Shattered Longings Novel

Chapter 40 Without Reason Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Bella stiffened, feeling the urge to cry. If only there had been a justifiable reason, she would’ve followed Dominic without a second thought, even if it meant never having a rightful place beside him. But there wasn’t a reason–not a single one.

Bella took a deep breath and smiled at him. “No, I won’t.”

was.

Dominic frowned and looked at her for a moment before leaving. At that moment, she was overwhelmed with the urge to chase after him, but she fought it down, her vision blurring with tears.

She didn’t find the strength to go outside until his car was long gone, a profound sense of loss flooding her heart.

She couldn’t wrap her head around why he would ask her to come with him. After all, he had clearly loathed her for so many years.

Why was he giving her false hope? She was too afraid to take another step forward, fearing she would fall back into the same endless pit of despair.

When she arrived at the hospital, her mind was elsewhere, the scene of Dominic asking her to leave with him replaying over and over in her head. The more she dwelled on it, the more unsettled she became.

All of a sudden, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a figure peering in from the doorway. “Are you here to see a doctor?” she asked.

The man at the door nodded timidly but didn’t enter. Bella sighed. “If you’re here to see a doctor, come on in.”

The man shuffled into the consultation room, accompanied by an indescribable odor–a combination of sweat, body odor, and a foul stench…

Bella couldn’t help but wrinkle her nose and silently put on a mask. As she did so, she noticed the man take two steps back, as if aware of their unpleasant odor and feeling self–conscious.

Bella took a moment to size the man up. He appeared to be in his 20s. His clothes were so worn out and faded that their original color was almost impossible to make out, and they were rather filthy.

His hair was long and unkempt, and the skin that was visible was grimy, as if he hadn’t showered in days. Yet, he was a step above a homeless person

What stood out the most was the open wound on his barefoot, oozing pus and blood; it was probably too painful for him to wear a shoe.

Bella walked over and motioned for him to sit down. “How’d you hurt your foot?” she asked with a frown. The man’s eyes darted around nervously, like a child who didn’t know what to do.

Bella realized he was mentally impaired. Out of a sense of duty, she checked his wound.

It was merely a superficial injury, not a skin disease. After cleaning it up and bandaging it, she breathed a sigh of relief. “Alright, you’re good to go. Go pay the bill and be careful with that foot. Make sure to keep it clean.”

The man sat there, his eyes glued to her, watching her surreptitiously. It didn’t take long for Bella to realize that he had no money.

“Forget it. I’ll pay for you. Now, get out of here and hurry home.”

Chapter 40 Without Reason

With that, she went to the sink to wash her hands, using the disinfectant twice. The stench of the festering wound was truly overwhelming.

When she turned, the man had already left. A moment later, an elderly woman walked in. “What’s that awful smell?”

Bella felt a little embarrassed. It wasn’t like she enjoyed this. Most people in her line of work often had an above–average obsession with cleanliness, and she was no different.

When she finally had a moment to herself, she stood up, poured herself a glass of water, and walked over to the window to look at the street below.

Her heart missed a beat when she saw the man from before. He hadn’t left; instead, he was standing right below her consultation room, gazing up at her.

Bella jumped, spilling her water. She hurriedly wiped it away and looked back out the window. The man was still there, as motionless and stubborn as a statue.

She felt the hairs on her neck stand up from the way he was staring at her, prompting her to close the window and return to her desk.

As the afternoon wore on and work piled up, the whole incident slipped from her mind.

Chapter 41 Pervert