Take Two

15. Hailey

"Ms Johnson?" Mr Milford greeted me. "You are back?"

"Yes, are you unhappy about it?" I asked beaming a smile at him.

"Of course not, no, I am beyond happy to have you back. I would in fact love to extend an offer to you in my company if you'd do me the honour of joining."

"That's all right, Mr Milford, you honestly do not need me."

A month ago

Carwyn was crying her eyes out as soon as she entered my room. She was here with June to visit.

"Come here, my love!" I invited, spreading my hands to her, and she lurched forward towards me.

"Carwyn, careful, she is injured," June warned and then took a seat beside my bed.

"How's everyone?" I asked.

"They are happy you recovered. The twins wanted to come along, but they had a shoot at the restaurant."

Star Entertainment was a subsidiary company of my father's. They signed him up for a solo show of his, and in the two weeks that I stayed at the hospital, they had already released the first episode of the series. Apparently, it was a major hit. I checked my channel just last night, and it had over five hundred thousand subscribers already.

"What about Noah?"

June bit her lip. She hesitated for a moment and then continued, "He wanted to come, but an important shoot was scheduled today."

I hadn't seen him in the last two weeks since I opened my eyes. No calls, no texts, not even a single get well soon card. Christian already visited me four times.

"He doesn't want to come, right?"

June shook her head. "I don't know what happened to him. When you were unconscious, he stayed up all night beside you. But then..."

Sebastian visited me last week, along with Dad. He told me about the mix-up. The intern under him had confused my reports with someone else's. That day when I was supposed to meet him, he planned on telling me the truth, but when I told him that I quit my job, he hesitated. He had wanted me to live a more relaxed life. The headaches I experienced were mostly out of stress, even the medicines he prescribed were for those. He said he planned on telling me the truth soon and apologized.

Honestly, I wasn't pissed at him. I was relieved.. and happy. I was delighted I found new friends, I was glad I found love, I found Noah, and I could finally accept his love.

But he just didn't want to talk to me. He hadn't even replied to any of my texts.

Is he mad at me for the way I avoided him after he confessed?

***

Present Day

I decided to shorten my leave and join back work. It kept all the sad thoughts out of my head. Christian did the same. Both of us were back into the race to become the next CEO. The only difference this time was we weren't as spiteful towards each other. Something changed between us. We... bonded.

I was working on a presentation on Friday evening at my office. I was playing around with the pasta I ordered while making some edits. Christian walked in the door with a warm cup of coffee and placed it besides me.

"Thank you, ex-husband."

He smiled at me. "You want to grab dinner together?"

"I don't know. I am not really hungry. I can't even finish this pasta."

"Maybe a warm meal made by our star chef can bring back your appetite?"

I looked up at him. Perhaps my sadness was visible on my face because he was trying his best to cheer me up. I shook my head. I really wanted to talk to him, but I didn't want to be that clingy girlfriend either who doesn't understand the hints.

Girlfriend? We never even started.

My eyes went down to my phone when a text lit up the screen.

"$50,000 credited to your account...."

Huh? Is it salary day?

Another text followed up. This was from Noah.

"Hi, Hailey. I just credited some money to your account for the debt you helped me clear. I'll pay up the full sum in instalments. Thanks for your support."

I blinked once, then twice. WHAT. THE. HELL?

I stormed out of my office, clenching my phone between my fingers. I restlessly pushed the button to call the elevator. Christian joined me a moment later.

"What happened?"

"I am going to meet this hotshot chef right now!"

***

"What the hell is this Noah?" I asked, flashing his text on my phone screen at him. I cornered him just before he closed up the restaurant. Christian drove me here and was waiting outside for me.

"It is what you see Hailey. I am thankful to you, and I am returning your money now."

"I don't need it!" I cried. "Noah, is this about the way I became distant with you after your confession? I can explain it. I had-"

"Hailey. It just happened with the flow. I didn't intend for it to go any further. It's nothing."

"How can you say it's nothing? All those weeks we spent together.."

"You paid me for that! I was just doing what you asked me for!"

"Are you fucking kidding me, Noah! That makes absolutely no sense!"

"Do you know how it feels when someone makes you question your abilities?" He snapped. "I learned last week that Star Entertainment belongs to your father and apparently they gave me a break because you asked for it."

What?

"I don't want to be told by people that I have fewer skills and more networks. I want to be recognized for my hard work. Not for being the boyfriend of the amazing Hailey Johnson!"

I-did I just make him feel the same way Christian made me feel years back?

I was still lost in my thoughts when we heard the bell on the main door ring. Someone walked in. The sound of the heels on the floor told me it was a woman.

"Noah..." We heard a slurry voice. We turned around to see a drunk but stunning woman smiling lovingly at us.

"Natasha..?" Noah mumbled.

"Noah... I heard you got famous. I recognized you on the television. How's my lovely daughter? What did you name her?"

Is this Carwyn's mother?

"Natasha, why are you here?"

"Noah, give me my daughter back."

"Natasha, calm down, let's.."

"Or you can just give me some money? Two hundred, no even a hundred thousand would suffice. Then you can keep her forever," she laughed hysterically and stumbled.

"Miss.." I reached forward to hold her, but Noah held her instead.

"Hailey, please leave."

I looked up at him apologetically. I didn't want someone to be taking advantage of his kindness. "Noah, I can help."

"Leave Hailey. This is between my family and me!"

I was taken aback. He turned around and supported the woman to a seat at the back of the restaurant. I struggled to blink. My eyes were hurting with the unshed tears that had started building up. I helplessly turned around and walked outside the restaurant. Christian stood there, resting his body against his car. His eyes gleamed with concern as he noticed me and ran across the road. I stumbled and held onto his chest for support. My legs gave up. I crouched down on the footpath.

"Hailey.."

The first tear escaped, then the second one. The dam broke. I couldn't control it anymore. My entire body started trembling with the whimpering.

Christian wrapped me around in his arms, softly stroking my hair. I kept crying and crying, but the tears didn't seem to stop flowing. The more I cried, the more it hurt. I wished at that moment that I was really dying. I wished I really had just six months to live. Then I would have known that this pain would end someday.