Shattered Longings

Chapter 37 How Long Did You Plan to Leave Me?

Amidst her confusion and internal struggle, Bella didn’t fall asleep until the sky began to lighten. When she finally woke up, it was already a sunny afternoon.

She expected the hospital director to call and reprimand her for not coming to work, but to her surprise, the director hadn’t made any fuss at all.

She went outside to the courtyard to freshen up, and Leonard followed her with a smug expression, saying. “I told you that you’re not going anywhere.”

Bella, brushing her teeth with irritation, wanted to spray him with toothpaste foam. How could he be so confident that he understood her so well?

Although she was still conflicted, she was leaning toward staying for the time being. If she decided to leave, she would do so only after Dominic had left to avoid giving him the impression that she was leaving just because she didn’t want to see him.

Good weather never lasted forever. After several days of clear skies, heavy rain finally arrived.

Raindrops pounded against the grape trellis. The young grapevines, not yet bearing fruit, seemed unable to withstand the onslaught. Soon, the ground was littered with fallen green grapes.

only downside to this house was its poor sound insulation. The noise

under the grape trellis, stepping into the icy rainwater and reminiscing about the times when Dorothy had scolded her for playing in the

was so gentle that even when scolding her. Yet her mother had only been with her for five years, and she hadn’t had time to

to smoke, the flickering flame illuminating his stunningly handsome face.

of the time or place, one always instinctively tries to maintain dignity in front of someone they

inside. It seemed like he was

noisy rain continued with no sign of stopping. Dominic appeared to say something, but Bella couldn’t hear clearly. She saw him turn and enter the house, leaving the

might be inviting her in. After hesitating for a moment, she walked under the eaves and closed her umbrella.

two cups of hot tea, and took a sip from one before

felt at a loss and couldn’t gauge what he was thinking. “Are you not coming in because

37 How Long Do You Plan

find that, after cutting off the wind and rain,