Rejected

"Are you fucking serious right now?" Emily lashed out as they walked out of the doctor's office. Hayley had just revealed her plan to win back her husband with the news of her pregnancy. Needless to say, Emily was not on board with the idea.

Hayley paused at the entrance, attempting to justify her decision to her.

"I have to, Emily. He'll be happy to have me back."

But Emily wasn't having it.

"He kicked you out!"

"I left on my own," Hayley said in defense.

Trying to placate her, she added,

"Everything will be fine, Em. He's my husband, he'll take me back. He only cheated because I couldn't have children, which I completely understand. But now, I'm pregnant. Once he knows, he'll apologize and reverse his decision. He won't marry her. He won't marry her anymore!"

Emily looked at her in disbelief. She must have thought Hayley had lost her mind and was completely delusional.

"When will you get it in your head that Leonardo didn't divorce you because you couldn't have a child! He divorced you because he doesn't love you...Snap out of it, Hayley!"

"I am perfectly in my right mind. It's you who can't understand. I am a married woman, you're not.You don't understand what marriage is like. It has its ups and downs, and we work through them. I am going to be a mother soon. I want my child to grow up in a loving and safe environment. I didn't get that chance growing up, so I have to create it for my child. I need to get my husband back!" Hayley stated, determined to see her plan through.

Emily was taken aback by her response.

"You're a finished woman, Hayley."

Hayley ignored her comment, her mind solely focused on seeing Leonardo again. She longed for his smile, his touch, his soft lips on hers, his kisses that drove her crazy, and his caresses that ignited a desire in her that only he could sate. The thought of these things was too much to bear, and she couldn't wait any longer. Time was ticking, and she had to end that wedding as soon as possible.

"I have to go now. You coming with me, Emily?" Hayley asked eagerly.

"Absolutely not!" She spurned.

She shrugged, "Alright, I'm taking the car. You hail a taxi home. See you some other time, and stay safe! Wish me luck."

Without waiting for her response, Hayley went in to the park.

Emily watched her drive away with a happy smile etched on her face. She shook her head pathetically.

*

Hayley's car came to an abrupt stop outside the enormous mansion of the ANDERSONS'. Glancing at the time on the car clock, she saw that it was nearly seven pm. She turned her gaze to the grand and luxurious mansion stretched out in front of her, feeling a chill in her stomach. She gripped the steering wheel tightly and exhaled deeply, convincing herself that everything would be fine. She eyed the test results again, silently praying for it to be her salvation, as it was her only hope in this moment.

Passing through the security check, Hayley found herself approaching the house where she once lived.

The compound was adorned with beautiful decorations, and cars were neatly parked in the garage, indicating a large number of people in attendance for Leonardo's pre-wedding celebration. It was a shame that she would have to interrupt and bring an end to it all tonight.

As she opened the door to the venue, all eyes turned to her. Silence ensued.

"Who let this bitch into my house?" Lilian exclaim with venom in her voice.

Hayley huffed in annoyance. How bold of her to hurl insults at her when she was the actual bitch. The music that once filled the room had slowly faded away.

Hayley strode closer to them, standing before them and observing their expressions which were filled with resentment, hatred, and animosity, especially coming from the Forbes, her supposed family. Leonardo's face displayed a mix of irritation and anger as he whispered something to Lilian.

"The nerve of you to come here and ruin our moods of celebration, Hayley Forbes!" Dana Anderson, her ex-mother-in-law scolded sternly.

Hayley ignored her, her eyes straying from one individual to another, and then accidentally landing on her foster mother. Her face was cold and deadly, as per her nature. She remained unmoved, her calculating gaze making Hayley feel uneasy as her eyes remained fixed on her. Hayley quickly diverted her gaze to the others in the room.

"I have news to share..." Hayley announced.

Lilian immediately sprang up from her seat, pointing at Hayley and commanding for her to be removed since her presence was making her stomach churn, which wasn't good for her or the baby. Hayley could see the fear in her expression. But she couldn't fathom the reason why.

"Hey baby," Hayley said to Leonardo as he slowly approached her, "I just need two minutes, I beg of you."

He firmly grasped her hand and spoke in a low, guttural growl. "Do not make me angry, just come with me."

Hayley's weak gaze flickered as he dragged her along, her eyes darting back and forth between him and the others present. She wanted to deliver the news to prove them all wrong.

"Hear me out, Leo. Please, just hear me out" Hayley pleaded as he continued to drag her towards the gate. "I have good news, I swear."

"I have no interest in your nonsense!" he bellowed, his anger palpable.

Hayley had the urge to interrupt him with the news, but he abruptly stopped, turning to her. His grey eyes darkened and his brows furrowed in an angry stare. 

Gritting his teeth, anger written all over his face, he said, "I don't want. to. ever. see. you. In my house again for whatever reason... You should know by now how you make me feel. I hate you, Hayley Forbes. You disgust me with your presence and your weakness!"

Hayley gasped in disbelief, staring at Leonardo's venomous words. She had no idea her calm and kind demeanor was despised by him.

Hayley didn't know when tears started streaming from her eyes again, whether it was from the time he slapped the security guard in front of her for allowing her inside his home or when he kicked her out of the gate by himself with more cruel words for a goodbye.

Hayley stood outside, crying. She begged him, but he arrogantly walked away. She was broken, shattered beyond repair. In that moment, she thought of ending her life as the pain was too much to bear. It was excruciating to watch the person she loved harbor such hatred for her without any reason.

She stood there, crying for who knows how long.

Eventually, she comforted herself, gathering the pieces of her broken heart and decided it was time to move on.

As Hayley made her way to her car, she heard someone call out her name.

"Hayley..."

Hayley stopped and turned to see her mother, Wendy Forbes, approaching her. The vicious woman who disliked her for no reason. Wendy smiled maniacally as she got closer.

As Hayley wrestled with her thoughts, she couldn't help but wonder what more she wanted from her. Maybe she had a change of heart and decided to show her some pity or love. But those hopeful thoughts were quickly crushed when Wendy spoke again.

"How will you cope now, my dear child?" Her words cut through Hayley like a knife, noticing the mockery in her tone.

"M-mother," She stuttered, hoping to seek comfort from her.

"Oh please don't call me that," she reprimanded in a cool, mocking tone. "We both know I am not your mother. You're just an abandoned and unfortunate trash I picked from the orphanage."

Hayley should have seen this coming. It was foolish of her to think she had changed.

"I am glad that we can finally be rid of you from our lives forever now...Hayley." She said with satisfaction.

"And FYI," she looked around carefully before continuing in a hushed tone, "I am the reason behind your divorce from Leonardo."

Hayley's heart thudded in her chest as she processed her words. She was in shock.

Wendy nodded, "Yes. You don't deserve any happiness, my dear. I convinced your father to sell you off to Leonardo because I heard rumors about him. That he was a cold-hearted and ruthless billionaire. But I was wrong. He changed after marrying you, showering you with love and care? That was never my intention. I wanted you to suffer in his hands. To regret every single day of your married life...You deserve to be miserable."

Hayley's eyes widened in disbelief as Wendy continued her confession. Hayley felt a painful constriction in her heart and hot tears welled up in her eyes. What did she ever do to deserve this from her?

"So I searched for ways to destroy your marriage, and I stumbled upon the perfect tool to use. Yes, Lilian Lopez. I made a deal with her, promising to keep her dirty secret in return. She never liked you anyway, so it was a win-win. I only turned Leonardo against you, the Andersons were a bonus. Maybe they hated you too, just like everyone else. ha!...Let me make this clear, Hayley. I hate you. Every time I see you, I feel an urge to kill you!" Wendy growled, her disgust evident in her voice.

Hayley couldn't believe what she was hearing. Tears streamed down her face as she realized the depths of Wendy's hatred for her.

With a shaky voice, Hayley asked,

"W-why, why do you hate me so much? What did I do to you?" Her sobs were uncontrollable as she continued, "All I ever did was be a good daughter to you. I never did anything to hurt you... If you hated me this much, why did you even adopt me in the first place?" Her voice was broken and full of hurt.

Wendy's laughter was mirthless as she stared at Hayley derisively, "You just happened to be a victim in my game of revenge, dear. Maybe someday you'll understand, but for now, run away as far as you can," her tone now serious, "Because if you continue to live around me, YOU WILL SUFFER! That is a promise to you, Hayley. It's best you do what's right for you and for everyone else. Either you kill yourself or disappear into thin air. Whichever you choose is perfectly fine by me." With that, she gave her a small smile before walking back inside.

*

Emily woke up in her room that same night, quickly rising to use the bathroom. As she made her way to the bathroom, she was suddenly halted by incoherent noises emanating from the dark living room. Checking the time, she saw it was just eleven minutes after ten pm. Who could possibly be in her house at this hour? She had not been expecting any visitors.

Her mind racing, she approached the living room cautiously, only to flick on the lights and find Hayley sitting on the floor. Startled, she dropped the bat she'd been carrying and rushed towards her.

Hayley was lost in her own thoughts and didn't even notice Emily at first. Tears streamed down her face, and she remained motionless.

Emily noticed a small bottle by Hayley's side, one she had missed before. Upon picking it up, she saw the word "POISON" boldly inscribed on it. Horrified, she flung it away when she realized the bottle was still sealed. 

Her eyes turned to Hayley, filled with fear and concern.

"Oh my goodness, Hayley! What happened?" She asked, her voice trembling with worry and hurt.

Hayley lifted her head to look at her, forcing a faint smile. "T-they wouldn't hear me out, Em," Her voice broke, tears blurring her vision. "H-he wouldn't hear me out. They hate me! I didn nothing wrong! I did nothing wrong..." She cried out, the pain in her heart evident in her words.

Emily embraced her tightly. It pained her to see Hayley in such a state. As a strong woman, seeing Hayley reduced to sadness and despair frightened her. 

Hayley could feel her heart breaking as Emily wept with her. And knowing that all this pain was caused by her ex-husband, the cold-hearted and callous billionaire Leonardo Anderson, the man she had devoted her entire being loving, only adding to her suffering. It tore Emily apart to realize that his family had wronged Hayley also.

They remained in that position for some time before Emily pulled away from the embrace. She cupped Hayley's face with both her hands and wiped away her tears. Their eyes locked onto each other's.

"You must promise me, Hayley," she stated firmly.

Hayley's sobs quieted down and she sniffled, unable to speak as she looked at her, her expression blank.

Emily pressed on, undeterred. "You must promise me, Hayley, that you will not let this slide. That you will not let these people get away with how they treated you! You will get your revenge against all of them, against those who turned their backs on you. Who betrayed your loyalty! Who broke your trust! Who hate and punish you without reason... Who have reduced you to this state you're in right now! Who have turned my best friend into this!"

As she spoke, her words incited more tears from Hayley's eyes. Emily's tone turned resolute. "You must promise me, Hayley! That you will become the vengeful ex-wife! The monster they want you to be, be it! No matter how long it takes, be it months or years. Gain the fame. Become that woman they think you can't be. You! You must get your vengeance against them all! Against Leonardo, against Lilian, against the Forbes, against the Andersons. No more weakness in you! Fuck being calm! Fuck being understanding! You will do this for yourself. For your unborn child. Promise me, Hayley!!" Emily shouted, her gaze locked with Hayley's intently.

Tears streamed down Hayley's face as she struggled to articulate a response. Instead, she simply nodded repeatedly, her face contorted in anguish.

Her expression conveyed her promise to Emily, and with that, they held each other tightly in a firm and heartfelt embrace.