Chapter 2
Everyone was lost in their own worlds, dragging through until the party finally ended.
I was a bit wobbly as I walked, and Hayden told the others to go ahead. He stayed at the back with me, steadying me as we followed behind.
We stepped into the elevator, and just as the doors were about to close, someone hurried over from behind. "Hold on, please."
Hayden hesitated for a moment, then hit the button to open the doors again.
And, of course, it was Scarlett. She rushed in, head down, clutching her bag.
When Hayden saw her, he suddenly let go of my hand, and I lurched, smacking right into the wall.
She finally looked up, and when she saw us, she froze. Her gaze locked onto Hayden, as if she wanted to say something.
Hayden clenched his fists, the veins on his hands bulging.
They were locked in a silent showdown, eyes only for each other, totally ignoring me.
The elevator went dead silent. Those two minutes felt like an entire century to me.
As soon as the doors slid open, Scarlett ran off.
Hayden rushed after her, completely ignoring the fact that I was wobbling behind.
I walked out of the elevator slowly, left with nothing but their backs.
"Scarlett, come out." Hayden's desperate, furious shout cut through the silent night.
I slumped against the wall. Despite all the alcohol, my mind was painfully clear.
After what felt like forever, Hayden finally returned, dejected.
He didn't say a word. He just pulled me to my feet.
By the time we got back to the hotel, it was already way past midnight. The alcohol finally kicked in, and I passed out the moment my head hit the pillow.
Still, my mind was a mess, and I spent the whole night tangled up in nightmares.
When I woke up, Hayden was gone. The sky was just starting to brighten, and my phone said it was four in the morning.
The other side of the bed felt cold; he hadn't slept all night.
He leaned against the balcony window, smoking. The tip of his cigarette glowed faintly as smoke drifted from his mouth.
Perhaps from a sleepless night, his face looked drawn, lonely, and sorrowful amidst the haze of smoke.
He never used to smoke. It seemed that I never really knew him at all.
My chest tightened as if someone had gripped it, a sharp, aching pain spreading through me.
I really thought I was happy before all this.
Hayden and I were in an arranged marriage. I came from an old-money, academic family, while he was a self-made rising star in tech.
Unlike most arranged marriages, we actually got along well. Things were stable, and our wedding was scheduled for next month.
Everyone said we were made for each other.
Hayden wasn't much of a talker, always calm and collected, but honestly, he was perfect in every other way.
I had once asked him about his past relationships, and he just said, "I had a college girlfriend. We broke up."
He looked totally unfazed when he mentioned it, like it didn't matter at all.
I didn't push for more. Back then, I figured it was over and didn't need digging up.
Before I knew Hayden, I had almost no experience with love. I didn't know what it looked like for a man to love a woman.
Now I knew. Hayden didn't love me, at least not the way he loved Scarlett.
Perhaps, to him, I was merely a suitable bride.
He had always been calm and steady with me, and I had thought that was just who he was.
However, seeing him so affected by another woman, I finally realized he could actually be heartbroken, furious, and desperate because of love.
The truth was that I was never the one who could move him.
I just didn't understand.
I was clearly an attractive woman. Why didn't he love me?
"Are you up? Is the smoke bothering you?" Hayden finally turned around and saw me, wide awake and just zoning out.
I stayed silent, quietly looking at him, unable to speak.
How did I even start this conversation? Should I pick a fight with him, or just ask straight up if he loved me?
I used to be so sure that he loved me, but after seeing him fall apart because of Scarlett, all my confidence crumbled.
Perhaps I was nothing more than a suitable match in an arranged marriage.
Jocelyn Smith, you were reading too much into it. How could an arranged marriage ever be about love?
He noticed my unhappiness, snuffed out his cigarette, opened the window for a breeze, and only then entered the bedroom.
"Are you feeling sick? Did you catch a cold?" He reached out to touch my face, but I pulled away from his touch, turning my head aside.
Hayden saw how I was pulling away and let out a sigh. "Jocelyn, I—"
"Do you want to head back today, or should I just go on my own?" I cut him off, my voice distant.
He thought for a moment. "Let's just go together. There's nothing for me to do here anyway."
I wanted to say he could just go for her.
However, I swallowed the words before they could come out.
He avoided my gaze.
I stared straight at him. "Hayden, tell me about you and her."