Chapter 8

Chapter 8 A Hangover Soup 

Theheadlinewent “Antwan Navarro cheats with a female doctor; Jaslyn Peterson attempts suicide for love“. 

“Unbelievable. Doctors are homewreckers now?” 

“She looks like a total slut.” 

Well, she’s a doctor in a white coat, a whore without it.” 

“She’s way out of the league ofJaslyn.‘ 

” 

“So Jaslyn attempted suicidebecause of this woman?” 

“Antwan must’ve been seduced by her. Now that he’s come to his senses, he’s trying to pay her off, and she’s asking for a fortune. Shameless.” 

“I know her. She’s a doctor at Cloudview Hospital. The last name’s probably Nielsen.” 

“Isn’t Cloudview Hospital owned by the Navarro family? Maybe she slept her way into that job.” 

“People like her have no medical ethics. Cloudview Hospital should fire her.” 

The comments under the video were appalling. 

Most of them were Jaslyn’s fans. They didn’t know the truth but already branded Yolandaas the mistress. 

Yolanda stopped reading after a few lines. 

The video indeed went viral. 

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“This clearly looks like Jaslyn’s PR team at work,” Kaylen analyzed. “They probably paid to boost this topic.” 

Yolanda frowned. “But this is nothingto be proud of. Why would they do that?” 

Kaylen shook her head. “From my years in the showbiz, I’d say they’re trying to use this video to cover up her affair with Wayne. I told you at lunch, right? After her suicide was exposed, people beganto saythat the baby she was carrying was Wayne’s. They assume that she tried to kill herself because he refused to take responsibility.” 

Yolanda’s facedarkened. “So they’re throwing me under the bus?” 

“It’s working. Look, the publicopinionhas already shifted. They’ve stopped calling her a homewrecker and started trashing you instead.” 

“But I’m not even a celebrity.” 

“Exactly. Since you’re not famous, no one’s defending you. People feel free to rip you apart. And unless Jaslyn or Antwan speaks up for you, everyone will see you as the mistress. They even dox you. If this goes on, it’ll mess with your life and your job.” 

Yolanda let out a slow breath. Getting cursed at by strangers didn’t really bother her. 

But being used by Jaslyn? That was disgusting. 

She went straight to the VIP ward upstairs. Just as she stepped out of the elevator, she ran into Antwan. No one else was around. 

“You saw the trending topic, right? I want you and Jaslyn to clear things up, fast,” Yolanda said bluntly. 

Antwan looked indifferent. “Then stop going online.” 

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“Can you two be more shameless? Why should I take the fall for Jaslyn?” she snapped. 

Antwan frowned. “What do you mean ‘take the fall‘ for Jaslyn?” 

“Don’t play dumb. She’s the homewrecker. I’m not!” 

“Don’t you dare call her that! She’s not!” Antwan kicked the elevator doorandthen turned to glare at Yolanda. “She just fell in love with a scumbag. She’s the victim!” 

Victim? 

That was the biggest joke she’d ever heard. 

“And what about me? What wrong did I do?” 

Antwan scoffed coldly. “Didn’t we already break up?” 

“Antwan Navarro!” 

At that moment, the elevator doors opened. He stepped in. 

“Yes, people are cursing you, but what’s that got to do with me?” 

On her way back down to the office, Yolanda noticedthatdoctors and nurseswerelooking sideways at her, and even some patients were whispering about the scandal. 

“That pretty Dr. Nielsen? Wow, didn’t expect thatfrom her.” 

“Can’t judge a book by its cover. If I had her face, I’d land myself a rich guy too.” 

“But she’s a doctor. People like her disgrace the whole profession.” 

Back in the office, she received a call from Emely. 

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“Ms. Nielsen, it took me several tries to reach the owner, but…” 

Her heart sank. “Emely, what did they say?” 

“They want 1.5million.” 

“How much?” 

“I don’t think they really want to sellit. They probably threw out a crazy price on purpose. Ms. Nielsen, I knew your parents. I’d love to help you, but honestly, I think you should give up.” 

Yolanda clutched her phone and stayed silent for a while. “Thanks, Emely. But could you send me the owner’s number? I want to ask them myself.” 

“Sure, I’ll send it right away.” 

Emelyhad sent it to her, but she was in a rush to get off work, so she didn’t check it. 

It wasn’t until she got on the subway that she checkedthe message. Seeing the phone number, she froze. 

There were only two numbers she could memorize. One was her own, and the other…was Antwan’s. 

It was his number. 

She stared at that string of digits, locked in place for a long, long time. 

So he was the owner of the house. He had already bought back her parents‘ home long ago and never said a word to her. 

He even went there with her once. 

But the door was locked, and she could only peer inside through it. 

She had told him all kinds of stories from her childhood. She had wanted so badly to take a look inside. 

But he said, “It’s just an old shabbyhouse. What’s there to be nostalgic about?” 

“I want to buy it back.” 

“Oh, then you better work for it. But if you make me happy tonight, maybe I’ll help you.” 

There was a small bar outside the subway station where Yolanda sometimes went for a drink. 

Tonight, she didn’t just order a glass of wine. Instead, she ordered awholebottle. 

Recalling all the moments in the past eight yearsshe spentwith Antwan, she just realized how blind she used to be. 

How could she have been so stupid? She loved a man wholeheartedly and thought what she had sacrificed for him would move him. Yet she never realized that he only saw her as a toy for his amusement. 

She drank one glass after another as if getting drunk could erase the stupidity of those eight years. Soon, half the bottle was gone, and she was feeling dizzy. 

Then her phone buzzed. It was a message from Brent with a photo. 

The photo was taken under a streetlamp, probably in the momentbefore dawn. Afaint glow in the distancewas captured. 

The street looked silentand it could be seen from the shadow that the main figure’s hair was lifting in the breeze. 

It was only then that she suddenly realizedshe didn’t even know what 

Brent looked like. 

Her aunt had only mentioned once that he was very good–looking, to some extent, even prettierthan actresses on TV. 

At the time, she laughed on the phone, saying men should look more masculine than pretty. 

But her aunt insistedthathe was pretty yet not the least bit feminine. 

And that silhouette seemed to prove her aunt’s words. 

Even though it was just a shadow, it was strikingly attractive. 

He said, “Had an all–nighter with clients last night. Drank a lot.” 

Yolanda chuckled, took a picture of the nearly empty bottle in front of her, and sent it over. 

“I’m still drinking.” 

“Alone?” he asked. 

“Yeah.” 

“I’ll keep you company when I get back.” 

Reading that message, she feltwarmth in her heart. He didn’t say girls shouldn’t drink; nor did hescold her for being out alone at night. He simply said he’d accompany her. 

“Didn’t you say you don’t like drinking?” 

“Yeah, it messes with my stomach. But it’s not like I can’t drink at all.” 

“Does your stomach hurt now?” 

“A bit.” 

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“Iknow how to makea hangover soup.” 

“Teach me howand I’ll make it for you.” 

Yolanda smiled, and before she knew it, tears fell from her face. 

She had gotten drunk before during those eight years. She’d felt miserable before. But Antwanhad never once offered to make her a hangover soup.