Shane could not help but laugh bitterly. In the past, what he was most proud of in business negotiations was his imposing demeanor. It allowed him to take the lead at the negotiation table, making subsequent discussions much more effective. He never imagined that one day, he would be rejected because of this, let alone by his own wife. It was truly an indescribable bitterness.Letting out a sigh, Shane continued to advocate for himself. "Haley, Jenny is your friend. You can't possibly keep us from meeting forever, can you?""But..." Haley hesitated.Before she could finish, Shane persisted, "Isn't it a tradition at your school to invite friends out for a meal when someone's single? By rights, we should invite her for a meal too, and I can also invite some of my friends to join us."Haley carefully considered it. There was indeed an unwritten custom at Jasper City University. Thinking about how Jenny had previously tagged along for several meals thanks to her past boyfriends, she
The suddenness of the situation caused Haley's brain to momentarily freeze. When she came to her senses, she noticed that the diners around were all turning their gazes towards her, filled with gossip and curiosity.Frowning, Haley's gaze turned cold. "Who are you? I don't think I've ever seen you before."The man smiled and began to introduce himself. "I'm Nolan Zeigler, and I've liked you for a long time. Will you marry me and be my wife?" As he spoke, he pulled out a ring from his pocket.Though Haley was not an expert in jewelry, she could immediately tell that the diamond on the ring was fake. Even though the ring seemed shiny, with that fake diamond in the mix, it just looked cheap. It was probably not even worth twenty bucks.Haley's brows furrowed even tighter. She had encountered many people confessing their feelings to her, but this was the first time someone had proposed with a fake diamond ring. Moreover, she searched through all her memories and could not find any re
Haley did not respond, but instead continued to ask, "Let me guess, who is it that cares about me so much, Xena? Or is it Zoe?"Nolan's eyelids twitched violently. That woman's name was indeed Zoe.Haley had been paying close attention to his facial expressions and quickly concluded that this was no coincidence at all, but rather the handiwork of Zoe.She sneered inwardly and asked him, "Did the person who contacted you claim to be my mom, wanting to arrange a good marriage for me and thinking highly of you?""How did you know?" Nolan blurted out instinctively.Realizing what he had said, he quickly covered his mouth, feeling guilty.He had promised that woman that he would not expose her, or else he would not get a penny. The reward she promised was incredibly generous, four thousand!He usually idled around, and whenever he had a little money, he would go gamble with friends, ending up losing everything.When that woman found him, he was being chased by debt collectors. Not o
Haley instinctively stepped back, avoiding Nolan's hand. She frowned with disgust and spoke sternly, "As long as I don't agree, it doesn't count Go tell Zoe that I've got this noted down, and mark my words, one day I'll settle the score, with interest."Nolan persisted, still trying to approach, but Jenny shoved him forcefully, sending him tumbling to the ground. He was so fixated on Haley that he completely ignored Jenny next to her, giving Jenny an opening.Suddenly, the world spun for Nolan as he crashed down, the pain making him gasp for air. Rising from the ground, he raised his hand to deliver a slap."You little wretch, don't push your luck. It's your lucky day that I've taken a fancy to you. Hurry up and come with me to tie the knot!"As the slap was about to land, everyone held their breath in anticipation. Even Haley did not have time to dodge and instinctively closed her eyes. But before the slap could land, it was forcefully halted by a hand.Then came the sound of joi
Nolan nodded frantically, "I'll tell you everything! A woman named Zoe found me this morning. She gave me a photo of Mrs. Ford and asked me to do whatever it takes to coax her into getting married and then swindle the inheritance under her name."Haley's expression darkened, unable to suppress a cold laugh. So, they had their eyes on that inheritance. They were truly greedy. It was what her mother had toiled for, and while benefiting from her mother's efforts in the past was one thing, now they were scheming even for this inheritance!Shane had been observing Haley's expression all along. Seeing her feeling low, he spoke up to comfort her, "With me here, I won't let anyone bully you."A warm feeling washed over Haley's heart as she smiled at Shane. "Thank you, Mr. Ford, I'm fine."She was just thinking that this matter could not be easily settled like this. With his head bowed low, Nolan felt extremely anxious, fearing that Shane would retaliate against him. When Shane's cold gaz
Jenny scratched her head, carefully searching her memory. But before she could recall, the two men approached.Henry glanced at Jenny, a casual smile playing at his lips. "Hello again!"Caught in the gaze of his affectionate peach blossom eyes, even Jenny, who prided herself on thick skin, could not help but blush. She whispered softly, "Have we met before?"Henry was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter. "You're quite amusing. Last time, you got drunk and vomited all over me, saying you'd wash my clothes clean and return them. Not only did you not return them, but now you're pretending not to recognize me?"Jenny was stunned, suddenly remembering that there might be some truth to his words. That night, she and Haley had gone to a bar to drink. When Haley got drunk and was carried away by Shane, Jenny stayed behind and continued drinking alone. Later, a man approached claiming to be a friend of Shane's, offering to take her home. She was mesmerized by his face and a
"Add me as your contact, I'll be your creditor from now on," he said.Jenny nodded and added him. After their "enmity" was settled, Henry introduced himself, "Haley, my name is Henry Green. Just call me Henry."Zac nodded gently towards Haley, then uttered, "Zac."Henry could not bear it anymore. He wrapped his arm around Zac's neck and chuckled as he introduced him to Haley, "This is Zac. He's a bit aloof and doesn't like socializing. Don't mind him."Zac glared at him. "Take your dirty hands off me."Henry withdrew his hand silently but retorted, "Can't you show me a little respect the first time we meet? Who's dying to touch you anyway!"Haley chuckled lightly, "Hello, nice to meet you both. I'm Haley.""I know, you probably don't know yet, but for ages, Shane has had... Oops!"Henry's words were cut off as Zac nudged him in the stomach with his elbow. Receiving warning glances from Shane and Zac, Henry awkwardly closed his mouth.Haley looked at the three of them in puzzle
Haley looked at Shane puzzledly, wondering if she had said something wrong. Why were Henry and Zac's reactions so strange?Meeting Haley's puzzled gaze, Shane's lips curved slightly, and he reached out to gently rub her head, saying, "Don't mind them. Sometimes they're not quite normal here."As he spoke, he tapped his temple with his fingertip. Haley could not help but chuckle at his playful gesture, her dimples showing sweetly on her face.Henry's heart felt like it had been stabbed viciously as he grumbled, "Shane, you're really prioritizing love over friendship! Right, Zac?"Zac, who was usually silent, surprisingly nodded in agreement, "Yeah, it's indeed a bit unfair."But Shane did not feel the least bit guilty. On the contrary, he spoke confidently, "Between a wife and friends, it's obvious which is more important, isn't it?"Henry and Zac fell silent immediately, feeling like their hearts had been struck by a thousand lightning bolts. But if it was for Haley, they did not