Chapter 7

Back home, Spencer carefully cleaned and bandaged Hailey's injuries, overcome with guilt and worry.

He spent the next few days at home, never straying far from her side.

Hailey seemed unmoved by his remorse.

Late one night, after the house had gone quiet, she wheeled herself into the study and found the diary Spencer thought he'd hidden so well.

She opened it and found an entire page filled with the same sentence, written over and over.

"Spencer, you're such a bastard."

Hailey closed the diary.

She'd barely left the study when the bedroom door flew open. Spencer rushed out barefoot, his clothes in disarray. The moment he saw she was safe, he let out a long sigh of relief.

"Hailey, what are you doing out here by yourself so late?"

Hailey looked away and lied without batting an eye. "I was thirsty. I just wanted some water."

Spencer immediately went to the kitchen and came back with a glass of water. He still sounded shaken as he handed it to her.

"Next time, just call me if you need anything. I don't think I could take another scare like that."

Hailey looked up and met his eyes. "Spencer, is there something you've been keeping from me?"

The question caught Spencer off guard, but he shook his head. "No."

If he'd only told her the truth, she would've let him go.

But even now, he refused to be honest with her.

Hailey closed her eyes, then forced a smile to hide her disappointment.

The next day, Hailey took out her photo album and began cutting every picture to pieces, making no effort to hide what she was doing.

Spencer stared at the pieces of photos scattered across the floor. "Why would you cut them all up?"

Hailey couldn't be bothered to come up with a convincing excuse. She simply said the humidity had ruined the photos, so there was no point keeping them. They could always take new ones later.

The way she brushed it off unsettled Spencer. He couldn't tell whether to believe her.

The following day, Hailey asked the housekeeper to clear out all the matching mugs, scarves, outfits, and keychains she'd kept in a cabinet. She had everything taken downstairs and thrown away.

When Spencer noticed, he asked her why. Hailey brushed him off, claiming the things had gone moldy.

Soon afterward, she donated every gift he'd ever given her to charity. She told him they were out of style anyway, and he could always buy her new ones.

Day after day, Hailey got rid of more of her belongings. Her things had once filled the room, but little by little, they disappeared until there was nothing of hers left.

Yet Spencer seemed to have no idea what it all meant.

On the anniversary of her parents' deaths, Spencer accompanied Hailey to the cemetery. But as she spoke to her parents, something she said unsettled him.

"Mom, Dad, I hope you're both doing okay up there. Don't worry about me. I'll see you soon..."

On previous visits, Hailey had always told her parents how much she missed them.

This time, though, her words left Spencer increasingly uneasy. He was just about to ask what she meant when a familiar voice spoke from behind them.

"Spencer, Hailey. What a coincidence."

Spencer turned in surprise, forgetting what he'd been about to ask Hailey.

Candace stood a few steps away, looking as though she were in pain.

Spencer noticed she was barely putting any weight on her left foot, and concern immediately crossed his face.

"What are you doing here? Did you hurt yourself?"

"I came to visit my grandma's grave. The ground was slippery from the rain, and I twisted my ankle."

She sounded helpless, and Spencer instinctively stepped forward to steady her.

Candace looked up at him, her eyes glistening with tears. "Spencer, could you take me to the hospital?"

Spencer felt even worse for Candace and agreed without a second thought.

He turned to Hailey just long enough to say, "Hailey, why don't you stay and spend a little more time with your parents? I'll take Candace to the hospital and be right back."

Neither of them bothered to ask Hailey what she wanted. They simply left her behind at the cemetery.