4
In my room, there was a photo of my mother
on the table.
I picked up the frame and rubbed it.
“Mom…”
After my father died, my mother took me in to
work for the family as their maid.
At first, she looked after my grandpa, but
then Liam got fussy about his food, so he
moved her to cook for him.
Liam liked my mother a lot. She took care of
him for seven years.
When Liam was ten years old, he had an
accident. My mother protected him and got
hurt so bad. The hospital said there was
nothing they could do.
Before she died, she told the family to take
care of me.
But this family wasn’t where I belonged.
Over the next few days, I prepared to study
abroad.
On the day of the birthday party, I went to
pick out a dress.
I knew that I should go with Liam.
But we had blocked each other.
He would want me to say sorry.
I wasn’t going to.
Then he walked in with Ashley on his arm.
<
He brought the woman I hate to an important
event.
Everyone looked at me.
He hesitated for a moment, then acted like he
didn’t see.
Ashley smirked at me and gave the gift to my
grandpa.
“Happy birthday! I hope you have a long life!”
My grandpa scowled, and the mood became
tense.
So I walked over to take the gift.
“Thank you…
<
“Ah-”
Before I could finish, Ashley gasped.
Ashley let go of the gift, and the jade object
hit the floor and broke into two pieces.
Ashley looked like she was trying to be strong
and not cry.
“Hailey, I know that you hate me, but you
don’t need to do this.”
I froze.
Nobody has ever done this to me.
Liam protected Ashley, and he yelled at me.
“Hailey, what has gotten into you? Why are
L
you doing this to Ashley?”
Liam yelled, and everyone looked at us.
“Why am I acting out?”
I looked at Ashley, who was hiding behind
Liam.
“Slap.”
I slapped her and looked at Liam.
Chapter Two
“That’s what you call misdirected anger.”
And with that, I grabbed Ashley’s hair and
yanked her to the ground.
“Trying to pull that crap in front of Grandpa?
<
What do you think he is, an idiot?”
She covered her face, not so tough anymore.
I’d ignored Ashley’s provocations for way too
long.
Liam wanted me to be quiet and obedient, and to protect his reputation, I kept backing
down.
But I wasn’t that timid little girl anymore.
Who did she think she was, trying to set me
up?
Liam grabbed my arm. “Enough!”
I ripped myself away from him, then
announced, loud enough for everyone to hear,
<
that our engagement was off.
Liam’s face went white. He ignored Ashley on
the floor and just stared at me, his eyes turning red.
“Hailey! You!”
5
