CEO Ex-Husband, Don't Bother Me

Chapter 210 - 168: Pain and Happiness

Most importantly, he wasn’t just a doctor. He also had to manage his affairs in Thailos. Although Arnold and Ken were there, they still had to come to him for major decisions. Every time she saw how exhausted he looked, she wished she could shoulder some of his burdens.

She once thought that being together day and night like this was sweet, but now it felt like the most painful form of torture. They were so clearly in love, yet they had to pretend to be complete strangers.

But all she could do was tell herself to be strong, to endure it, to see this task through to the end. Only then could they be together without a care in the world.

But she honestly didn’t know how much longer she could hold on.

He hadn’t arrived at the hospital yet when she got there. She put her things away and went to get the newspaper, intending to place it on his desk. But the front-page headline made her freeze. She wasn’t in the habit of reading the paper, but with such a large photo and such bold words, it was impossible to ignore.

A ten-million-dollar fling? The words were so jarring, the picture so piercing. She wanted to cry, but the tears wouldn’t come. In truth, her heart had already gone numb from the pain of yesterday. She tried to console herself. ’I’ve seen those suggestive photos of him with Juliet Jennings before. What’s this compared to that?’

She placed the newspaper on his desk and turned to leave. Just then, he walked in from outside. He wore an icy expression, his gaze grim. He was still in yesterday’s clothes, which were disheveled. It looked like he had spent the night at the hotel and hadn’t even gone home.

She knew perfectly well that she was in no position to question him right now, so she could only lower her head and walk past him.

Julian Donovan felt like strangling her. He grabbed her arm and yanked her back, glaring at her grimly. Naomi Shaw calmly met his gaze.

She remembered a TV show she’d once seen. In it, the heroine was deeply in love with the hero, but to protect his assets from being carved up by his enemies, she had to steel her heart and divorce him, demanding a portion of his wealth.

At the time, both she and Lara Nash had thought the heroine was so cruel. How could she just declare she didn’t love him anymore? But now that something similar was happening to her, she finally understood the feeling.

’It’s only because I love him so much, because I want what’s best for him, that I can be ruthless enough to sever ties. That’s why there’s nothing I can’t endure.’

She didn’t need to say a word. A single, indifferent glance was enough to shatter Julian Donovan. He lost control and roared, "Naomi Shaw, you have such a cruel heart!"

In reality, nothing had happened between him and that third-rate starlet last night. He had taken her to the hotel room and just made her stand there and sing the song she had performed that night, over and over again. He didn’t tell her to stop until he felt tears welling up in his own eyes. Afterward, he’d locked himself in the bedroom and fallen asleep, leaving the starlet alone outside.

He just wanted to use this news story to provoke Naomi Shaw. He hadn’t thought about anything else. He’d hoped she would see it and question him, confront him, seek him out. But she hadn’t.

Naomi Shaw coolly pulled her arm from his grasp. "Compared to all the pain you’ve caused me, I don’t think I’m the cruel one!"

Julian Donovan was on the verge of collapse. The alcohol from last night still lingered, making his temples throb with pain. Compounded by his rage, sweat began to bead on his forehead. He desperately wanted to scream at her again, but the headache left him with no strength to confront her. He just clutched his forehead, staggered, and collapsed onto the office sofa. "Get me some painkillers!" he ordered coldly.

Seeing him like this, how could Naomi Shaw’s own heart not ache?

But all she could do was endure. Right now, enduring was her only option.

She went to get the first-aid kit, found the painkillers, and handed them to him. She also poured him a glass of water and helped him take them. Watching him lie there dejectedly, his hand pressed to his forehead in pain, she longed to go over and gently rub his temples, to whisper a few words of comfort.

But she couldn’t.

After putting the first-aid kit away, she turned to leave. His low, hoarse voice sounded from behind her. "What on earth did I do wrong? Why are you being so cruel to me?"

A dull ache spread through her heart, and she stumbled, tears almost spilling from her eyes.

His voice continued from behind her, sounding weak and feeble from the headache. "Whatever I did wrong, just tell me. I’ll change!"