Leaving You Bereft (Willow and Julian) novel Chapter 12

Chapter 12

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Early the next morning, Willow was woken up by the garbage truck passing by her apartment building while blasting her favorite

song “Strangers Again” to all the neighbors.

The sun rays streamed in through the windows as the curtains danced gently in the early morning breeze.

Julian wasn’t next to her anymore.

Last night, he never forced her into sex. However, he did keep waking up in the middle of the night repeatedly to kiss her every

time.

It felt as though he’d been holding it all in for a long, long time.

Willow could even vaguely recall hearing Julian mention something about starting over while kissing the living daylights out of

her.

“Willow, let’s start all over again.”

Start all over?

Truth to be told, the three words sounded incredibly enticing to Willow. However, all the pain and suffering she’d gone through

had given her plenty of trauma. Julian’s expression had scared her enough at Veil Club the other night too. She was scared that

everything would eventually turn out to be a dream instead.

Julian spent the next few days coming in and out of her apartment.

Nothing happened much when he came over, though. He would just suddenly show up late at night, eat some dinner that Willow

made, and then hug her to sleep. He never asked for sex, and he would also always be gone by morning before she woke up.

He was as clingy as a schoolboy experiencing his first relationship.

After that, however, Julian stopped coming altogether. D

He never called her, and neither did she. She was busy preparing to open up her art studio. She planned to first open up an art

gallery and start small. Her ultimate goal was to start an auction house for paintings and works of art.

Willow did continue keeping in touch with Heather, though. After hearing Willow’s plans, Heather was simply in awe. “You’re

such a capable person, Mrs. Ziegler!”

Willow never told Heather about her private matters with Julian. Nothing had been carved in stone just yet, and Willow didn’t

want to go about spreading rumors.

Days passed. The season was starting to change as the end of fall approached. Most of the trees were already barren by then.

That day, Willow received a call from Maureen. She sounded anxious on the phone. “Madam Harper just had a nasty fall. She’s

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Grace grinned until her eyes disappeared. “Of course. Willow has always been very capable.”

Willow petted Grace on the hair again before getting up and leaving.

The VIP rooms in the hospital were located in a separate wing, with two buildings facing each other, nestling a beautiful flower

garden in the center. The scenery there was beautiful and stunning with the red and orange leaves on the trees and the ground.

Willow couldn’t help her gaze lingering on the flower garden for a while longer. However, a split second later, Willow had the

shock of her life.

At the other end of the corridor, Julian was standing right there, carrying Catherine in his arms, with both her parents–Charlie

Burke and Nancy Rogers–trailing behind them. Catherine’s head was resting against Julian’s shoulders as she looked small,

weak, and vulnerable. Meanwhile, Julian had a gentle look on his face as he doted on her.

Willow stared at them with a numb expression. She watched as the man who held her every night and asked if they could start

over, held another woman in his arms in public just a short while later, seemingly not the least bit afraid of how other people

would perceive him at all.

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