Chapter 1"Hailey, just turn around. I still want you."
Hailey stood frozen under her umbrella, staring at Xavier, who suddenly showed up in Melbourne. It took her a long moment to process.
Four years. She never thought she'd see him again.
After all, when she'd vanished without a word, she'd intended for it to be for good.
After what felt like an eternity, Hailey finally found her voice, shaking off the shock of the encounter. "Xavier... I'm married."
A low, derisive laugh cut through the quiet night.
Xavier took a drag from his cigarette, his tone flat. "This 'husband' of yours... is it him?"
He held up his phone, showing her a picture.
On the screen, a woman in a mermaid-style wedding gown held a bouquet of pink and white lisianthus, smiling up at the sharply dressed man beside her.
The man had his arm around the woman's shoulders, a slight smile on his lips. His handsome eyes held a youthful innocence, lacking the cool, steady confidence that time and experience had now given him.
It was Vincent. A younger Vincent.
Hailey stared down at the face, feeling as if she were trapped in a dream.
But the voice beside her shattered the illusion.
"His real name is Victor Martin, heir to the multi-billion dollar Martin Cooperation. He disappeared four years ago on an overseas business trip—sabotaged by a rival. The Martin family told the world he was recovering from an illness abroad, but they were searching for him behind the scenes. And just recently..."
Xavier Shaw continued, a smirk playing on his lips, "The prodigal son 'recovered' and returned home, announcing he's throwing a massive wedding reception for Mrs. Martin in the middle of next month."
"Turns out Victor Martin and his real wife not only have a marriage certificate, but also a five-year-old kid. Which means, Hailey, you're the other woman."
Xavier stepped closer, reaching for her wrist, but she pulled back instinctively.
His dark eyes turned icy. "Still not convinced? Fine. Let's just see how long this 'love' of yours really lasts!"
Xavier was determined to force her to see Victor's true colors, dragging her back to the States against her will.
He then took her to a birthday gala hosted by the Martin family.
She knew it was Victor's birthday.
They had always celebrated it together.
She'd even bought his present a month ago.
But now, all she could do was hide in the shadows, her eyes fixed on the man who had claimed to be on a business trip in New Zealand.
She watched him quickly tap something out on his phone.
At the same moment, Hailey's phone buzzed with a new message.
"Babe, a last-minute problem with the project. I'm afraid I won't make it back tonight. I'll work late and try to catch the first flight in the morning. Go to sleep, don't wait up for me. We can celebrate my birthday anytime."
Hailey stared at the text until her eyes burned. suddenly, the lights in the grand hall dimmed, leaving a single spotlight on the family of three in the center of the stage.
Victor Martin held a little girl in a frilly pink dress, who was eagerly urging him to cut the cake.
"What's the rush," Sophie Nelson's voice, full of laughter, drifted over as she looked up at Victor. "Let your daddy make a wish first."
"It's okay."
Victor chuckled softly. "My wish already came true."
He looked down at the little girl's sparkling eyes, then at Sophie's smiling face. "Everything I could ever wish for is right here."
The elder Martins watched the happy family, beaming with satisfaction.
In her shadowy corner, Hailey clenched her fists so tightly her nails dug painfully into her palms.
Sophie lowered her eyes with a small laugh, but when she looked up again, her gaze locked directly with Hailey's.
Her smile faltered for a second, then she turned away as if nothing had happened, adjusting Victor's tie. "Victor," she said softly, "Daisy has been so much happier since you came back. It just goes to show, blood is thicker than water."
As if sensing something, Victor instinctively glanced in the direction Sophie had looked.
When he saw Hailey's face, his smile vanished, replaced by a look of utter disbelief.
The elder Martins noticed his change in mood and turned to look. Their gaze swept over Hailey with icy disdain.
One of them turned and muttered to an aide, "Is this a private Martin event or a public shelter? Get her out of here. And do it quietly, don't disturb the guests."
Moments later, two waiters came and flanked Hailey, grabbing her by the arms.
Their grip was painfully tight.
Hailey struggled instinctively, but they only held her tighter.
Victor bent down to set the little girl on the floor and started to move towards Hailey, but Sophie gently tugged at his sleeve, her eyes pleading. "Victor, please don't make a scene. Don't embarrass me, okay?"
Victor pressed his lips together and stood still.
Hailey watched him, a bitter smile touching her lips as she looked down.
Humiliated, she clutched the paper bag in her hand, ready to leave quietly. But suddenly, the little girl in pink ran up to her and spat on her.
"Go away, you bad woman! Stop bothering my daddy!"
Caught off guard by a forceful shove, Hailey stumbled backward, losing her balance.
Her heel caught on the hem of her long dress, and she heard the sharp snap of a strap breaking.
Before she could react, the front of her dress gaped open, exposing her.
A wave of gasps rippled through the crowd, followed by derisive snickers. "What's this? Is she Martin's mistress from overseas?"
"Showing up in front of his wife? Is she trying to force her way in? She's clearly out of her league."
"She's just some trashy piece. All it takes is being slutty and shameless enough."
"But you have to admit, Mr. Martin is loyal in his own way. Even his side piece looks just like his wife."
Ignoring the sharp pain in her side from hitting the corner of a table and the humiliating whispers, Hailey crossed her arms tightly over her chest.
The next second, the towering pyramid of champagne glasses crashed down, showering her with golden liquid and shards of glass.
Hailey collapsed onto the ruined, soaked carpet. Her hairpin came loose, and strands of hair, sticky with champagne, clung to her wet cheeks.
The room fell silent. Dozens of pairs of eyes were fixed on her like spotlights.
Hailey frantically tried to push herself up, but her palm landed in a sticky puddle of champagne. A sharp piece of glass sliced her hand, and blood began to bead on the surface.
She snatched her hand back in humiliation. The champagne stained her dress, dripping down in rivulets and creating dark, uneven pools on the polished floor.
Victor shoved Sophie aside and took a step forward.
But a sudden retching sound broke the silence.
Sophie was doubled over, her hands clamped over her mouth, her face deathly pale.
Murmurs immediately rippled through the crowd.
"Mrs. Martin... could she be pregnant again?"
Victor froze for a second, then, without hesitation, turned, scooped the crouching Sophie into his arms, and strode quickly towards a private room.
Hailey pressed a hand to her aching heart, scrambling to her feet in a humiliating panic.
The moment she turned away, the tears she'd been holding back finally broke free.
It was pouring rain outside, but she didn't care, plunging headfirst into the storm.
She didn't have an umbrella and she didn't run. She just walked slowly.
Someone with an umbrella hurried past her, muttering something like, "Crazy girl, get out of the rain." But she heard nothing, only the downpour roaring in her ears, like someone weeping, or perhaps laughing.
A puddle at her feet reflected her wretched image: her hair a mess, plastered to her forehead, her eyes frighteningly red.
She kicked a small stone at the curb. It sent up a splash that was instantly erased by the rain, just like the hollow space in her heart that could never be filled.
After who knows how long, Hailey finally ducked into a convenience store. She borrowed the clerk's phone and dialed a familiar number.
"I need your help to fake an accident for me, a car crash into the ocean. This time, I need the identity of Hailey He to disappear from the world for good. I want to make sure no one can ever find me!"
Chapter 2
There was a sigh on the other end of the line.
"Hailey, sweetie, in this circle, loving one woman and marrying another is standard practice. Whether it's Xavier or Victor, honestly, if you were just willing to..."
"Sebastian,"
Hailey cut her off. "If the love isn't pure, then I'd rather be alone. All I ever wanted was to be the one, the only one. Since they can't give me that, I don't want any of it."
A smile was audible in Sebastian Thomas's voice. "You haven't changed a bit. Since your mind is made up, I'll figure out how to get you out. I'll contact a pseudocide agency and have them draw up a fake death agreement in your name. We'll set the date for..."
"The middle of next month,"
Hailey finished calmly, "The day of Victor Martin's wedding."
"Alright," Sebastian's voice buzzed with a mischievous excitement. "This time, we're going big."
Hailey didn't know what Sebastian had planned, but as long as it achieved her goal, that was all that mattered.
From now on, she just wanted to disappear from their world completely.
Hailey calmly said her thanks, returned the phone, and walked out of the convenience store.
"So, had your wake-up call yet?"
She turned toward the voice to see Xavier leaning against the storefront. She didn't say a word.
"Hailey,"
He bent down and reached out to wipe the rain from her face. "I can forgive you for being with another man. Come back to me. What do you say?"
The familiar scent of crisp pine filled her senses, pulling her memories back years.
She had been with Xavier for ten years.
At first, she was just a poor student he had casually sponsored.
Later, after he seduced her, their relationship changed.
It started when he brought her to his mansion at eighteen.
He was the one who took her out of her poor village, helping her escape a family that only valued sons and drained her dry.
Over the years, he poured money and resources into her, molding her into the image of a wealthy heiress.
She had naively believed that Xavier loved her.
Until she overheard the news of his impending engagement, when a few of his meddling friends asked him what he planned to do with her.
The man lazily swirled his drink, looking down with a small smile. "You don't just set a pet you picked up off the street free just because you're getting married."
"Aren't you afraid your little songbird might fly away on her own?"
Xavier laughed, his words sharp and clear. "She's just a creature begging for scraps. Once she's gotten used to a life of luxury, why would she ever want to leave?"
He had long ago defined their relationship.
She was just a pet he could keep by his side or discard at any time.
He gave her a life of luxury to completely break her wings and trap her in his abyss.
But he didn't know that someone who grew up in darkness isn't afraid of the dark.
So, with Sebastian's help, she ran away without a word, and no matter what means he used, he could never find her.
She just never expected that after all this time, everything would come back to where it started.
"I have no interest in being someone's mistress. I never have, and I never will. Xavier, I'll say it again, I'm married."
Hailey took a deep breath. "What happens between him and me is our business, you don't need to worry about it. Even if we were to separate, I would never get back with you. I stopped loving you a long time ago."
Xavier let out a series of cold laughs. "Excellent."
She would rather be the other woman for the man who deceived her than lower her head for him.
Seeing the coldness in his eyes, Hailey instinctively took a step back, but he suddenly pulled her in front of him, his mouth coming down on hers with familiar force.
The taste of blood on her tongue mingled with the rain.
Hailey's clenched fists pounded against his chest, but it was like hitting a wall of iron.
Until Xavier's fingertips grazed the sensitive spot on her earlobe, sending a shiver through her. She suddenly kneed him in the stomach, and as his grip loosened, she used all her strength to slap him across the face.
Her fingers trembled as she realized what she had just done.
Xavier stared at her darkly, but a faint, almost sickly smile touched his lips. "Feel better now?"
"If you've calmed down, come back. I've been going fucking crazy looking for you."
Just as he finished speaking.
A powerful beam of headlights cut through the darkness, bearing down on them aggressively.
Chapter 3
Hailey squinted at the tall figure striding toward them out of the glare.
Her face turned pale when she met Victor's gaze.
Xavier narrowed his eyes, his voice dripping with arrogant disdain. "Mr. Martin, I didn't expect you to take over a woman I've slept with. What a coincidence."
Hailey's hands, hanging at her sides, curled into fists as a chill spread from her heart to her fingertips.
Victor ignored Xavier's provocation and walked straight to Hailey. He took her cold hand, as he always did, and smoothly tucked it into his coat pocket.
He looked at her quietly, his eyes gentle as jade.
"Hailey, we need to talk."
Hailey was silent for two seconds, then she stopped struggling.
But suddenly, her other wrist was seized in a furious grip, tight enough to feel like it might break.
Victor gave Xavier a long, hard look, his tone indifferent. "Mr. Shaw, since you're so concerned about my wife, perhaps you should be more concerned about Shaw Industries."
As he spoke, Xavier's phone buzzed, and he glanced down at it.
He clenched his jaw and, surprisingly, let go of her hand.
Victor led Hailey to the car.
Before he could speak, Hailey started, "Victor... Mr. Martin, I only got in the car with you to make things clear. Since you have a family, I will step aside. Our marriage was never valid anyway."
Victor turned to her, his eyes darkening. "I'm not letting you go."
A self-deprecating smile touched Hailey's lips. "Everyone has their limits. I can't be a mistress, not for Xavier back then, and not for you now."
A sudden, sharp brake cut Hailey's words short.
Her body lurched forward, and a second later, a large hand on her shoulder pressed her back into her seat.
"I won't put you in that position, Hailey."
"I'll give up everything and go with you."
His hot breath was on her lips.
"But... I need to have a child with Sophie, to leave an heir for the Martin family."
Victor studied her expression, then abruptly removed his hand from her shoulder and sat back in his seat.
"Sophie needs a son to secure her position in the Martin family, and she needs the title of Mrs. Martin. I promise, as soon as she gives birth, we'll leave immediately."
So, this was what he meant by not putting her in the position of a mistress: giving everything to another woman, including the right for her child to call him father.
Her heart still felt a dull, numb ache.
"I was once truly in love with her. I can't just let her fend for herself in that dog-eat-dog world."
Victor pressed her hand to his chest. "But from now on, in here, there will only be you. Can you be generous and let her have this, please?"
The heartbeat under her palm was steady, but she could no longer feel any warmth.
Hailey slowly withdrew her hand and whispered, "Okay."
Perhaps not expecting her to agree so readily, Victor looked like a stunned teenager who had just hit the jackpot. He pulled Hailey into his arms.
But he didn't notice her completely calm and emotionless expression.
Clearly afraid that Hailey would pull the same stunt again, Victor insisted on keeping her by his side.
He needed her under his watch at all times to feel at ease.
So, every time he slept with Sophie, no matter how late, Victor would return to the second floor to hold Hailey as he slept.
The scent of the man, a unique blend of shower gel and musk that lingered after sex, made Hailey's stomach turn. She pushed him away violently, rolled out of bed, and threw up.
Victor didn't even bother to put on a robe. He rushed to bring her a glass of warm water, constantly stroking her back.
"What's wrong, Hailey? Are you not feeling well? I'll take you to the hospital."
He grabbed his clothes from the side and hastily put them on, but his movements were stopped by the figure standing in the doorway.
"What is it, Daisy?"
Daisy clutched a stuffed rabbit, her voice soft and small. "Daddy, Mommy's tummy hurts..."
Victor didn't even wait for her to finish before he bolted downstairs, completely forgetting about the other person still in the bedroom.
Moments later, the sound of an engine starting came from downstairs.
Hailey couldn't help but laugh at herself.
"Auntie, can you take me back to my room?"
Hailey snapped back to reality at the sound of the voice. Daisy was studying her with wide eyes, but she didn't come any closer.
Perhaps because there was no one else in the house, she had lost the sharpness of their first encounter and now seemed shyly well-behaved.
Hailey walked over and took her hand, but the little girl suddenly placed it gently on Hailey's stomach and asked innocently, "Auntie, are you having a baby too?"
Hailey unconsciously touched her stomach. Even a child could see it, but Victor hadn't noticed. She didn't know whether to feel relieved or sad.
Hailey bent down, about to say something, when a sudden, powerful force slammed into the small of her back!
She cried out as her body lost balance in an instant. Her hands flailed, trying to grab the railing, but she only caught empty air.
THUD—
An intense pain spread from her spine to her abdomen. Hailey curled up on the cold marble floor, her body convulsing uncontrollably. A warm liquid began to seep out from under her, staining her light gray skirt red.
She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She could only stare fixedly in the direction of the balcony.
The little girl stood there, the childlike innocence gone from her face, replaced by an almost cruel calmness.
She blinked, staring at the blood-soaked Hailey, and a chilling smile spread across her face. "Auntie, I don't like this baby."
"So, why don't you both just die?!"
Through the haze of consciousness, she heard frantic footsteps and a little girl's terrified cries.
"Daddy, please help the auntie!"
