What Separates Me and You



Before Sophia could speak, she heard Seth ask, "Did you agree to it?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Oh, my sweet summer child." Seth sighed and chuckled helplessly. "How can you be happy when you've been played?"

She frowned. "What does that mean?"

"Nothing. Since you've agreed to take up the role, you should go for it."

Then, he hung up on her. He was rarely in touch with Sophia and had been staying out of her business.

When Seth was moving to Elysium, Sophia wanted to follow suit. However, her family was against the move. They only allowed her to go when she agreed to follow Seth's arrangements.

One could say that Seth's words carried a lot of weight in her life. Therefore, she treated him with respect and fear.

However, Seth did not seem to care much about Alvarez Corp anymore. She had no idea what he was onto nowadays. Moreover, she was confused by his remark. What did he mean when he said she had been played?

Josephine stayed for one more day at her job, helping Yona to carry her bag and filling in as an extra when needed. Whenever she had free time, she'd feel sleepy.noveldrama

Yona had stopped making trouble as well. She went to work on time. At most, she'd request Josephine to grab some takeout or book a restaurant. She'd even inform Josephine in advance and did not fuss over the details.

Josephine couldn't help but wonder if Lewis had talked with Yona. Why else would Yona behave that well?

After work, she headed back to Styx Mansion. On her way home, she wondered if it was time she visited Moss Corporation.

The company had undergone a name change. It was officially called the Jovance Corporation. The inspiration behind the new name couldn't have been more obvious.

Josephine was reluctant to go to the company when she learned about the new name. She put away the documents and got some shut-eye. When she arrived at Styx Mansion, Mrs. Larson approached her. "It's time for Mr. Alvarez to take his medicine."

Josephine paused in the middle of taking off her coat. "Did he not leave the house today?"

"He did, but he came home in the afternoon. Dr. Halliday said that Mr. Alvarez's condition had worsened. When you were not around, he refused to take his medicine or get the IV drip."

Josephine felt her eyelids twitching. She did not understand the reason behind Lewis' drama. "Let him be."

"If I let him be, he will not take the medicine."

Josephine was at a loss for words. Mrs. Larson was right. Knowing Lewis' stubbornness, he would rather die from his sickness than take the medicine.

Throwing her coat aside, she made her way to the second floor.

Mrs. Larson sighed. She went through a similar experience and empathized with Lewis. Some men would sabotage themselves to test their importance to their loved ones and gain attention. It was a display of insecurity. However, she had never, in her wildest dreams, expected Lewis to act out in that way.

Josephine opened the door to the study but did not find Lewis there. She went to the bedroom and found him sitting on the bed with a tablet in his hands. He seemed to be watching something.

She wondered if he had moved from his study to his bed because of his declining health.

He looked up when he heard the movement. "You're home."

His face was pale, and strands of hair fell across his forehead. He appeared rather pitiful.

She did not know if he was putting on an act. Still, she went up to him and touched him on the forehead. It was hotter than the last time she checked. "Why don't you go to the hospital when you're running a high fever?"

He grabbed her hand and removed it from his forehead. "It's not a big deal. It won't kill me. Don't worry about it."

"I'm not worried." She felt a ball of rage rising within. Moving her hand away, she questioned, "Are you going to the hospital or not?"

He said between coughs, "Do I have to?"

After a pause, she suggested, "You can call Dr. Halliday over."

"Sure. I'll do that." With a hand on his lips to suppress the coughing, he called Dr. Halliday.

Staring at him, she did not know what to say. If he was as authoritative as before, she could have protested against him. However, to her dismay, he was acting like a sickly patient. She even suspected that he had switched up his strategy.

Perhaps, he knew that he couldn't keep her around via sheer force, and he decided to gain her pity instead.

What a sly man!

Dr. Halliday arrived in no time. He put on a long face when he entered the room. Without checking on Lewis, he reported to Josephine, "Mrs. Alvarez, he's running a high fever and has a slight case of pneumonia. He needs an IV drip."

Frowning, she replied, "Well, give him the IV drip."

Dr. Halliday was speechless. Things would have been breezy had Lewis agreed to take the IV drip. He turned to Lewis emotionlessly. "Mr. Alvarez, do you want an IV drip?"

To his surprise, Lewis obediently extended his arm. Dr. Halliday secretly scorned Lewis' change in attitude. He took out the equipment from his bag and quickly hooked Lewis to the IV drip.

"That's it, Mrs. Alvarez. I prescribed two types of medicine for him. He must take the meds three times a day for a week."

She nodded and was reminded of the herbal concoction she was forced to drink. She wholeheartedly agreed with Dr. Halliday's prescription. It was time for Lewis to get a taste of his own medicine.

After that, Dr. Halliday packed his bag and left to put together the prescription for Lewis. The room was enveloped by silence after he left. Josephine was puzzled. "Mrs. Larson said you refused to take the IV drip and your medicine. But why are you willing to take them now?"

He gave her a confused look. "When did I do that? You saw me just now. I listened to the doctor."

"Why are you still feverish if you're taking your medicine?"

He lied with a straight face, "That only proves that Dr. Halliday is a mediocre doctor. His medicine doesn't work."

"Let's go to the hospital then."

To that, he answered, "Well, let's give him one more chance."

Dumbfounded, she wondered if she should trust his words. He was good at acting.

After a while, Mrs. Larson brought the medicine to him in the form of an herbal concoction. She saw Lewis' deep look from the corner of her eye and sheepishly handed the concoction to Josephine.

Josephine tried to down the concoction, but Mrs. Larson stopped her in time. "This is for Mr. Alvarez."

Josephine took a while to realize that this was Dr. Halliday's concoction for Lewis. She awkwardly handed it to him.

He lifted his hand but soon dropped it. Staring at her, he said weakly, "I can't move."

She studied his face, wondering if he was really weak. She sat by his bed and fed him a spoonful of the concoction.

Throughout the process, she noticed that he was expressionless when he drank the concoction. She started to wonder if his prescription tasted better than hers. That would have been a gross injustice.

She fed him another spoonful of concoction, which he drank calmly. Much to her disappointment, she did not see him wince at all. She blurted out, "Isn't it bitter?"

He shook his head and replied, "It's sweet."

"How is that possible?" She could smell the concoction while feeding him. It couldn't possibly be sweet.

Out of curiosity, she took a spoonful of the concoction as well.