Mrs. Zimmerman hesitated, her expression conflicted. “But she’s the one Mr. Wilfred brought to the banquet. Doesn’t that mean something?” “So what if he brought her?” Xena leaned closer, her voice low but sharp. “Does that prove she has any real status? Did you hear Wilfred formally introduce her?” She added in a conspiratorial tone, “Let me tell you the truth. My family is already planning my marriage to Wilfred. If you’re looking to connect with the right person, you’d better know whose side to take. Don’t back the wrong horse.” This time, Mrs. Zimmerman understood. “Thank you, Miss Gibson, for the advice.” She wasted no time, turning away from Haley and heading back into the banquet hall to mingle with her usual circle of society wives. Xena shot a disdainful glance toward Haley, who remained seated on the sofa in the distance. “Hmph!” Xena thought, her lips curling into a sneer. “I’ll make sure everyone here knows she’s just a mistress—a kept woman. Once the ru
Unlike Alex, who spent his days running around and playing sports nonstop, her two sons were like night and day—one was all brains, the other all brawn, a perfectly clear contrast. Chase remained silent on the other end of the call. He had already made plans with Uncle Richard to hack into a small company’s website today as practice. “Hmm?” Haley raised her voice when she noticed the silence. “Got it, Mom,” Chase replied, feigning agreement. “She won’t find out anyway. I’ll just practice first, then work out afterward,” he thought.“Alright, I’m hanging up now. Go eat something and make sure to rest and exercise. And if you miss me, just give me a call,” Haley reminded him one last time, her tone filled with care. “Okay, I will, Mom,” Chase replied. As the call ended, a sudden rustling sound came from behind her. Haley turned around sharply, her gaze landing on the large tree from which the sound had come. Her voice turned stern. “Who’s there? Come out!” “Hmph!” A
Haley didn’t get angry. Instead, she smiled faintly, her tone carrying a slight chill. Taking a slow step forward, she stood in front of Xena. “I’m looking forward to the day you marry Wilfred,” she said calmly. Without waiting for a response, she brushed past Xena and headed back toward the hall, taking the opposite direction from where she had come. Left alone in the garden, Xena stomped her foot in frustration. “What did she mean by that? Was she mocking me?”How dare Haley ignore her warning! Xena’s face darkened. “I’ll make her regret it.” As Xena stormed off, she ran straight into Justin. “Mr… Mr. Yates…” Xena stammered, her arrogance quickly replaced by nerves. “Did you see the woman who was just here on the phone?” Justin asked urgently. He had spotted her from the balcony and had rushed down in search of her, but the crowded banquet had delayed him. In just that short time, she had disappeared.Xena pursed her lips, indifferent. “Oh, her? She left.”“Left?
Haley walked straight to Wilfred’s side, saying nothing about Xena’s warning or even mentioning her. “You’re back? I didn’t see you earlier and was about to go look for you. It’s almost time to wish Mr. Gibson Sr. a happy birthday,” Wilfred said with a warm smile, nodding as he looked at her.“I was just taking a walk in the garden. The flowers there are beautiful,” Haley explained. Wilfred glanced out the floor-to-ceiling windows toward the garden. “If you like them, I’ll have them planted at Mistletoe for you.” He made a mental note of the flowers’ appearance and type—anything for his sister. “No need for that. We’re not here often. But if they could be planted at home, that would be even better,” Haley replied, referring to their estate in Merika State. “Alright, we’ll have them planted at home,” Wilfred agreed easily. At that moment, Mr. Gibson Sr. entered the banquet hall, supported by his son and daughter-in-law as he made his way to the stage. Dressed in a tai
Justin returned to the banquet hall, his tall, athletic figure standing just outside the crowd. His head was lowered slightly, and a faint sense of dejection seemed to hang around him. Emily Yates. Her name repeated endlessly in his mind, like a mantra he couldn’t escape. He had been so close—twice now. He had almost found her. The birthday celebration was already underway, and guests had gathered near the stage. Justin lifted his head, about to move forward, when his eyes caught sight of a figure in the distance.He froze. Narrowing his sharp eyes, he stared intently, confirming again and again what he was seeing. The noise around him faded into silence. The only thing he could see was the woman standing on the stage. Emily!It was her. The very person who haunted his dreams, night after night. She was there, right in front of him. Alive. Emily Yates wasn’t dead. The lights from above illuminated her figure, casting a soft glow that seemed to make her
Haley wouldn’t let a private matter with Xena cause a scene at a public event. Nor would she waste her energy on someone like Xena, who didn’t even register as a threat in her eyes. Xena, on the other hand, glanced at Haley. Her smile faltered, her expression unreadable. She gave a stiff nod, saying nothing. “My granddaughter is excellent in every way, but she’s a bit too mischievous,” Mr. Gibson Sr. said with a chuckle. Turning to Wilfred, he added, “While you’re in Haven State, perhaps you could help me keep her in line.” Wilfred offered a polite smile. “Miss Gibson is refined and intelligent, with your personal guidance from a young age. How could she possibly be mischievous?” Mr. Gibson Sr. burst into hearty laughter. “You certainly know how to flatter! Xena, take advantage of this time to learn a thing or two from Wilfred.” “Yes, Grandpa,” Xena replied softly, sneaking a glance at Wilfred, her cheeks flushed with shyness. Wilfred’s response was neutral, his expre
Xena took a step forward, her focus fixed entirely on Wilfred. Naturally, she noticed his protective gesture of holding Haley by the waist. “That shameless vixen!” Xena fumed inwardly. “She’s even trying to seduce her own brother. What a disgrace!”“Well, you sly Yates boy! So you wanted to make a grand entrance, huh? Hahaha!” Mr. Gibson Sr. clapped his hands and laughed heartily. The celebration was clearly putting him in high spirits, with all the powerful attendees giving him the respect he felt was due. Justin withdrew his lingering gaze from Haley’s waist and replied to Mr. Gibson Sr. with calm detachment. “Just a bit of timing, that’s all.” While outwardly maintaining his composure and engaging in polite conversation, his mind was completely preoccupied with the presence of Haley standing nearby. *As the birthday toasts concluded, the guests began to scatter, mingling and networking throughout the room. Haley stepped off the stage and pulled Wilfred aside t
Haley had just taken a few steps forward when Xena grabbed her arm roughly from behind. “Stop right there!” Xena barked angrily, her voice sharp and accusing, as though convinced Haley was about to report her behavior. The force of Xena’s tug caused Haley’s forward momentum to halt abruptly. At the same time, a chilling sensation ran down her back. It was the wine. Xena’s other hand, which had been holding a glass of red wine, had jerked with the motion, spilling the deep crimson liquid all over Haley’s back. The dark wine streamed down the pale champagne-colored fabric of Haley’s dress, leaving an unmistakable stain. Some of the droplets even splashed into her hair. Across the room, Justin had been quietly trailing behind Haley, watching her from a distance, careful not to startle her. When he saw the scene unfold, his expression darkened. He immediately stepped forward, but just as he moved, his phone vibrated in his jacket pocket. “Mr. Yates, we’ve swept the ent
Haley shook her head quickly, flustered. “No… I mean—no.” Then she realized how that sounded and corrected herself. “Actually, yes. I’m just hot.”Helen blinked in confusion. “Hot? The classroom has air conditioning. Was the sunlight from the window hitting her seat?” Helen wondered.Without missing a beat, she rushed over and tugged the curtains tighter, making sure her bestie didn’t get “sunburned.” She still needed Haley to hold onto that top spot. Otherwise, she would lose her excuse at home for going out to “study” with Zac.The pressure and tension of senior year finally came to a close. On the day of the college entrance exam, when everyone stepped out of the test hall for the last time, their faces lit up with genuine smiles—relaxed, free, and full of relief.Haley tossed aside her textbooks. Her summer break was filled with makeup shopping trips with Helen or third-wheeling her and Zac on their study-dates-turned-real-dates.That routine came to an end the d
Haley’s eyes shifted as she thought quickly. “But… I don’t really like guys who rank higher than me on exams.”She gave a light shrug and continued, “I mean, I think we should be focusing on school right now. Relationships can wait until after we get into college, right? What if we don’t even end up at the same school? Long-distance never works, and after a while, we’d probably drift apart. Don’t you think?”Was that a gentle rejection? It seemed like it. Haley wondered if she had been too blunt. Had she left him any dignity at all?They still had a whole year of high school left together. She didn’t want things to get awkward between them. A harsh rejection would only make everything more uncomfortable.Justin furrowed his brows, thinking for a long moment before giving a single reply. “Okay.”Then he slung his backpack over his shoulder and walked off.Haley stood there, completely confused.“Okay? What did he mean by that?“Did he understand what I was trying to say?
Emma and her little clique of schoolyard mean girls had Justin completely surrounded.“I’ll ask you one more time,” she said, smug and unbothered. “Will you be my boyfriend or not?”“No,” Justin replied coldly, his face unreadable.“Hey!” one of Emma’s loyal followers stepped forward, cracking her knuckles and getting way too close. “Do you even know who our Emma is? She’s the heiress of the Xander Corporation. She’s giving you a chance, and you should be grateful. You better say yes.”“What, you want us to beat you up before you agree?” another girl sneered.Justin didn’t flinch. His icy stare locked onto the girl who spoke, completely unbothered by the threat.Emma waved a hand to hold her crew back, pretending to be generous. Then she turned to Justin again, cocky and bold.“I like you way too much to have anyone rough you up,” she said sweetly. “But I heard you’re trying to get into Altiplano University in the capital. Here’s the deal—if you go out with me, I’ll have my dad
As soon as Justin sat down and pulled out the textbook for the next class, a hand suddenly reached out from beside him.“Hey, I’m Zac White,” Zac said.Justin glanced up with a cold look, then went right back to pulling out his notebook and pen—completely ignoring the extended hand.Zac awkwardly pulled his hand back, speechless.“Man… this guy’s seriously cold. What a show-off,” he thought to himself.The class flew by. When the bell rang, signaling the end of the period, Haley and Helen linked arms and headed off toward the bathroom. Zac immediately trailed after them.“Where are you two going? Take me with you.”“You planning on going into the girls’ bathroom, you perv?” Helen smacked his hand away, not wanting their classmates—or worse, their teacher—to get any ideas about the two of them dating.Zac scratched his nose. “Fine, I won’t go in the girls’ room… but I can go to the guys’ one, can’t I?”“Hmph!” Helen huffed, scrunching her nose playfully.Zac clutched his chest
At a top-ranked high school in Lincourt City, the bell rang.Students still lingering in the hallways or restrooms were urged to hurry back to class.Outside, the summer heat simmered, accompanied by the steady buzz of cicadas. Inside, the air-conditioned classrooms offered a much more comfortable escape.In Class 2–1 of the junior year, students hurried back to their seats. Just as the final chime faded, the homeroom teacher walked in, holding a stack of freshly graded exam papers.“For this round of mock exams,” she announced, loud and clear, “the top score in the entire grade once again goes to our very own Haley!”A wave of murmurs and applause followed. “Let’s all work hard and try to catch up to her next time!”She began handing out the papers in order, from the highest score to the lowest.After Haley got her paper, the next few went to her seatmate, Helen, and the student sitting behind them—Zac.“Work hard and catch up?” Helen muttered as she slid back into her seat, s
But what did it matter, even if she still loved him? The pain he caused her in the past was still there, lingering beneath the surface.They had loved, they had hurt, they had been entangled for years. But not every love story had to end with forgiveness and reconciliation.Haley couldn’t pretend the past hadn’t happened. She couldn’t smile and pick up where they left off, as if nothing had ever gone wrong.She would always remember that street in Merika State, when Justin turned away, picked Emma up in his arms, and left her standing there alone.Even if he had mistaken someone else for her, the pain he caused and the love he failed to give were real.And that wasn’t something she could ever forget.She could make peace with the past, but she could never erase it.Her heart ached, but she didn’t say anything. Instead, she turned and walked away.*Years later, Haley passed away peacefully in her bedroom at the estate.That same day, Justin had gone out to the grocer
It was just a shame that life rarely worked out the way people wanted it to.*Ten years passed in the blink of an eye.Chase and Alex had grown taller and older. Haley’s once-small jewelry brand had not only found its place in the industry—it had grown into a globally recognized luxury label, known for bespoke, high-end pieces.As for Justin, he split his time between Haven State and Merika State. Whenever he wasn’t busy, he would shamelessly camp out at the estate, claiming he was just there to “see the kids.”Eventually, no one even bothered to call him out on it anymore.One day, Haley had a business meeting with a potential partner—a widowed single father. Somehow, Justin caught wind of a rumor that the man had feelings for Haley and was actively pursuing her. Word had it that she was interested too, and they were currently having dinner together at a restaurant.The second Justin heard that, he canceled a company meeting, boarded his private jet, and flew straight to Mer
As soon as Haley stepped into the room, Justin followed right behind her.It was the first time he had ever set foot in Haley’s room—the space where she lived in Merika State.“Get out!” she snapped.“Haley, I just wanted to see you. Please don’t make me leave, okay?”His eyes scanned the room. The walls, the shelves—everything was filled with Haley’s photos. There was even a custom-built glass display case, clearly made with love, housing her pictures from childhood to adulthood. It was something Evelyn had put together just for her, and it overflowed with affection.There were portraits of her alone, family pictures, and right at the top—photos of Chase and Alex.Justin looked at each one carefully, as if he were trying to piece together a life he hadn’t been part of, but desperately wished he had been.Then his gaze landed on a particular photo: Haley in her teens, wearing a soft pink-and-white hoodie with little bunny ears on the hood. Her pale skin, big round eyes, and brig
“Haley…” Justin’s voice was weak. There was so much he wanted to say, but he didn’t even know where to start.“I heard you’re sick?” Haley said.“I… I’m fine. I’m not really sick, I just—”“Take care of yourself. Heart problems aren’t like other illnesses. Just look forward. Let go of the past. Meet someone new. Live your life.”Justin fell silent. His head dropped, and the phone pressed against his ear was clenched so tightly in his hand that his knuckles turned white. He wrestled with the words for a long moment before finally managing to force out.“Okay.”But he knew. He wouldn’t meet someone new. Without Haley, what kind of life could he possibly call “living”?The call ended. Life went back to its quiet rhythm. Justin no longer clung to Haley or tried to find her. After one more day in the hospital, he threw himself back into work and took over the reins of RC Corporation.They had truly managed to part on peaceful terms.After returning to Merika State, Haley d