Chapter 3

At the hospital, a nurse carefully cleaned and disinfected her wounds.

“Miss, this burn is pretty serious. You need to take good care of it, or it may leave a scar.”

Hailey nodded quietly. Layer upon layer of gauze wrapped around her body, the stark white almost blinding.

All of a sudden, she was reminded of the year when she was working in a restaurant, washing dishes, and had accidentally cut her finger. Jeremy had panicked so badly that he nearly cried. He had pulled her hand to his chest, holding it carefully, as if the pain were his own. Yet now, she was nothing more than an irrelevant stranger to him.

Then again, it made sense. Once she signed the divorce papers, she and Jeremy were no longer connected.

Her phone vibrated. It was a message from Jeremy.

“Are you okay? I can’t get away right now. If you need anything, contact my secretary.”

“I’m fine,” she replied quickly, then left the hospital and went home.

Back in the bedroom, she lay down. Both her body and mind were utterly exhausted, and she soon fell into a deep sleep. In her haze, she felt the mattress beside her sink, followed by a warm body pressing down on her. The man’s movements were rough and impatient, grinding painfully against her wounds.

“It hurts!” Hailey pushed away the hands roaming over her body.

It was Jeremy.

She could not remember how long it had been since he last came home. It was probably since the first time he asked for a divorce—the night she jumped from the rooftop.

Back then, Jeremy’s eyes were red as he rushed her to the hospital. However, ever since, there had been some sort of distance between them. It was as if he had made up his mind that as long as she refused to divorce him, he would never come home.

She waited for him in that house, day after day. Later, she went to his company to look for him. She even hired a private investigator to track his movements. However, she no longer needed him now.

The man’s hands paused slightly, clearly surprised by her reaction.

He turned over and sat up, apologizing, “I’m sorry. I was too impatient and forgot you were hurt. I just wanted you to understand that no matter what’s going on between Whitney and me, in my heart, you’re the only wife I have.”

Hailey laughed. A wife with no wedding, status, or a marriage certificate? She did not want to be that kind of “wife” anymore.

Seeing her remain silent, Jeremy thought she was angry about what had happened earlier. Hence, he lowered his head and gently kissed her forehead.

“Hailey, I know you’re upset, but you have to think about the bigger picture. Rest well and recover. I’ll sleep in the study tonight.”

In the middle of the night, with the pain from her wounds making her body tremble, Hailey got up and went to the living room to look for painkillers. As she passed by the study, she heard Jeremy’s voice from inside.

“Yes. I got the divorce settlement agreement today. Tomorrow, I can inform the board about my marital status.”

The other person scoffed. “Did Hailey agree to divorce you? That’s rare. How did you convince her?”

Jeremy sighed. “She probably figured it out. She’s always been considerate of me.”

“So you’re planning to marry Whitney after this?”

Jeremy was silent for a long time before speaking again. “When I first approached Whitney, I did want to use the Addams as leverage. But later, every day I spent with her felt easy. She always understands me. Sometimes, just a look is enough, unlike with Hailey. Every time I see her face, I’m reminded of how miserable I was back then. So poor that I had to rely on a woman to support me. That period of my life was nothing but a nightmare.”

Outside the door, Hailey stumbled backward in shock. Tears spilled down her face, burning hot against her cheeks. It seemed the days she cherished—the days she had suffered for him—were, to him, an unbearable nightmare. In that case, what was she to him, really?

Jeremy continued, “Once the company goes public, I plan to propose to Whitney.”

Just moments ago, he had said Hailey was his only wife, and now, he was planning to propose to another woman.

Hailey cried until she started laughing. Her wounds throbbed faintly, but it was nothing compared to the pain in her heart. She had had enough. She wanted nothing but to leave this place as soon as possible.

The next day, Hailey went to the mall to pick out a gift for her Aunt Iris. After entering a boutique, she set her eyes on a silk scarf. Just as she was about to ask the sales assistant to wrap it up for her, a commotion broke out outside.

“Make way. Mr. Fisher has booked out the entire floor today. All other customers, please leave immediately.”

Several tall bodyguards began clearing the area. Through a narrow gap, Hailey caught sight of Jeremy and Whitney walking together.

Soon, all unrelated customers were escorted out. She remained unnoticed, hidden away in a corner, out of the bodyguards’ line of sight.