Chapter 3

I stood there, and finally, I couldn't hold back my tears anymore.

Who else could I blame? It was all on me. My mistakes from my previous life ruined everything. I messed up so much that he would never trust me again.

Gritting my teeth, I dragged my suitcase and walked out of the Hayden residence without looking back.

I found a luxury hotel to stay in, but spent the whole night wide awake.

Whenever I closed my eyes, all I could see was Jonathan buried under the rubble in my previous life. His final words, "If only I'd never agreed to marry you," kept ringing in my ears like a curse.

In the dead of night, a gentle knock sounded at the door.

I was startled, got up, and opened it, only to find Thea standing outside.

She was wearing a hotel staff uniform, and when she saw me, she froze for a moment.

"Ms. Lloyd, do you need your room cleaned?" she asked.

I couldn't believe my eyes and blurted out, "Aren't you Jon's secretary? Why are you working as a hotel attendant here?"

Thea gave a bitter smile, shook her head, and stayed silent.

She came in to clean and accidentally cut her finger on my box cutter. A bead of bright red blood welled up.

The next second, she suddenly collapsed to the floor.

I was about to rush over to check on her when a figure burst into the room and sent me sprawling.

My lower back slammed hard into the corner of the table, and pain shot through me. I gritted my teeth, refusing to make a sound.

Jonathan crouched down, carefully bandaged Thea's wound, and then carried her in his arms. When he turned to look at me, his eyes burned with disappointment and anger. "Jaliyah, is this why you left?

"I already promised you I wouldn't be with Thea anymore. Why can't you let her go? She got fired from the company and ended up working as an attendant. You did this, didn't you?"

Jonathan's voice grew louder and louder, but by the end, there was a trace of exhaustion in his voice.

He gazed at me, murmuring under his breath, "What will it take for you to be satisfied?"

I looked at him, my heart sank, and all the strength seemed to drain out of me.

I managed a weak smile, my voice rough. "If I said I had nothing to do with any of this, would you believe me?"

Jonathan shook his head, his gaze icy cold. "This is the last time, Jaliyah. I mean it. If it happens again, don't blame me for ignoring the bond between the Lloyd family and the Hayden family."

With that, he walked out with Thea in his arms, never once looking back.

I clutched my bruised lower back and slowly sank to the floor, my tears falling silently.

He still wouldn't believe me.

Maybe it was best if I left this city.

At least I wouldn't bother him and Thea anymore, and he wouldn't have to think of me as a problem.

I packed up my things, checked out of the hotel, hailed a cab, and headed straight for the airport.

As my cab waited at a red light, we happened to brush past Jonathan's car.

He was sitting inside, and when he saw me, he turned away with a blank look and closed the window.

That pane of glass was like a barrier between two worlds. From this moment on, our paths would never cross again.

Jonathan Hayden's POV

Jonathan watched as the ride-hailing car turned toward the airport, a sudden wave of unease washing over him.

Was she leaving?

But before he could dwell on it, Thea, who was slowly coming to beside him, stirred and interrupted his thoughts.

He quickly pulled himself together and spoke softly to comfort her, "Thea, don't be scared. We're almost at the hospital."

He stepped on the gas and burst into the emergency room with Thea in his arms.

After the doctor examined her, he handed over some ointment and said in an offhand tone, "It's nothing serious. She just fainted at the sight of blood, and the cut on her hand isn't deep. She'll be fine in a few days."

As soon as the doctor finished speaking, it was like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over Jonathan's head. He froze on the spot, unable to even breathe for a second.

Thea looked at him and explained softly, "Mr. Hayden, I told you, this has nothing to do with Ms. Lloyd. It's all on me. Leaving the company was my own decision. It had nothing to do with anyone else.

"And at the party, I drank too fast and got tipsy. That's why I nearly lost my balance."

Every word landed like a blow to Jonathan's heart.

He remembered all the harsh things he'd said to Jaliyah, the way her eyes were red and her defeated, "Would you believe me?" It felt like an invisible hand was squeezing his heart, making it almost impossible to breathe.

He swallowed hard, his throat burning and tight, like razor blades were stuck there.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Jonathan asked, barely holding it together as he looked at Thea.

Thea pursed her lips and gave a wry, self-deprecating smile. "I told you, but you never believed me."

Jonathan wavered, his eyes growing misty with emotion.

He turned to Thea, wanting to say something, but found himself unable to speak.

Thea looked at Jonathan, her voice gentle. "Mr. Hayden, you really should go and apologize to Ms. Lloyd. You've hurt her too deeply."

She paused for a moment and then continued, "You need to face your own heart and figure out who you truly love."

With that, Thea turned and walked away, leaving Jonathan standing alone in the empty hospital room, completely at a loss.