When He Refused Her Invitation to Dance, She Did the Unthinkable
Previously: When Elena asked Julian for a dance at the charity gala, he gently refused from his wheelchair. But Elena wasn't about to let him spend the night in the shadows.
The mocking laugh belonged to Victoria, Julian’s ex-wife, who stood clad in a shimmering, diamond-encrusted gown. Beside her was Richard, a notorious billionaire known for his ruthless business tactics and arrogant demeanor. Victoria looked down at Elena with a look of supreme disgust, her eyes dripping with malice.
"Oh look, Julian has finally found someone desperate enough to pity him," Victoria sneered, her voice carrying across the quieted ballroom. "Let me save you the trouble, darling. Julian is completely useless. He can't dance, he can't walk, and he certainly has nothing to offer a girl like you."
The surrounding guests paused their conversations, turning their attention to the brewing drama. Julian’s face drained of color. He tried to pull his hand back from Elena's grasp, his shoulders slumping in deep humiliation. He had spent years trying to rebuild his dignity, only to have his ex-wife tear it down in a single moment.
The Cruel Truth Revealed
Victoria wasn't finished. She leaned in closer, ensuring the nearby crowd could hear every cruel word. "Did he tell you how he ended up in that chair? He threw himself in front of a collapsing iron structure at a construction site to save me, thinking he was some kind of hero. But the moment the doctors told me he’d never walk again, I realized I couldn't waste my youth being a nurse. I divorced him the next month."
Richard laughed, patting Julian’s shoulder mockingly. "He’s barely half a man now. Just a charity case at a charity gala."
Elena felt a wave of hot anger wash over her. She stood up, her eyes flashing with determination. She looked Victoria straight in the eye. "He didn't lose his legs because he was weak," Elena said, her voice ringing clear and strong. "He lost them because he had the courage to protect someone—even if that person turned out to be completely unworthy of his sacrifice."
While Victoria gasped in outrage, Elena turned back to Julian. She knew words weren't enough. She had to show him that he was still whole.
”She had to show him that he was still whole.