The heavy downpour of tears didn't stop as they streaked continuously over her cheeks. Pain and guilt arched at her heart. It was not her fault everything got down to a method like that, but she could not control her emotions at the moment. She acted out on impulse, as one could say, but that was not the only thing that bothered.She had a crush on Alex, and she was not sure why he was no longer running after her. It would be stupid for her to make mistakes as such or think about things like that; it was not really necessary on her end.Footsteps approached Hayle from the bushes behind; she got so tensed up that she had wandered far away from the Family ground. The only reason she had done so was because she didn't want anyone else from the Family to come along and make fun of her.“You look like a mess; what's wrong? Damsel in distress, ''Faedra'' asked. Still glancing towards her with a single intent, although it did die her good, made her happy to the pit of her belly seeing how we
The heavy downpour of tears didn't stop as they streaked continuously over her cheeks. Pain and guilt arched at her heart. It was not her fault everything got down to a method like that, but she could not control her emotions at the moment. She acted out on impulse, as one could say, but that was not the only thing that bothered.She had a crush on Alex, and she was not sure why he was no longer running after her. It would be stupid for her to make mistakes as such or think about things like that; it was not really necessary on her end.Footsteps approached Hayle from the bushes behind; she got so tensed up that she had wandered far away from the Family ground. The only reason she had done so was because she didn't want anyone else from the Family to come along and make fun of her.“You look like a mess; what's wrong? Damsel in distress, ''Faedra'' asked. Still glancing towards her with a single intent, although it did die her good, made her happy to the pit of her belly seeing how we
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
The heavy downpour of tears didn't stop as they streaked continuously over her cheeks. Pain and guilt arched at her heart. It was not her fault everything got down to a method like that, but she could not control her emotions at the moment. She acted out on impulse, as one could say, but that was not the only thing that bothered.She had a crush on Alex, and she was not sure why he was no longer running after her. It would be stupid for her to make mistakes as such or think about things like that; it was not really necessary on her end.Footsteps approached Hayle from the bushes behind; she got so tensed up that she had wandered far away from the Family ground. The only reason she had done so was because she didn't want anyone else from the Family to come along and make fun of her.“You look like a mess; what's wrong? Damsel in distress, ''Faedra'' asked. Still glancing towards her with a single intent, although it did die her good, made her happy to the pit of her belly seeing how we
The heavy downpour of tears didn't stop as they streaked continuously over her cheeks. Pain and guilt arched at her heart. It was not her fault everything got down to a method like that, but she could not control her emotions at the moment. She acted out on impulse, as one could say, but that was not the only thing that bothered.She had a crush on Alex, and she was not sure why he was no longer running after her. It would be stupid for her to make mistakes as such or think about things like that; it was not really necessary on her end.Footsteps approached Hayle from the bushes behind; she got so tensed up that she had wandered far away from the Family ground. The only reason she had done so was because she didn't want anyone else from the Family to come along and make fun of her.“You look like a mess; what's wrong? Damsel in distress, ''Faedra'' asked. Still glancing towards her with a single intent, although it did die her good, made her happy to the pit of her belly seeing how we
Hayle stared out into the night; maybe for a couple of hours, she had her mind lifted off certain burdens, all thanks to Juliet who had accompanied her.She glanced down at her side with a smile on her lipsJuliet was fast asleep; unlike her, she couldn't get herself a good night's rest.If anything, it bore her more than enough. She was restless and maybe angry, but for all she knew, there were other things she needed to bring together.Weak and tired, she needed a little bit of peace and quiet. It felt like much was done or could be done; all she needed was her mind set free.She slipped out of the room, slowly heading towards the balcony, but then remembered that she had previously passed out there and slept in the cold till the next day. Goosebumps. swarmed into her, she freed herself up to the conclusion that was not by any means the route for her.She stood in her tracks, her head tilted a bit while she pondered hard about what to do. With a single thought lit up on her mind s
None of Alex's words made any sense to Hayle; how could her womb vanish into thin air? Why was he looking so serious? Was that meant to be a prank for her? Womb don't just get off one's body."Is this the part where I laugh?” Hayle asked curiously, flashing her bright set of teeth towards Alex, who was taken aback by her attitude. Sure as hell, she had her way, but he had his as well, and he was way more determined than anything else to handle the situation as best as he could, but she was not going to help anyone at all.“I'm sorry,” she whispered under low tones and tried standing on her feet. The first thing she felt was a throbbing headache and an insane urge to retch.“This isn't funny anymore, Alex. What's going on?” She asked again, seemingly confused as her vision was a little blurry.“Here, I'll help.'' Alex added in as he made his way towards her swiftly, running his fingers across her eyes and slowly pushing up in place before helping her back in bed."Hayle, this is a jo
HayleHayle parted her slowly and glanced through her environment. Things seemed different for a moment, and the first thing that stuck with her was the vague emptiness that she felt, followed by quite a migraine that took place in her mind. What exactly was wrong? Why had she felt like something important was missing from her?.She glanced around, and the surroundings seemed familiar; it wasn't her room. But it looked oddly close. The first memory that shook her mind was collapsing by the balcony, cold and lonely, scared for her life, worried that no one would find her as people hardly entered or passed through there.She heard the creaking of a door, and the first thing she had done was close her eyes shut, firmly and tight, yet she found it really strange; she could not have picked up the footsteps approaching until she shut her eyes closed.“What's wrong with me?” She questioned herself yet said nothing. “I can tell you are awake; why bother pretending?” Alex asked as he leaned c
Hayle.The cold wind blew harshly against my skin. I circled up my toes and tilted my head a bit.It was odd; why did it look so familiar? Emerging from the room, the scent that filled my nostrils, I stretched my legs slowly and raised my head with a louder yawn.My eyes moved over to the balcony, and it made me really bothered. Why was I in a situation like this? It made me sick to my stomach as I realized I was no longer taken.“awake?” his voice covered around me, I tilted my head, In the direction the words came, as I shook slowly yet carefully, panic shocking at my sides,“Why am I here?” I asked, the words easing off my throat bitterly. I felt an uneasiness within me, and I pushed myself slowly towards the end of the bed.“Stop; you need to remain in bed; you aren't fully healed yet.” He complained even when I barely felt anything different within me.“some joke?” I asked, my gaze on his while he rolled his eyes in response.“What exactly is your deal? Why did you come up with
Hayle’s POV.A knock settled on my door, sending jolts down my spine as I glanced up. I dragged my feet in the direction it came from; it seemed more like what could be done by Sandra. I dragged my feet reluctantly towards the don't and pushed it open, but to my surprise, it was Ethan.“Good morning, still asleep?” he asked. I shook my head, a faint smile against my lips. I could not really tell him much. It was probably not the best thing expected of me, especially given the fact that I had spent all my night thinking about Alex.“No, you didn't wake me; I had been a little tired from the journey; sleep didn't come easily.” I responded to his questions, although he seemed a little tense and worried.“May I come in then?” he asked, and I nodded, pushing the door wider apart for him to walk in.“I'm sorry, my manners are a little terrible. What's wrong? You don't look so good.” I asked on the spot, fighting hard to have my senses all intact.“Do you like it here, Hayle? Do you like be
AlexI rolled around in bed, my mind coupled up with her thoughts, I found it hard to sleep,My eyes darted over to the huge wall clock in the centre of the room, the seconds ticking slowly, that sound suddenly became louder for me to bear, sounded nothing better than torture.I sat up before putting on my shirt. It was seventeen minutes past three in the morning. It's been more than two hours since I retired to bed, fussing about and turning to no avail.“stop acting like it isn't your fault, why do you always have to make decisions that I'll take the pain for?” my asked, ranging unnecessarily, I sighed before blocking him off the mind link when he had put up with a fight…he was right, I've been imposing my decision on him lately.Apparently, there seemed like nothing else I could do better. I sucked in air and stood on my feet deciding to go for a light walk. It could help me, or maybe not, either way, I knHaley’eded the help within myself outside the walls of my room.I felt a t
Hayle's I slowly opened my eyes, the room looked fuzzy and unclear. I blinked a few times to clear my vision, and then I saw someone moving around, but their features were all blurry. It reminded me of Alex, but I couldn't be sure.I felt a mix of emotions - confusion, and a bit of fear. Was it really him? I tried to sit up to get a better look, but it was hard. Every movement felt heavy and slow.I strained my eyes, hoping to see more clearly, eager to know if it was really him or just my imagination playing tricks on me when suddenly he drew closer and spoke up.“I really need to know why you chose to have yourself killed today,” Alex spoke, his words coming off more like an exclamation than a statement. He had intervened and disrupted Adams' plan to take me out while fighting me in the training field. I was so dumb to recognize that that had been his plan all along.How stupid of me. I cussed inwardly. I thought about what happened, and a heavy feeling settled in my chest. I r