Chapter 3

The Lipsey family threw a grand welcome party for my return.

On paper, it was for me. But everyone knew better. The real reason was Haley's arrival.

The moment she walked in, the mood in the living room shifted. Smiles turned polite. The older guests stood up to greet her, and even my father straightened up and looked respectful.

"Ms. Dunn, you're here."

"Haley, please, have a seat."

"It's been a while since you and Jasper last saw each other, right?"

I sat at the corner of the sofa and watched it all play out. A cold feeling settled deep in my chest.

In my last life, this was exactly the kind of scene where I would push Haley away.

As soon as she sat down, my Aunt Alison leaned forward with a bright smile. "Just look at Jasper. He spent a few years abroad and came back completely wild. You'll have to keep him in line from now on."

Everyone turned to look at us.

Before, I would have snapped and slammed my glass on the table.

But this time, I stayed quiet.

Haley did not smile. She took a slow sip of her coffee and replied in an easy tone, "Mr. Lipsey has his own mind. I can't control him."

Alison's smile stiffened. "Oh, don't say that. You're not strangers."

"I'm not treating him like a stranger," Haley said, her eyes shifting slightly. "I'm stating a fact. If Jasper actually listened to me, he wouldn't have blocked my car at the airport today."

The room fell silent. Every eye turned to me.

My dad's face darkened. "What did you do?"

Before I could answer, a soft voice came from behind me. "Mr. Gerald Lipsey, please don't be upset. Jasper just got back. He was probably joking with Ms. Dunn."

I turned around.

Faye stood there holding a tray. She wore a light-colored dress, her hair loose over her shoulders. Her smile looked gentle and harmless.

I knew that face.

After I came back the first time, she showed up at the Lipsey family home every single day. She kept my mother company, helped my father with work, and prepared my daily vitamins. She seemed flawless.

In the end, she was the one who waited until I had a fever, crushed those pills into powder, and mixed them into my daily vitamins. She sat by my bed and asked me if it tasted bitter.

I had been too weak to even shout at her.

She leaned close and whispered, "Jasper, don't blame me. Mr. Pearce promised me that if you died, I'd get a new identity and a new life. No one wants to stay in this rotten Lipsey family with you."

I stared at her now. I did not look away. My stare went on so long that her smile began to falter.

"Jasper? What's wrong?" she asked, her voice turning uneasy.

"Nothing," I said, finally looking away. "I just think you're a very good actress."

The living room went quiet again.

My mother frowned. "Jasper, how can you talk to her like that?"

Faye looked startled, but she quickly recovered and tried to smooth things over. "It's fine. Jasper has always liked joking like that."

Haley sat nearby. Her cup made a soft clink as it touched the saucer.

I turned to look at her.

She kept her eyes down, showing no reaction.

But I noticed it. She had not taken a single sip of her coffee.

Faye set the tray down and started pouring drinks. When she reached me, she picked up a glass of wine without hesitation. "Jasper, welcome home."

Before I could take it, another hand reached out and took the glass first.

Haley did not even lift her eyes. Her voice was calm. "He just got off a plane. He shouldn't be drinking."

Faye froze. "I just—"

"Just trying to make things lively?" Haley glanced at the swirling wine in the glass, then smiled faintly. "Then I'll drink it for him."

As soon as she said that, she poured the entire glass into a nearby potted plant.

The whole room went still.

Faye's face went a little pale.

Haley set the empty glass back on the tray as if nothing had happened. Then she looked at me. "What? Are you upset to see it wasted?"

My throat tightened.

In my past life, she had also done things like this.

Back then, I thought she was out of her mind. I thought she was trying to embarrass me by picking on Faye.

Now, watching it happen again, I finally understood. She was blocking anything that came near me—the wine, the medicine, and the daily vitamins.

She was not being irrational.

She was protecting me. She was afraid I would die.

Halfway through the party, I stepped out into the backyard to get some air.

A moment later, I heard footsteps behind me.

I turned around. Faye was hurrying over, holding a jacket.

"Jasper, what's going on with you today?" she asked, her eyes full of concern. "Was it tough overseas? Are you in a bad mood?"

"You really care about me, don't you?" I asked.

"Of course," she said softly. "When you were overseas, you always came to me when you felt sick. I sent you so many medicines and scarves. Don't you remember?"