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Nicole stood at the door. “You’ll find out when you get home. And I’m not leaving with you. Just go.”
Hayden acted like he hadn’t heard her. He gently set her heels before her and coaxed, “Come on, be good.
Matt’s waiting for you at home.”
“He’s only waiting for someone to help with his homework. He wouldn’t have called me tonight if I didn’t
usually do it.” She turned her face away, coldly adding, “Go. I’m not going home with you.”
Without another word, he grasped her ankle, kneeling on one knee. The sharp crease in his suit pants wrinkled instantly. “We need you.”
She laughed bitterly. “No, I think you guys need Ms. Ashford more. She showed up at school today and
handled everything. Even Matt listened to her.”
Hayden’s gaze darkened, but a low chuckle escaped him. “So, you’re jealous over that. No matter how
capable Gloria is, she’s not Matthew’s mother.”
“But she could be. All you’d have to do is marry her,” Nicole said, shoving his hand away.
His smile vanished. He slowly lifted his head, his eyes sharp. “What are you saying?”
Her tone was airy, as if she couldn’t care less. “We should get a divorce. You can marry her, and she can finally be his mother.”
The heels slipped from his hand with a dull thud. Rising to his full height, he loomed over her, his shadow
swallowing her small frame.
“What did you just say?” His voice was low, dangerous. “You want a divorce?”
“Yes! Divorce me and marry the woman who’s obviously better for your son! What the hell are you even waiting for?”
The words burst out before she could stop herself, all her bottled emotions spilling over.
To her, Hayden was nothing but a hypocrite. Their marriage certificate was fake, and yet here he was,
acting as though a divorce would actually change anything between them.
They had no legal ties. A single sentence was all it would take to end their relationship, and seven years of their so–called marriage would simply disappear like smoke.
She turned away from him, but Hayden caught her wrist. His jaw was clenched, and his chest heaved.
“You don’t get to say that. Not without my say–so. Divorce? That word doesn’t exist between us. Say whatever you want, but don’t throw that word around like it means nothing.”
Nicole’s expression stayed blank as she shot back. “And what if I do? Pretty sure it’s not illegal. Or were you planning to have your cake and eat it too? Keep me around while you wife up someone else?”
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If Hayden wanted, she could go from wife to side piece in a heartbeat. Nothing would slow him down. from marrying Gloria.
He snapped, “When did you become so unreasonable? Nothing is going on between me and Gloria. You
can’t throw accusations like that just because you’re upset!”
“So what if I’m doing that? What are you gonna do about it? If you can’t stand me, divorce me!” She flung
his hand away, shouting, “Get out! I don’t wanna see you!”
Hayden’s patience finally snapped. He pulled Nicole into a kiss, silencing the harsh words she kept
hurtling at him, as if trying to erase the thorns between them with the closeness of their lips.
Just then, a girl happened to walk past the door and gasped at what she saw.
Nicole’s body trembled slightly. She instinctively pushed him away, but he held her firmly by the waist,
reaching back with one hand to close the door behind them.
He pressed her against the door. His hands, hot and insistent, slipped under the hem of her clothes,
sending a shiver down her spine. But her reaction wasn’t from desire. It was disgust at his
possessiveness.
How could someone who never truly cared for her act like this? Their marriage, their son, the affection-
how much of it had been real?
All the thoughts swirled together, tangling her guts. She shoved him away and bolted to the bathroom.
She hadn’t eaten all day, yet she retched over the sink, her stomach twisting painfully with every dry heave.
Hayden followed her into the bathroom and held her up. “You’re throwing up again? This isn’t just stress!
You’re coming with me to the hospital.”
“I’m not-”
Before Nicole could finish her sentence, he scooped her into his arms. Her head was pounding, and the nausea was so bad she couldn’t even protest.
To make things worse, she was prone to motion sickness; dizziness, nausea, and discomfort attacked all
at once. She kept her eyes shut the entire ride, barely able to move.
Hayden sped toward the hospital, glancing at her every so often. They eventually arrived and went through all the necessary steps–check–in, paperwork, and tests.
Nicole fought the urge to vomit, forcing herself to swallow it down. She moved through the whole process like a marionette, with nurses leading her from one room to the next.
When the tests were finally done, Hayden was waiting in the hallway. He handed her a cup of honey water he had somehow gotten. “Here. Drink this to help settle your stomach.”
She didn’t take it. She simply sat, pale and silent.
He looked at her. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have fought with you today.”
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He reached out and hooked her pinky with his, giving it a gentle shake. His deep eyes held a familiar
smile, a sign of him conceding and coaxing her.
Hayden had never been one for sweet words, so these subtle gestures were what always got to her.
Nicole’s chest tightened, her heart tugged by the familiarity of it all.
“Once we’re done,” he said, raising a brow, “let’s go home. Okay?”
She was about to answer when a shadow loomed over them. “Hayden? What are you guys doing here?”
Nicole looked up and saw a bewildered Gloria.
Hayden immediately let go of Nicole’s hand and stood up. “Nicole’s not feeling well, so I’m here with her
for a checkup. It’s so late. Why are you here?”
Gloria looked awkward, almost guilty. She quickly hid the paper in her hand behind her back, her eyes
flickering. “O–Oh, I’m fine. Nothing serious.”
He frowned, holding out his hand. “Let me see.”
She bit her lower lip, clearly hesitant. Still, she handed over the report.
Hayden’s expression darkened as he read it.
“Didn’t you already have a bypass surgery and recover?” Hayden asked. “Why are you having chest pains
again?”
“Well, same old issue,” Gloria said with a downcast look, as if she wanted to say more but held back.
His voice softened. “Make sure you take your meds. Your heart’s already under too much strain, so you
really need to rest. If you need anything, talk to Joseph.”
Their conversation only suffocated Nicole more. Joseph Carter was Hayden’s assistant, a man who had
never handled anything for anyone but her and Hayden. But when his precious first love showed up, the rules suddenly didn’t apply anymore.
Her breath hitched, and Hayden immediately rubbed her back. “Feeling any better? You’ve been throwing up a lot lately, and it’s definitely more than just stress. Let’s see what the doctor says.”
Throwing up a lot?
Gloria’s eyes narrowed, and she instinctively glanced at Nicole’s stomach. Something clicked in her mind.
“I’m gonna run to the restroom real quick,” she said, only to slip straight into the diagnostic room.
Inside, the doctor ordered the nurse, “Discard the original report, and bring out the switched one. And keep this quiet.”
Gloria leaned against the doorframe and waited. After the nurse tossed the paper into the trash on her way out, she retrieved it, unfolding the wrinkled sheet. Two words stood out from the page–brain tumor.
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Meanwhile, outside, the nurse was already explaining to Hayden. “It’s nothing serious. She’s just overstressed and has some mild gastritis. She’ll be fine with medication.”
Nicole exchanged a look with the nurse and let out a quiet sigh of relief. She didn’t want anyone to know about her condition before she left. Thankfully, the doctor had respected her wishes.
Hayden appeared more at ease. He grabbed his coat and draped it over her shoulders. “Come on, let’s go
home.”
“Hayden…”
Gloria reappeared right on cue, clutching her chest. “It’s late, and it’s difficult to get a cab at this hour. Could you take me home first?”
Nicole instinctively withdrew her hand, ready to slip away, but Hayden gripped it firmly. “Nicole’s not feeling well, so I’m taking her home. I’ll book you a ride instead.”
Gloria froze, her hands clenching at her sides.
Nicole was surprised, but that feeling didn’t last long. Of course, he couldn’t openly fuss over Gloria
before her. That would be too obvious.
With bitter sarcasm in her eyes, she followed Hayden downstairs. But as they exited the elevator, she sped up, clearly trying to shake him off.
“Relax,” his deep voice said behind her. “I won’t pressure you. I’ll send you back to the hotel.”
After a few seconds of hesitation, Nicole got into the car.
Hayden drove her back to the hotel and followed her all the way up in the elevator. She had planned to lock him out, but was caught off guard to see her door already open. Inside, the housekeeper was spreading a blue bear–themed bedsheet on the couch. Matthew sat across from her, sulking as he did his
homework.
He looked up and scowled when he saw Nicole walk in. “It’s so late! Why did you have to drag us around just because you’re mad? Daddy has to get up early for work tomorrow!”
A sharp twist of pain went through Nicole’s heart, but she said nothing. She simply walked past him and shut herself in the bedroom. From within, she could hear Hayden’s low, stern voice scolding Matthew.
Her gaze swept the room, landing on Hayden’s laptop. He’d had his clothes and work brought over too.
She pursed her lips, confused. What exactly was he trying to do?
She walked over to close the laptop, but her eyes caught the browser history. Her gaze froze on one single line–Marriage License Database.
Her finger froze midair. Almost without thinking, she clicked the search link. The page loaded, and the results popped up.
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Nicole stared at the screen in disbelief, her eyes widening as the words sank in. She checked it once, then
twice, and only on the third time did she believe what she was seeing.
Hayden Spencer was married. His spouse’s name was Gloria Ashford.
For a moment, all the blood in Nicole’s body seemed to turn to ice. So Hayden had never legally married
her; he had married Gloria behind her back. The official records showed Hayden, Gloria, and Matthew as
the true family. Nicole was neither a wife nor a legal guardian; she was just a free live–in nanny, raising
someone else’s son for the last seven years.
What about Matthew? Did he know Gloria was Hayden’s actual wife?
A growing terror seized Nicole the more she thought about it, causing her whole body to tremble. She
slammed the laptop shut, retreated from the desk, and backed into a warm, damp chest. She turned
around in a panic, her eyes meeting Hayden’s.
He had just stepped out of the shower, with a towel wrapped loosely around his waist and his hair still
damp. He didn’t seem to see the panic in her eyes or the paleness of her face. He gave her a half–smile,
his voice low and gentle. “Feeling any better?”
Nicole bit down on her lip, unable to move or speak. He misunderstood her silence completely, and his eyes darkened. Without a word, he wrapped an arm around her waist, lifting her and carrying her to the bed. He pressed his body down against hers.
Chapter 6
Chapter 6
