Becoming Strangers Again by Lily

Chapter 26 LILY Despite Jake's efforts to conceal his feelings, 1 could sense his unease following Ryan's call. Swiftly, I took the initiative to block Ryan's number, just moments before Jake managed to muster a smile in my direction. To be honest, I find myself yearning for the Jake of old-the one untouched by suspicion and insecurity. I miss the version of him that effortlessly brought joy and contentment into my life. Ever since Ryan entered the picture, it feels as though I'm constantly walking on eggshells. I'm always on edge, fervently hoping to avoid any encounters with Ryan, his calls, or conversations revolving around him. It's almost as if I'm exerting too much. effort just to maintain a sense of normalcy. The ongoing predicament has becundeniably taxing, and I catch myself fervently counting the days, yearning for the moment when Ryan returns to New York, allowing the restoration of normalcy in my life. As dawn broke, I found myself stirring before Jake, promptingto reach for my work phone in a reflexive motion, checking for any potential emergency calls from the hospital. The absence of missed calls alleviated a lingering sense of concem, allowingto set the phone down before shifting my attention to my personal smartphone. Almost instinctively, my fingers navigated to the last message Ryan had sent before his number found itself in my block list With a mixture of incredulity and mild amusement, I revisited his words, noting the cheekiness that seemed to define his demeanor. It struckas ironic, almost comical, how he had seemingly issued an order forto reach out to him as if he held sentitled claim over my tand attention. Does he presI'm Angelo that he can boss around? Deleting the message swiftly, I spared Jake the chance of stumbling upon it. Then, I turned to my news app, anticipating the usual barrage of idle gossip about the. However, to my surprise, I stumbled upon something entirely unexpected A video featuring Ryan caught my attention-an interview where he addressed the infamous picture. It seemed he skillfully redirected the spotlight onto himself and Stephanie. The comments section was ablaze with discussions about them, particularly highlighting a picture of the swarm of paparazzi besicging what appeared to be Ryan's residence. As I clicked through the comments, a pang of discomfort seized me. People were making harsh remarks about them, with one individual even suggesting that Ryan's alleged sterility was the reason for our failure to conceive and his current girlfriend's barrenness. The emergence of a hashtag. #thesterileceo, underscored the intensity of the speculation surrounding them "You do realize all he said in that video is a lie, right" Jake's abrupt voice startled me, pullingout of my dazed state. I blinked, somewhat disoriented, realizing he was already awake. "Um... What do you mean?" I responded, quickly dimming the screen of my phone and setting it down on the bedside drawer. "Are you referring to the part about him being sterile? Because, you know, we do have three sons together, so His response was terse, his voice raspy as he sat up in bed, "Are you being sarcastic!" he questioned. "I'm not talking about the comments. I mean the content of the video itself 1 sighed inwardly, bracing myself for an early morning discussion about Ryan. "Oh, I see, I replied, trying to keep the weariness out of my voice. "What specifically do you think is untrue, then? Is it the part about him wanting a baby with Stephanie, prompting his sudden visit to Canada? Or perhaps the insinuation that what we share is merely a doctor-patient relationship?" "The fact that he doesn't want to get back to you," Jake emphasized. "That was just pure, unadulterated bullshit, and I'm pretty sure you see through it as well. I couldn't help but roll my eyes, a gesture of exasperation at Jake's bluntness. "How about we shift our focus to the part where he shifted the attention to himself and Stephanie! I countered, attempting to steer the conversation away from the direction he is going. "Do you even realize the level of ridicule his nhas been subjected to? The mockery has reached absurd levels." In response, Jake offered a nonchalant shrug, seemingly unaffected by Ryan's attempts at damage control. "Why are you making it sound like he's done something extraordinary?" he interjected, his tone tinged with a hint of apathy. "Why are you giving him undue sympathy?" he continued, catching my incredulous gaze. "He caused this entire situation, so why extend your sympathies to him? He's just trying to mop up the mess he's created: Staring unblinkingly at Jake, I wondered what has gotten into him. "What exactly did Ryan do?" I retorted sharply, my patience wearing thin "What's his crfor acknowledging his mistakes and attempting to seek forgiveness? Did he ask to be thrust into the limelight, captured by those intrusive paparazzi?" Jake's jaw clenched tightly, a manifestation of his mounting frustration. "Are you seriously defending him!" he questioned, his tone filled with incredulity, as if grappling with the reality of my stance. Tam merely attempting g to let you ser how selfish and shallow you appear at this moment, I retorted, my words calmed sin 1135 AM Chapter 26 "Honestly, Jake, I am at a loss as to what has prompted this change in you, but all I can say is that I am disheartened by the person you seem to be changing into." His response cswiftly, filled with disbelief and defiance. The person I am becoming?" he echoed, his eyes widening in a blend of astonishment and indignation. "If my transformation is so displeasing to you, then do not provokeinto being that person." to my fect Consumed by a surge of anger, 1 found it impossible to remain seated any longer. I rolled off the bed, rising et to confront Jake directly. "How did this becabout me?" I demanded, my voice tinged with frustration and desperation. What did I do wrong" he glared at me. Brushing aside a stray lock of hair. I shook my head in disbelief. "You know what?" I declared, my tone marked by a sense of finality. "I refuse to invest any further tand energy in this futile exchange. I have urgent matters to attend to at the hospital, followed by our medical team's event coverage later this night. I will not squander precious moments engaging in unwarranted conflict- With that declaration, I stormed into the bathroom, the resounding slam of the door punctuating my anger, By the tthe clock struck six in the evening, the handful of medical staff members selected to oversee the healthcare sector at the fashion show had all gathered and made themselves presentable. The team had been instructed to dress smartly yet comfortably, leading many of us to opt for the practical combination of loose- fitting pants, shirts neatly tucked in, and sneakers that matched our attire perfectly. We boarded the hospital bus, which smoothly transported us to the venue. Before the hour reached eight, we had settled into our designated area, fully prepared for the tasks ahead. Throughout the evening, we remained stationed in the room, venturing out only when summoned for specific duties; the majority of attendees sought us out within the confines of our prepared space. After fulfilling our roles for an hour and a half, I took a brief break to attend to personal matters, heading towards the restroom. It was during this brief break that I happened to spot Ryan engaged in conversation with an individual I found myself in a situation where most would have simply ignored him and walked away, but against my better judgment, I approached him. As he noticed my presence, he promptly dismissed the person he was conversing with, who turned out to be Angelo. "Hey," he greeted with a smile, "what brings you here?" His tone wasn't condescending at all; it was more like he knows I am not dressed rightly for the event "Our hospital is in charge of covering the medical sector for the event" He nodded thoughtfully, his demeanor suddenly taking on a playful tone. "What do you say about being my Cinderella tonight?" I raised an eyebrow, caught off guard by his unexpected proposition, "What exactly do you mean?" I inquired. "I'm asking you to be my date for this event tonight," he clarified, his expression earnest and inviting. I was on the verge of reminding him of his statements during the interview, but I held back. "That won't be possible," I replied instead. "I just cover to thank you for what you did. I believed he deserved my appreciation. Thank you for putting yourself in the line of fire." In response, he flasheda dimpled smile. "Don't worry, I'm used to their criticism and scrutiny," he assured me. Nodding in acknowledgment, I took a step back. "Well then, if you'll excuse me, I was on my way to the restroom." He nodded in return, graciously stepping aside as I made my way past him. After using the restroom, I retraced my steps back to the medical room, but he was nowhere to be found. As the fashion show drew to a close, we commenced the gradual process of packing up. However, just as we were winding down, a final patient was brought in. Apparently, she had tripped on her heel and tumbled down a flight of stairs, resulting in a sprained ankle I couldn't help but stifle a chuckle when I recognized the patient as Victoria. Since I was the only licensed doctor present at the moment, as the others were busy loading our truck. I swiftly retrieved the necessary equipment from the medical kit. "You're not going to treat me, Victoria insisted, retracting her leg defensively. I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "If I don't treat you, nobody else in this room can, I pointed out. However, before I could complete my statement, her son interjected, cuttingoff. "What is that supposed to mean?" he scolded, his tone dripping with indignation. "Who do you think you are to order others not to treat my motherf His words grated on my nerves, coupled with irritation because he was speaking in my face "Get out of my face, young man," I requested firmly. attempting to push him back. However, he refused to budge and instead grabbed hold of my arm. "What? Are you trying to hithe exclaimed before I could respond. His arm moved to strike me, and instinctively, I closed my eyes, bracing for the impact. But the blow never landed. Slowly, I opened my eyes to find his hand suspended mid-air, Ryan holding it firmly in place, his eyes dark with fory, 11:15 AM

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