I Called Him from Under an AVALANCHE, But He Declined to Bed His Secretary Chapter 02
Julian had a whole speech ready. My answer killed it in his throat.
He blinked at me, clearly thrown.
“You’re really okay with this?”
I smiled. “I’m done fighting it. Bring her back.”
He couldn’t even tell something was wrong with my eye from just across the room. What was the point of caring more than he did?
Julian didn’t say anything.
Then his whole face softened, and he pressed a kiss to my forehead.
“I knew you’d understand. You’ve always been the good one, Hazel.”
He was already dialing Sienna before the words had fully left his mouth. Right in front of me. His voice went tender the second she picked up.
“Pack your bags. You’re coming home.”
“Yeah, I’ll book the flight. Just let me know when you land — I’ll be there.”
I sat there and listened to every word.
He hung up grinning and pulled me into a hug. “I’m skipping work today. Let’s stay in — wanna watch a movie?”
I nodded.
In the screening room, he pulled up Interstellar. I stopped him before he hit play.
“Can we sit closer to the screen?”
The vision in my left eye was gone. Everything looked smaller, dimmer, half-missing.
He paused.
“Wait — you can’t see? Wasn’t your eyesight perfect? We used to sit in the back of the classroom because you could read the board from anywhere.”
My mouth twitched — not quite a smile.
“It’s not good anymore.”
He didn’t follow up. He’d already moved on.
By the end, I was crying. Julian sat next to me, untouched.
I had only seen him cry twice.
The first time was our wedding. He stood at the altar with tears running down his face and swore he’d love me forever.
The second was the day he let Sienna go so we could try again.
He came home wasted that night, eyes swollen and red, tears still wet on his face.
“Happy now? It’s only you now. From now on, it’s only you.”
The memory dissolved as the credits rolled.
Next to me, Julian was already on his phone, thumbs flying, the ghost of a smile on his lips.
I left without a word and drove to the hospital.
Dr. Emmett Cole, the eye specialist, ran every test available. By the end, his expression alone told me everything I needed to know.
My stomach dropped.
He was the best in the country.
“It’s not hopeless.”
“Your optic nerve was damaged by the extreme cold and stopped functioning — that’s what caused the blindness. Nobody in Oakhaven can fix it. The only facility with the right tech is in Westridge.”
My nails dug into my palms.
“Then I’ll go to Westridge.”
He slid a business card across the desk. “My mentor — he’s based in Westridge. But I won’t sugarcoat it. You’re looking at three years of treatment, minimum.”
I swallowed. When I spoke, my voice came out scraped raw.
“I’ll go.”
From the eye clinic, I went straight to my OB-GYN to pick up my post-miscarriage medication.
The doctor’s face tightened.
“You need to be careful with yourself. Your body’s been through a lot — getting pregnant again could be dangerous.”
My back stiffened.
This was not my first miscarriage.
The first time was the year we got married.
I’d gone with Julian on a business trip. One of his competitors caused a massive pile-up on the highway.
When the crash happened, I threw myself over Julian without thinking.
The child was gone.
When I woke up, his eyes were bloodshot and wrecked with guilt. He swore he’d spend the rest of his life making it up to me.
The second time was after I found out about him and Sienna.
The stress and rage wrecked me. I lost the baby.
Losing this baby in Snowcrest made three.
The pain in my chest was worse than the day the snow buried me. When I opened my mouth, my voice came out like something broken.
“I understand. Thank you, doctor.”
Outside the hospital, my phone buzzed. Harper had sent the divorce papers. I found a print shop on the way home and signed them.
I booked my flight to Westridge.
By the time I got home, it was dark.
Not a single text from Julian. He hadn’t even noticed I was gone.
I was at the front door when I heard it — high, flirty laughter drifting from inside.
My fingers froze over the keypad.
I opened the door. Sienna was pressed up against Julian in the kitchen, giggling while he cooked.
They both went still when they saw me.
Sienna untangled herself from him in a hurry.
“Oh — hi, Hazel.”
Julian’s expression didn’t shift. “It got late. She’ll stay here tonight — I’ll find her a place tomorrow.”
I said nothing.
I didn’t ask why a hotel wasn’t an option. There was no point.
I walked to the bedroom and set the divorce papers on Julian’s nightstand.
