Part 4

"Daydreaming?" His voice brought her back to reality. She looked at Gilbert, who was now standing with his arms folded across his chest. Haisley glanced at her friend with a shy smile.

"No," she deflected politely. But Gilbert sneered.

"Rest, get rid of your jet lag. I'll call you when dinner is ready," he said, a statement met by Haisley's nod.

Gilbert left the room, closing the door behind him. Haisley didn't know where he went. She simply followed his suggestion to rest and get over her jet lag. Lying on the queen-sized bed, her mind drifted back to the past, to a time when her heart had shattered unexpectedly because of a scene she never anticipated witnessing.

**Flashback:**

Once again, Haisley wiped sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. The weather was scorching today, but that wasn't the issue. The problem was that she was also on the first day of her period, and her stomach was incredibly uncomfortable. She desperately wanted to get home quickly. But the faster she walked, the worse her pain became.

Her sour mood transformed into a broad smile when she saw a car, long untouched by its owner, parked sweetly in front of her house. "Nathan?" she murmured to herself. Her slow steps instantly quickened. She even ignored the discomfort that had been bothering her since earlier.

A moment before reaching the porch, Haisley slowed down again. She even tried to steady her breath so she wouldn't seem too eager to meet her crush.

The door was unlocked. With the intention of surprising him, she silently walked in, looking for the person she hadn't seen in three years. When she saw her father's office door slightly ajar, Haisley tiptoed closer.

"You can't be like this, Nathan." Haisley's steps halted when she heard her brother's voice speaking softly. Haisley held her steps. The surprise was now turned back on her. "Haisley loves you so much, how can you be like this?" her brother continued with an annoyed whisper. Haisley frowned, trying to sharpen her hearing.

"But I don't love her, Crys." That reply instantly made Haisley feel like her heart dropped to the floor. "I just see her as a sister. To me, she's just like Gilbert." The man continued. "You know that the one I've loved all this time is you, not her!"

Boom!

Haisley stared, stunned in her spot. Nathaniel's voice was clearly louder and firmer than her brother's. Her throat suddenly felt constricted, and her eyes instantly welled up. Was this what rejection felt like? Was this what heartbreak was, she asked herself.

"But you know that the one I love isn't you," her brother replied sadly. "The one I love is Juan." He continued firmly.

Of course. Haisley and her entire family knew that. Her brother and Juan had even been in a relationship since high school.

"It's because you didn't give me a chance to show you my love, Crys," Nathan rejected forcefully.

"It's too late, Nath," Haisley heard her brother's voice again. "Juan and I have decided to get married. And it won't be long. So, please, open your heart to Haisley. She truly loves you." Her brother's voice became pleading. "She will be a good wife and mother for you." He stated firmly.

Sad? Of course, Haisley felt sad. Sad and offended. Did her brother have to sell her name to Nathan like this? As if she was some commodity that needed to be promoted.

"I don't need you to promote her to me, Crys," Nathan rejected firmly. And this rejection sounded more painful to Haisley than her brother's words just now. "How can I love her as a woman when, to me, she's nothing but a little girl?"

Is Nathan insulting her? Haisley wondered to herself.

"She may not be mature yet, Nath," Crystal rejected again, in a softer tone. "But she will grow with time," she continued firmly. "If you're asking me to give you a chance to prove your love to me, why don't you do the same for my sister?" Crystal suggested. "Give her a chance to show her love to you. She has great affection and love to give you."

This time, Haisley felt grateful for her sister's words. Crystal knew best how much Haisley loved Nathan. And she felt thankful for her support.

"Enough, Crys!" Nathan snapped, startling Haisley. "If you can't accept me, fine," he hissed sharply. "It doesn't matter to me. But don't stop me from loving you. Don't corner me into accepting your sister's obsession with me. Never interfere in your sister's infatuation with me.

I approve of your marriage to Juan. I pray that you both find happiness. But I'm sorry, I can't be there on your special day." With that, he cut off.

Haisley was instantly shocked and quickly moved to hide behind the wall next to her father's office door. At the same time, she could hear her sister calling out for Nathan.

Flashback off.

No one knew what Haisley had heard at that moment, neither Crystal nor Nathan. Even when her sister finally married Juan, Nathan wasn't there. Although he sent a gift for her sister and brother-in-law.

And since then, Haisley began to divert her attention from Nathan. However, her friend Abigail's words echoed in her head.

Flashback

"Whether spoken or unspoken, love remains love," Abigail said, looking at Haisley and Flavia alternately. The conversation suddenly came up while they were having lunch in the cafeteria. "It's up to you to choose. Stay silent but curious about that guy's feelings. Or express your feelings, even if it ends in disappointment due to rejection. As for me, I would definitely choose to express it."

"But it's embarrassing, Rin. What if we get rejected? We won't have the face to see him anymore," Flavia looked at Abigail with her gentle gaze. Haisley just nodded in agreement. But Abigail, the girl with long straight hair, shook her head.

"The thing that exhausts us the most is curiosity. Disappointment, there's a remedy for that. But curiosity? The only remedy is an answer," she said bluntly. "Don't be ashamed, we're not trying to demean ourselves anyway. But once we know the answer from that guy, we can have the continuation of the story. Whether the love story will end here and we'll change course. Or our love story will continue into the next episodes that might be sweet, but also painful," she replied poetically.

Haisley and Flavia exchanged glances for a moment before looking back at Abigail. "Remember what happened with your dad and Itan," Abigail reminded Flavia. "They will never get married as long as both of them stay silent." She continued.

Flashback Off,

Adhering to that advice, Haisley, who had initially been pessimistic about winning Nathan's heart, felt a renewed determination to pursue her love. Abigail was right; whether she was rejected or accepted, that was something she would deal with later. She had mentally prepared herself for the possibility of Nathan rejecting her. Embarrassment? That would be the least of her concerns. But first things first, she needed to see Nathan's reaction when he saw her.