Chapter 2

The late summer sun was blinding. The sweet scent of freshly cut grass from the Old Campus lawn filled the air, and the chatter of students was a noisy buzz all around her.

"Did you hear? After chasing him for two months, Hailey Reed is finally going to ask Liam Vanderbilt out."

"I bet he says no."

Hailey turned her head. Standing next to her were her freshman year classmates.

Wasn' t she at home?

A familiar, crisp, woodsy scent tickled her nose.

After four years of chasing Liam and two years of sharing a bed with him, she knew that scent better than her own.

Hailey looked up.

The man before her was tall, dressed in a crisp white Oxford shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing the faint blue veins on his pale forearms. The top two buttons were undone, showing a hint of his collarbone, where a single, striking mole rested.

Hailey stared at his young, arrogant face and pinched her arm.

It hurt.

She looked around again at the crowd. The puzzle pieces started to click into place.

Somehow, she was back. Back to her freshman year, the day she first asked Liam out.

Liam stood with one hand in his pocket, a black laptop bag slung casually over his shoulder. On his wrist was a silver Rolex.

She remembered that watch. He wore it constantly, even after they were married.

Hailey had asked him about it once, but he' d refused to say a word.

It was probably a gift from his precious Serena. He had never forgotten her.

"Why isn' t she doing it yet?"

"Come on, we all know Liam' s going to turn her down anyway."

Ask him out…

Hailey remembered Liam' s rejection from her past life with painful clarity.

His voice was lazy, his tone mockingly playful: "I' m not really into… twigs."

Later, in their marriage, there was a night when Hailey was exhausted, but Liam wanted to go another round. She' d thrown his own words back at him.

"Didn' t you say I was a twig? That you weren' t interested…" she' d murmured.

In the heat of the moment, a man' s words are always sweeter. He' d held her close, his low chuckle sending shivers down her spine. "I was wrong. My wife was just a late bloomer."

Then he' d held her and whispered how much he loved her.

A single, thoughtless "I love you" whispered in passion had made her lose her mind.

Hailey stared at the face of the man she had loved for six years, the ache in her chest still raw and real.

"Hailey, is this a confession or a funeral? You' re not talking, your eyes are all red. Anyone would think you' re mourning something."

A deep, lazy male voice drifted down from above.

Hailey remembered this day perfectly. To prepare for this moment, she had woken up before dawn, picking out the perfect outfit, applying flawless makeup. Every strand of her hair was meticulously styled.

But the man in front of her was completely indifferent.

Hailey' s hands clenched into fists at her sides, the back of her hands showing taut tendons.

Her past life revolved entirely around Liam Vanderbilt. She' d chosen to major in Economics for him, given up a prestigious postgraduate program at Oxford to enter the workforce for him, and quit her job to prepare for a family for him.

Liam had become her entire world.

And in the end, that world had betrayed her.

Hailey lowered her gaze, hiding the soul-crushing pain in her eyes. Loving Liam was a habit etched into her very bones, but she had to break it. No matter how much it hurt, she had to change.

Let someone else chase him. She was done.

"Liam, I just wanted to say… your fly is down."

The girl' s voice was clear and bright, loud enough for everyone to hear.

The air went still for a few seconds.

"Pfft-" Someone burst out laughing.

"Wow, even the pretty girls use lame tricks to get his attention."

"This is hilarious. She knows he' ll reject her, so she' s trying to make a lasting impression this way?"

Liam didn' t even glance down. His eyes were fixed on Hailey, the corners of his eyes lifting in a lazy, mocking smile. "Oh? Of all the parts of my body you could look at, you chose to stare at my crotch? You' ve got… unique hobbies."

His voice was nonchalant.

Hailey' s lips thinned. The stuffy air suddenly felt even more oppressive.

"Sorry, it' s so flat, I couldn' t tell it was a man' s crotch," Hailey retorted sharply.

"Whoa-" The crowd erupted.

"Hailey' s playing a good game. He' ll remember this forever."

"So what if he remembers? He' ll just hate her more, right?"

Liam' s eyelashes fluttered. The pressure around him dropped. He took two steps forward, closing the distance between them. He leaned in, his nose almost touching her ear.

"You think I don' t know what game you' re playing?"

The rich, cold scent of his cologne was overwhelming. Hailey stepped back, her eyes stinging from the bright sun.

Suddenly, a voice called out from behind.

"Excuse me, is Liam Vanderbilt here?"

Hailey saw a delivery guy from a local florist holding a bouquet of red roses.

The roses glistened in the sunlight, a heart-shaped card tucked among them.

-Liam, I like you.

The handwriting was neat and elegant, clearly written with great care.

Liam' s gaze dropped to the card. He could almost picture Hailey, hunched over a desk, pen in hand, writing each character with intense focus.

The corners of his eyes lifted slightly. He looked at Hailey and mouthed two words.

The evidence.

This was the 'evidence' of her planned confession.

Hailey strode forward and took the bouquet.

She ripped the card off and crumpled the heart-shaped paper in her fist.

Liam watched as she tossed it into a nearby trash can.

His eyes narrowed, his entire demeanor turning cold and severe.

Even the students standing far away could tell that Liam seemed to be in a very bad mood. His face was dark.

"Hailey didn' t confess, so why does Liam look so pissed?"

"Well, one thing' s for sure, it' s definitely, absolutely, positively not because he likes her!"

Hailey heard it all. She wasn' t surprised.

In fact, she thought the same thing herself.

Her eyes met Liam' s.

He seemed bewildered by her gaze. The Hailey standing before him had red-rimmed eyes, the corners drooping, glistening with unshed tears.

A wave of irritation washed over Liam. He glanced at two figures shrinking back into the crowd.

Wes and Evan froze, then took two steps forward as Liam' s low voice reached them. "Enjoying the show?"

The two immediately understood. Liam was… angry?

Probably because he was uncomfortable being the center of attention.

Wes put on a mock-angry face and quickly dispersed the crowd.

Liam turned back to Hailey, his gaze deep. "Now you' re embarrassed."

"Yes. I' m embarrassed for chasing you."

Hailey sniffed, her nose stinging, her eyelashes damp.

Under the sun, his thin lips moved. "Don' t cry."

"People will think I' m the asshole who broke your heart."

Hailey wiped a tear from her cheek.

He was still the same. Forever high and mighty.