James glared at the phone, now disconnected, feeling a surge of rage building up inside him. He gritted his teeth, tempted to hurl the device across the room. His buddy, Huxley Hall, who was often indulged in partying with him, acted fast, snatching the phone from his grip."James, this is my phone. If you smash it, my old man will kill me!" Huxley's dad was a self-made man, once a contractor at a construction site who struck it rich overnight. Huxley's lackluster academic performance and his love for partying often left his dad fuming.It was already the third phone he had gone through this month. He had drained his pocket money to settle debts with James. If this phone broke, he would have to ask his dad for money again. Given his dad's explosive temper, he might end up getting a lecture or worse.James looked at his empty hands. He was already furious, and now even more so. "I'll just buy you another one if it breaks. Why are you so stingy?"Huxley cautiously stowed away the pho
"What?" James didn't catch it clearly, so he asked curiously, "Mom, what happened? Who were you talking about just now?"Evelyn hesitated, recalling Mrs. Ford Sr.'s warning that day, sending a shiver down her spine. Ever since she found out that Shane had actually married Haley, she had been sick with rage, feeling light-headed and unable to get out of bed.Up to now, her condition hadn't improved. Every time she thought about it, she couldn't help but simmer with anger, her head throbbing faintly."I can't bring myself to say it. You'll find out when you come back."As she finished, her voice began to falter.James wanted to ask more questions, but his mom abruptly ended the call.He stared at his phone blankly, not sure what had happened.Huxley also overheard James's conversation with his mom, and the more he thought about it, the more uneasy he became."What's happening?" he asked anxiously.James shook his head, indicating that he was clueless too.His mom had asked him
Haley didn't finish the rest of her words, but Shane already understood.He had heard from Mrs. Ford Sr. that although Yvonne had high business acumen, her initial dream was actually to stand on stage and play the violin. When she met Joe, she was the leading violinist of a well-known orchestra in the country.Later, Yvonne gave up her dream for love and ventured into entrepreneurship with Joe. Despite Joe's ambitions, he lacked talent in this area.Yvonne had to desperately study various financial knowledge to become a capable assistant to Joe. She devoted herself wholeheartedly, giving everything for Joe. Yet, she failed to realize that some men couldn't cope with the idea of their partners surpassing them in strength.Recalling these events, Shane let out a silent sigh and approached Haley, gently running his hand through her hair."Haley, Mom will definitely be watching.""Mm, I believe so too."A soft smile adorned Haley's lips, her eyes gleaming with confidence.The follo
Xena believed that as long as she adopted a victim stance in front of others, everyone's hearts would lean towards her, and Haley would become the target of public criticism.But why did it backfire this time?When did Haley start changing? Or has she been putting on a facade all these years?Wasn't her manipulation too deep?Haley noticed the fear in Xena's eyes, smirked, and cautioned her, "Don't come to me seeking attention in the future. If you provoke me, your chances of marrying into the Ford family might just disappear."After saying that, she turned and walked away without a second glance, leaving Xena with only her resolute yet elegant silhouette.Xena watched her departing figure intently, her mind completely blank.It wasn't until Haley had disappeared from sight that Xena realized she had been holding her breath, her nerves on edge.As she regained her composure, she felt a desperate need for air.Riley, visibly shaken, her face drained of color, patted her chest i
Riley felt that Xena's worry was unnecessary. It wasn't the first time she had done something like this. She had been friends with Xena since high school. Back then, Xena was even more timid and frequently targeted by bullies. Each time, Riley would exact revenge discreetly, without detection. She was confident this time wouldn't be any different.Just before leaving, Riley suddenly recalled something. She glanced around cautiously and leaned in to Xena, lowering her voice, "You've got to shine today. Word is a VIP is coming to inspect."Xena, taken aback, queried, "Who's this VIP? Why haven't I heard about it?"Riley responded, "It's legit. I caught wind of it near the principal's office. I'm not sure who exactly is coming, but if the principal's making a fuss, they must be important."A glint of calculation flickered in Xena's eyes as she looked gratefully at Riley, "Riley, thanks for the heads up. I'll give it my all."Riley grinned, "No need for thanks. Just focus on your
Haley swiftly changed into the gown and admired herself in the mirror with a satisfied smile. However, her smile gradually faded as she noticed a small tear along the fabric's seam. She delicately touched the almost imperceptible tear with her fingertips, her expression turning serious. Given her slender figure, the tear hadn't widened, but she knew she couldn't risk going out like this.As she was set to perform on the violin, she would need to raise her arms. If the tear occurred onstage, everyone at the school event would see it, and the photographers would capture the moment...Haley couldn't bear to dwell on the situation any longer. She hastily changed out of the gown. With the show about to begin, she couldn't afford to go onstage like this. She needed to find a solution.Frowning in concentration, Haley remembered there were sewing supplies in the drawer outside the fitting room. The school had prepared for various performance mishaps.She swiftly changed out of the gown,
After a long silence from inside the room, Riley furrowed her brows slightly. She raised her voice to Haley, "You stay put in there. Remember, from now on, stay out of Xena's way. Otherwise, I won't let you off the hook."Haley sneered, "You're quite loyal to Xena, huh? How many favors has she done for you?""Don't talk nonsense. Xena and I are best friends. How can you measure that with material things?"Haley raised an eyebrow, unable to believe there could be someone so foolish in the world. She suddenly burst into laughter, continuing to question Riley, "But you've done so much for her, and she's not even willing to give you material things. It seems you mean nothing to her after all.""Shut up! Xena said I'm her best friend!" Riley was provoked and shouted angrily.But Haley responded with a cold "Oh," seeming skeptical.Riley felt a surge of frustration, feeling stuck in a difficult situation. She wanted to give examples to prove how good Xena was to her, but she could not
She struggled to hold back her tears, not wanting Shane to detect her vulnerability, but her voice trembled with emotion, making it hard to hide.Shane's concern was evident in his tone as he asked, "Haley, where are you? What's going on?"Hearing his concerned and anxious tone, Haley almost couldn't hold back her tears. But she didn't want Shane to worry about her, so she tried her best to control her emotions and reassured him, "I'm fine, just had a minor mishap."Shane's frown deepened, and he pressed for details, "Where exactly are you now? Haley, be honest with me."Caught off guard by his sternness, Haley confessed, "I'm at school. I accidentally got locked in the fitting room."Shane immediately sensed foul play. A steely determination filled his gaze as he instructed, "Stay put, I'm on my way. Don't hang up."Though puzzled by his urgency, Haley complied.Glancing at her phone's battery, showing only 2%, she wondered how much longer it would last. Assuming Shane was stil