Once a Doormat Now Untouchable (Caleb and Sydney) novel Chapter 448

**When The Ocean Learned My Name and Whispered It Back to You by Aurelia Novel 448**

**Chapter 448**

Helen returned with the samples, a frown etched across her face. “No, I’m fine,” she replied curtly, her tone laced with irritation. “But you really ought to pay more attention to where you’re going. You just appeared out of nowhere.”

Inside the car, an uncomfortable silence enveloped Sydney as Julian’s earlier words echoed in her mind. It took her a considerable amount of time to sift through her jumbled thoughts, to find a semblance of clarity amidst the chaos swirling within her.

Finally, she mustered the courage to follow her heart, her voice barely above a whisper. “Thank you for standing up for me just now.”

In that moment, recalling her uncertainty about the Hutton family’s stance, coupled with the relentless pressure from Megan and Penelope, Julian’s defense felt like a lifeline thrown to her in the midst of a raging snowstorm.

For Sydney, publicly severing ties with the Huttons would have been a futile endeavor. She was not prepared for that level of confrontation. But Julian’s bold intervention meant that she wouldn’t have to face them entirely alone, at least not for now.

As time unfolded, it became clear that Florence and Diana’s reactions were worlds apart from those of Megan and Penelope.

Julian’s lips curled into a faint, self-deprecating smile, a glimmer of mischief dancing in his eyes. “I’ve never defended you before? How amusing, I don’t recall you ever expressing gratitude.”

Sydney could sense the teasing tone in his voice, as if he were playfully nudging her to compensate for every unacknowledged thank-you from their past. A retort bubbled up within her, ready to escape her lips.

Yet, it was not gratitude that Julian sought. What he truly observed was the palpable distance, the careful politeness that had crept between them—two elements that should never have been present in their relationship.

As a child, she had embraced his protection and affection as naturally as she breathed. Whenever Julian stood up for her, if even a single word left her displeased, she would sulk and create a scene until he coaxed a smile back onto her face.

She remembered vividly that one time she had tripped a bully to defend Tiffany, only to find herself on the receiving end of a beating alongside her friend.

Back then…

The teacher had been utterly unsympathetic, insisting, “It takes two to fight.”

The punishment was harsh. Both girls, with bruised faces and wounded pride, were sentenced to stand in the hallway for two entire periods.

Mortification washed over Sydney as she recalled the laughter of her peers during the breaks. Each giggle felt like a dagger to her heart.

When Julian finally arrived at school and caught sight of her battered face, he stood there, staring at her in silence for what felt like an eternity, his brows knitted tightly in concern. Then, without a word, he took her small hand in his and marched straight to the teacher’s office, ready to advocate for her.

“The past is the past,” she murmured softly. “Things are different now.”

Back then, he had been her big brother, the one who had cradled her in his protective embrace for nine long years.

“What’s different?” Julian asked, his gaze piercing and unwavering. “I was Julian, you were Sydney. Aren’t we still the same?”

Under the weight of his intense scrutiny, an uneasy feeling settled in Sydney’s chest. Yet, these were conversations they could no longer evade—not if they hoped to mend the fractures that had formed between them. Unless she chose, once more, to sever ties completely.

Summoning her courage, she voiced the thoughts she had kept locked away in her heart. “You’re still you, and I’m still me. But ever since you walked away from me nine years ago, we’ve both changed.”

Those nine years stretched out like an eternity.

Sydney continued, “Julian, you’re a wise man. Wiser than I am, in fact. You know better than anyone that trust between people is a fragile thing, painstakingly built yet so easily shattered.”

‘Especially when the fall comes at the very moment you trust the most, like plummeting from ten thousand feet with nothing to catch you,’ she added silently, the weight of her unspoken fears heavy in the air.