Chapter 4 · No One Like Her

I knew he was just waiting for me to have second thoughts, waiting for me to compromise.

But this time, I was done trying to push things.

No one ever knew, but I used to hate Hadden. We grew up in the same town, constantly bumping into each other from childhood all the way up.

Hadden was the most successful and quiet guy around, basically every kid's worst nightmare in that place, including me.

Three years ago, I had just turned twenty.

Priscilla invited me out for drinks, and we unexpectedly ran into Hadden. He was sitting at the bar, handling business, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, every hair in place, his face completely serious.

He was like some kind of programmed machine—never tired, never making a mistake, just operating day after day without a single glitch.

Back then, I found myself wondering. 'Could Hadden ever love someone? And if he did, what would that be like?

'Would he ever smile for real? Be soft, be gentle? Be real for once?'

Later, I went after him just to mess with him, honestly, just for the thrill of it.

I even vowed to Priscilla, "I'm definitely going to win over that cold-hearted guy everyone thinks is out of reach."

But who could've guessed?

In the end, I was the only one who ended up catching feelings.

When the acceptance letter from Veritas University of the Arts came, Jane was the one who signed for the mail. When she showed up, I was busy packing up mountains of sketchbooks, getting ready to toss them out.

Every box was stuffed with sketches of Hadden, all drawn by me.

Nobody had ever come in here before, so nobody knew about it, except for Hadden.

When I let Jane in, she stopped in her tracks, looking surprised. "Weren't you the one who said nobody could come in here?"

"That was before," I replied, my voice steady.

Staying calm, I scooped up the sketchbooks that had fallen and quickly stuffed them into a fresh trash bin.

Jane looked a bit shocked, then turned to me. "You don't like Hadden anymore?"

My hands paused in mid-air.

Hadden and I had never made our relationship public, so hardly anyone knew about us.

As I stayed silent, Jane spoke up gently, "At the party, Hadden suddenly announced his engagement. I had no idea it was coming.

"I've already been talking to Mr. Binder. The man you like, I won't—" she started.

"I'm over him," I interrupted her.

I looked up and met Jane's eyes.

She pressed her lips together, her eyes flickering with something complicated.

That was the same look Jane had on her face when Hadden and his dad announced the engagement between Hadden and Jane. It wasn't until much later that I truly understood what she was feeling.

Jane herself didn't even know about the engagement.

They treated it like some big birthday surprise for her, never stopping to ask if it was what she wanted.

It was her birthday party, after all.

But in the end, she wrecked the whole thing, for my sake.

It was right around noon.

Jane was still standing outside the door, hadn't budged at all. Sunlight poured over her, and even her hair shimmered in the light.

For a split second, I finally got why Hadden chose her.

She was gentle, beautiful, thoughtful, and kind; all those words people used to describe someone wonderful, they just naturally belonged to her.

No wonder Hadden fell for her, went crazy for her.

If I were in his shoes, I'd totally want someone like her as my wife, too.

After a moment, Jane spoke up again, her voice soft but firm. "Eleanor, whatever your heart wants, I'll do everything I can to help you get it. You don't have to hide anything from me.

"There are three things in this world you just can't keep secret: a cough, being poor, and love. If you really love Hadden, then let me help you—"

I snorted, a cold, mocking sound, my gaze frosty.

'Here we go again,' I thought. 'Just because I have feelings for Hadden, just because I love him, she's always the one to back down, to step aside, even willing to put everything on the line just to make Hadden marry me.

'But was she really okay with it? Was she truly willing?' I wondered.

She could see how much I loved Hadden. But all those years Hadden froze me out and treated me like I didn't matter in my previous life, how could she not see that?

Chapter 4

I knew he was just waiting for me to have second thoughts, waiting for me to compromise.

But this time, I was done trying to push things.

No one ever knew, but I used to hate Hadden. We grew up in the same town, constantly bumping into each other from childhood all the way up.

Hadden was the most successful and quiet guy around, basically every kid's worst nightmare in that place, including me.

Three years ago, I had just turned twenty.

He was like some kind of programmed machine—never tired, never making a mistake, just operating day after day without a single glitch.

Back then, I found myself wondering. 'Could Hadden ever love someone? And if he did, what would that be like?

'Would he ever smile for real? Be soft, be gentle? Be real for once?'

Later, I went after him just to mess with him, honestly, just for the thrill of it.

I even vowed to Priscilla, "I'm definitely going to win over that cold-hearted guy everyone thinks is out of reach."

But who could've guessed?

In the end, I was the only one who ended up catching feelings.

Every box was stuffed with sketches of Hadden, all drawn by me.

Nobody had ever come in here before, so nobody knew about it, except for Hadden.

When I let Jane in, she stopped in her tracks, looking surprised. "Weren't you the one who said nobody could come in here?"

"That was before," I replied, my voice steady.

Staying calm, I scooped up the sketchbooks that had fallen and quickly stuffed them into a fresh trash bin.

Jane looked a bit shocked, then turned to me. "You don't like Hadden anymore?"

My hands paused in mid-air.

Hadden and I had never made our relationship public, so hardly anyone knew about us.

As I stayed silent, Jane spoke up gently, "At the party, Hadden suddenly announced his engagement. I had no idea it was coming.

"I've already been talking to Mr. Binder. The man you like, I won't—" she started.

"I'm over him," I interrupted her.

I looked up and met Jane's eyes.

She pressed her lips together, her eyes flickering with something complicated.

That was the same look Jane had on her face when Hadden and his dad announced the engagement between Hadden and Jane. It wasn't until much later that I truly understood what she was feeling.

Jane herself didn't even know about the engagement.

They treated it like some big birthday surprise for her, never stopping to ask if it was what she wanted.

It was her birthday party, after all.

But in the end, she wrecked the whole thing, for my sake.

It was right around noon.

Jane was still standing outside the door, hadn't budged at all. Sunlight poured over her, and even her hair shimmered in the light.

For a split second, I finally got why Hadden chose her.

She was gentle, beautiful, thoughtful, and kind; all those words people used to describe someone wonderful, they just naturally belonged to her.

No wonder Hadden fell for her, went crazy for her.

If I were in his shoes, I'd totally want someone like her as my wife, too.

After a moment, Jane spoke up again, her voice soft but firm. "Eleanor, whatever your heart wants, I'll do everything I can to help you get it. You don't have to hide anything from me.

"There are three things in this world you just can't keep secret: a cough, being poor, and love. If you really love Hadden, then let me help you—"

I snorted, a cold, mocking sound, my gaze frosty.

'But was she really okay with it? Was she truly willing?' I wondered.

She could see how much I loved Hadden. But all those years Hadden froze me out and treated me like I didn't matter in my previous life, how could she not see that?