When The Cherry Blossoms Fell
Chapter 5
It took Hailey a full five oversized trash bags to clear everything out.
Iris called soon after. “Hailey, I’ll be arriving in New Vegas the day after tomorrow. Don’t forget to pick me up at the airport.”
Hailey replied softly, “Okay, Aunt Iris. I’ll be there early.”
She had just hung up when Jeremy walked in.
“Who are you seeing?” he asked.
Hailey lowered her gaze. “No one. I’m just going to pick up a piece of clothing I ordered online.”
Jeremy stepped closer, guilt flickering across his face.
“I’m sorry. I’ve been tied up with the company audit for the past few days. The lead auditor from a third-party firm will arrive the day after tomorrow. It’s a critical step before the company goes public, so I can’t afford to be careless.”
“I see.” Hailey nodded perfunctorily. She no longer cared about his affairs.
For some reason, Jeremy felt a sudden pang of unease. The Hailey before him seemed like a different person. She was no longer clinging to him or asking about his whereabouts. However, when he reconsidered, he figured she probably understood that this was a crucial period for his career and did not want to add to his burden.
Relief washed over him. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his eyes.
“Hailey, you’re much more sensible now.”
Hailey smiled faintly and said nothing.
When she loved him to the point of madness, he labelled her willful and troublesome. Now that she no longer loved him and had chosen to let go, he said she was sensible. Men… really were boring creatures.
Jeremy glanced around the room and only then realized something was missing. The space felt emptier than before.
“Hailey, have you been doing a major cleanup lately? I think it looks great now. The space feels relaxing.”
Hailey’s expression remained calm as she spoke, “Yeah. I threw away a lot of trash.”
As it turned out, all those things had always been an eyesore to him.
The next day, Hailey received an anonymous text message claiming that there was something important to tell her. Confused, she decided to go and see what it was about.
She had just taken a seat in the café when a person with a slender figure sat down across from her. The woman removed her sunglasses, smiled, and extended her hand with composed elegance.
“Hello, Ms. Arnold.”
Hailey looked up and froze slightly when she saw it was Whitney. A trace of barely concealed pride flickered across Whitney’s face.
“Didn’t expect me to find you, did you?” She paused, her gaze slowly sweeping over Hailey’s face before continuing, “After we ran into each other at the restaurant that day, I had someone look into your background a little. It seems Jeremy has kept you hidden pretty well.”
Her voice lowered, carrying an unmistakable hint of sadness.
Looking at the beautiful yet dejected woman before her, Hailey felt an unexpected twinge of sympathy. Jeremy may have hurt her, but had he not also been deceiving Whitney all along?
Just as Hailey was about to speak, Whitney pulled out a check from her purse and gently pushed it across the table.
“Ms. Arnold, no matter the relationship you and Jeremy had in the past, I hope you’ll make a clean break from now on. As for compensation, you can fill in any amount you want. The Addams family can afford it.”
The corner of Hailey’s lips lifted slightly. She found it all so ironic. She had thought Whitney was a victim like herself, but instead, Whitney was the same kind of person as Jeremy—someone who believed money could solve everything. They were truly a match made in heaven.
Meeting Whitney’s gaze, Hailey spoke gently but clearly, “Miss Addams, no amount of money can buy the end of a genuine relationship. Don’t you agree?”
Whitney’s expression instantly sank.
“Ms. Arnold, I advise you not to refuse a kind offer,” she said in a hushed voice, yet each word cut like a knife. “No one has ever rejected my requests.”
Hailey replied indifferently, “In that case, let me offer you a piece of advice as well, Miss Addams. Money sure is good, but the things it can buy are often the least valuable.”
She had no intention of continuing the conversation, so she picked up her purse, stood, and turned to leave.
Just then, Whitney grabbed the glass on the table and smashed it hard against her own temple. A sharp cracking sound rang out. Blood immediately gushed out, dripping down her delicate face in a horrifying sight.
Almost at the same time, Jeremy pushed open the café door. At a glance, he saw Whitney covered in blood. His expression changed dramatically as he rushed forward and pulled her tightly into his arms.
“Whitney! What happened? Who hurt you?”
Whitney trembled as she raised her hand and pointed at the stunned Hailey. Tears mixed with blood streamed down her face as her voice broke. “It was her… She was the one who asked me out…”
Jeremy whipped his head around. That was when he noticed Hailey standing nearby, her face pale. Rage instantly overcame him.
He clenched his jaw as he growled, “Hailey, are you out of your mind? How dare you lay a hand on her?”
At that moment, Whitney struggled free from his arms and staggered to her feet, her eyes filled with heartbreak and despair. “Jeremy… why did you lie to me?”
With that, she turned and ran out of the café without looking back. Jeremy shot Hailey a vicious glare, then spun around and ran after her.
Hailey, on the other hand, stood frozen in place. Only then did she finally understand Whitney’s true purpose in asking her out. It was to stage this entire scene in front of Jeremy.
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