The Vanished Fiancé Has Returned - Chapter 9

Gabrielle clenched her trembling fists and bowed her head. “I didn’t use a full day of medical leave. I’ll take the rest this afternoon and tomorrow morning.”

She grabbed her coat and fled as if running away. As she burst out the door, startled stares followed her from the hallway, but Gabrielle kept her eyes ahead and walked swiftly out of the office.

When she trudged back home, a familiar figure stood in front of the villa. It was none other than her mother, Sabrina. The barely managed emotions boiled over the moment Gabrielle saw her. Tears welled up and she rushed forward.

“Mom!”

“Oh?”

Startled, Sabrina hesitated. Then, seeing her daughter crying and clinging to her, she awkwardly patted her back.

“What’s going on?”

“Let’s go inside. I’ll explain everything inside.”

Still sniffling, Gabrielle took her mother’s hand and led her up the stairs. They climbed in silence. As she opened the creaking front door, Gabrielle introduced the room for the first time.

“This is it.”

“It’s… cozier than I expected.”

Sabrina looked around the run-down room in surprise, then stepped inside. Once Gabrielle had calmed down, she brewed some tea and sat across from her mother to explain what had happened.

Sabrina’s eyes widened in shock, and her face quickly flushed red with anger.

“My goodness! What kind of scumbag does that?”

“Mom…”

“What if someone saw you entering the inn with him? It could’ve ruined your reputation!”

Gabrielle sensed that her mother’s outrage was misdirected, but it didn’t matter. Just seeing her mother angry on her behalf made her wipe away her tears.

“It’s alright. The company promised to keep me and the perpetrator apart as much as possible. And he’ll be punished legally too. Probably lightly, since I settled, but…”

“As he should! If you quit that job, where would you even go?”

“…Mom?”

Gabrielle blinked, sensing something was off. A cooled tear slid down her cheek. Sabrina, sighing heavily, scolded her.

“Still, you were partly at fault too. What kind of girl gets drunk at night and follows a man?”

“No, I… I was planning to say goodbye at the front desk…”

“Then you were just being stupid to believe that!”

Sabrina shouted and clutched her chest.

“You’re at the age to marry soon. What if this leaves a blemish? You’ve got a pretty face, maybe you could catch a rich man.”

The blazing fire in Gabrielle’s chest extinguished all at once. She wiped the tear off her chin with the back of her hand.

“Why… why did you come?”

She had hoped, foolishly, that her mother had come out of genuine concern.

“What do you mean, why? Living expenses.”

Sabrina extended her hand as if it were obvious.

“You were supposed to send it yesterday, weren’t you? I didn’t hear anything, so I came myself.”

“……”

“What’s with the silence? Don’t tell me you spent it all already?”

Gabrielle shut her eyes tightly and stood. She opened the drawer of her nightstand and pulled out an envelope of cash.

“Take it.”

It was money she had set aside the moment she got paid. She had hoped, just a little, that her mother had changed, but Sabrina was the same. She had come for money, and her words of comfort were only out of fear that Gabrielle might quit and stop sending payments.

“Leave.”

Sabrina smiled and took the envelope. Gabrielle grabbed her mother’s hand and pulled her up.

“Oh? What are you—”

“That’s enough. Please go. I need to rest.”

She was exhausted. She felt like she would collapse at any moment. Regardless of her daughter’s pale complexion, Sabrina shrugged indifferently.

“I was going to go anyway. Just don’t be late with the money from now on.”

Leaving behind that parting jab, Sabrina walked out. Gabrielle felt all strength leave her body. She staggered and collapsed onto the bed.

When she opened her eyes again, chills wracked her body. She couldn’t move. Her whole body was cold, and sweat poured down like rain. She wondered if she was going to die like this. Worse, she had no medicine left.

“I need… a hospital.”

Gritting her teeth, Gabrielle dragged herself up. Her vision swayed. She barely managed to change clothes and grab her wallet. Her legs felt like they were weighed down. She clung to the stair railing and descended step by step, but it didn’t take long for her body to give out.

Then, someone stopped in front of her. As if grasping at a straw, Gabrielle lifted her head.

“Help…”

Before she could see who it was, her body collapsed to the ground. Strong hands caught her as she fell.

***

When she came to, she was back home. But her condition had improved significantly since before she collapsed. Looking down, she saw a needle mark on her arm. She sat up in alarm, and immediately, someone pressed a hand to her forehead.

“Go back to sleep.”

Her head was gently lowered onto the pillow. Only then did Gabrielle realize who was sitting beside her.

“…Julian?”

Since the incident with John, she hadn’t seen this man again. Gabrielle had gone to thank him multiple times, but there was never any sign of life in his unit.

“I administered first aid. It was just the flu.”

“Are you… a doctor?”

“Just a bit of everything.”

Julian casually replied as he wrung out a towel from the basin and placed it on Gabrielle’s forehead. The cold, damp sensation startled her, and she stared up at him.

“Thank you for last time… I really wanted to say it properly, and now again, thank you.”

Instead of answering, Julian stood with his arms crossed, quietly looking down at her. From the beginning, his face revealed nothing of what he was thinking. She remembered the way he had growled in the dark during the John incident. Her instincts had warned her to stay away, but strangely, even then, she hadn’t felt afraid or like she needed to run.

“You saved me the first time we met… I keep being in your debt.”

“We’re neighbors.”

The answer was simple. After a brief silence, Julian asked, “Who left earlier?”

“…My mom.”

The words spilled out easily. She figured there was no point in hiding anything after showing him her lowest state. They hadn’t known each other long, but for some reason, even exposing her flaws in front of this man didn’t feel especially shameful or humiliating.

“She remarried and lives with my stepfather, stepsister, and stepbrother. I was basically kicked out of that house.”

“……”

“I send them money every month. Even after moving out. She came by today because I didn’t send it on time.”

Though she said it calmly, anger surged. Gabrielle took a deep breath and continued, “Everyone seems desperate to trample me. Honestly, I frustrate myself too.”

She already knew the answer. Cutting ties with her greedy mother was the solution. And with John, the right thing was to press for the maximum punishment.

But she couldn’t do either. If her mother left her, she would truly have no one left. And if she pushed harder against John, she feared she’d lose her place at work.

Not wanting to show weakness, Gabrielle turned away. She then heard a chair scrape back. Assuming he was leaving, she closed her eyes in quiet disappointment. But then his voice came again.

“I made oatmeal.”

“……”

“I’ll leave it on the table. Eat it later.”

“Wait.”

As his footsteps grew distant and the doorknob turned, Gabrielle suddenly turned and reached out.

“Could you… stay and eat with me?”

Julian stopped in place. Gabrielle pleaded, gathering all her courage.

“I don’t want to eat alone.”

Julian didn’t eat any of the oatmeal, but he stayed seated across from her at the table until she finished. That was all—but Gabrielle couldn’t stop crying while she ate.

He didn’t say anything, though it must have looked strange to see a woman sniffle through her meal. After she finished the last bite, Gabrielle lowered her head.

“Thank you…”

“For what?”

His voice was calm, almost toneless. In his dark eyes, she caught a glimpse of a quiet interest. Wondering if he found it strange, Gabrielle muttered with a feeble smile, “This is the first time someone’s stayed by my side like this without expecting anything.”

“……”

“Even my mom’s never done that.”

Her mother’s face flashed through her mind—looking refreshed, like she had finished her business the moment she got the money. She probably made a better mother to her stepchildren, since they were children of the man she loved. That contrast hurt.

“It’s been that way since I was young. I had to handle everything myself. Reaching out for help or asking for anything was always seen as being a burden.”

So that’s how she lived. If she was starving, she figured out how to make oatmeal on her own. If she got hurt, she’d find the first aid kit and treat herself. There was never anyone beside her to help. She had lived that way her whole life.

“And?”

Julian had listened quietly, and now he asked in a soft tone.

“……”

“How has that worked out for you?”

Though the question sounded pointed, his voice was strangely gentle. Gabrielle froze as a tissue reached toward her mouth. After a few seconds, she stared at the man who calmly wiped the food from the corner of her lips.

“Well…”

“……”

“Sometimes, getting help from a neighbor isn’t so bad.”

He didn’t reply. He simply smiled. It was a warm look, like someone watching a baby take its first step. The face that had seemed so cold now radiated warmth. At the same time, a fluttering sensation spread from her chest. Her ears grew warm, and she couldn’t meet his eyes, so she quickly looked away.