Once a Doormat Now Untouchable (Caleb and Sydney) novel Chapter 361

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**Chapter 361**

Sydney stood frozen, her heart racing at Julian’s unexpected proclamation. It was as if time itself had paused, leaving her suspended in a moment thick with tension. She approached him deliberately, her movements steady despite the whirlwind of emotions inside her. With a practiced motion, she uncapped the tube of ointment, the faint scent of menthol filling the air as she began to apply it to his injured leg.

“Whether it’s true or false doesn’t change anything,” she said, her voice steady, yet devoid of warmth. There was an underlying chill in her tone, one that hinted at the distance she had placed between them.

The weight of her unspoken thoughts hung heavily in the air, almost palpable. She had nearly uttered the words that lingered at the edge of her mind: “It has nothing to do with you anymore.”

For the first time, Julian felt a surge of anger welling up inside him, a fire with no clear target. It was a disorienting sensation, one he had not anticipated.

As she continued to tend to his wound, Sydney maintained her composure, her fingers deftly dipping into the ointment and smoothing it over his skin with a gentle touch. The cool balm melted under her fingertips, a stark contrast to the heat of the moment.

Julian shifted restlessly, the frustration bubbling within him. “How can you say it doesn’t change anything? Isn’t your reason for cutting me off because you want to remarry him?” His voice was laced with disbelief, a mixture of hurt and anger.

“Who said it had to be because of that?” Sydney replied, her gaze steady, challenging him to see beyond his assumptions.

She finished applying the ointment to his leg, her hands lingering for just a moment before she reached for the cap. But then, her eyes flickered to the bruise marring his cheek. With a resigned sigh, she squeezed out more of the ointment and gently dabbed it onto his cheekbone. “Or was the reason you left me back then just to raise another little sister?” she added, her words sharp yet tender.

Julian’s body stiffened at her question. It wasn’t solely her words that struck him; it was the way she tilted her head, the tenderness in her touch, and the flicker of pain in her eyes that no icy demeanor could conceal.

Despite her calm exterior, her expression betrayed a deeper turmoil, revealing the conflict that raged within her.

As he observed her, Julian’s anger began to dissipate, replaced by a sense of understanding.

“Fine,” he said, a faint smile breaking through his frustration. “Then tell me, what was the reason?”

His patience, a rare sight for anyone who had known him, was palpable in the air between them.

But Sydney remained unwavering. She withdrew her hand, capped the ointment with a quiet finality, and rose with an air of composed determination. “I’m done. I’m going home,” she stated, her voice firm as she turned to leave.

“Wait!” Julian called out, his voice slicing through the silence as she moved toward the door. He swallowed hard, frustration tightening his jaw. “If you’re leaving, then take Yoyo with you.”

The tone of his voice bore an uncanny resemblance to a couple embroiled in a custody battle, the weight of their shared history hanging in the air like an unspoken agreement.