Jack pulled me out into the corridor and gently pressed an ice pack to my face. I lowered my gaze and murmured, “I didn’t push her…”

“Hm,” he replied softly—neither anger nor comfort in his voice.

But I knew him too well. This kind of silence was the cruelest response. If he believed me, he would have defended me. If he didn’t, he would simply say nothing.

And yet… if he didn’t believe me, why was he being so gentle?

Tears slid down my cheeks and fell onto his hand. He flinched, as if scalded, then abruptly stood up.

“If you’re just going to stand here and make Katy and the baby suffer,” he said coldly, “then you should go home.”

I grabbed the hem of his shirt, my voice trembling with desperation, “Just this once… believe me. Please.”

He sighed heavily, then pried my fingers off his shirt one by one, as if completely disheartened.

“Hayley, I can forgive you—for anything. Because I love you. But the least you could do is be honest with me.”

Suddenly, a familiar ringtone cut through the silence—Katy’s custom ringtone.

"How much further must I go to enter your heart? How much longer must I wait to be close to you..."

I had asked him once, “Is it really appropriate to set a custom ringtone for a female colleague?”

He had looked confused. “She likes the song, so I used it. Don’t overthink things.”

Now, I watched as he answered her call and walked away—without so much as a backward glance.

I sat there on the cold bench, face swollen, chest hollow, laughing and crying like someone slowly losing their mind.

He said I should be honest. But did he ever show me the same honesty?

I returned to pack up my things, intending to go back to my parents’ house. But before I could leave, a video call came through.

My father appeared on screen, clutching his chest, his face red with fury. He pointed at me with trembling fingers.

“The Lawndsey Family said you caused a scene at the hospital and injured a woman who just gave birth. Do you even think before you act? The hospital director is a friend of mine—he posted in our group chat, asking what happened. You’ve completely embarrassed the Morgen Family!”

His breathing grew labored. My mother quickly handed him his medicine, then turned her scolding glare on me.

“Jack already explained everything. He and that girl are just colleagues. Why did you have to interfere and force them into this mess?”

She glanced at the red mark on my face and sneered. “You brought that on yourself.”

I drew in a shaky breath, my voice raw. “What did I do wrong that you’re all scolding me? Why do you believe everyone else but me?”

“Then tell us—what should we believe?” they snapped in unison.

Looking at their cold, unyielding faces, my heart sank. “…Forget it.”

I hung up.

I couldn’t let them see my tears—because if I cried, they’d just say, “All you ever do is cry.”

At that moment, I had no idea where to go. I felt like I had no one left.

Then my phone vibrated.

A message from Tom Gerald.

[Hayley, when can I take your place?]

[Now.] I replied without hesitation.

Tom—the boy who once sat at the bottom of the class, always failing his exams. In senior year, he suddenly changed, studying day and night just to follow me to university. He confessed to me a hundred times and I rejected him a hundred times.

Who would fall for a boy worse at academics than a failing student? Even if he was cheerful and handsome, with a heart-stopping smile…it just wasn’t enough.

After graduation, I started dating Jack. Tom went abroad to Switzerland to continue his studies, but we never lost touch.

Everyday messages, casual updates and every so often, the same question.

[When will you let me take the lead?]

I never answered. But he never stopped asking. Like a tireless machine—relentless, unwavering.

With a bitter smile, I sent another message.

[The wedding’s in three days. You’ll be the groom. Are you ready?]

Bang! The door slammed open with a deafening crash.

Jack stood in the doorway, his expression stormy, eyes bloodshot and locked on me like a predator.

“Hayley! What did you do to my clothes?”

I froze. “What…?”

“Shut up!”

He charged forward, grabbed my wrist and slammed me hard against the wall.

I had never seen him like this. His breath came in ragged gasps, fury radiating off him in waves.

“I wore the shirt you sent to hold the baby. Within ten minutes, she broke out in a rash and went into respiratory failure! She’s in the ICU now! She’s just a newborn, Hayley. What the hell did you do?!”

“I didn’t do anything!” I cried, struggling as pain shot through my wrist. “Let go of me first—”

Before I could finish, he raised his fist.

I flinched, eyes squeezing shut in terror. A loud thud rang out next to my ear.

When I dared to open my eyes, his fist was embedded in the wall just inches from my face. Blood trickled from his knuckles.

My voice shook. “Jack… were you really going to hit me just now?”

He froze, as if waking from a trance. Then he let go of me abruptly and pulled me into his arms, trembling.

“Hayley… I—I lost control. I’m sorry.”

He clutched me tighter, voice thick with emotion.

“I told you before—I’d never hold anything against you. But this time, you were really wrong. Katy was sobbing, saying she wanted to die with the baby…”

Tears burned down the side of my neck.

“Do it for me, okay?” he whispered. “Go apologize. If you do… we can still get married.”

This man—who had broken ribs during flight training without shedding a single tear—was crying.

So this was his weakness. Not me. It was Katy and the child.

I stared at his shaking shoulders and suddenly smiled.

“Alright,” I said softly. “I’ll go apologize.”

Relief swept over his face. “Let’s go to the hospital now.” He reached for my hand.

I stepped back coldly. “I can walk on my own.”

He nodded, awkwardly. “Okay… just hurry. I’m afraid Katy won’t be able to handle much more…”

When we arrived at the emergency room, Katy suddenly collapsed to her knees and clung to my legs, sobbing uncontrollably.

“Hayley, please… you can take my life, just don’t hurt the baby!”

She shook all over, weeping like a broken woman.

I was so furious, I laughed. Reaching down, I tried to pull her up.

“Enough of this act. I should be the one kneeling, begging Miss Kalr for mercy. I don’t want Jack anymore—you can have him.”

She looked up—just for a second. There it was. A flicker of smug satisfaction.

But it vanished instantly, replaced by faux humility.

“No, that’s not it. Jack will always be yours. I wouldn’t dare covet him. I just want to live quietly with the baby.”

“Get up,” I snapped, my patience gone.

She suddenly grabbed my hand. I yanked it back in disgust. She used the force to throw herself backward, slamming her head against the floor.

“Ahhh!” she screamed, piercing and theatrical.

“Enough!” Jack rushed to her side, helping her up, his glare burning into me like fire.

“Hayley, if you don’t want to apologize, then don’t come here! Katy just gave birth, the baby’s still in critical condition and you’re still tormenting her?!”

I lowered my head, biting back my words. What was the point? He wouldn’t believe me no matter what I said.

After a long silence, he let out a bitter laugh.

“Forget it. What explanation could you even give? All I’ve seen is you hurting Katy and the baby—over and over again.

Just go home, Hayley. You’re only making things worse here.”

“The child’s parents, please come here!” the doctor called sharply.

Without hesitation, Jack turned and rushed toward the emergency room with Katy in tow.

The doctor shot me a disapproving glance.

“Unrelated parties, please don’t cause a disturbance here.”

Yes, they were the child’s parents. And I? I was just an outsider—unwanted, unwelcome.

This was my second trip to the hospital today and both times I’d only humiliated myself.

To everyone watching, I must have looked like a vindictive madwoman.

My legs gave out beneath me and I staggered backward—straight into a warm, steady embrace.

Tom caught me effortlessly, his eyes shining with excitement.

“Hayley, are you really letting me take over?”