Mockery, ridicule, and outright contempt.
Hailey ignored it all. Her gaze drifted past Allison and settled on Enzo, who leaned back, cigarette in hand, exhaling smoke as if none of this concerned him. His voice was calm, indifferent.
“Don’t worry, you’re still my legitimate wife. You know how my mother is; once she sets her mind on something, there’s no escaping it.”
“It’s all just for show. Don’t overthink it.”
Hailey’s fingers curled into her palm, her nails pressing into her skin. She lifted her chin, her voice steady.
“If Auntie wants this marriage to be nothing more than an act, then so be it.”
From the beginning, she had been unwanted. Enzo’s mother had made her disdain clear, treating her presence like an eyesore.
Back in the bedroom, Hailey lay awake, staring at the dim glow of her phone screen. The chat with Enzo remained open.
She had been the one who called him home tonight for his birthday.
Before that, their conversations had been nothing but half-hearted excuses. He was always “busy.” She had once been thrilled when Enzo agreed to marry her, foolishly believing she had a place in his life.
But outside this house, he was already surrounded by admirers.
She took a breath, then dialed.
The moment the call connected, an arrogant voice greeted her from the other end.
Hailey didn’t hesitate. Her voice was clear, unwavering.
“Didn’t you say you’d give me fifty million? Transfer the money. I’ll be gone by morning.”
She once believed love could conquer all. But now, she had given up.
Kaia Rainford, Enzo’s mother, set down her coffee cup with a satisfied smile, her tone unhurried. “I knew you’d be reasonable. Fifty million, leave my son.”
“Fine. Give me half a month. I’ll return to Belmond.”
Perhaps sensing her sincerity, Kaia transferred ten million on the spot, her laughter laced with amusement. “Once you’re gone, I’ll send the rest.”
“Alright.”
After ending the call, Hailey wasted no time. She began handing over her cases at the law firm, tying up every loose end. By the time everything was settled, the sun had already dipped low in the sky.
As she stepped into the house, voices from the living room stopped her in her tracks.
“Enzo, when are you going to give me a proper status? Didn’t you say you liked her? Why did you marry me?”
“She proposed to you ninety-nine times; how could you be so cruel?”
Enzo’s voice was as deep and lazy as ever, carrying a careless amusement. “Cruel? Not at all. I liked her from the start, and she liked me too. It was just a little game between lovers, making her propose ninety-nine times. Who wouldn’t enjoy that?”
Hailey’s body trembled violently.
So Enzo had liked her all along.
Yet he had stood by and watched as she humiliated herself over and over again.
“Are you talking about Hailey? Isn’t she just Enzo’s pathetic little shadow?”
“What kind of woman clings like that? Even after he’s married, I bet she’d offer to care for his wife during postpartum recovery!”
“Exactly! How much lower can she sink?”
The sneers, the scornful stares, and the merciless ridicule from the past came rushing back, sharp, piercing, relentless. The taunting laughter echoed in her mind.
So many had mocked Hailey like she was nothing more than a joke.
Yet she had been foolish enough to believe she could thaw the iceberg that was Enzo.
But he had never been cold. He had simply never cared.
Her knees nearly buckled.
Inside, the laughter continued, lighthearted and teasing, interwoven with the sweet, flirtatious tone of another woman.
She had prepared herself for this moment. She had braced her heart.
With quiet determination, she pushed the door open, only to be greeted by a sickly sweet voice.
“Hailey, Enzo, and I are going on our honeymoon. Want to come along?”
Enzo’s eyes narrowed as he looked at her with detached amusement.
“Why do you always make a fuss over such trivial things? Like a little girl throwing a tantrum. Fine, we’ll bring you back something nice from our honeymoon. Don’t sulk, alright?”
