“But you are Justin’s mother, and I’m his girlfriend. You’re going to be my future mother-in-law, so I’m just getting used to it!” Emma replied with a playful laugh. “I’m just being respectful. Right now, I call you my future mother-in-law, but once Justin and I get married, I’ll be calling you Mom!”Heidi’s anger was written all over her face as she glared at Emma. “Emma, stay away from my son! Marry him? Keep dreaming! As long as I’m in this family, you’ll never set foot in our home!”“Oh, you didn’t know?” Emma covered her mouth in mock surprise. “Yesterday, Justin took me to visit Mr. Yates Sr. at the care facility, and he proposed to me right in front of him!”She smiled blissfully, then looked at Heidi with a provocative glint in her eyes.Heidi’s chest rose and fell with fury. Her voice turned harsh. “Impossible! Justin would never propose to you!”“If you don’t believe me, why not call Justin and ask? You’ll find out soon enough,” Emma replied with a shrug, her tone indiff
Emily was speechless. “Where does a kid like him come up with lines like that?” she wondered.Seeing that she couldn’t get her suitcase back, she decided to let him have his way. They walked out of the airport together.“Where are you staying?” she asked.“The WX Hotel.”Emily froze. The WX Hotel was the same one booked for her by the Bay City government contact. She had planned to use the opportunity to part ways with Sean, but it seemed they would still be stuck traveling together.The two ended up sharing a cab to the hotel.Once in her room, Emily unpacked her things and started organizing her belongings.*Ding dong.* The doorbell rang repeatedly.She walked to the door and opened it. “Who is it?”“Emily, is your phone dead or something?” Sean leaned casually against the doorframe, looking exasperated.“My phone?” Emily grabbed it from her bag. “Oh, I forgot to turn off airplane mode. Why? What’s the matter?”Sean pointed to his watch. “It’s dinnertime. Work is important
At the hot pot restaurant, while waiting for the food to arrive, Emily received an unexpected call from Mrs. Zimmer. Surprised, she still picked up. “Hello, Mrs. Zimmer?” “Miss Yates, do you have a moment? I’d like to ask you something,” Mrs. Zimmer said politely and warmly on the other end. “Of course, go ahead.” Emily respected Mrs. Zimmer, who had treated her kindly over the past three years. “Well, Miss Yates, you used to help organize Mr. Yates’ travel clothes. Now that you’ve left so suddenly, I’ve had to take over, and I’m not used to it," Mrs. Zimmer said carefully, her tone cautious.“Earlier today, I took far too long packing his suitcase, and I’m worried it might affect his work in the future,” she added, clearly nervous. “Could you put together a list for me? It would make coordinating his outfits much easier.”Emily froze for a moment. “Is Justin on another business trip? Did he make things difficult for Mrs. Zimmer while she was packing?” she thought.Even
Emily froze for a moment, then nodded reluctantly in agreement. Sean noticed her hesitation and reached out to ruffle her soft hair, deliberately messing it up. “Sean!” Emily snapped, glaring at him. “Goodnight, Emily!” Sean called out cheerfully before darting off, leaving Emily standing there, fuming. *The next afternoon, Sean drove Emily to the Bay City government building. “Wait in the car. I’ll be quick,” Emily instructed. Sean obediently nodded. Her meeting with the government contact went smoothly, and the artwork was finalized on the spot. However, as she was leaving, she spotted Justin. He was walking at the center of a group, surrounded by high-ranking government officials as they headed straight toward her. Emily quickly stepped into a side corridor to avoid them. She waited until they passed before leaving the building. “What’s Justin doing in Bay City?” she wondered. “And at the government building?“Could it have something to do with th
“Weren’t we supposed to text first?” Emily opened the door, only to freeze in shock. Justin? What was he doing here? “Text? Who were you planning to text?” Justin asked casually.Emily stood frozen for a few seconds, her mind struggling to catch up. When she realized what was happening, she immediately tried to slam the door shut. But how could her strength compare to that of a grown man? With minimal effort, Justin pushed the door open and stepped inside. “Justin, it’s late. Don’t you think barging into my room is inappropriate?” Emily snapped, frowning with anger in her eyes. Justin ignored her completely, wandering around the room as if it were his own. He checked behind the curtains, under the sofa, and every other corner, as if inspecting for someone. Sean wasn’t here? They weren’t sharing a room? Justin had spotted Sean in the parking lot earlier that afternoon with Emily. Standing by the door, Emily glared at him with clear displeasure, silently wi
“The changes are done, Mr. Yates. Please take a look,” Emily said in a businesslike tone. Suddenly, her phone rang. It was Sean. Emily set her laptop down and walked to the side, deliberately turning her back to Justin before answering. “Yes, yes, I got it. Stop nagging and go to sleep. Goodnight.” Justin’s gaze followed her the entire time as she took the call, waiting for her to return. “Sean?” he asked knowingly. Emily silently cursed. “If you already know, why ask?”“So, you’re with Sean? What, he can’t afford to take care of you? You still have to work?” Justin’s tone was sharp with sarcasm. “Emily, is this how low you think of yourself? Throwing money at him to stick around? The Smith family isn’t exactly poor. Seems they’re not very generous with you, though.” He ignored the design and instead seemed more interested in prying into her personal life. “Mr. Yates, my personal life is none of your business,” Emily said firmly, her face cold. “We’re done,
Sadness and disappointment gripped Emily’s heart, twisting and pulling as if relentless hands were tearing it apart.She stayed motionless, frozen in her work, letting the heavy emotions consume her entirely.She chalked it up to the lingering pain of heartbreak.“Once these feelings fade away, I’ll rise again, stronger,” she told herself. She had already decided to leave Justin behind, and she wouldn’t look back, not in this lifetime. *Justin drove to the train station alone, quickly picking up Emma and taking her to the hotel. He then booked her a separate room. “Justin,” Emma pouted, displeased. “I didn’t come all the way to Bay City to stay in a room by myself!” “Be good. You’re not in great health. Don’t get any funny ideas.” “Fine…” Emma replied with a dramatic sigh, her voice filled with disappointment. As she walked toward her room, she glanced back at him every few steps, dragging her feet like a child who’d been scolded. After seeing her settle in, J
At the gynecology department, the doctor adjusted her glasses and reviewed the lab results before smiling warmly at Emily and Sean.“Congratulations to both of you. You’re one month pregnant, and it’s twins! Morning sickness is completely normal and should ease up in a couple of months. Stick to a light diet…” The doctor continued explaining, but Emily’s mind had already gone blank. Pregnant! Twins!Emily was stunned. She wasn’t even sure how she walked out of the consultation room. By the time she came back to her senses, she was already in the hallway. She was pregnant.A month ago, Justin had been very persistent in seeking physical intimacy with her. During those encounters, they hadn’t taken any precautions. “But isn’t the chance of this happening supposed to be really low?” she thought. She had read countless stories online about how difficult it was for people to conceive. How did she end up getting pregnant so easily?“No. I can’t have these babies,” she silen
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