No Second Chances: her sweet counterattack

"Miss Smith, your ride is here,"

"I have to go now," Hazel said, bidding farewell to Rowan before leaving. He watched the car ride into the night.

Growing up, Rowan had been scared to confess his feelings to Hazel. She was always carefree, and he never thought she'd take him seriously, so he just loved her from afar. But not anymore.

"Mr. Locke," his subordinate called from behind. Rowan took one more look at the distance before leaving as well.

The next day,

The elevator dinged open, and a pair of slender legs stepped out.

Hazel Smith, with both charm and elegance, made her way into the meeting room. The reason was clear as daylight. She was back to finish off what she started. After a meeting with the board of directors, she made sure the termination letter was sent to the Hart's group.

While she was still a wife to Felix, Hazel not only gave him comfort but also brought his company back to life.

When Felix received the termination letter, he almost fainted out of anger. He was already having a hard time with the ongoing saga from the business event, and now this? He gritted his teeth and went to the Smith group.

As the door hissed open and Hazel stepped into the meeting room, Felix caught himself staring at those long legs.

"Mr. Hart," her words were cold, devoid of emotion. Felix forced himself to look up while narrowing his eyes at her.

"If you want to punish me, Hazel, please do. But don't bring the Hart group into this." Hazel let out a short laugh, the sound sharp yet pleasant to the ears.

"Punish you? You don't warrant my time, Felix. I'm just taking back all the favors I gave you." It quieted down for a moment, and Felix took a step forward, then wrapped his arms around her.

"You don't have to do this, let's forget about everything and start over." If it were before, Hazel would have been moved for sure, but not anymore. Not when his true colors are out in the open.

"Mr. Hart, please show some respect, we're not married anymore." Felix felt his chest tighten.

"Hazel, I made a mistake. Please reconsider." It seems that no matter what happens, Felix would never be genuine. He only cared about the state of his company, and there she was, thinking for a moment that he was truly sorry.

She blinked back her tears and looked away.

"Please leave, I've got a meeting to attend." Her biggest mistake was loving him, and even after all he had done, she couldn't help the pain she felt each time she saw him.

"Did you trick me into divorcing you because you have the power to bring me down?" Felix called from behind, his expression turned annoyed, a stark contrast to his once pitiful state. But Hazel didn't bother to grace him with a reply. She just left.

"Don't forget, Hazel, you might be all rich and beautiful, but you're still a woman. No man would want a second-hand wife!" Felix's voice echoed through the closed doors. Hazel couldn't stop herself from cursing under her breath. He's indeed a scumbag.

"Hazel?" Hearing the voice, she turned around. "Rowan?"

He took long, graceful strides towards her, and she didn't hesitate to lean into his warm embrace.

"What happened?" She shook her head, not wanting to answer. Only when she pulled away did she realize he had flowers with him.

"These are for you." At that moment, Felix stepped out of the meeting room. His fist clenched, and his eyes locked on the bouquet of flowers.

He watched Rowan whisper something to her ear, which made her cheeks flush pink.

What did he say to her? His gaze lingered on them for a moment too long. He couldn't explain the sudden ache in his chest. Rowan looked up early enough to see him leave.

There was no point crying about a failed marriage anymore. She'd prove him wrong in every way possible.

"Rowan..." Hazel whispered. "I'm ready for a relationship." The latter was slightly taken aback, his expression one of shock and fulfillment. He pulled her into a hug, his warm breath brushing against her skin.

"Then I promise you, I'll never let you go."

At the Hart's Group,

The only sound in the office was the tapping of Felix's finger against the table.

His mind kept drifting back to the flower scene. Thinking back, he couldn't stop wondering what Rowan had said to her at the lobby.

He undid the first few buttons of his shirt; the air suddenly turned stuffy.

All this while, Hazel had helped him in the dark; she helped him rise to fame. But all he did was mock her and treat her like she was nothing. A feeling of regret washed over him, one he didn't realize until now.

He has to find a way to get her back. She couldn't hate him that much, could she?

She's the same Hazel who wouldn't have breakfast until he'd had his first, the one who wouldn't sleep until he got home after work. The one who'd do anything possible to put a smile on his face.

She still loves him. She must love him.

His phone rang for the fourth time in a row. He reached for it, his eyes narrowing at the caller ID displayed on the screen. A feeling of mixed emotions surged within him, and his hand curled into a fist.

Before, Felix couldn't live a day without a call from Lisa, but now, as he stared at her name on his phone screen, his irritation spiked. All she ever did was ask for money. No help, just money.

He swiped green and put the call on loudspeaker, ready to give her a piece of his mind, but her words stopped him.

"I've been calling you, but you didn't pick up. I was feeling dizzy, so I ran a pregnancy test this morning, and it came back positive. We're expecting a baby." Felix didn't expect the turn of events. All the time he spent with Lisa, he never once thought about protection.

Now that he thought about it, he couldn't help but want to slam his head against a fucking wall!

He took a deep breath and said,

"Lisa, I'm willing to take responsibility for the child, but we have to go our separate ways!"