Chapter 0007

After meeting Jonathan, Zoey decided to visit her boyfriend, Daniel, at the hospital. Daniel was supposed to come to Zoey's café, but she had told him not to, especially since Jonathan, Hayden, and their cousins were hanging out there.

Ugh, Zoey hadn't even fully agreed to marry Jonathan, yet everyone assumed she had, and here's the kicker—they were getting married in three days.

Crazy, right? But that was the reality. The situation was urgent, and Jonathan couldn't stay in the country for long. The company needed him, so everything was rushed.

"Daniel?" Zoey said, surprised to see him already at her café—along with a young, pregnant woman.

'Oh my God, why did Daniel come here? I told him I'd meet him at the hospital. Ugh, Hayden is here, and so is Jonathan. I'm doomed!' Zoey thought to herself.

"Zoey," Daniel called softly, walking toward her while holding the hand of the woman next to him. "I'm sorry we couldn't meet at the hospital. My mom was there, so I decided to come here. I also have something to tell you."

"Let's sit over there." Zoey smiled awkwardly at Daniel, feeling the eyes of her cousins and Hayden on her, which made her feel constrained.

Daniel and the woman sat down, and Zoey followed, again smiling awkwardly at them both.

"I wanted to say…"

"I need to talk…"

Both of them spoke at the same time, clearly nervous.

"Oh, you go first, Daniel."

Daniel Smidt, a 26-year-old doctor, nodded awkwardly. "I want to apologize, Zoey. You're a beautiful and talented woman."

'That's a bad sign,' Zoey thought, still smiling gracefully, though her heart was already pounding. She had a bad feeling about this.

"I love you. But—I can't wait for you anymore, Zoey. I'm sorry."

"What do you mean?" Zoey asked, even though she already knew. She chose to ask anyway, though their intentions were the same, it still hurt.

"My parents never approved of our relationship. I'm sorry, there's a difference in our statuses. I'm a doctor, and you're just a waitress in this café," Daniel explained.

Zoey smiled sweetly once again, even though… it hurt so much! Daniel had no idea that Zoey actually owned the café, nor did he know that she was the daughter of the Phillips family.

But why did it still hurt when Daniel made their status an issue? All humans are created equal! But in reality, many still cared about social status, like Daniel.

'I humbled myself and pretended to be simple so you wouldn't feel insecure about finances. I wanted you to feel like you were worthy of standing beside me. But apparently, a waitress is too low for your family,' Zoey thought.

"And… this is Maya. She's seven months pregnant by her ex-boyfriend. But since he refused to take responsibility, my family wants me to marry her. I'm sorry," Daniel spoke gently, suddenly pulling something out and handing it to Zoey. "Here's my wedding invitation, and I hope you can attend."

"Oh, that's okay. Congratulations, Daniel," Zoey said, accepting the invitation. "Oh, and I need to get back to work. My boss might get mad if I just sit around. Sorry, but I have to go."

Zoey quickly excused herself, walking briskly and leaving. Even though she didn't have deep feelings for Daniel, it still hurt to be in this position. Maybe it was just her ego, not wanting to be the one dumped first.

But why did it have to be because of her job? She didn't love Daniel yet, but she had put in so much effort for him. Zoey had even pretended to be a waitress in her own café—just so Daniel would feel confident and worthy of her.

"It's okay. The important thing is that I didn't hurt him first. Now I don't have to explain anything to Daniel," Zoey muttered, trying to console herself.

"Hmph…" But in reality, Zoey still cried. First, Jonathan rejected her because of their age gap, and now Daniel rejected her because of social status.

Meanwhile, Jonathan had been watching the entire event between Zoey and Daniel. He even followed Zoey when she went to the café's kitchen. Jonathan saw her go to the corner of the room and sob quietly.

That made Jonathan furious! Damn it!

–

"Dad, I want to marry Zoey tomorrow."

"Are you out of your mind?!" Gabriel looked at Jonathan with a mix of confusion and warning.

"They're trying to get the company's data, and I need to return as soon as possible. If it's not tomorrow, then there won't be another day for the wedding. It's tomorrow or never!" Jonathan said flatly, staring at his father with an unreadable expression.