She Couldn't Afford To Show Any Weakness

After departing the Bureau Office, Hailey returned to Prime Manor, the villa where she stayed during her three years of marriage to Knox. It was quiet and empty since no one else was there. As Hailey stood in the middle of the living room, she looked around with emotion.

She was sentimental. It had been long since she lived there. She lived alone so she was more closer to the inanimate things in the house. It felt sentimental to leave.

But, she had to.

She shook her head and turned around, dragging her suitcase along with her. She walked to the front door and licked the door before stepping out of the manor while dragging her suitcase along.

The manor was in an estate in the suburbs so there was hardly anyone around. The roads were empty and everyone where in their homes. It was even harder to get a cab if you had no means of transportation.

So, Hailey already hired a cab on her way to get her luggage.

As she stepped out, the man who was initially leaning on the car hood, instantly approached her and helped her with the suitcase. He opened the boot and placed it there before looking in the direction of the closed iron gates.

He seemed to be trying to look inside but due to how tight the doors were, he was unable to say anything.

Eventually, he walked over to her and said, "I thought you were bailing out since you didn't come out."

Hailey stared at him for a moment. Then, she answered back, "Hm. I got caught up with something."

Then, without giving him a chance to say another word, she said, "Let's go."

She opened the backseat passenger door and took a seat. When the cab driver who wanted to ask questions saw this, he scurried over to the driver seat and settled down. Then, he turned the ignition and the car sped off.

As he drove, both of them were initially silent. But, Hailey noticed that he kept looking at her through the mirror.

She initially ignored it but the more he stared, the more creepier it was. It was extreme uncomfortable.

In the end, she had to question, "Is there a reason why you are starting at me?"

The taxi driver realized that he had been caught staring. He looked away and scratched his head sheepishly. Then, he said, "I was keeping an eye on you in case you try to do anything funny."

Hailey raised a brow.

"Anything funny? Like what?"

"Like suicide?" He replied.

Hailey exclaimed, "Suicide? What for?"

But, the man smiled instead. He said slowly as though he was consoling her.

"Everything will be fine, okay? It's just a divorce. You'll get better in a matter of time."

Hearing his words, Hailey's brows jumped. She tightened her fists and started sharply at him as she reached out for the car lock to easily open it in case he tried any funny business.

She asked sharply, "How do you know I just got divorced?"

But, the man didn't seem to notice how apprehensive she was. He continued to smile as he said, "It's obvious. You just came out of that big mansion. But, there was no sound coming from inside. It's clear you lived alone. You're carrying a big suitcase and you took one more look at the house emotionally. It's clear you're unable to part with it. You and your husband probably divorced and you had to move out."

Hailey was taken aback for a few minutes. The more she pondered his words, the more speechless she was.

She released her grip on the lock and leaned back into the car seat. At this moment, they already left the suburbs and we're in the city center. She was confident he wouldn't be able to play dirty tricks.

Then she said, "What if it's not a divorce? It could be that I'm the owner of the house and I sold it because I'm in need of money. It could also be that I'm not even married yet."

The cab driver stared at her through the mirror for a moment before slapping his thighs lightly. Then, he nodded as he drove, "You're right. Why didn't I think of that? It must be because I just got divorced and I'm very apprehensive."

The car was then quiet afterwards. A few moments later, the cab stopped in front of a black iron gate. They arrived without any hitches.

Hailey stepped out of the car and brought out a few dollars from her wallet while the driver helped her offload her luggage. Then, she collected it from him and handed the money to him.

She then turned towards the gate. It was a relatively tall building. It was the Smith Manor. Her fingers which were holding the handle of the suitcase tightened as she stood there.

She stepped closer to the gate and rang the doorbell. About a minute later, the peephole opened and a guard looked out to check who it was. Immediately, he saw who it was, he opened the gates for Hailey to enter.

Then, he collected the suitcase from her as he welcomed her, "Welcome, Eldest Miss."

Hailey gave a small smile in return. "Thank you."

Hailey walked into the compound quietly behind him. She seemed melancholic and blue. In fact, it was as though she was the guest in the house.

But, no one could understand how Hailey felt better than herself. She had mixed feelings towards this place. In fact, if she had a choice she wouldn't want to return there.

She had been disappointed by her father's profiteer character. He didn't care what she would go through at the King's if they were not a good family. He exchanged his own daughter for benefits.

She couldn't understand why he did that? Was it because she wasn't Ashley? Or, because she wasn't the daughter of his mistress?

The more Hailey thought about it, the more her resentment grew. Her eyes turned red and she clamped her fists tightly.

Thankfully, she was smart enough to bid for her own benefits.

So, Hailey smiled and concealed her bitter feelings. She took a deep breath and a smile appeared on her lips.

She was meeting that mother-daughter pair for the first time in three years. She couldn't afford to show any weakness.