CEO Ex-Husband, Don't Bother Me-Chapter 93 - 91: The Cruelest Part 1

In his memory, she was such a gentle and mild girl, someone who would never make such a teasing joke. He looked at the woman on the ID card, whose eyes were tranquil and whose name was registered as Anna Quinn. The last flicker of hope in his heart was extinguished.

’Maybe she really isn’t her. Maybe I’m just getting my hopes up.’

While the two of them were locked in a silent confrontation, Joy, in her arms, blinked her bright, dark eyes and glanced nervously between them. Then, the delicate little girl snuggled deeper into her embrace and said plaintively,

"Mommy, Joy doesn’t want to be here. Joy wants to go home..."

She looked at Joy, both shocked and delighted, as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Joy, you... you..."

Because in all her life, Joy had never spoken such a long sentence. Most of the time, she was silent, occasionally saying a simple word or two like "hungry" or "potty." She had no idea her daughter could even say something so long!

Julian was also quite surprised. Children with autism generally have poor verbal skills and lack responsiveness to people or their surroundings. When he had taken her from the young nurse outside just now, he had clearly seen a hint of resistance in her wide eyes, but she had ultimately let him carry her in.

Although things between him and her were complicated, he was first and foremost a doctor. He immediately composed himself and asked a few serious questions about the little girl’s daily behavior and reactions before saying,

"I will review the brain scans the doctor took yesterday and give you an answer as soon as possible."

She was very grateful, then stood up with Joy in her arms to leave.

As she reached the door, his deep and somewhat sorrowful voice came from behind her.

She froze in place.

He said, "Regardless of whether you’re her or not, please accept my apology on her behalf. It would make me feel a little better. I’ve wanted to say this to her for years, but I never got the chance."

She didn’t turn around, her voice full of sarcasm and indifference.

"I’m sorry, but I don’t accept. Even though I’m not her, I know that some wounds can’t be healed with a simple ’sorry.’"

With that, she held her daughter and left without a backward glance.

’What’s the point, Julian?’

’Isn’t it a little too late to say you’re sorry now?’

’And this so-called guilt of yours... is it because you hurt me all those years by not loving me? Or is it just guilt over me losing my life?’

’Although his apology moved her a little, she was no longer the same Naomi Shaw who had foolishly loved him. She wouldn’t be overjoyed by a single word or look from him anymore. From now on, she would only open her heart to those who were good to her and her daughter.’

’Maybe their divorce had been too absolute, too impulsive, too fast. She hadn’t listened to his explanations, and his attempts to win her back had lacked sincerity. But after surviving that disaster at sea, she felt that love and hate no longer mattered. Nothing was more important than being alive.’

Julian watched her indifferent back disappear through the door, then slumped against his chair.

Even though everything she had done so far proved she genuinely didn’t know him, he was still unwilling to believe it.

’She has to be Naomi Shaw. I’m sure of it. Her face and figure are unchanged. The only thing that’s different is her mind.’

’But has she really lost her memory? Or is she just deliberately refusing to acknowledge me? It’s possible the sea accident left her with some aftereffects. If she really has amnesia, I still have hope. But if she’s intentionally pretending not to know me... that would be the most devastating possibility.’

As he leaned back, frowning in thought, a word suddenly flashed through his mind: ’Nurse?’

He suddenly recalled the young nurse outside explaining why the woman was late, saying she seemed to be a nurse. He also remembered that being a nurse had once been her greatest passion; she had been studying on her own for years after they got married.

’If this profession also matches, then no matter how much she tries to hide it, it’s useless. She is Naomi Shaw! How could there be so many coincidences in this world?’

He bolted out the door in a few long strides and grabbed the young nurse, who was looking down and playing on her phone.

"Did you just say she’s a nurse?"

The young nurse had been slacking off and was scared out of her wits by his sudden appearance.

"Who? Who?"

"That... Anna Quinn, from just now!"

He had wanted to say Naomi Shaw, but he swallowed the name back and switched to the unpleasant-sounding "Anna Quinn."

The young nurse uncomfortably pointed at his hand.

"Director, COUGH, COUGH, could you please let go of me first?"

’I’m suffocating, okay?’

Julian glanced at the young nurse’s reddened face and realized he had lost his composure. He let her go and took a step back. The nurse gasped for a few breaths before speaking.

"Oh, you mean Anna Quinn. She’s a nurse at Donovan Hospital! I have classmates who work there, too. They all know her!"

"Donovan Hospital?"

A dangerous glint flashed in his eyes. The young nurse nodded.

"Mhm. And I also heard that she and the director of Donovan Hospital, Sean Donovan, are a couple. That little girl, Joy Donovan, is her daughter with Sean Donovan..."

The expression on Julian’s face was beyond shock. He stepped forward, grabbed the young nurse again, and roared furiously.

The young nurse nearly fainted from fear, tears shining in her eyes.

"I-I-I said Joy Donovan is Anna Quinn and Sean Donovan’s daughter..."

The moment the words left her mouth, she saw her director suddenly release her. His face was deathly pale as he clutched his stomach, bending over in pain and leaning against the desk. Frightened, she rushed forward to ask,

"Director, what’s wrong?"

Julian ignored her, remaining bent over until the wave of stomach spasms passed. Then he straightened up, slammed the door, and walked into his office. ’Could he tell her his stomach hurt because he was literally sick with anger?’

He hadn’t eaten breakfast or lunch. Compounded by the shock of her indifference earlier, and now hearing what the young nurse had to say, the overwhelming rage had triggered his stomach spasms.

’The cruelest thing wasn’t that she had died in that sea disaster. It was that she was still alive. Alive and well. Alive and well, and she’d forgotten him, had a daughter with another man... and that man was his own half-brother, his sworn enemy!’

’To meet again after three years, only for her to deliver such a fatal humiliation.’

’Fine! Just fine, Naomi Shaw!’

’No wonder her daughter’s surname was also Donovan. He had once hoped she was his daughter. Now, the thought was nothing but a bitter irony.’

A knock came from the door.

"Director, I’m a doctor from the gastroenterology department. Nurse Draper just told me you weren’t feeling well, so I came to check on you..."

Before the doctor could finish, a furious roar from inside sent him packing. The doctor gave the young nurse a helpless look and walked away.

After the doctor left, the young nurse went to the end of the hall and made a call. Clutching her phone, she launched into a tearful tirade.

"You stupid Felix Draper! You jerk! Didn’t you say the director was your friend? Didn’t you say he was a nice guy? Didn’t you say working right under his nose would be easy? Why is he so terrifying?"

The young nurse was Felix Draper’s sister, Reina Draper. Back when she was choosing her major for the college entrance exams, she had defied her family’s objections and insisted on becoming a "white-robed angel," nearly giving the Draper family’s old master a heart attack. But just a few days into university, her passion faded, and she started clamoring to switch majors. The old master of the Draper family stubbornly refused to indulge her whims, so she ended up studying clinical nursing for four years—and of course, she was terrible at it.

Now that she had graduated, she got into Mercy through Felix Draper’s connection with Julian. But her skills were so poor they were afraid she’d harm someone. Since Julian was in Wincastle this time, Felix took the opportunity to have her moved to the position of director’s assistant.

"Reina Draper, stop making trouble out of nothing. If you don’t want to do the job, just say so!"

Felix Draper knew his sister’s temperament. Reina Draper protested angrily,

"Who’s making trouble? You have no idea how terrifying he is! He’s been acting all weird and moody since he got here this morning. And after that Anna Quinn brought her daughter in, he completely lost it and started yelling at people!"

Hearing Reina Draper say this, Felix Draper fell into thought on the other end of the line. Logically, Julian wasn’t the type to lose his temper randomly at work. Reina forcefully defended herself,

"I swear it’s true! I’m telling you, I can’t take this from him!"

"Anyway, I quit! I want to be a celebrity. Big Bro, can you talk to my sister-in-law? Ask her to let me join her company and be an artist!"