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.

this house was its poor sound insulation. The noise

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

had only been with

door to Dominic’s room opened. He stepped out onto the eaves to smoke, the flickering flame illuminating his stunningly handsome face. The smoke slowly rose

and stopped herself from splashing around in the water. Regardless of the time or place, one always instinctively tries to maintain dignity in front of someone

his cigarette but didn’t go back inside. It

with no sign of stopping. Dominic appeared to say something, but Bella couldn’t hear clearly. She saw him

a moment,

took a sip from

to face again. Now, with things so unexpectedly calm, she felt at a loss and couldn’t gauge what he was thinking.

37 How Long Do You Plan to Leave

after cutting off the wind and rain, they were in such