Haley heard the compliments from her colleagues, but she couldn’t muster even a hint of a smile. She had a sinking suspicion that this was Justin’s doing. “Haley, this one’s for you—a deluxe meal all to yourself! Your husband must really adore you!” One of them, clearly pleased with their perceptiveness, handed her the fanciest box with an enthusiastic grin, showering her with praises for her supposed husband. Haley sighed, her frustration evident. This only made her situation more complicated. There was no way she would escape this topic for the foreseeable future. Grabbing her phone and the meal box, she stepped away from the group, avoiding the communal lunch setting. “Why isn’t she eating with us?” someone asked, noticing her retreat. “Seriously? Didn’t you see her on her phone? She’s probably calling her husband. That’s why you’re still single—you can’t pick up on these things. Pay attention!” another quipped. Haley moved to a quiet corner and sent Justin a messa
“Your Emma claims to be independent but is constantly stirring up rumors with Justin? She’s nothing but a hypocrite, wanting it both ways!” “Emma’s not stirring up anything! Those shameless paparazzi are the ones taking all those pictures. You men are just bitter and destructive when you don’t get your way!” *“I thought Miss Xander attended the funeral on behalf of her department? Why isn’t she in any of the photos?” someone remarked, scrolling through the comments for entertainment. Her connection to Mr. Yates was something everyone in the company had heard rumors about. A coworker leaned in, lowering their voice. “I heard she got kicked out by Mr. Jacob as soon as she arrived.” “Really? That must’ve been humiliating.” “With how chaotic things are in the company lately, she’s become a prime target.” The sound of heels clicking against the floor broke the chatter. Turning around, they saw Emma approaching. Everyone instantly clammed up, their voices silenced as if s
“Don’t be mad. I won’t go,” Justin reassured Haley.The phone was still connected, and the housekeeper on the other end clearly heard Justin’s words. She paused, stunned. He continued, “Call an ambulance and take her to the hospital.” Haley frowned. “Why would I be mad? This has nothing to do with me,” she silently remarked.Justin hung up and turned to her with a face full of eagerness, practically radiating a silent plea for approval—“Look at me, didn’t I handle that perfectly?” Haley pursed her lips in exasperation and didn’t bother arguing. Instead, she turned the car around and floored the gas, heading straight for Lichfield Hospital. When they arrived, she got out first, yanked Justin out by the collar, and dragged him into the hospital. “Haley, what are you doing? Let go of me! Don’t be mad! I’m not going to see her.” Justin’s voice wavered as he trailed behind, clearly flustered. Ever since that encounter with Emma five years ago, he had reflected deeply on
“Try to avoid reading too much news online. It can also trigger episodes,” the doctor advised before leaving the room. Despite the incident, the doctor didn’t prescribe any medication. The wound wasn’t deep, and while it showed a tendency toward self-harm, it avoided critical areas. Clearly, even in distress, Emma had been rational when making the cut. These days, it was common for people to experience emotional lows or feel overwhelmed, but it rarely escalated to the point of needing psychological treatment.Outside the room, the housekeeper overheard the conversation and walked in to add, “Miss Xander saw something on the news today. That’s what caused this.” “News?” Justin asked, his brows furrowed in confusion. The housekeeper pulled out her phone and showed him the day’s headline. “No, don’t!” Emma tried to stop her, attempting to sit up, but the blood loss left her dizzy. She collapsed back onto the bed, clutching her head. The doctor raised an eyebrow at the e
Haley wasn’t paying much attention to the drama online. She drove home, took a long shower, and let the fatigue and grime of the day wash away. Meanwhile, Helen sat comfortably on the living room sofa, fully immersed in scrolling through the online frenzy. She liked every comment bashing Emma Xander and even jumped in to post scathing replies herself. Her fingers flew across her phone screen with fervor, her face alight with energy.“You’re wasting time typing one comment at a time,” Richard teased, watching her thumbs fly across the screen. “Just call me your older brother, and I’ll whip up a program to fire off hundreds of replies in no time.”Helen shot him a glare and turned her back on him.When she refreshed the page, her expression shifted. “Wait… why can’t I comment anymore?”The comment she had been furiously typing—loaded with sharp insults—wouldn’t post. After refreshing the page again, she realized comments had been disabled, and every disparaging remark she had poste
Chase was rendered speechless.How did his little brother manage to be both sharp and clueless at the same time?*The next day, Haley was still busy at the art exhibit hall, working on final details. By lunchtime, another extravagant meal arrived—this time with flowers and a specialty tea. Her coworkers, grateful recipients of the meal, couldn’t help but gush. “Haley, your husband is incredible! Sending you lunch every day and even including us. It’s so thoughtful. Thank you so much!” “And flowers and tea, just for you! Staying romantic even after marriage and kids? That’s rare. He really dotes on you!” The chorus of compliments only made Haley more annoyed. A simmering anger built in her chest as she forced a tight smile. Slipping into the stairwell where no one could hear her, she dialed Justin. As soon as he answered, she launched into him. “Justin! Can you please stop sending me lunch? Do you have any idea how frustrating and disruptive this is? How much of a
Haley dried her hands, bypassing Justin without a glance. But before she reached the door, he grabbed her arm, pulling her forcefully into his embrace. One hand locked around her waist while the other cradled the back of her head. Then he kissed her. The kiss was sudden and overpowering, leaving Haley no time to react. By the time she realized what was happening, he had already seized the upper hand. She struggled, shoving at his face, her body twisting away, but his grip was unyielding. Slowly, he backed her against the sink, his kiss growing deeper, filled with a desperation that poured out years of regret and unspoken emotion. * Only when he’d had enough did he release her. “Can you stop asking me to leave you?” His voice broke as his eyes shimmered with anguish. “I can’t walk away, and I won’t.” He bent forward, his pain transparent. “I was selfish before. I ignored how you felt, and I destroyed what we had. But I’ve changed. Please, give me a chance to pro
Regret filled Haley’s mind. Why hadn’t she worn heels today? She could have kicked him where it hurt the most. *Back at the Mistletoe Villa, Helen was getting ready for her date with Zac. Dressed to the nines, she descended the stairs, only to be intercepted by Alex. “Aunt Helen, are you going out with Uncle-in-law Zac? Take me with you!” Alex exclaimed, his sharp eyes noticing her dressed-up look.Chase, overhearing, chimed in, his hopeful gaze fixed on Helen.“Alex, you sure are quick to adapt, already calling him Uncle-in-law?” Richard teased, strolling over with a disapproving look at Helen’s outfit. “It’s late, and you’re going to meet Zac dressed like that? A short skirt? Do you have no sense of self-protection?“Go upstairs and change into pants. Now.”“I don’t have any!” Helen shot back, defiant as ever. She wasn’t afraid of him. Besides, it was the middle of summer, and long pants weren’t exactly in her wardrobe rotation. “And this skirt isn’t even short. It covers
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