Chapter 11
Feeling utterly ignored was a helpless, bitter pill to swallow. My eyes stung, and before I knew it, tears were streaming down my face. When it came to my mom, it always dredged up a tidal wave of regret and guilt that words couldn’t capture.
“Hayden, don’t you find this ridiculous?” I said with a sarcastic smile, quickly looking away so I wouldn’t have to face him. The scars buried deep in my heart could usually be brushed aside, but when they resurfaced, they felt painfully raw
Out of the corner of my eye, 1 thought I saw a hand with distinct knuckles reaching out to me, but it never made contact.
I must have been imagining things, right? It was already a long shot that Hayden didn’t tell me to stop bothering him, let alone show any kind of empathy,
Thankfully, he didn’t add anything else, and the car fell into silence, moving steadily along. When we got back to Rosy House, I went upstairs alone, not even glancing his way,
Hayden would never return to the master bedroom. Even after a year of marriage, we still felt like strangers living under the same roof.
The next morning I woke up early. Now that 1 had decided to work at Parker Group. I needed to take it seriously Hayden I even changed into a light–colored professional outh
Rita was waiting for me. When she saw my classy look, she smiled and said. “Have you changed your style? Those clothes look great on you. You look like a professional woman‘
Back in the day, pleasing Hayden was all that mattered to me. But now, his opinions held no weight with i
with me, and I could finally dress how I wanted “I feel the same way.” I caught my reflection in the mirror and offered a small, genuine smile. For the first time, I felt truly liberated. Letting go of that emotional baggage was such a relief.
But just as I began to enjoy my new mood, Rita chirmed in, “No wonder Mr. Hayden Parker specifically mentioned wanting to have breakfast with you. He must have noticed your changes, too.”
“Hayden‘ He’s still here? My heart skipped a beat Wasn’t he always hard to pin down? So why lad I been bumping into him so much since he
came back to town?
“Yes, Mrs. Parker. Please get ready and head downstairs soon, Rita urged. She had been assigned by Xander to look after me and Hayden, and it was clear she wanted to play matchmaker.
Having breakfast was no big deal, but the good mood I had just found was immediately shattered. With a sigh, I dragged myself downstairs and found Hayden sitting at the dining table.
He had changed into a dark black suit, which perfectly highlighted his call, slender frame, giving off an air of noble elegance.
I walked over and sat down without saying a word to him.
The servant started to serve the dishes. I got a bowl of vegetable soup, while Hayden had toast and milk. It seemed he had picked up a new breakfast routine–he used to love soup or eggs in the moming
In the s
spacious dining room, we sat across from each other, digging into our breakfast in silence. The quiet was almost eerie.
After breakfast, I stepped out of the house and found the car waiting outside. Hayden was standing by it, looking like he was waiting for me to get in. “You go first,” I said calmly.
He frowned and grumbled, “It’s what Grandpa wanted.”
I promised Xander to work at Parker Group, but I didn’t mean to turn it into a big deal, and I don’t want our relationship to be common knowledge, I snapped, my tone frosty.
Over the past year, I hadn’t set foot in Parker Group, and only a handful of top brass knew Hayden and I were hitched. Most of the staff probably had no clue. Besides, with my three–month countdown to leaving, there was no point in exposing it,
Hayden’s expression darkened “You don’t want everyone to know about our relationship! Have you forgotten how you used to cling to me?”
A woman who used to be all over him suddenly became so distant. He found himself at a loss, struggling to adjust to this unexpected shift.
I was momentarily speechless.
In the silence, Hayden’s driver leaned in and whispered, “Mr. Parker, Ms. Charlotte has been picked up, and they will go to the company first,”
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Chapter 11
I was close enough to hear clearly, and the surprise hit me like a ton of bricks. Joanna’s joining the company too?
Hayden glanced back at me. The company recruits new people every year. What’s wrong with that?”
Sure, hiring new people was normal, but having Joanna there was a different story. It was obvious that Hayden had set this up–a favored woman needed to be kept close, right!
Realizing Hayden’s litle scheme, I suddenly felt frustrated. He had openly welcomed his mistress, so why did I have to keep hiding? Even though there were only three months left, I wanted to stir the pot and make things uncomfortable for them.
Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward and got into Hayden’s car first So what if we went to the company together. The more people who saw how Hayden played both sides, the better!
Hayden looked a bit surprised by my sudden move, his charming eyes narrowing slightly. He got into the car after a moment, and the tension in the air was thicker than yesterday.
Fortunately, there was no traffic, and we arrived at the company quickly. Before the car even came to a stop. I spotted Joanna in the lobby through
the window
She had indeed gotten there a bit earlier, wearing a white suit dress. The material wasn’t luxurious, but it hugged her slim figure well, making her look decent. The breeze lifted her light brown hair, giving her an unexpectedly delicate charm.
Suddenly. I remembered what Lacy had said, and the words just tumbled out to Hayden, “Why do you like h
her!”
It was probably the burning question for anyone who’d felt the sting of betrayal: What did that person have that I didn’t? Hayden just remained silent, and the air in the car load grown much thinner. I could sense his irritation growing
“Love at first sight?” I smiled, unable to resist pushing for an answer.
“Yvonne Jackson, you’d better at normal. Hayden’s icy words cut through the air, carrying an unmistakable threat
I thought about how softly he had spoken to Joanna, and a sour feeling rose in my throat. Just then, the car door opened, and the tople was dropped.
The moment Hayden stepped out of the car, Joanna’s eyes lit up right away. She shifted her weight, as if she was about to rush over
Just then, I noticed she was sporting these killer ten–inch heels. They were stunning and made her legs book mile–long, but I couldn’t help thinking they must be a nightmare to walk in
With it being her first day at the office, maybe she was already aiming for the top prize–Hayden’s heart.
I stepped out of the car with a slight smile, just as I expected, the moment Joanna saw me, she froze. The sparkle in her eyes quickly turned into jealousy and resentment. She probably didn’t expect me to show up, let alone stand by Hayden’s side.
