The nausea hit her in waves.
Ursula doubled over in the rain, tears and bile threatening to spill out all at once.
She didn't know how long she stood there before her vision blurred and everything went dark.
When she opened her eyes again, an IV line was taped to the back of her hand.
"Ursula! You're awake? You've been out for three days—you scared me half to death!"
A sweet, vaguely familiar voice rang out beside her. It took Ursula a moment to place it.
"You're... Hailey?"
In her hazy memories, a young girl had asked her over and over, tears streaming down her face, "Can you really save my brother?" That image now overlapped with the person in front of her.
Hailey Weiss broke into a bright smile and gave her a quick rundown of how she'd stumbled upon Ursula unconscious.
"By the way, why were you standing alone in the rain in the middle of the night? I called your emergency contact, but no one ever showed up. Should I notify someone else in your family?"
The light in Ursula's eyes dimmed.
Her emergency contact was Thomas. He'd set it up himself, back when things were different.
As for the Abbotts—they were too busy preparing for Teresa's wedding to spare her a thought.
"They're probably just busy." Her voice was flat. "I'm sorry—have I caused you trouble?"
"Not at all." Hailey waved it off. "My work in Northport wrapped up anyway. Besides, with the Weiss family backing me, who's going to give me grief?"
That jogged Ursula's memory.
Hailey was the only girl among the younger generation of the Weiss family, and the beloved younger sister of Greg Weiss, CEO of Weiss Conglomerate. With that kind of backing, life had always been smooth sailing for her.
After a few more exchanges, Ursula felt the medication pulling her under again.
Once she was asleep, Hailey finally pulled out her phone.
"Ursula's awake, but something feels off. She seems really out of it—should we... do something?"
The reply from her perpetually busy brother came instantly.
"Taking tonight's flight."
...
Ursula's sleep was restless and shallow. She woke not long after and, once the doctors confirmed nothing serious was wrong, decided to check out.
Hailey volunteered to handle the discharge paperwork.
Ursula tried to protest, but Hailey cut her off with a wave.
"Don't be so formal with me. I know it's been four years, but remember—when you were saving my brother, we lived together for three months. That makes us friends, at least."
"Alright then. I won't hold back."
She had just finished changing when the door swung open and Thomas strode in.
"I heard you were sick?"
Ursula's expression soured instinctively. "What's it to you?"
Mistaking her coldness for a tantrum, Thomas paused. "Look, I didn't explain myself well the other day. Even after Teresa and I get married, it won't change anything between us. Everything can stay the same as before. So stop making a fuss, okay?"
Ursula laughed—a hollow, bitter sound that curdled into disgust.
She was making a fuss?
He was the one treating her like a complete fool.
"Thomas, I don't take out the trash. From now on, stay the hell away from me."
"What's that supposed to mean? You want to break up?"
When she moved to leave, he reached for her wrist out of habit.
That was when a furious voice cut through from the doorway.
"Ursula Abbott, what do you think you're doing?"
Odette and Teresa had arrived—no one knew when.
Without bothering to see who had grabbed whom, Odette stormed over and slapped Ursula across the face.
The crack echoed through the room. Thomas's expression went cold.
"Mrs. Matthews?"
"Stay out of this, Thomas. This girl refuses to let go. If I don't teach her a lesson today, who knows what she'll pull next."
Odette was seething. She had already warned her. And she dared to disobey?
"Ursula Abbott, have you no shame? He's your future brother-in-law! You fake being sick just to harass and seduce him—what exactly are you after?"
