Chapter Four

Hailey stepped forward and tried to hold him. If her grandfather got wind of it, she would be done for.

"Can you defend yourself that you didn't do it?" Her father demanded and she kept quiet as tears streamed down her face.

"No. We can't keep you here. You can't stay in this house." The man shook his head rapidly. As she didn't deny, he was now a hundred percent certain. "This is a great crime, and the lawyers might arrive anytime. Leave here immediately."

Her stepmother nodded and scoffed. "You are truly heartless, Hailey. You brewed this trouble for yourself and you will face it alone."

"N– No, father, please." Hailey shook her head rapidly. How did it come to this? 

She stepped forward again to hold her father, but was sent down with a hard slap. 

Her stepmother smirked and also raised her hand to hit her when the door opened and Chloe came running out. 

"Father, Mother, please don't hit sister, you might hurt her," she pleaded while trying to shield Hailey. 

"Get away from her, Chloe." Her stepmother scolded. "She deserves more than beating. This evil woman should be in jail by now." 

"No, Mother. Sister might be at fault, but you can't treat her like this. What if you hurt her baby? Will you carry the blame?" 

"You." Her stepmother pointed a shaking finger at the girl. 

"She's right," her father agreed with a huge sigh. "We can't stoop to her level and act impulsively. Let's leave her to her deeds. She will soon get what she deserves. I wish you could be half as good as your sister, but you're always bringing trouble to this family."

Her father gave her a disappointed look. 

"Go away. And never step foot here again." Her stepmother seconded and they both turned back and entered the house. 

Hailey was left whimpering in her sister's embrace. 

"I'm so sorry, Hailey. I didn't know mum was listening to our conversation while I was on the phone with you earlier. She forced everything out of me, and informed father." 

Hailey shook her head and chuckled sadly. 

"Did Kendrick really send you away?" Chloe asked and she nodded. 

"Don't worry about Father and Mother. When their anger subsides, I'm very sure they'll come around," Chloe added. 

She helped Hailey up from the ground and walked her to the car. "Just come back after a few days, I'll convince them not to tell Grandpa." 

Hailey thanked her and drove out of the place. Where should she go next? She wiped her tears and touched her stomach. She was hungry again– and tired. 

She took out her phone and scrolled through her contacts list. Her finger stopped at a number and she let out a sigh. She and Kara had not been on speaking terms since that night at the bar. 

She resumed scrolling then stopped at Rob's number. No, she wouldn't allow him to see her in this state. She would talk to him after calming down and collecting her thoughts. 

She sped up and finally pulled over at a hotel. 

After making a reservation, she swiped her card and went inside the elevator which took her to the top floor.

When she entered the hotel suite, Hailey plopped down on the bed and stared at the ceiling in a daze. Images of the man spurting out blood flashed past her mind and her stomach turned in a strange way. She threw up several times in the bathroom and took a long bath to calm her muscles. 

She tried to distract herself by playing with her phone but it didn't help much. She threw up several more times, and until the food service came, was she able to get a hold of herself. 

That night, she fell sick. And the next day, it was worse. Her fever did not show any sign of going down and the nausea kept increasing. 

She tried to take a walk on the hotel's rooftop and breath in the fresh air but that wasn't helpful enough. 

Hailey lay on a lounge chair, soaking up the atmosphere. She was wearing an ocean-blue maternity dress that complimented the sky above. 

Her hair lay rested on her right shoulder and she had a juice glass in her hand. 

She was the only one on the rooftop and she closed her eyes while taking in deep breaths as the city bustled down below. 

A while later, sounds of footsteps approached from her back then a figure stopped behind her. 

Her eyelids flickered. However, before she could open her eyes fully, a pair of large hands blocked her vision and a familiar scent wafted through her nose. 

"Rob." Hailey chuckled and dropped the glass on the small table beside her. 

Rob laughed and removed his hands. He wore a business suit and Hailey guessed he had either attended a meeting or came here directly from the company. 

"When were you planning to tell me?" He sat on a chair beside her and poured himself a juice inside her glass. 

Hailey curled her lips, her eyes lingering on his face. She wasn't well enough to see him yet. How did he know she was here? 

As if reading her thoughts, he added. 

"I got the information from Chloe. She told me you're here." 

"Oh." Hailey nodded in realization. She might have told Chloe of her whereabouts during one of their phone calls, which she couldn't exactly remember. 

"You're from the company?" She asked as he sipped the juice leisurely. 

"Nope, I just came back from a trip and couldn't wait to see you. I headed right here from the airport."

"Business trip?" Hailey asked.

"Yep." Rob nodded. He was about to fill the glass again when he suddenly paused with a frown as if sensing something wrong. 

"Are you alright?" He put the glass down and placed a palm on her forehead. 

"I'm fine." Hailey smiled but he shook his head. 

"I should have sensed this earlier. When did you fall sick?" He said in a worried tone.

Hailey smiled again and said she was fine. But he wasn't buying it.