His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex-Wife Chapter 114: Drunken Confessions

Iris knew her own strength. Julian was big, strong, and heavy. She couldn't handle him alone.

"Mr. Cross, can you take him back to his room?"

Daniel was thin too, but he was a guy. He was at least stronger than Iris.

"Sure." Daniel bent down, slung one of Julian's arms over his shoulder, wrapped his other arm around Julian's waist, and strained to lift him.

He gritted his teeth, his face turning red from the strain. He finally got Julian on his feet and dragged him toward the room.

Iris panicked. "Wait, that's not the right room."

"Huh?"

Julian was dead drunk. He was 6'1" with solid muscles all over. He weighed Daniel down so much Daniel could barely stand straight or catch his breath. His head was fuzzy. All he wanted was to drop Julian on a bed quickly.

It was Daniel's first time there. He'd seen Iris come out of that room earlier, so he thought it was their master bedroom.

"His room is next door."

Iris couldn't stop him. She watched Daniel help Julian into her room. Both of them fell onto the bed at the same time.

Daniel jumped up fast, his face bright red. He propped himself up with his hands, his waist feeling like it would break. He panted heavily. "What did you say?"

Iris looked at Daniel, who was out of breath, then at Julian, who was completely unconscious. She shook her head awkwardly. "It's fine. Thanks for your help. Let me get you a glass of water."

"No, thanks."

Iris turned and walked out to pour a glass of warm water.

When Daniel came out, she held it out to him with both hands.

He couldn't say no, so he took it. "Thanks."

After drinking it, he wiped the sweat from his jaw. "Julian was acting weird tonight. He hasn't drunk this much in ages. We tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen. No one knows why."

Iris knew why, but she changed the subject. "Let me get you another glass of water."

"No." Daniel waved her off and set the glass on the coffee table. "I should head back now."

Iris saw him off politely. "Okay, thanks again for your help."

"You don't have to be so polite," Daniel said as he walked toward the door. "If Julian throws up later, check if there's blood. I'm scared he'll end up like he did two years ago."

Iris's heart tightened. She grabbed Daniel's arm fast. "Blood? What do you mean?"

Daniel turned around, surprised.

Iris let go of his arm right away.

Daniel frowned, confused. "Iris, you didn't know?"

Iris shook her head. A flutter of panic settled in her chest.

Daniel frowned, looking a little frustrated. "How could you not know? Right after you two got married, Julian went out drinking with us almost every night. If he couldn't find anyone to go with him, he'd drink alone. Once, he drank so much that he had stomach bleeding and ended up in the hospital. He didn't wake up until four in the morning.

"He pulled out his IV, ignored the doctors and nurses, and risked his life to leave the hospital. He kept saying he had to go home."

Iris's eyes watered. A sharp pain tugged at her heart.

Was being married to her that painful? So painful that he drank every night, even enough to cause stomach bleeding? If marriage was that terrible, why was he so set on going home?

Back then, Julian came home drunk every night around midnight. She was already asleep by then. By the time she got up for work the next morning, he was still in bed.

Their schedules were almost completely opposite. They barely saw each other.

"The doctors let him go home after the bleeding stopped. They just gave him some medicine," Daniel said, sounding helpless. "I thought you knew about this."

Iris smiled bitterly and pressed her lips together.

During these two years of marriage, Julian avoided her and gave her the cold shoulder at first. Later, when she realized he was deliberately pushing her away, she pulled back too. She was even colder than he was.

She knew almost nothing about Julian's life.

"Thanks. I'll keep an eye on him." Iris thanked Daniel again.

Daniel walked out the door, still looking worried. "Iris, can I ask you something? Did you two fight about something? Julian's been really off these past few days."

Iris asked back, "He didn't tell you?"

Daniel shook his head.

Julian hadn't told his friends. Maybe he thought there was still a chance to fix things. Maybe he didn't think they'd really get a divorce.

But to Iris, the divorce was set in stone. It wasn't going to change. Everyone would find out sooner or later. There was no point in hiding it.

"We're getting a divorce," Iris said calmly. "I hope you don't go drinking with him anymore. Drinking that much is bad for his health."

Daniel froze. He didn't know what to say. After a long moment, he managed one word. "Okay."

"Be careful on the way home," Iris said.

Daniel stared blankly. "Okay."

Iris closed the door, turned off the living room lights, and went into her room.

She walked to the bed, bent down, and touched Julian's forehead to check his temperature. She felt relieved when she saw he didn't have a fever.

She went to the bathroom, wet a clean towel with warm water, and wiped his face and hands. She took off his shoes and socks, pushed him to the other side of the bed, and covered him with a thin blanket.

It was already past midnight.

Iris was exhausted. She could barely keep her eyes open. She hesitated, wondering where she should sleep.

She wanted to sleep in the living room, but she was worried Julian would wake up and throw up blood in the middle of the night.