Chapter oneHaley pushed the door open, and an air of loneliness greeted her. Ethan Hall, her husband, was absent. Not back from his whereabouts. The furious husband had stormed out of the apartment after a heated argument.It had been two days, and he was still not back. And Haley could only think that the three-year marriage had come to a grinding halt.Things had become sour after Haley discovered some nude pictures in her husband's phone. And she couldn't help but think that her husband would be nowhere other than with his mistress, Morgan Reed.Haley moved to pour herself a glass of water. After that, she grabbed her cell phone and dialed the same digits she would be dialing for the millionth time.As expected, it went straight to voicemail. But this time around, she decided to leave a message."Honey, I'm so..." She wasn't sure of how to go about the apology. The words just would not come together."Honey, I'm sorry for the other day. I never should have said those words.
Chapter two“What the hell are you doing here?”“Excuse me!” Morgan released an elongated hiss as she walked past Haley into the apartment.Haley, who was in a hurry to leave, turned after receiving a shove to the shoulder. She had warned the bitch to never set foot in the apartment. Ever.“Ethan, what's she doing here,” Haley asked, setting down her bags.“Oh, sorry. I forgot to tell you. I invited her over.”Haley pondered over the whole situation. Ethan had invited his mistress before signing the divorce papers. This could only mean that Morgan had known about the divorce. Not only that, she might have orchestrated the whole thing.“Into our home?”“Don't make it a big deal. We are no longer together. You already signed the papers.”Morgan turned to Haley and smirked. “You see, I came on invitation. And you, on the other hand, need to leave.“I should leave?” Haley mimicked.“You should. You don't deserve him.”Haley found it amusing that she was now being told to leave
Chapter three“Ladies of this generation think they know more than their parents. This is what befalls every daughter who fails to listen to her father. I knew this would happen. It was only a matter of time. Not if; but when.”Perched on a seat at the dining table, Haley listened closely to the words of her father. Mr. Wilson could be brutal and outspoken, and he had not failed to live up to expectation. And Haley thought that a stubborn daughter deserved it all.“This was exactly what I was afraid of. You are a brilliant young lady. You came out top of your class in high school. I wanted you to go to college, but you insisted on getting married. Experience is truly the best teacher for you.”“Richard!” Mrs. Wilson chipped in to caution the words of her husband.“Don't Richard me. You were part of the problem,” Mr. Wilson shot back at his wife.Mrs. Wilson held back her thoughts. She was the main supporter of the marriage. Unlike the father, Mrs. Wilson thought the onus was on
That evening, Haley dressed in the crimson gown, the rich color accentuating her every curve. Her makeup was flawless, her hair styled into soft waves that framed her face. A beauty mark just below her eye added a touch of allure. She was striking, like a vision from a painting.As she walked into the auction hall, she felt all eyes turn toward her, including those of Alex Lane, a man known for his sharp wit and even sharper tongue. He took in her appearance with keen interest.“Who is that?” Alex asked, intrigued.Vardy Foster, his friend and notorious playboy, grinned beside him. “That’s Haley Summers, Ethan Charles’ wife. But rumor has it Ethan ’s here with another woman. We might just see some fireworks tonight.”Alex didn’t reply, his attention fixed on Haley as she moved gracefully through the crowd.Inside the venue, Morgan Stale clung nervously to Ethan ’s arm, her white dress a stark contrast to the vibrant colors around her. “I’m not sure I should be here,” she murmu
a familiar voice echoed from the back. Vardy walked up with a casual stride, Alex beside him.Vera caught sight of Alex and responded calmly, “Indeed. I bought it for amusement.”Morgan ’s complexion turned pale, realizing how out of her depth she was. While ten billion meant little to Ethan , it seemed to mean even less to Vera.Embarrassed, Morgan ’s face flushed red. She realized she had made a fool of herself in front of these powerful people.Suddenly, alex asked, “I heard Mr. Charles got married recently. Is this lady beside him Mrs. Charles?”Morgan ’s face grew redder, and she shook her head nervously. “N-No…”“She’s mine, Vera,” Ethan declared, pulling Vera close to him. Vera tried to free herself from his grip, but Ethan held on tighter.He’d noticed Alex ’s lingering gaze on Vera. Men could always tell when another man was interested.“So, Ms. Summers is Mrs. Charles. My mistake. I just assumed, seeing Mr. Charles sharing a laugh with this lady earlier, that she was hi
"Hayle , you can't just throw accusations around," Vardy snapped, his voice laced with frustration."Yeah, we're all legitimate business people here," he added, trying to keep his tone respectful.Hayle raised an eyebrow, her expression calm as she replied, "I can't speak for the rest of you, but I have a feeling ethan might find this conversation interesting."Vardy narrowed his eyes. "You're playing dirty, ."She kept her gaze steady on Alex as she continued, "Let me cut to the chase. I need to borrow eight billion dollars. I'll pay it back, with interest, in three years."Vardy's eyes widened in disbelief. "Eight billion? Do you have any idea how much interest that'll accrue? And what if you can't pay it back? You're married to Mr. Charles—how are we supposed to handle that?""I know what I'm asking for," ! said, her voice firm. "And I'm willing to sign over the Summers' shares and properties as collateral. If I can't repay the loan, I'll work for you, no questions asked."She
Morgan 's loud outburst caused an abrupt hush to fall over the room, turning all eyes towards her. Even Ethan and Hayle paused their conversation to look her way. Realizing she had drawn unwanted attention, Morgan 's face flushed with embarrassment. She quickly softened her tone, forcing a smile. "I'm sorry, I didn’t mean to raise my voice. Are you alright, sir?"The old gardener, stooped low, continued to gather the fallen roses, murmuring apologies under his breath. Morgan ’s attempt to save face came off as insincere, and noticed the shift in the crowd’s demeanor. The moment had already passed, and Morgan ’s forced politeness did little to reverse the damage.When Morgan ’s eyes fell on Hayle standing next to Ethan , her confusion turned to disbelief. "What is she doing here?" she muttered under her breath. Ethan ’s brow furrowed at the sight of Morgan ’s unexpected presence. quietly observed Ethan ’s reaction, realizing that he hadn’t anticipated Morgan ’s arrival. It was c
Ethan 's expression remained composed, but Hayle could tell he already suspected the land's true potential. He had likely figured out its future value but chose to let Frederick have it as a gesture of goodwill. That was just like Ethan —always strategic, even in his generosity. Hayle shrugged off the conversation. "I just gave him a compliment. You're overthinking it," she said, dismissing the topic with a casual tone. Ethan 's brow furrowed as he considered her words. He realized he was probably reading too much into it; how could Hayle possibly have the foresight to predict the land's value? He decided to drop it. "You're probably right," he murmured, then turned his attention back to Morgan , leading her away to mingle with other guests. As they walked off, Morgan briefly glanced back at Hayle, her expression carefully neutral, but Hayle caught the hint of a smug smile hidden in her eyes. Hayle finished her glass of champagne, the bubbles doing little to lift her spirits. To