Loved Him 10 Years, I Walked Away

Chapter 3

Arabella stood at the back of the crowd, her heart aching as if a sharp spike had been driven through it.

In the past, Dorian cared more than anything about his reputation and dignity. Whenever they walked together in public, and she playfully tried to kiss him, he would always frown and avoid her.

Whenever she asked him to officially announce their relationship on social media, he would always brush her off with the excuse, "My profession makes it inconvenient to expose my private life."

But now, he openly acknowledged Evelina as his wife in front of everyone.

After signing the papers, Dorian's hands trembled violently. His eyes were filled with worry, completely ignoring the bloodstains on his clothes.

So that was what it meant when he truly loved someone, he could even abandon his principles.

After signing, Dorian stood anxiously in the hallway, waiting. It felt as though someone behind him was staring at him.

But when he turned around, Arabella had already disappeared around the stairwell corner.

Early the next morning, Dorian finally returned home, looking utterly exhausted.

He carefully removed his bloodstained coat and handed it to Arabella for dry cleaning.

It was unbelievable. He had severe mysophobia. In the past, if even a drop of someone else’s blood got on his coat, he would have thrown it away immediately.

Clearly, Evelina was truly special to him.

Seeing Arabella remain silent, Dorian explained himself, "Last night, Evelina attempted suicide. I couldn’t just ignore her. Don’t worry, I only took her to the hospital. Nothing else happened."

Arabella was brewing tea and did not even lift her head as she softly replied, "Mm."

"You’re not angry?" Dorian frowned slightly.

Arabella usually wore all her emotions on her face. If this had happened before, she would have already caused a scene.

But now she only spoke calmly, with a trace of sarcasm hidden in her tone.

"I’m not angry. After all, you’re a doctor. Saving people is your responsibility."

But only she knew the truth. It was not that she was not angry, she simply did not dare to be. Because the doctor had warned her that she could not experience intense emotional fluctuations, or her tumor could worsen drastically at any moment.

Dorian parted his lips as if he wanted to say something. But then the reminder alarm from the memo app on his phone rang, and he hurried into the kitchen.

Half an hour later, the dishes he brought out were pitifully sparse. Only a few vegetable leaves remained on the plates, and all the shrimp had been picked out of the soup.

"The food’s ready. Eat while it’s hot. I need to head back to the hospital to check on her. "He carried a Thermos flask toward the door, then deliberately paused to explain. "I’m worried Gideon might cause trouble for her again. She just survived a near-death experience, and her condition still isn’t stable. I hope you understand."

Arabella sat at the dining table, staring at the now-cold dishes without touching her utensils.

Only after he had been gone for quite a while did a notification suddenly pop up on her phone.

In the photo, Evelina was holding Dorian's hand tightly.

"So there really is someone in this world who values my life and death this much," she read the caption.

Arabella stared blankly at the tightly intertwined hands in the photo, suddenly recalling the past.

Back in the year when she pursued Dorian most desperately, she had once accidentally fallen into a ditch while chasing after his car. She had nearly lost half her life that day.

A steel plate had been inserted into her leg, and while crying, she sent him a photo of her injury.

But he had merely visited the hospital once and coldly told her, "Don’t keep doing things beyond your capabilities. I won’t pity someone who doesn’t cherish themselves."

Arabella felt suffocated by the pain in her chest.

Taking advantage of Dorian's absence, she walked into his study.

This was his forbidden territory. Inside were all his important documents and collections, and no one was allowed to enter.

Even Arabella herself was only permitted inside after repeatedly promising not to touch anything carelessly.

She had secretly placed her own photo album there, always using it as an excuse to stay close to him in the study. At first, he disliked it, but over time, he reluctantly allowed her to do as she pleased.

As Arabella reached for the photo album, she accidentally pulled out a diary along with it.

The moment she opened it, her entire body froze.

Inside was Evelina's diary!

March 5th. The first time I met Dr. Wrenford was in his living room. He was so cold and untouchable that he hardly seemed human. Compared to him, I was nothing but dirt beneath clouds. Even looking at him for too long felt like a form of blasphemy.

April 19th. I accidentally cut my hand today. Dr. Wrenford didn’t dislike me at all. He even put my finger into his mouth to stop the bleeding. At that moment, I understood that he cared about me too. But he insisted it was only a doctor’s sympathy for a patient. Still, I clearly noticed that the way he looked at me had changed.

May 2nd. Mrs. Arabella went away on a business trip. Dr. Wrenford drank a little too much and allowed me into his study. He saw my scars. That night, we became intimate in the study. After sobering up, he regretted it terribly and wanted to compensate me with money. I know reputation matters most to him. Although he has long grown tired of Arabella, he still refuses to betray her because of responsibility. It’s okay. I’ll be the villain instead. I pretended to be ill and moved away, giving him time to think things through.

May 20th. In the end, he still softened. He came to see me on his own. This time, I did nothing except hold him and cry. He didn’t push me away…

Every sentence felt like a poisoned needle stabbing into Arabella’s heart. So they had already been secretly involved for a long time!

The marriage she treasured like a priceless jewel had long since become a complete mess. Not only had Dorian allowed Evelina into the study, he had even been intimate with her there!

Meanwhile, from beginning to end, Arabella had been kept in the dark like a fool, blindly protecting a relationship that had already rotted away.

Arabella gripped the diary tightly as tears splashed onto the pages, smearing the ink.

Dorian, if you have already grown tired of me, why didn’t you just say it directly?

But soon, none of this would matter to her anymore.

Arabella photographed every single page of the diary before placing it back exactly where it belonged.

That night, Dorian stayed at the hospital to care for Evelina, then went to the clinic early the next morning.

Arabella went to the company alone, preparing to settle all business matters before leaving the country.

Not long after she sat down, her assistant hurriedly knocked on the office door.

"Mrs. Wrenford, there’s a woman outside asking to see you!"

Arabella’s brows furrowed tightly. When she stepped outside, she discovered it was Evelina.

Kneeling on the floor in her hospital gown, Evelina cried pitifully, tears streaming down her face. "Mrs. Arabella, I never intended to ruin your relationship with Dr. Wrenford. Please don’t misunderstand me!"