Once a Doormat Now Untouchable (Caleb and Sydney) novel Chapter 381

**Chapter 381**

Agatha cast a quick, sidelong glance at Julian, her brow furrowing slightly. “Don’t you already have a girlfriend? Why are you so curious about this?” she asked, her tone laced with incredulity.

Julian, undeterred, leaned closer, attempting to coax the truth from her. Yet, Agatha remained steadfast, her lips pressed into a thin line, unwilling to divulge anything.

The first trimester of pregnancy was a delicate time, a fragile dance where the slightest misstep could lead to heartache. If anything were to happen to the child, the grief would be profound, and the world would forever remember the mother who had carried the burden of such loss.

Despite her generally open-minded nature, Agatha clung to certain traditional beliefs, particularly regarding the reputation of a young woman. It was a weighty matter, one that could shape futures and alter lives.

Julian, noticing the serious expression etched on her face, couldn’t suppress a chuckle. “Is it really that grave? Is it worth all this cloak-and-dagger secrecy?” he teased, trying to lighten the mood.

Agatha rolled her eyes, stifling a yawn. “It’s not that serious. Just stop asking questions,” she replied, her voice lacking any hint of the warmth one might expect from a grandmother. “Honestly, I’m tired. You can sit if you want, or you can leave. Your choice.”

To Agatha, the conversation about Julian and Sydney felt redundant. The notion of a second marriage didn’t faze her, but now, with Sydney evidently involved with someone else and expecting a child, there seemed little point in revisiting the past.

What she truly wished for was simple: Julian should treat his current girlfriend with kindness, marry her without complications, and eventually bless her with the great-grandchild she had longed for, a dream she held close to her heart.

Meanwhile, in a different part of the building, a voice broke through the quiet. “Syd, Mr. Clifford is here for his treatment.”

Sydney had just wrapped up with her last patient when Marcus ushered Jeremiah into her office.

She looked up, offering a polite nod. “Mr. Clifford, you can lie down here,” she instructed, her voice steady and professional.

He turned his gaze toward her, his voice tinged with quiet skepticism. “Dr. Wilson, are you genuinely saying you only started learning medicine in university?”

“Yes,” she replied, a trace of familiarity in her voice. She had been asked this question countless times before. Over the years, aside from Eloise, nearly every patient she treated had voiced the same incredulity.

Though the Shepard family had facilitated her introduction into the field, Sydney had learned the importance of self-protection. Her response was smooth and unforced. “Maybe it’s like Marc says. Perhaps I was just born with some talent,” she offered, a hint of humility coloring her words.

“Mr. Clifford, many patients have asked her that before,” Marcus interjected, maintaining a calm demeanor to deflect any lingering suspicion. “When she first entered Jouleston University, she didn’t know much at all. But she’s sharp. Every time a professor lectured, she grasped the meaning behind it and applied it far beyond what was taught.”

Sydney merely smiled faintly, choosing silence as her companion, though Marcus’s words stirred a cascade of memories within her.

Back then, she had been a mere freshman, and Marcus was revered as Alan’s favorite student, the most promising protégé in the eyes of everyone around them. The weight of expectations had been heavy, but it had also fueled their ambitions, driving them toward their respective destinies.