Homecoming to an Empty Heart

Hanging in the living room is a drawing of Julia Graham's husband, son, and younger sister, Juliette Graham. Julia's son tells her, "If I add a fourth person to the drawing, it'll be the younger sister that Aunt Juliette gives me." Without hesitation or lingering emotions, Julia applies to become an undercover operative in the most dangerous mission to date. From this point onward, she severs all ties with them! Chapter 1 Deep within the tall building of Greendale's police headquarters, Julia Graham was having a private conversation with her superior, Lawrence Davis. "Julia, I hope you understand how dangerous this mission is. You'll be going undercover in a criminal organization. If you're exposed, you'll suffer a fate worse than death. "Even if you manage to infiltrate the organization, you'll have to join in on all the criminal activities to gather evidence, maybe even shoot at your own comrades," Lawrence warned, his expression grim. "Not only will you suffer from the psychological effects of doing so, but no one knows how long you'll have to go through such torment. Moreover, you have a husband and a son, as well as your parents. Are you sure you can bear to leave them?" Standing at salute, Julia replied, "I'm already preparing to divorce my husband. He'll have a new wife who will take good care of our son. As for my parents, they've reunited with their biological daughter and are very happy with her. I have nothing to worry about." Her voice remained steadfast as she continued, "I'm willing to do what it takes to bring down these criminals and protect the safety of our nation as well as our people. I readily offer my life to the country, and I won't regret this!" Lawrence seemed to want to continue dissuading Julia, but he didn't know what to say. "I have to do this," Julia insisted. "My mentor, Captain Tolliver, mysteriously disappeared after making contact with this criminal organization. I have to find him, even if it's only to bring his body back. "I've spent the last few years investigating these criminals. No one knows this case better than I do. I'm the only one who can take them down, sir." Lawrence remained reluctant. "You should know that if you become an undercover operative, your name and contributions might never be made public. There's a safer path for you to choose. You don't have to live your life in constant fear…" As if relenting, Lawrence finally says, "Since you've made up your mind… go ahead, then. I hope you'll get the chance to put on this uniform again. Once you leave, your name and identity will become classified information. You will no longer be you. I wish you good luck and all the best!" He raised a trembling hand and returned the salute. "I've always had good luck," Julia said with a faint smile. … When Julia emerged from the police building, she was already dressed in regular attire, the breeze tugging at the hem of her jacket. It was rush hour. The light of the setting sun filtered through the tree branches, and the streets were packed with people heading to their respective homes. The restaurants were bustling with hungry dinner crowds, while children played with their friends along the sidewalk. Life seemed so picturesque. Julia stood dazedly on the street, not knowing where she should go. Lawrence had said that it would take seven days to create a flawless cover identity for her. While waiting for that, he told her to spend time with her family and bid them a proper goodbye. But she knew that no one in her family welcomed her. Her husband, Elijah Sherwood, and their son, Coby Sherwood, were fond of her younger sister, Juliette Graham, who'd reunited with the family a year ago. Out of guilt, her parents, Jerry Graham and Bertha Lewis, doted heavily on Juliette. At the same time, they now treated Julia as if she were a complete stranger to them. All of a sudden, a notification popped up on Julia's phone. She tapped on it and saw a video that was shot in the home she'd put a lot of effort into decorating. The video started with a scene in the kitchen, where Elijah—handsome and sophisticated-looking—was smiling to the camera. "Hungry already, you greedy bunny? Your favorite grilled ribs are almost ready." Juliette, the person taking the video, said coyly, "Let me try a piece! I want to see if you added too much salt again." With an exasperated yet doting expression, Elijah picked up a piece of meat and blew on it lightly before feeding it to Juliette. "Careful. It's hot." The camera panned down to show a young boy—Coby—jumping up and down in excitement. "Me too! I want some too! You're being unfair, Daddy. You don't like me anymore now that you have Aunt Juliette!" Juliette ruffled Coby's hair while saying, "How is he being unfair? Didn't your daddy make you your favorite pulled pork?" As expected, it was a video featuring Julia's husband, son, and younger sister. Toward the end, the camera flashed past a crayon drawing that was hung up on the living room wall. There were streaks of glue lining the artwork, traces of where the drawing had been put together again. The drawing depicted a blue sky dotted with white clouds, while a family of three—two adults and one child—stood hand-in-hand on the grass. Two weeks ago, Julia was thrilled when she saw Coby making this drawing. She asked him, "Are you drawing you, Daddy, and me?" Coby glared at her in displeasure and snapped, "That's Daddy, Aunt Juliette, and me! Don't you get it yet, Mommy? Even if I add a fourth person to this drawing, I hope it'll be a little sister that Daddy and Aunt Juliette give me!" Although his voice still carried the innocence of a child, the words stabbed her in the heart. As they echoed in her ears, she looked up and saw Juliette lowering her head bashfully. Elijah, however, simply chuckled and asked, "Do you want a little sister, Coby?" It was at that very moment that Julia realized there was no longer a place for her in this family anymore. Following the video was a taunting message from Juliette. "When are you going to accept reality and give up, my dear sister?" After a minute, the phone screen dimmed automatically, and a reflection of Julia's emotionless face could be seen. None of it mattered anymore. Pocketing her phone, she silently answered Juliette's question in her heart. "I already have." Chapter 2 When Julia and Elijah first met, she was a reckless rookie who'd just joined the police force, while he was a brilliant young doctor who'd just returned from studying abroad. She'd been a little too heavy-handed with a criminal, not only breaking his nose and bashing his face in, but even going as far as breaking a few of his bones. Elijah, who'd been on duty at the emergency room, asked her in shock, "Did you do this to him? Is he your boyfriend? Did he cheat on you?" "Ask any more questions, and I'll make sure you end up on a hospital bed, too!" Julia snapped ferociously. … Julia ended up at the hospital so often that she might as well call it her home. And every time, she'd run into Elijah. Thanks to their constant bickering, they got to know each other pretty well. Once the two finally started dating, Alfred Tolliver, Julia's mentor, tearfully declared, "Finally! Someone has come along to keep this troublesome mentee of mine in check!" Elijah had proposed to Julia when she was still lying injured on a hospital bed. He got down on one knee, and with both his and her colleagues as witnesses, vowed to hone his medical skills to guarantee that she would remain healthy and mobile no matter what. Everyone laughed at that. As the years passed, Julia became the captain of the detective division of Greendale's police force. Elijah, on the other hand, became the youngest associate chief of his department at Greendale Hospital. They eventually had a son, so everyone said they were the perfect, blissfully happy family of three. This all changed a year ago, when Juliette came knocking on the Grahams' door. Her face, which was identical to Bertha's, was the only evidence needed. Juliette accused Julia of stealing her place in the Graham family, calling her shameless, amongst other things. That was the day Julia discovered that she and Juliette had been born in the same hospital on the same day, just minutes apart. However, something had gone wrong. Perhaps they'd been switched when they were being bathed. Either way, they swapped lives from that point onward. Juliette was the true daughter and only child of the Graham family, while Julia was meant to live a harsh life out on a desolate island with nothing but the ocean wind to keep her company. The Graham family made a public display of welcoming Juliette back into the family. As for Julia, she had no choice but to accept her new role and constantly yield to Juliette. However, that wasn't enough to satisfy Juliette, for she even set her sights on Elijah! Julia had always believed that even if the whole world sided with Juliette, Elijah and Coby wouldn't hesitate to take her side. Alas, they'd changed as well. Time and time again, Elijah and Coby sided with Juliette, acting like her knights in shining armor. In the second month of Juliette's return, they celebrated Juliette's birthday and completely forgot about Julia, leaving her alone in the house even though it was also her birthday. During the fifth month, they went traveling with Juliette for an entire month. Meanwhile, Julia had been attacked from behind during a mission. When her life had been hanging by a thread, it was Lawrence who signed the surgery consent form. When the eighth month of Juliette's return rolled around, the Grahams and the Sherwoods gathered for a Christmas Eve dinner, but no one informed Julia about it. She'd specifically traded shifts with her colleague to spend the festive holiday with them. But in the end, her Christmas Eve dinner was a pack of frozen lasagna she'd found in the freezer. Even after it was heated up, she barely had any appetite for it. Instead, she volunteered to do an extra shift at the police station and ultimately spent the night there. The past year was filled with countless similar incidents. Perhaps it was Coby's drawing and his words that proved to be the final straw for Julia. Her disappointment had been accumulating for a long time. On that day, she could no longer hold herself back. Her emotions exploded out of her as she snatched the drawing and ripped it up. Coby pummeled Julia with his fists as he wailed, "You're evil, Mommy! Give me back my drawing! I don't want you to be my mommy!" Elijah admonished her as well. "Have you lost your mind? Why are you getting upset with a child? You may need to act domineering in your line of work, but don't bring that attitude back home!" Juliette pulled Coby into her arms before seemingly attempting to ease the tension, though her words were thinly veiled mockery. "Children don't mean any harm, Julia. He's just saying whatever comes to mind." Not once had Julia ever cried when she was shot, stabbed, or had her bones broken while fighting criminals. But that day, she fled the house in tears. "Go on! Leave, and don't bother coming back!" Elijah shouted after her. … Lost in these memories, Julia wandered along the streets until she arrived at a bank without realizing it. She transferred all of the money she'd saved up over the years to a new account. It wasn't much, only 120 thousand dollars in total. That was nothing to the Sherwoods, but she still wanted to leave something to Coby. He was, after all, her child. Even if she divorced Elijah, she would provide child support. Once done with that, she found that she had nowhere to go. After she'd made her decision, Lawrence had taken her identification paperwork and documents so that they could be destroyed. This meant she couldn't even check into a hotel. Julia had no choice but to head back home, even if no one there wanted her. Along the way, she passed by a pet store with a basket of little kittens in the window who were mewling softly. Remembering how Coby had once said his birthday wish was to have a pet, she stopped and picked out a kitten. The kitten would be the last symbol of her love for Coby. She hoped it would accompany him in her place as he grew up. Once she left, she probably wouldn't be a part of his life ever again. Chapter 3 The moment Julia opened the door, she was greeted by a cheerful atmosphere. Elijah was playing the piano, while Juliette was dancing along. Coby sat on the couch, clapping enthusiastically. "You're so pretty, Aunt Juliette!" They were the picture-perfect family of three. Suddenly, Juliette lost her footing and fell to the floor in a graceful tumble. As soon as she did, the piano let out a jarring, discordant sound. Elijah rushed to his feet and scooped her up, placing her gently on the couch. Coby hurried over as well, asking, "Are you alright, Aunt Juliette?" Grasping Elijah's sleeve, Juliette whimpered, "My leg hurts, Eli!" Elijah was crouching on the floor, and when he heard what she said, he quickly checked on her sprained ankle. "It's okay. It's not a serious injury. Coby, go to my bedroom and bring me the ointment from the nightstand." "Okay!" Coby scrambled to the bedroom before running back to the living room moments later. With a concerned expression, Elijah instructed Juliette to place her feet on his thigh. Then, he expertly rubbed the ointment between his hands before giving her a massage. His gaze was tender and helpless. Each time she winced in pain, he would press a little more gently. Coby sat on the side and comforted Juliette as well. "I'll blow on it, Aunt Juliette, and it won't hurt so much anymore." Amid all of this, Julia recalled that a long time ago, Elijah would tend to her injuries and massage her as well. Due to the nature of her job, she was no stranger to bruises and sprains. He'd bought that ointment specifically for her. It was only when the kitten she was holding let out a mewl that the three people in the house finally turned toward the door. "What are you doing here?" Elijah and Coby asked at the same time. Julia's eyes flashed with self-mockery. She didn't know how to answer that question of theirs. "Don't get the wrong idea, Julia," Juliette said, though she showed no intention of withdrawing her leg. Elijah resumed his massage. Without even looking at Julia, he said, "You came back too late. We've already had dinner. There are still some leftovers in the fridge. You can heat it up and eat it." Though only minutes had passed, Julia felt as if she'd been standing frozen in place for days. Moving her stiff legs, she walked toward Coby. "You wanted a pet, right? I got you a kitten." She bent down, letting him see the kitten she held. After glancing at it, Coby looked up at her and said, "But Aunt Juliette already got me a parrot. It can even repeat the phrases I teach it. A cat can't do that. It just meows all the time. It's so annoying." Julia believed she had a heart of stone, but she still felt a prick of pain anyway. Looking up, she finally spotted the bird cage out on the balcony. The colorful parrot seemed to notice that someone was looking at it, so it cried out, "I hate Mommy! I hate Mommy!" She could sense that everyone else was checking her reaction, but she no longer knew what kind of expression she was supposed to have. Before she could say anything, Elijah said, "It's just a bird. You're not going to get upset with it, are you?" Julia could tell that he was mocking her over the way she'd reacted to Coby's drawing. Meeting his indifferent gaze, she smiled and said, "Of course not." What was there to be upset about? No matter what she did, to Elijah and Coby, she was just kicking up a fuss over nothing. In any case, she was about to leave anyway. Elijah seemed startled by how calm Julia was. "Eli, you're hurting me!" Juliette yelped. He quickly apologized and softly appeased her. It was only after he'd stood up that he realized Julia had gone to the kitchen. Under the warm light of the kitchen, Julia got some of Coby's milk from the fridge and poured some into a bowl for the kitten. She was still feeding it when her phone rang with a call from Kayla Powell, one of her subordinates. "What's going on, Captain Graham? Why am I attending next week's briefing? Aren't you the one who's supposed to be attending it? Why did I hear from Chief Davis that you'll be leaving Greendale for a training course? You're the best detective there is! What else is there for you to learn?" Julia's departure was top-secret. She couldn't share it with anyone, not even her most trusted subordinate. Moreover, Kayla happened to be quite the chatterbox. "I'm just following orders. Relax. You'll have to take charge of the squad from now on," Julia said. She was feeling a little melancholic, but Kayla simply brushed it off with a carefree laugh. "Why are you making it sound like you're never coming back? I'm counting on you to give a speech at my daughter's birthday party, you know." Out of nowhere, Elijah's voice rang out from behind. "Who's never coming back?" Chapter 4 Julia ended the call and dismissed Elijah's question with a half-hearted answer. "No one. A colleague is just transferring to a different city." Elijah stared at her as if to verify the truth of her answer. "I'm sorry. I overreacted before, and we were both at fault. Coby has forgiven you. Please forgive me, too." Once he finished speaking, he went back to his medical journal, almost as if his apology was merely a formality. Julia acted as though she hadn't heard him. Since the kitten had nearly finished its meal, she decided to let it get some rest in her room. It was late, and there was nowhere else to take it. She would find a new home for it tomorrow. Once she got up, she realized Juliette was no longer in the living room. When did she leave? Would Elijah really let her go home alone with a sprained ankle? Curious, Julia headed toward the master bedroom. "Stop!" "No!" Two voices—one belonging to a man and the other to a child—called out behind her. What now? Was she not even allowed to stay in the house anymore? Julia turned around to see a conflicted look on Elijah's face. It was as if he couldn't find the words to say what he needed to say. Coby, on the other hand, didn't share such qualms. "Aunt Juliette is resting in the bedroom. You're not allowed to disturb her!" Just then, the bedroom door opened, and Juliette appeared in one of Julia's nightgowns. "Sorry about this, Julia. Mom and Dad went on holiday, and they asked Eli to take care of me. I've been sleeping here for ten days now. I didn't know you'd be coming back today. Why don't I pack up my things so that you can move back in?" As she spoke, she lowered her head, voice all choked up. It was almost as if she'd been deeply hurt. "It's already so late. Why go through all that trouble? It won't make a difference even if Julia sleeps in one of the other rooms. Hurry up and get back in bed. You need to rest your sprained ankle," Elijah replied on Julia's behalf without any hesitation at all. Juliette nodded, but just as she was turning around, she lost her balance and fell toward Elijah. He quickly held her steady before carrying her to bed. "Thanks, Eli." Elijah glanced toward Julia, who was standing outside the room. Realizing that the position he and Juliette were in looked a little intimate, he hurriedly explained, "Don't think too much of it, Julia. It's late now, and she sprained her ankle, so let's not put her through any further trouble. "Besides, Juliette is your sister. She had a tough childhood. The two of us should be more understanding." Julia stroked the kitten absent-mindedly. What was there for her to think about? She didn't even want her husband anymore, let alone their shared room. "I'll sleep in the guest bedroom." Elijah had already prepared his speech to persuade Julia, but before he said anything, she put an end to the conversation with just six words. She'd walked off before he could even figure out why she was being so cooperative today. Coby also got the feeling that something was up with Julia, but he was still too young to ponder such complicated matters. He simply tugged on Elijah's hand and asked Elijah to tuck him into bed. Julia turned a pillow into a bed for the kitten. Then, she got into bed after washing up. Juliette had sent her yet another taunting message. "Your nightgown is mine, and so is your man." Soon, Elijah opened the guest room door. Looking at him, Julia asked, "What are you doing here?" Standing there with his pajamas in hand, he replied in confusion, "To sleep, of course. We're a married couple. We should be sharing a bedroom." With a spiteful smirk on her face, she remarked, "Oh, so you do know we're the married couple. I thought you'd sleep with Juliette in the master bedroom." Julia had played the part of a dutiful wife and mother for many years now. Plus, being a police captain, she had to keep herself in check as well. Thus, she'd almost forgotten just how petty and mean-spirited she could be. She never would've allowed Juliette to walk all over her like that if it hadn't been for her feelings for Elijah. But now, she no longer wanted to put up with any of this. After all, she would be leaving for good in seven days. Who knew if she'd even survive this mission? There was no reason for her to keep enduring such treatment any longer. Elijah's expression darkened. Eyes blazing with fury, he snapped, "What the hell are you saying? Here I was, wondering why you'd agree to let Juliette take the master bedroom without any fuss. It turns out you were just waiting to argue with me instead! When did you become this person that you are now?" Julia snorted. Who was the one who'd changed? She was just about to show him the message from Juliette when a piercing shriek interrupted them. "Eli!" It came from the master bedroom next door. Elijah dashed off before he'd even gotten properly dressed. Coby, who'd been startled awake, called out, "What's the matter, Aunt Juliette?" Julia went to close the door, just in time to hear Juliette say, "Look at the window, Eli. Doesn't it look like someone's there? I'm so scared!" The sound of footsteps followed, which meant that Elijah was probably checking the window. "It's just a tree branch. There's no sign of anyone outside," Elijah said with a bemused laugh. Julia could almost picture the expression on Elijah's face right now. "You're such a scaredy cat, Aunt Juliette!" Julia shut the door, completely cutting off the cheerful laughs coming from the master bedroom. When she turned around, she saw her reflection in the mirror and quickly looked away. She didn't want to see the mocking, self-deprecating look in her eyes. After some time, Elijah's muffled voice rang out from just beyond the door. "Coby is sleeping with Juliette. I'll sleep in his room." Following a pause, he added, "It doesn't matter whether or not you believe me, Julia, but everything I do is for your sake." Julia closed her eyes, pretending like she hadn't heard him. Time and again, she had been forced to compromise. He'd repeatedly hurt her and taught her own son to develop a closer bond with another woman. How could he now claim that it was all for her sake? After ten minutes, there was finally the sound of someone walking away from the door. Julia slept in peace that night. When she opened her eyes, it was 9:00 am the next morning, and the house was empty. Chapter 5 After freshening up, Julia left the house to meet Diane Morton, Elijah's mother. The server at the cafe approached and asked politely, "What would you like to drink, ma'am?" "Just a glass of water with a slice of lemon, please." Diane snorted disdainfully. "I don't know what my son sees in you. He plays the piano, paints, and enjoys opera. What about you? You have no taste or any understanding of refined culture. Do you two even have anything in common?" Julia looked at Diane, fully aware that Diane had never truly accepted her. "That doesn't matter anymore." Diane was startled by Julia's indifferent attitude. She recalled how Julia used to always try and curry favor with her, smiling regardless of the insults Diane threw her way. It seemed like Julia finally developed a temper. Meanwhile, Julia didn't care what Diane was thinking. She placed a debit card on the table and said, "I know that you and Frank have never liked me. You two come from a well-educated and distinguished family. You hate my job, my personality, and my educational background. You think I'm not good enough for Elijah. "Well, how do you feel about Juliette, then? Or if you have some other candidate in mind, I don't mind either." Diane was stunned. Eyeing Julia in dissatisfaction, she snapped, "Did you fall and land on your head, Julia? You're the one who insisted on becoming some kind of police captain. You refused to stay at home to look after your kid. Whenever you get a case, you're always gone for up to two weeks. "We asked you to switch to a desk job, but you refused. Why are you making it sound like we're the ones trying to separate you and Elijah?" Julia didn't try to deny it. After all, from a different perspective, Diane had a point. She shoved the debit card a little closer to Diane, saying, "There's 120 thousand dollars in this account. I know it takes a lot of money to raise a child, but that's all the savings I have right now. Elijah will probably have another child once he marries again. "People always say that having a stepparent jeopardizes the child's relationship with the biological parent. You and Frank have always adored Coby. If necessary, I hope you'll take him in and raise him yourselves." Diane leaned backward as if to get a better look at Julia. "Why are you acting like you're giving your final will and testament? What are you up to now?" Julia didn't want to have her actions misjudged. "All you need to know is that your son will soon be free." "Why would I be free soon?" Elijah's voice rang out from behind. Julia and Diane looked up to see Elijah standing at the entrance of the cafe with Juliette clinging affectionately to his arm. Diane was just about to speak, but Julia beat her to it. "It's nothing. Shouldn't you be at the hospital right now?" Elijah glanced at Juliette before saying with a hint of affection that he himself wasn't even aware of in his voice, "I don't have any surgeries scheduled today, and Juliette said she wanted to have some cake here, so I brought her over." "So she likes eating the Sparkling Lia, too, huh?" Julia remarked with a mocking expression. This cafe belonged to the Sherwoods, and the Sparkling Lia was a cake that Elijah had specifically created for Julia to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. It wasn't sold to the public. In the past, only the two of them and Coby had eaten it before. Well, it was still going to belong to a happy family of three, but Julia wasn't going to be a part of that equation anymore. The certainty in Julia's voice felt like a slap in the face to Elijah. Feeling guilty, he averted his eyes. Juliette had already approached Diane to suck up to her, so she overheard the exchange as well. Resisting the urge to smile, she said pitifully, "I had such a tough childhood, Julia. Food and supplies were scarce on the island. I'm not like you, who got to eat everything you wanted. "After Eli mentioned the taste of the Sparkling Lia, I wanted to try it for myself, too. Once I did, I took quite a liking to it. That's why I keep asking Eli to bring me over for some cake. You won't mind, right, Julia?" Julia picked up on all the subtle provocation laced within Juliette's words. Grinning, she remarked, "It'd be even better if you could get him to create a cake for you as well." Elijah, who was just about to sit beside Juliette, was infuriated by Julia's remark. "Julia! Have you forgotten what the Sparkling Lia represents?" The cake was named after her. It was meant to signify that she, Julia, would always sparkle like a star in the sky. It was also a representation of Elijah's love and devotion to no one but her. This was what he'd said to her when he first placed the cake in front of her. "You're the one who forgot what it meant," Julia calmly replied before rising to her feet. "Since there's nothing else for me to say, I'm heading home now." Elijah's immediate reaction was to stop her. "It's been ages since you last had a piece of the cake." Julia shook his hand off. "No thanks. Are you not leaving, Diane?" Diane wasn't interested in sticking around to listen to Juliette chattering away with feigned innocence, which annoyed her even more than Julia ever did. "Let's go," she said as she got up as well. Diane was even more disapproving of Juliette than Julia. After exiting the cafe, Julia said to Diane, "For Elijah's and Coby's sakes, I hope you won't tell them about the conversation we had today." She didn't think the two would regret their actions if they found out she was leaving. Even if she died, they probably wouldn't be sad at all. On the contrary, they'd happily welcome Juliette into the family. Julia just wanted the last few days before her departure to pass without any trouble. Chapter 6 The kitten, which had been lying on the carpet licking its fur, quickly ran over to rub against Julia's legs when it saw her return. Julia's heart softened. She suddenly thought back to when Coby could barely walk. Every time she came home, he would crawl and stumble toward her, babbling for a hug. Later on, when Coby grew a bit older and could understand more things, he'd always ask if she was hurt whenever he saw her. He would also proudly brag to others, "My mom catches bad guys! She's a superhero!" But now? Julia shook her head, not wanting to dwell on such thoughts. She bent down to pick up the kitten and muttered to herself, "It's too bad I'm leaving. No one here likes you, either. I've got to find someone to adopt you soon." With that thought in mind, Julia headed out of the house with the kitten in her arms. She visited every nearby pet store, but they all refused to take in the kitten. "We're a business. We don't take in animals. Perhaps you could try asking an animal shelter?" Out of the blue, Julia remembered that Owen Anderson, who worked at the police station, had a pet cat. After calling him up, she ended up taking the cat to his place. She'd just left Owen's house when she received a call from Elijah. "It's Dr. Harper's 70th birthday celebration today. Are you free?" Richard Harper was Elijah's boss and mentor. He'd witnessed nearly every stage of Elijah's medical career, and he had also been a witness at their wedding. Since it was his birthday celebration, Julia couldn't refuse to attend. The birthday celebration was a grand affair. When Julia arrived at the venue, Elijah, Coby, and Juliette were all waiting at the entrance. Their outfits were of the same color, making it seem like they were a family. Julia, on the other hand, looked every bit like an outsider. Once Richard went up on stage to say a few words of gratitude, the celebration began, and everyone started eating. Elijah was the only one who barely took a bite. He spent all of this time waiting on Juliette, serving food onto her plate, and peeling shrimps for her. Coby also did what he could, keeping her glass filled and passing her a napkin. Luna Whitman, a young woman who sat across the table, remarked enviously, "Elijah and his son take such good care of his wife! I hope I can find a husband like him who will take good care of me, too!" The atmosphere turned awkward at once. Sally Everett, who was sitting beside Luna, quickly laughed and explained, "Elijah's wife is the one sitting on his right. "Julia, this is Luna Whitman. She's only been with the hospital for two months, so she has never met you before. Please don't take it to heart." "It's fine. It's not a big deal," Julia said with a chuckle. Her reaction made Elijah, who was halfway peeling a prawn, stiffen. He felt a surge of anger. How could she say it was no big deal that someone had mistakenly assumed he was married to someone else? He turned to look at Julia, only to end up meeting her indifferent gaze that was as cold as ice. He tried to speak, but she looked away before he could, as if he'd mistaken her reaction. Elijah was going to place the shrimp on Juliette's plate, but he ended up turning around and placing it on Julia's plate instead. Julia loved eating shrimp, but she hated peeling them herself. In the past, she would always grin happily whenever he peeled the shrimp for her and gobble everything up. Recalling this, he looked expectantly at her. However, she simply thanked him before tossing the shrimp onto the table. Elijah was just about to speak when Juliette set down her cutlery and introduced herself. "I'm Juliette Graham, Julia's younger sister. Eli and I are family, too." Her words only ended up worsening the awkwardness in the air. Everyone began eyeing Elijah and Juliette with looks of contempt. "You're just his sister-in-law? With how intimate you two were being, I thought—" A piece of chicken was stuffed into Luna's mouth before she could complete her sentence. Someone else quickly raised his glass, saying, "Come on, everyone. Don't just focus on the food. Let's have a toast!" Thanks to the booze, the atmosphere grew lively again. Elijah, who rarely ever drank, had been persuaded to have a few glasses of wine. Even Julia couldn't avoid getting coaxed into having a glass as well. Since the two had been drinking, they couldn't drive, and Juliette didn't know how to drive either. Thankfully, Sally was sober and had driven over in her own car, so they decided to get a ride from her. Julia thoughtfully took the front passenger seat, letting Elijah and Coby share the backseat with Juliette. Even though Elijah's mind was a little hazy from the alcohol, he could still sense that something wasn't right. He got the feeling that Julia was voluntarily distancing herself from him. He was on the verge of speaking up when there was a loud bang, and the car flipped over. Elijah just barely managed to wrap his arms protectively around Coby, who was sitting in the middle of the back seat. Julia didn't know how much time had passed. It was the agonizing pain coming from her arm that made her open her eyes. She found herself pinned under the mangled car, and the other person pinned as well was Juliette, who sat on the same side as her. Elijah was desperately trying to lift the car, to no avail. Coby was crouching beside Juliette, crying as he called out to her. Sally was also trying to find a way to help them. When Elijah noticed that Julia had regained consciousness, he cried out agitatedly, "Don't panic, Julia! Help is on the way!" He was telling the truth. The rescue team arrived in no time, followed by an ambulance. Thanks to the tools the rescue team had brought with them, the car wreck was soon pried open. Both Julia and Juliette were dragged out. "There's a shortage of ambulances right now," the paramedics grimly explained. "We could only get one dispatched first. The other is still on the way. Who should we take to the hospital first, Dr. Sherwood?" "Save Aunt Juliette first!" No one paid any attention to the words of a kid like Coby. They all looked at Elijah, waiting for his response. When he saw the ghostly pale Julia, his heart squeezed in pain. "You should obviously save—" Just then, Juliette wailed, "I'm so scared, Eli! My head is killing me! Am I going to die? I don't want to die! I'm still so young. I only recently got the chance to live a good life. I'm not ready to die." Elijah looked between Julia and Juliette. Julia's arm was bleeding profusely. The bleeding had to be stopped as soon as possible. But Juliette said her head was hurting. What if she had a brain injury? His dilemma was precisely what made the paramedics hesitate as well. The official procedure was to save the patient who was most injured first, but they couldn't tell who that was in such a situation. One of the paramedics urged, "Please hurry up and make a decision, Dr. Sherwood. Time is of the essence here!" "Save Juliette first!" Elijah said without any further hesitation. Upon hearing his choice, everyone present was thunderstruck. No one expected him to abandon his wife for another woman. Coby was the only one who cheered and scrambled over to help. Julia wasn't surprised at all. It wasn't his first time choosing Juliette over her. She'd been disappointed enough times that this was no longer unexpected to her. "Take her to the hospital. I'll stay back to deal with Julia's wounds," Elijah said before running into the ambulance to get some gauze and disinfectant. Juliette, who was on the stretcher, clung to Elijah. "I'm scared, Eli. Will you stay with me?" Elijah's brow furrowed. In the end, he handed the supplies to Sally before saying to Julia, "You're her older sister, Julia. You should let Juliette have her way. She suffered all throughout her childhood on your behalf, and her body is not as strong as yours. "Just hang in there for a bit. The other ambulance will be here soon. Let Sally tend to your wounds first. "I promise this is the last time. After this, it'll be just us again." Julia realized that what she detested hearing the most was being told that she was the older sister who should just let her younger sister have her way. Those words seemed to be the reason why every person she cared about was stolen away from her. And the most ironic thing about that was the fact that she and Juliette weren't even related by blood. Smirking, she said in a shaky voice, "There's not going to be an 'us' anymore, Elijah." Her voice was drowned out by Juliette's much louder screams. Elijah turned around and looked at her puzzledly, as if to ask what she'd said. Having lost a lot of blood, Julia started to feel woozy. Before she lost consciousness, the last thing she saw was Elijah and Coby getting into the ambulance after Juliette.