…The Next Day.Liam rested on the hospital bed, blinking at the ceiling, one arm settled underneath his head. That crazy girl. Would she not visit him today?Didn't Joye deliver his message to her that she had to come in the morning? It was already afternoon. Haley hadn't shown up yet. Should he call the police to make her take responsibility?Why was he even bothered about Haley coming to visit him?Liam sat up, confusion swirling in his mind. Was he desperate?“Mr. Nash, you're awake.” The doctor walked in and checked out the IV Drip. “Good news. Your body's responding to treatment.”“When will I be discharged?” Liam asked. The doctor smiled, hanging yet another IV Drip on the stand and removing the finished one. He connected the drip to Liam's arm. “While we await the new x-ray results, I suggest you remain here and recuperate fully.”“An x-ray?”Hadn't they done it before Liam was even admitted to the bed and put on treatment? “Yeah. We need maximum assurance, Mr. Nash. I
“What are you talking about?” Liam's frown deepened. He had an inkling Haley might be after his money, but without concrete proof.Haley didn't spend a dime from the card he gave her. She’d also claimed that she didn't marry him because of his money. Instead of replying to his question, his mother waved her phone's screen on his face. “See for yourself. Here's the amount of money I sent into Haley's account.”As if that wasn't enough, she played a voice recording, turning on the speakers. “This is the conversation Haley had with me.”And the conversation went as followed; ‘You want me to leave him.’‘Yes.’‘Will you pay the price?’‘How much?’‘Sell your fashion boutique, the saloon, twenty percent of your shares at NK Enterprises, and the one thousand acres of land you have in the nearby province. Calculate the money and send it to my account.’The voice recording stopped playing. Liam grappled between shock and frustration, so many emotions building up in his chest. Anger, B
…At DG Jewelry Corp.“Madam, Mr. Nash might fire me! Why did you cut the call?”Joye looked as if his favorite candy had been snatched from him. Haley could almost envision a bucketful of tears pouring from his eyes. “Tsk. Next time Liam calls you, don't answer the phone in my presence,” Haley replied, unapologetic. Why did Liam ask that she was leaving the city when she was sitting right here?Would that man ever leave her in peace?“Madam, you weren't like this before. Why're you giving Boss the cold shoulder?” Joye's voice was full of worry and grief.“Is it true that you've hit your head somewhere?” He added. “Because the boss has given me a new mission to look for the best mental health doctor.”Huh?Was that what they all thought?That she was crazy? Well, Liam was the craziest scumbag who couldn't understand that her eyes were now open.Was it hard to believe that she would no longer be the same foolish girl?Didn't it bother him that she kept letting him step on her?Joye'
A pool of tears settled underneath Leah's eyes. Lips quivering, she stepped back, her eyes widening as if shocked beyond words. If Leah was an actress, she truly deserved an Oscar award. “I only want to show my gratitude, Haley. Why do you accuse me of wanting to poison you?” She sobbed, tears streaming down her face. Haley couldn't help but roll her eyes. Leah's dramatic action now irritated her beyond words. “If you're truthful, you'll do as I said.” But Haley's words didn't settle well with the employees who immediately butted in. “That's so mean, Haley.”“If you don't want to eat the cupcake, stop putting on airs.”“Yeah, just go to the point and stop bullying the innocent!”“Acting arrogant will only cost you your job.”“The last person you'd want to disrespect is Mrs. Nash.”Leah wiped her tears amid the employees' snickers and scoffs. Lifting her head, she stared at Haley with teary eyes. “I have nothing against you being Will's secretary. So, can you please stop humil
Andrew's statement landed like a clap of thunder, deafening everywhere. All the employees' eyes popped out, blood draining from their faces. Leah's expression fell, her brows furrowing as she stared at Andrew as if he was a piece of puzzle.Haley facepalmed inside. Wasn't her brother overacting? Did he want to blow her cover?Stepping close to him, Haley nudged him secretly, giving him a silent signal. Andrew, who could read the silent message in her eyes, didn't appear pleased. But he obliged, to Haley's relief. Facing the employees, he faked a smile. “And… It's April first! Loosen up, Guys!”A wave of relieved sighs swept across the area. “Ah, you've got us right there, Mr. Woods.”“We've forgotten it's April Fool's Day.”“Hehe, you're full of humor.”“Right. Carry on with work!” Andrew shooed them back to their cubicles, gesturing with his hands.As the employees disappeared one after the other, Leah sauntered forward, her heel clicking. “Indeed, you're humorous, Mr. Woods
…She didn't even give him a chance to speak. She just cut the call. Liam sat on the hospital bed, unable to take his eyes off the phone. Unlike before, Haley sounded urgent. She would usually be calm when speaking about the divorce as if testing his patience. Why did she so desperately want a divorce?Hadn't he made himself clear enough? Liam's gloom dissipated, leaving anger in its wake. Fine!He was going to show her he wasn't an idiot. Liam dialed the maid's number. “Mr. Nash, I'm almost done with lunch-”“Bring those divorce papers to the hospital,” Liam ordered. He hung up, bottling in his rage. The tone of her voice echoed in his mind, the seriousness in it, fuelling Liam's anger. Haley!His phone beeped with a notification sound, prompting him to stare at the screen.Seeing a group invite from an anonymous number, he frowned. Who leaked his private number? But the Group's name; “DG Jewelry Corp. Employees' Forum,” piqued Liam's curiosity. He accepted the invite a
~He never held back. This time also, he didn't. Liam touched her everywhere, rendering her weak.One moment, he was kissing her lips, and the next moment, he kissed his way down her chin, her nape, and…Panic enveloped Haley's heart. Snapping awake, she struggled, her lungs stuffed with the fragrance that only belonged to him.Not here. Not now.“Get off me, you pervasive scumbag!” Haley exhaled deeply, but her lips were once again crushed by the man. Moments later, he pulled away, his piercing gaze drilling a hole through her. “Didn't you state the reason for divorce is ‘Disharmony in sex'?”No. Not that. Haley shut her eyes, her face flushing. “I'll show you I'm more than capable.” Liam went on, his fingers working their way up her shirt's button.Haley wrote it that way, not because she was so desperate. Yes, it was disappointing that he'd set that rule. But she only wrote it like that to hold up her pride and irritate him a bit. It turned out her statement had caused the
A cologne, foreign yet familiar hit Haley's nose. The fragrance engulfed her senses, and her mind wired back to many years ago. Where had she smelled it before?When? “Wanna cry? You can pour it all out.” Instead of stepping out of the way, he hugged her and patted her back. That voice.D-Daryl. “Oh!” Haley jumped out of his embrace, flabbergasted and flushed. Her initial embarrassment returned multifold, and her eyes darted everywhere else but him. “Y-You- you're still here?”“When a pretty damsel is nearby, I must stay.” Daryl smiled, a smile that didn't reach his eyes. A look of embarrassment flickered in his eyes. Maybe he was embarrassed for her. Haley sighed. The deed was done. That scumbag had completely made her lose face. What's the point of wallowing in distress?Haley was in no mood to chat. So she murmured a silent goodbye to Daryl, walking past him. Daryl skipped up to her. “Want a free ride home?” Of course. Haley was so shaken to the core by Liam's sudden