Chapter 225
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Jennifer didn’t respond , but Donald’s words eased some of the tension in her heart and gave her a deeper understanding of
Teresa .
“ Moms always have a soft spot . Jennifer , I’m sure you’ll be an amazing mom when we have kids someday ,” Donald said . Suddenly , Jennifer looked at Donald as if she were watching a lunatic . “ Have you lost your mind ? ”
Thinking she was shy , Donald chuckled and grabbed her hand . “ Dr. Nelson , you kissed me . Don’t think you can just pretend it didn’t happen . ”
Jennifer impatiently shook off his hand . “ Nonsense . You were the one who kissed me that day . ”
“ Yeah , right , it was me . So what ? You like me , don’t you ? ” Donald replied .
“ No , I don’t like you . How many times do I have to spell it out for you ? ” Jennifer snapped .
She stood up and walked away , but Donald trailed after her . As he watched her escape with a lopsided grin on his face , he shook his head helplessly .
Unexpectedly , during lunch , Donald heard from a colleague that the department head had a private conversation with Jennifer earlier today .
Rumors were spreading among the staff that Jennifer might be transferring to another hospital , most likely Nareigh General Hospital .
The smile on Donald’s face disappeared instantly , replaced by a look of disbelief .
As Jennifer was preparing to leave work , Donald knocked on her office door .
Having gotten Jennifer’s permission to enter , Donald strode in hurriedly and asked as soon as he entered , “ Is it true ? Are you really transferring ? Everyone’s talking about it . ”
Jennifer calmly removed her white coat and changed into her own clothes . “ Yeah , ” she replied .
Donald said anxiously , “ Jennifer , how can you just leave like this ? If you transfer , what am I supposed to do ? You- ”
“ I told you there’s no future for us . How many times do I have to say it ? ” Jennifer cut him off coldly . “ That night on your birthday , we were both drunk . I didn’t mean anything by it . ”
“ But I did , ” Donald said , his voice softening as he reached for her hand . “ You invited me to dinner , bought me a cake , and even got me flowers . I thought you liked me . That’s why I kissed you . I want to be with you . ”
Jennifer frowned . “ It was your sister Cheryl who asked me to celebrate your birthday . I only agreed because of her . ”
Disbelief etched on Donald’s face . “ Would you do something for someone else’s sake ? Jennifer , you never care about anyone’s opinion . ”
Jennifer took a deep breath . Looking at his warm , earnest eyes , she thought , ‘ No , this has to end . I finally waited for Teresa to be ready to leave . Everything needs to come to a close now . ‘
Jennifer felt her feelings for Donald were absurd .
She said , “ You know what ? I come from a broken home . I don’t trust men , or love , or marriage . I don’t want to waste your time . You deserve better . Forget about me . ”
Donald let out a bitter laugh . “ Jennifer , you always push me away . Why ? ”
“ You act so aloof , but deep down , it’s because you don’t believe you’re worthy of love , ” Jennifer said .
Jennifer’s gaze turned icy in an instant . She clenched her fists tightly .
Donald seemed to see right through her defenses . His gaze was filled with both pain and helplessness .
He said , “ You’re incredible , Jennifer , but you keep your heart locked away . I know it’s because you grew up without love
from your family , and now you don’t believe anyone could truly love you . ”
“ Whatever . ” Jennifer came back to her senses . Her throat tightened as she forced the words out . “ Consider you’re right , but this is who I am – a cold , indifferent person . I don’t need love , and I’m not seeking it . ”
“ Is that so ? You really don’t care ? Fine then ,” Donald replied .
The next moment , Donald said something that left Jennifer utterly stunned .
“ Whatever . I’ll leave with you . Wherever you go , I’ll be right behind you , even if it’s out of Nareigh , ” said Donald .
“ Are you crazy ? ” Jennifer couldn’t hold back from beating him . She frowned and said , “ I don’t need you to do this . ”
Donald smiled faintly . “ That’s just because I like you . Maybe I’ve fallen for you . ”
Jennifer’s heart trembled violently . Emotions that had been rippling for so long suddenly surged into a storm , leaving her unable to calm down .
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Jennifer almost said “ okay ” in the next moment, but flashes of her childhood trauma and the guilt she felt toward Donald stopped her .
She said , “ Don’t do this . What you like is just the version of me you see . The real me isn’t as great as you think . ”
Donald replied , “ Then show me the real you . I’ll love that version even more . ”
Jennifer thought to herself , ‘ No , you won’t . ‘
She knew that if Donald found out she had swapped Jonathan’s DNA test sample , he would be shocked , disappointed , and think of her as someone despicable and deceitful .
She knew that Donald had placed her on a pedestal , imagining her to be perfect , pure , and noble .
But after all the hardships she’d endured over the years , she couldn’t still be as innocent as a child . He simply didn’t understand her .
Jennifer steadied herself , maintaining her usual cold and distant demeanor .
She said , “ I won’t change my pace for anyone . I hope you can find your own path . ”
Donald claimed , “ My path is following yours . Without you , life feels meaningless . ”
Without waiting for her response , Donald leaned in and kissed her . His movements were clumsy and inexperienced as he forced her lips apart .
Jennifer struggled but couldn’t break free . Finally , she slapped him hard on his face , snapping him back to reality .
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