eyes, it was uncertain whether it was tears or rain, as she looked incredulously at Henry.
Seeing her pitiable appearance, Henry sneered angrily, "Sienna, don’t forget, you are just a forlorn girl taken in by the Prescott family; if not for the favor to your grandfather, I wouldn’t have raised you.
The Prescott Family kindly raised you, yet you repaid kindness with treachery, shamelessly entangled with Silas for wealth and status.
Do you think he would marry you? You have no identity, no status, how could he possibly give you the position of lady of the Prescott Family?
If this were ancient times, at best you would be a maidservant, a tool for the young master to vent his desires. Don’t be delusional, expecting to obtain things that don’t belong to you."
Henry’s words were harsh and loud.
The passing students couldn’t help but cast strange looks at Sienna.
In that moment, Sienna felt as though under the spotlight, stripped naked, exposing all her disgraces to the public.
Their gazes, their ridicule, buried her dignity and pride completely.
The innocent affections of her youth ultimately left her bruised and battered.
That time she stood in the rain for a long time, Henry’s words echoing in her mind.
She was merely a tool for Silas’s lust, just a pet he kept by his side, and thus, she would never have freedom, nor the life she truly wanted.
From that moment, Sienna decided, even if it meant death, she would escape from Silas’s side.
Recalling these memories, Chloe felt icy and stiff all over.
After drinking several gulps of hot water, her body slowly regained some sensation.
——
The afternoon meeting lasted several hours.
By the time Chloe left the meeting room, the sky had already darkened.
She was about to return to the office when she heard a commotion.
Following the sound, she saw several parents surrounding a child in the hospital’s children’s play area.
It seemed as though a dispute was taking place.
Such incidents were nothing more than children fighting, with parents joining in.
Chloe decided to ignore it.
Just as she was about to leave, she caught sight of a pair of bright black eyes looking at her, aggrieved.
Her chest felt inexplicably pierced by something.
Spreading a tingling pain.
She recognized the child as Silas’s son.
From the way he communicated with her using cards that morning, she knew he couldn’t speak.
A child who cannot speak, naturally vulnerable in disputes.
Unable to hold back, Chloe hurried over.
Upon seeing Chloe arrive, Julian seemed to see a savior.
The previously dim look in his eyes suddenly brightened.
He pushed past the adults and ran to Chloe’s side, looking up at her.
In his bright black eyes were tears.
Chloe quickly squatted down, gently stroked his head, and asked, "What happened?"
Before Julian could reply, a parent angrily pointed at Chloe and said, "Your little mute pushed my son down, look, his hand is bruised, you need to pay for my child’s medical fees and apologize to him."
Facing such aggressive parents, Chloe merely looked at her calmly.
Her tone extremely composed: "First, I’m a doctor, and your son’s wound can be managed with a band-aid. Would a box of them suffice?
Secondly, calling him a little mute has severely harmed his self-esteem, don’t you think an apology is due from you?
Moreover, why should parents intervene in children’s quarrels, bullying the young with the old? Do you think because he can’t speak, no one knows who is actually at fault?
There are high-definition cameras here that can clearly capture what happened earlier, and I don’t mind taking a look.
If you feel wronged, we can call the police to judge."
Upon hearing these words, the woman felt somewhat guilty: "You are the doctor here, I can’t out argue with you, I’ll leave, alright?"
She pulled her child to leave but was stopped by Chloe.
"Seeing you so anxious to leave, perhaps you are guilty, wasn’t it your son who started it, prompting my child to retaliate? My guess isn’t wrong, is it?"
Before the woman could speak, her son conceded first, eyes turning red, saying: "Doctor Auntie, it was me who teased him as a little mute first, then he pushed me, I was wrong, I apologize. Please don’t let the police uncle take me away."
Children are simple and pure, far less complicated than adults.
Chloe didn’t reproach him but took a band-aid from her pocket and covered the child’s wound: "Admitting your error makes you a good child. Auntie won’t blame you, nor hand you over to the police uncle, but shouldn’t you say sorry to him?"
The little boy wiped away his tears, grabbing Julian’s hand, saying, "I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have called you a little mute, can you forgive me?"
Julian nodded, and pulled out a piece of chocolate from his pocket for him.
The children’s quarrel was thus resolved.
Watching this outcome, the woman felt ashamed and quickly left with her child.
Julian’s black eyes remained fixed on Chloe.
Seeing it made her heart ache a little.
If her son were still around, he should be this big too.
Would he blame her for not protecting him?
Would he resent her for living her entire pregnancy amid war, each day spent anxiously?
After he was finally born, a siege ensued.
Separating mother and child forever.
Thinking of this, Chloe’s lips turned pale, and her fingertips began to tremble.
Julian noticed her distress, hurriedly hugged her neck, and kissed her cheek.
Feeling his touch, sensing his warmth, Chloe’s heart grew heavier.
Tears unwillingly welled up around her eyes.
At this moment, a young nurse approached with a file, "Dr. Nash, these are the medications and materials needed for tomorrow’s surgery, please sign."
Chloe took the file, signed it, and handed it back.
The nurse’s gaze suddenly fell upon Julian beside her.
She smiled and pinched his cheek, "Dr. Nash, is this your son? He looks quite like you."
Chloe was a bit surprised, "How does he resemble me?"
Clearly, his nose and mouth were all Silas’s.
Yet the nurse said: "His eyes look quite like yours, can’t you see?"
Saying this, she left with the file.
Upon hearing this, Silas who had hurried over suddenly halted his steps.
His gaze landing not far off on Chloe and Julian’s eyes.