Julian’s Stand-In Wife

Those were indeed Julian’s exact words.

He was so frustrated, he couldn’t even reply.

After a while, he snapped, “Are you done?”

“No!” Diana took a deep breath. “You’re right. You were basically raising children while not knowing a thing about them. You’ve never experienced the pain and heartache of giving birth. How could you be anything but a happy and ignorant father?”

“Watch your words, Diana!”

The way Diana said it made it sound like he had been cheated on, and had raised children that weren’t his.

Now that it was confirmed that the two children were his flesh and blood, her words made him uncomfortable.

Julian crouched, annoyed. “The children are still here. Could your temper be any worse? It’d be great if you scared them all away. You’d be happy, wouldn’t you?”

This man never had any kind words for her. Diana was hurt by his accusations, but dared not speak loudly again.

“I’m more upset about Betty’s condition than you are,” she said. “Regardless, you have no right to criticize me.”

Julian sneered. “Everything you say is unacceptable, as always. I don’t know where you got such a temper.”

always like

always

because he never really listened to what she was saying. He only saw

he couldn’t see the vulnerability

didn’t

herself that they had nothing between

or wronged

He held his sister’s hand tightly and looked at Julian.

could call Julian “Daddy” with ease. Now,

knew that this time, Julian had come

at him expectantly. “What did you want

word “Daddy” seemed to be stuck in his throat, and he couldn’t say it

it now, just wait and try again

was much gentler with Sean than he was with

was wrong

sounded like he was scolding Diana; as if she, as their mother, didn’t do enough and made the children suffer. He was saying that the children would only have a

Julian really meant it.

had complicated relationships with Oliver, Simon, and many other men—it wasn’t conducive to the children’s