The Comments Called Me the Villain, Then He Asked Why I Stopped Kissing Him Chapter 09

The Comments Called Me the Villain, Then He Asked Why I Stopped Kissing Him Chapter 09

The comments devolved into a full–blown war – two 

camps, screaming past each other. One side was 

adamant that Julian was a workaholic with zero 

tolerance for stupidity, built for ambition over 

affection. The female lead was his perfect match. 

The other side swore he was in love with me. I kept 

swinging back and forth, unable to land anywhere. 

I’d watched Julian tear into employees in person. Once, 

he’d looked at an HR manager and said, deadpan, “Did 

you get your brain Botoxed before you hired this 

person?” 

The HR manager had nearly tripped over himself apologizing. “I’m sorry, Mr. Hayes – what kind of candidate do you prefer? Someone outgoing, or more 

hands–on?” 

Julian didn’t blink. “Someone who isn’t brain–dead.” 

The HR manager walked out drenched in sweat, 

looking like he was about to pass out. 

So yeah the “hates stupidity” thing? Absolutely real. 

But years of living with the man- and especially the way he’d been acting ever since I started pulling back 

– made it harder to dismiss the other side. 

So I decided to run my own test. Julian was deep in a 

spreadsheet when I climbed onto his lap and held a strawberry to his lips. 

“Daddy… is it sweet?” 

The tips of Julian’s ears went red. His eyes flicked to 

the blinds. “There are people right outside.” 

“Fine, fine.” I slid off his lap as slowly as possible, 

watching his face the entire time. 

Something flickered in his eyes – disappointment, 

maybe – but it vanished so fast I couldn’t be sure I 

hadn’t imagined it. 

The next chance came at a class reunion. Julian went in 

first; I hung back in the hallway and texted him. 

[You’ve been in there forever. Are you still eating?? Don’t forget you’re taking me to get my nails done. And bring me strawberry shortcake on your way back.] 

One of his buddies leaned over and caught a glimpse of the screen. “Dude – Vivienne hasn’t changed at all, has she? Still clingy as hell. You’re running a whole empire, man. This cutesy girlfriend stuff doesn’t 

exactly match your image.” 

Julian’s mouth curved – just barely – and his voice went soft with something that sounded a lot like pride. “My baby can’t function without me. What am I 

supposed to do?” 

“By the way, none of your girlfriends have texted you 

once tonight. Oh, wait – that’s right. You don’t have 

any.” 

“And what makes you think she’s brainless?” 

The guy scratched his head. “I mean – all she does is shop, spend money, and take pictures. That’s not 

exactly brain surgery.” 

Julian’s expression didn’t waver. He looked completely 

serious. “You’re looking at it completely wrong.” 

“She designs every nail set herself – the patterns, the color palettes, every detail. Her eye is exceptional. 

Multiple professional nail artists have told her she has 

a gift.” 

“Wanting to share every little thing with someone that’s romance at its highest. She finds beauty everywhere and can’t wait to show it to me. That kind of enthusiasm is rare, and if you just imagined—” 

He stopped himself mid–sentence. 

His friends exchanged glances. “No, keep going- imagine what?” 

Julian leaned back. “Never mind. I don’t want you imagining her.” 

A collective groan rolled around the table. “Dude – you literally complain to us all the time. ‘She won’t leave 

me alone, I can’t focus, I have zero personal space.‘ 

That’s you. Every week.” 

My stomach dropped. Then someone else at the table 

cut in. 

“You know what – I finally get it. You love it. The 

clinginess, the chaos, all of it. You complain to our 

faces and then go home happy. You’re not venting – 

you’re bragging.” 

Julian stood. “It’s getting late. I’ve got a strawberry 

shortcake to buy for my baby.” He adjusted his cuffs. 

“The tab’s already covered. Take your time.” 

– 

“Big man picking up the tab again – legend.” 

I saw the door handle move and ducked into the room 

next door, heart pounding. 

Through the wall, I could still hear them. 

“You guys seriously don’t know? Julian’s been the quiet 

obsessive type his whole life.” 

“When Vivienne pinched his cheek the first time they met, he acted all annoyed – but that night, he 

straight–up refused to wash his face. He wouldn’t do it. 

She’d touched it.” 

Someone else jumped in. “And the kiss – he’d wanted 

to kiss her for years but never said a word. He just 

waited. And then she cracked first and kissed him at his 

sixteenth birthday party in front of everyone.” 

Someone laughed. “This man’s been playing chess 

since puberty.”