I Slept with My Boss and Ran Away

Justin was in trouble.

Meredith drove hurriedly to the hospital and was shocked to see the frail, thin figure of Justin on the hospital bed.

They hadn't seen each other for just a short while; how could Justin have lost so much weight?

Seeing Meredith, Justin was somewhat at a loss, "Meredith, why are you here?"

Justin had collapsed on the roadside and was brought to the hospital, his phone listing Meredith as the emergency contact.

A doctor was administering an IV to Justin as Meredith approached, "Doctor, what happened to my friend here?"

Meredith didn't wait for Justin's explanation, knowing he wouldn't tell the truth.

The doctor explained, "The patient fainted because he is severely anemic and malnourished from overexertion. Even if young people are usually in good health, they cannot neglect rest and nutrition."

Severe anemia and malnutrition-these words stunned Meredith. They had been orphans, managing school and struggling through society together, and never had they suffered from malnutrition. How could this be happening now?

Meredith immediately thought of the people living with Justin at his house. Those leeches, draining Justin dry.

Meredith suppressed her anger and told the doctor, "Thank you, I'll make sure he gets plenty of rest and proper nutrition."

"Alright," the doctor said, finishing his advice. "Once this IV bag is empty, he can go home, but he must rest and not overexert himself anymore."

After the doctor left, only Meredith and Justin remained in the room.

Justin looked ashamed, avoiding Meredith's gaze.

Meredith stared at him in silence, visibly upset that Justin had let himself get into such a state without reaching out for help.

"Meredith, I'm okay, the doctor is just exaggerating," Justin weakly attempted an excuse, "I've been dieting, eating less, that's all."

Meredith pulled up a chair beside his bed and fixed him with a stern look, "Why would this happen? Severe malnutrition and anemia? We used to work on construction sites making steel bars and never ended up like this. I want the truth." Meredith's tone was serious, and it prompted honesty.

Justin, knowing Meredith's temperament, confessed, "I was just trying to earn more money. After work, I started a part-time job delivering food. When it got busy, I'd skip meals. Meredith, I'll take care of myself better, don't worry." But what Justin shared was just the tip of the iceberg.

Besides delivering food, he was also working as an Uber driver. After food deliveries ended at ten at night, he would drive for Uber until around three in the morning.

He had to be at his primary job by eight-thirty the next morning, surviving on barely five hours of sleep a day.

And in his desperation for money, Justin had even resorted to selling his blood. He was scrambling to pay for Gemma's school fees, which his regular job couldn't cover. After Fiona moved out and asked him for money again, he had no choice but to borrow two thousand dollars from a coworker to give to her.

Meredith, without any suspicion, declared, "From today, you are not allowed to deliver food anymore. If you need help, just tell me. We've always said, share our blessings and face our challenges together. Terrence Sterling has given me quite a bit of money..."

"That's money Terrence Sterling gave to you, how can I take it?" Justin interrupted, "What would the Sterling family think of you? I can't be a burden to you."

"And you think I can be at peace seeing you like this?" Meredith scolded, frustrated, "Tell me, why are you so short on money? Is it because your parents asked you to pay for Tristan's treatment again? Justin, be reasonable. Tristan isn't your responsibility, why should you care?"

"Gemma has moved to the capital," Justin explained as he looked at Meredith, "They've formally made me Gemma's father. I am her dad now, I have to take care of her. She's so young, she needs to go to school."

"Justin, you're being foolish," Meredith said angrily. "You, a single man, taking on the role of a father for someone else, what will you do in the future? You'll be dragged down by them."

Justin's eyes welled up as he managed a weak smile, "Meredith, they are my family. I can't ignore them. Sitting together for a meal, it's a warmth I've never felt before, a family warmth." Recalling the hardships of the recent times, Justin's emotions nearly broke, tears glistening in his eyes.

Meredith was deeply moved. She knew how much Justin longed for a family. His unfortunate childhood and lack of family affection needed a lifetime to heal.

Seeing his state, Meredith stopped persuading him. She stayed with Justin until his IV treatment was complete, and as they were leaving the hospital, a blood donation card accidentally fell from Justin's pocket. Unable to hold back her emotions any longer, Meredith was overwhelmed.