Divorce, Ending, And New Beginning

Even in July, the heat in the city of Merlin lingered in the air. Trees, buildings, cars, and people had no choice but to bask in the scorching sun all day and endure the warm temperature at night.

As soon as Gwen Lewis hopped off the car, the evening breeze immediately touched her skin. She raised her head and stared at the huge building of Grand Oasis.

Two days ago, she swore to Hayes Gilmore that she would never sign the divorce papers.

Today, their paths would cross again.

She was welcomed by the manager of Grand Oasis. The manager led her to an elevator and pressed the floor button.

Gwen stood outside a massive door and looked at the “888” number printed on the wooden door.

Not long after, the manager opened the door. “Mrs. Gilmore, you may come in.”

Gwen nodded and thanked the woman before stepping inside.

Cheerful jazz music boomed inside the large room. The sounds of laughter and the chattering of different voices almost startled her. Gwen slightly scrunched her nose when the smells of cigars and alcohol hit her.

Heads turned toward her direction, and the murmurs of people faintly died down. However, Gwen was too determined the find the person she was looking for, so she didn’t pay attention to them and just continued walking.

The room was large, and there were a lot of people. Gwen craned her neck several times, looking for him until she stopped in front of a poker table.

Dressed in a tight white tube top and red flowy skirt, Lacey Brooks languidly sat on the armrest of Hayes’s chair. Her alluring face looked relaxed and happy as she watched the game.

The first person who saw Gwen was the man sitting opposite Hayes. His gaze lingered on her for a while before he let out a soft whistle.

“Looks like you have a surprise visitor, Mr. Gilmore,” he said with an evil smirk.

The rest of the people at the table raised their heads to look at Gwen.

“Mr. Gilmore, your wife’s here,” the other man said and let out a meaningful smile.

Aside from knowing who she was, almost everyone knew that Gwen was Hayes Gilmore’s wife.

Three years ago, this couple’s wedding was the grandest and the most talked about event in the city. It was a pretty big deal.

Hayes poked his cheek with his tongue as he glanced at Gwen, who was sternly looking at him. Then, he withdrew his gaze and tossed the card on the table.

Unbothered by the people’s curious gazes, Gwen walked towards Hayes. Lacey immediately rested her palm on the man’s shoulder, displaying her perfectly manicured red nails against his black shirt. She leaned closer to Hayes and raised an eyebrow.

“What brings you here, Gwen?” Lacey tilted her head.

Gwen pretended like she didn’t hear her. She didn’t have the time to give these people a show to watch.

“Let’s talk,” she coldly said to Hayes.

Hayes remained staring at his cards. “What is it?”

Gwen sighed and pursed her lips. She glanced at Lacey and said, “About the divorce.”

She grabbed the papers from her bag and showed them to Hayes. “I signed the papers already. I can go to the Bureau of Civil Affairs to process the rest of the requirements anytime.”

It wasn’t ideal to talk about such a serious and private matter in front of these people, especially when everybody knew that it was Hayes who wanted to call their marriage off.

However, Gwen couldn’t wait any longer.

Of all people, she knew that Hayes was ruthless and always did everything to get whatever he wanted. But never did she ever think that he would do the same thing to her.

Hayes glanced at the papers in front of him but didn’t say anything.

The people at their table suddenly went quiet while Gwen tried to figure out what her soontobe former husband was thinking.

Lacey’s eyes caught the man sitting opposite them. She saw him place a cigarette between his lips before lowering his head to light the object with his lighter.

Smoke instantly rose in the air as he inhaled. Tempted by the smell of smoke, the man beside him grabbed the cigarette box, only to find it empty.

“Give me a stick, Seth,” the man whispered.

Seth Parker lifted his eyes and looked at the man. “A hundred thousand dollars for one cigarette. Deal?” he asked while smirking.

“The fuck? Does that thing have diamonds inside?” Tucker Scott replied incredulously. He grabbed the empty box and threw it on Seth’s face.

Seth laughed and blocked his face with his hand. As soon as the box touched his palm, he instinctively waved his hand, making the object fly across the table.

Seth and Tucker watched the thing fly in the air as if it was in slow motion. The box fell on someone’s head with a thud.

“Aw,” Gwen muttered before covering her head. She looked at the floor and saw a cigarette box.

Tucker coughed deliberately. He gave Seth a warning glare before looking at Gwen. The latter coldly looked at him.

“I’m so sorry, Mrs. Gilmore. II mean, Ms. Lewis. It was an accident. I didn’t throw it. It was Seth,” he stuttered before chuckling awkwardly. “He’s a prankster.”

Gwen’s serious eyes transferred to the man beside Tucker. The pair of dark orbs pierced through her as he raised a brow. His lazylooking eyes looked at her with no traces of remorse or regret.

Gwen scanned him from head to toe, then calmly looked away.

Tucker adjusted his seat, slightly excited as if watching an entertaining show.

Gwen looked at Hayes again. “If you don’t want Ms. Lacey to be dragged into this mess, I suggest you spare me a few minutes to talk. I’ll wait for you outside.”

Of course, Gwen and Hayes were not legally divorced yet. Even if Hayes loved Lacey, she would remain just a mistress in the relationship.

Not waiting for his reply, Gwen turned around and walked to the room’s exit. She stood outside the room for a few minutes until Hayes finally appeared in front of her.

The man’s penetrating gaze remained on her but still didn’t say anything. Gwen also glared at him, unwilling to back down.

A man who was walking in the corridor passed by. He immediately sensed a heavy and strange tension, so he increased his pace until he disappeared through the dark hallway.

Gwen sighed.

Hayes took out a cigarette and lit it in front of her. “I changed my mind. Those divorce papers need to be changed,” he spoke.

Gwen blinked her eyes. “What do you mean?”

Hayes inhaled the cigarette and blew the smoke in the air. “You know how much I hate being threatened, Gwen. I’ll contact the lawyer and ask to draft a new divorce agreement. Your father will be safe in prison, but you’ll leave my house and get nothing from me.”

Gwen snorted, resisting the laughter that wanted to escape her lips.

‘You hate being threatened, or you just hate it when Lacey’s involved?’ she thought.

“Sure.”

She didn’t want anything from him in the first place. She also forgot to read everything in the agreement she signed before, so changing it was a good thing.

However, Gwen couldn’t stop the uneasy feeling growing inside her. Hearing Hayes’s words made her feel sad and angry at the same time.

‘Didn’t the threeyearlong marriage matter to him at all? Did he really feel nothing toward her during those years?’ she asked herself.

A flash of lightning disrupted the quiet night sky, followed by the roar of thunder. Gwen looked up, and the big blots of rain instantly trickled down her face.

She walked and walked, not minding the heavy rain. The images of her and her former husband from the past flashed in her mind.

Gwen wandered until her foot tripped onto something. She was caught off guard, and she immediately fell to the ground.

Gwen groaned in pain and looked at her knee. She tried to get up, but her whole body felt so exhausted that she couldn’t stand up.

The vehicles on the road continued moving against the rain. People breezed their way on the sidewalk, wanting to get to their destination as soon as possible.

Gwen remained sitting on the side. She lowered her head and stared at the ground. Her head was empty, and her body felt numb.

All of a sudden, a loud horn blared beside Gwen, making her shoulders jump in surprise. She slowly stood up to see what or who it was. Her soaked clothes were glued to her skin as the rain continued to pour.

Her eyes fell on a gray sports car parked near her. Gwen squinted her eyes to see who was inside.

Suddenly, the car window rolled down, revealing the man sitting in the driver’s seat.

“Enjoying your pity party, Mrs. Gilmore? Unfortunately, Hayes is too occupied with the new woman beside him now, and he won’t be able to see your little tricks.”

The man’s eyes were cold and menacing. His tone sounded rude and sarcastic as he spoke.

Gwen seemed not to hear what he had just said. She stepped closer to him and crouched a little. “Are you free tonight, Seth? Can you bring me to a hotel?” she murmured.

Seth’s eyes widened slightly by her words. However, he immediately changed his shocked expression and leaned against his seat. A chuckle escaped his lips while his eyes scanned her body.

Gwen was wearing a fitted chiffon shirt and a pair of black wideleg trousers. The shirt was neatly tucked in her pants, revealing her curves. Seth immediately knew that this woman had a body to die for.

“Hotel? You think I’ll sleep with the woman Hayes Gilmore already slept with?”

Gwen’s lips parted in surprise. Seth barked a laugh before closing the car window. The headlights of his car beamed brighter as he drove away.

The car’s tires screeched through the puddles, and the water splashed all over Gwen’s body. She tightly closed her eyes as she shivered from the cold rain.

Gwen opened her eyes when a sudden realization hit her.

‘What was I thinking? Why did I say such a thing to Seth? Of all people, I asked Seth to go to a hotel with me?’ she inwardly scolded herself.

Gwen finally arrived home, feeling exhausted and sick from being drenched in the rain for so long. After a warm shower, she immediately went to bed.

Nightmares instantly clung to her mind that night. Ugly memories from her past played like a broken record as she slept.

When the morning came, Gwen was woken up by the loud ringing of her phone. She immediately picked up the call when she saw it was Hayes’s lawyer.

The lawyer informed her that the revised divorce contract was all ready and would arrive at her house in a while. This meant they were already rushing the divorce, and Gwen needed to sign the papers immediately.

Unlike the last time, Gwen didn’t kick the lawyer out of the house. Instead, she calmly took the papers, read them, and signed without complaint.

Right after the lawyer left, Hayes called her. They said they needed to go to the Bureau of Civil Affairs later, at four o’clock, to finish the divorce process.

Gwen could only sigh at the man’s impatience.

She arrived at their meeting place five minutes before four o’clock in the afternoon. She stood at the entrance waiting for Hayes until a familiar car halted on the road.

Gwen watched as the doors of the driver seat and passenger seat opened simultaneously, revealing Hayes and Lacey.

Lacey’s bright red dress could easily capture the attention of people. Her long, slender legs looked fairer because of her shorthemmed clothes.

Lacey smiled and waited for Hayes to reach her. Then, she clasped their hands together before walking toward Gwen.

Gwen looked away slightly after remembering some memories again. Like a déjà vu, she recalled how she used to cling to Hayes’s arm all the time when they were still married.

But not once did Hayes look at her with eyes like that. Full of attention, sincerity, and affection. It was as if the only person he could see was the woman beside him.

For a coldhearted and ruthless man like Hayes, it would always be a wonder how he treated Lacey differently from the others.

Gwen would be honest. Hayes and Lacey looked good together. Both were blessed with great genes. While one looked cold on the surface, the other person seemed to be filled with sunshine and warmth. One look at them, and one could see how they matched each other very well.

Gwen was too preoccupied with her thoughts that she didn’t realize that the two were already standing in front of her.

Lacey’s lips curled into a smile. “Sorry to keep you waiting, Gwen. It’s Hayes’s fault,” she meaningfully said before looking at Hayes.

Gwen tried hard to ignore the pain in her chest. Her emotionless face only stared at them.

Hayes glanced at her. His expression looked indifferent as usual, and his eyes bore into her intensely.

“Let’s go inside,” he commanded.

Gwen didn’t spare him a glance and just turned around to enter the building.

Hayes’s gaze followed her retreating form.

“You don’t want to divorce her, do you?”

Lacey’s voice snapped him back to reality. He turned to her but didn’t say anything. Instead, he held her waist and led her to the door.

Twenty minutes later, Hayes and Lacey went out of the office. Gwen trailed behind them, silent and deep in thought.

Lacey and Hayes got into the car. Hayes was about to start the engine when Lacey suddenly snatched the car key from his hand.

Hayes’s furrowed his eyebrows.

Lacey briefly glanced at Gwen, who had just left the building. She turned to Hayes and smiled seductively.

“Kiss me, Hayes.”

Hayes’s confused expression remained. He tilted his head while looking at Lacey until he caught a glimpse of a slender figure walking away from the Bureau of Civil Affairs building.

“Stop it, Lacey,” he softly warned before pinching her cheek.

Lacey slapped his hand and covered her cheeks. “Ouch! That hurt!” she protested.

Her voice sounded gentle and cute. Her blushing face made her look more innocent and charming. Even her frown could melt a man’s heart in an instant.

Hayes stared at her for a while. Without hesitation, he unfastened his seat belt using one hand. Before Lacey could react, Hayes was already brushing his lips against hers.

Lacey’s eyes slightly widened as she froze in her spot. When she felt a sting on her lips, she unconsciously let out a soft whimper. Hayes took it as an opportunity to slide his tongue into her mouth.

From afar, Gwen stood and watched the scene. She couldn’t move her body nor take her eyes away from the view.

A series of memories flashed in her mind again.

She knew that Hayes was never the type of man to show affection in public. He was stoic and very strict. He thought a couple should do things privately, not in front of other people.

But looking at them now, it seemed like he loved Lacey so much to kiss her passionately inside the car, where other people could see them.

He and Gwen were married for three years but never did the man even try to sleep with her. Not even a peck on the lips.

The more Gwen thought about the past, the more she felt pathetic and ridiculous.

She needed to stop now.

Gwen removed her gaze from them and continued walking. Far, far away from them. Her chest slowly rose as she breathed, trying to compose herself. She raised her head and looked at the clear blue sky.

Not long after, she finally reached the bus stop.

She and Hayes were no longer married. From now on, the strings that tied them together were already cut.

She spent ten years loving Hayes. Seven years of unrequited love and three years of marriage later, the love she thought she had finally vanished.

She didn’t expect that it would end this way.

She never gave up on him; now, she just made a complete fool of herself.

Gwen had already left Windsor Mansion when her best friend, Callie Cooper, learned about her divorce.

Like what they had agreed, Gwen moved out of the house with nothing. She only brought her clothes, personal stuff, and some she bought with her own money. She didn’t even take any gifts that Hayes had given her before.

Gwen rented a onebedroom apartment in a neighborhood near the Great Oak Primary School in Merlin City. The place was about forty square meters in size.

Compared to the gigantic mansion she had lived in before, her new apartment was probably only the size of a regular bathroom. Nevertheless, Gwen liked it a lot.

“Am I just hallucinating, or does your place look really small?” Callie murmured when she realized there wasn’t even a space where she could sit.

“Is it too small?” Gwen asked as she poured some water into the glass. “It looks neat and cute, right?”

Callie turned to her smiling friend and sighed. “Gwen… Are you really sure that you’ll end things this way? Maybe you gave up easily?”

Ten long years.

It took ten years for Gwen to give up on Hayes. Not only ten days or months but years of her life were dedicated to that man alone.

“What should I do?” Gwen smiled bitterly. “I couldn’t even make a man fall in love with me in ten years. What else could I possibly do?”

Callie saw what her friend went through all those times. Hence, she couldn’t help but feel that it was unfair to her friend. Although she also felt relieved and happy that her friend finally let things go.

“Ugh! Since you said that, as your friend, I can only support you and nothing else!” Callie rolled her eyes and plopped on the sofa.

“You know what they say, right? The best way to forget your ex is to start seeing other people. Meet and date new guys! This is a great idea, Gwen! You should meet other men and eventually realize how unworthy Hayes Gilmore is!” Callie exclaimed.

Gwen narrowed her eyes at her. “So, you’re saying I should use other people to forget about my exhusband?”

Callie stood up, beaming. “You, my friend,” she pointed at Gwen. “Was too blinded by your fascination with Hayes that you couldn’t see other men. So, tonight, I will take you out to have some fun!”

Gwen didn’t want to disappoint her friend. Callie really looked enthusiastic to cheer her up. She sighed and smiled at her.

“Okay.”

Deep down in her heart, Gwen knew she was not as carefree or bubbly as she portrayed herself to others.

In the past ten years, she learned many things that turned into habits until time slowly made her carve them into her bones.

One of these was her love for Hayes Gilmore.

Her feelings for him were like a drug she couldn't stop taking. She wanted to quit it now but didn't have the guts to do it yet.

But through Callie's help, she thought that perhaps she could finally end this habit. Meeting a new man sounded right to her.

She stared at the familiar and expensivelooking building in front of her. The first time she went to Grand Oasis, she was determined to end her marriage with Hayes. This time, she was determined to forget him.

Some things in life were really strange in many ways.

Gwen was true to her words when she told Callie that she would drink to forget. Plenty of tequila shots later, she was already staggering as she headed to the dance floor.

She laughed loudly. She had never felt this free and happy!

The lights almost blinded her eyes, but she didn't care. Several bodies squished her on the dance floor, but she continued dancing to the music.

"Woah! You dance so well." A manly voice muttered near her ears.

Gwen turned around, only to find a smiling man dancing behind her.

She tilted her head and stared at him with her intoxicated eyes. The man seemed to be young. Perhaps he was in his early twenties.

He looked attractive as well.

Gwen and the stranger continued dancing together, never breaking their eye contact. Slowly, Gwen's pink lips curled into a smile.

The man smiled at her, too. With just one look or smile, the two instantly understood each other.

This was how clubbing worked. People went there for particular reasons, so it was easy to figure one out.

A few minutes later, Gwen found herself hugging the man's arm as they made their way out of the dancefloor. Even if they were silent, they both stared at the club's exit as they walked.

Still tipsy, Gwen tripped over something and almost landed on the floor. Luckily, the man was fast enough to hold her arms and guide her outside.

By the time they reached the door, someone had bumped Gwen's shoulder with so much force that she almost fell. She stood up straight and looked at the person, but they were already far from her sight. The only thing she saw was blond hair.

She narrowed her eyes and thought that it seemed familiar.

"Let's go?" the man asked her. Gloria retracted her gaze from the dance floor and nodded at him.

Gwen felt soberer as soon as she sat in the man's car. She watched the splendid night view of Merlin City with feelings of confusion and emptiness in her heart.

The man hurriedly swiped the card, and the hotel room door instantly opened. Not even bothering to turn the lights on, he instantly cupped Gwen's cheeks and kissed her.

Gwen went still for a few seconds. Then, she started responding to the man's kisses.

The two of them didn't break their kiss as they traveled to the bed. Their clothes littered the whole place but were too drunk and heated to care.

Suddenly, a series of knocks blared from their door.

The man regretfully broke their kiss. "Wait. I'll check it quickly," he told her as he panted.

Gwen heaved a deep sigh as the man disappeared into the room. Her brows furrowed when she heard some noises from outside.

She sat up on the bed, but the noises suddenly died down. Gwen lay again and stared at the ceiling in a daze.

After a while, someone opened the door. Gwen glanced to see who it was, but the only thing she saw was a tall black figure standing not far from her.

Gwen got out of bed and tried to reach him, but her legs suddenly shook, and she almost fell. The man stretched his hand to prevent her from falling before caging her in his arms.

Gwen raised her head and stared at him. Her drunken eyes sparkled as she stared at the beautiful man in front of her. She let out a soft laugh and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Why? What's wrong? I thought we were having a good time. Want me to teach you some moves?" she whispered alluringly.

The next thing Gwen knew, she was already lying on the bed, with the man hovering over her.

Tears brimmed in her eyes. She stared at the man, but her sight was already blurry.

"Hayes," was the last thing she said before completely losing consciousness.

Gwen woke up with a pounding headache. She fluttered her eyes open and surveyed the unfamiliar room.

Her body froze. Fragments of scenes from last night flooded her mind.

"Are you awake?" A low, hoarse voice muttered behind her.

Gwen blinked, confused why the voice sounded familiar. She slowly turned around and saw who it was.

The sun shone through the windows behind him. The white duvet covered half of his body, but Gwen knew he was naked underneath that fabric. His sleepy gray eyes stared at her face softly. He raised his hand and pressed down on his golden hair.

Before Gwen could open her mouth, he smiled at her and said, "Good morning."

Gwen's eyes widened as her lips parted in shock. As if she had finally regained her senses, she grabbed the blanket and sat up from the bed to cover herself.

Her brain seemed to have stopped functioning as she stared at the man on the bed.

'Oh, God. I'm just dreaming, right?'

The man looked at her innocently, driving her to madness.

"Why are you here?" she screamed.

Gwen still couldn’t decipher how Seth ended up in the same bed with her.

She remembered meeting a young and goodlooking man on the dance floor last night, but she didn’t know that it was Seth.

‘How did this happen?’ she thought.

Gwen was still frozen on her spot, still thinking. Meanwhile, Seth transferred his gaze from her face to her body. Gwen mindlessly glanced at him until she saw what he was looking at.

“You pervert!” she hissed and threw the pillow at his face. Her cheeks blushed as she tightly held the blanket on her body.

Seth let out a sarcastic laugh and removed the pillow from his face.

“A pervert? I don’t recall you calling me that last night. Now that I fulfilled your lustful needs, you think I’m of no use anymore, hmm?”

Gwen remained glaring at him. Seth glanced at his shoulder before looking at her again. “What do I have on my shoulders? Hmm… Let’s see. Aren’t these Mrs. Gilmore’s artwork last night?” he teased.

Only then did Gwen notice the red marks on Seth’s shoulders. Some were obviously scratched by nails, and the rest were bitten by a person.

A series of memories from last night popped out of her mind again. She vaguely remembered how she cried and groaned, but the man ignored her pleas. The more she made noises, the more she became a ruthless beast in bed. Hence, the scratches and bite marks on his shoulder were all caused by her.

Gwen glanced at Seth and swallowed hard.

She didn’t want to admit it. Heck, she hoped that she was just having a nightmare.

But the truth was that she slept with Seth Parker last night. Not someone else.

‘But how could I possibly not recognize him from the dance floor? Was I too drunk?’ she thought.

In the end, Gwen could only heave a deep sigh. It had already happened, so thinking about it more wouldn’t erase the truth that she really spent a night with him.

She wrapped the blanket around her body and stood up from the bed. However, it only took a step before a throbbing headache attacked her.

Gwen groaned. When the pain slightly subsided, she turned to Seth, who was still lazily lying on his back and staring at her. She rolled her eyes at him and started to collect her clothes on the floor.

“Why are you so upset, Mrs. Gilmore?” Seth asked in a mocking voice, stopping Gwen from entering the bathroom.

The woman clenched her teeth before turning around. Her piercing eyes instantly met his gray ones. “I’m Gwen Lewis, Mr. Seth Parker. Stop saying, ‘Mrs. Gilmore.’”

That name was just one of the few reminders of how she made herself look stupid in the past ten years.

She put her hands on the side of her waist. “Moreover, I really am upset. I’m actually planning to go to the hospital to have myself checked. Everyone in this city knows how much of a playboy you are. Who knows what type of virus you gave me.”

Seth’s face looked grumpier and grumpier as he listened to her.

Gwen noticed that she almost felt regretful for saying those things. However, she kept her façade by looking at him coldly and angrily.

Suddenly, Seth chuckled and sat up on the bed. “Yes, I’m a playboy. But who are you to treat so lowly? You’re not as pure or innocent as you think, Ms. Lewis,” he mercilessly uttered.

Seth shook his head. “From what I observed last night, it seems like Hayes didn’t satisfy you when you were still married. You were so unrestrained and wild. If only I didn’t know the truth, I would immediately think you had been sexdeprived for years! It seems like you just got divorced, and the first thing you did was sleep with a man. You truly shocked me, Ms. Lewis!”

Rage filled Gwen’s eyes. She threw all her clothes in Seth’s direction with all her might. “Fuck you, Seth! You’re a shameless bastard!” she yelled.

Seth smirked and picked the white lacey bra beside him. “Yeah, I’m shameless. Didn’t you know about that?” he asked while playing with the white cloth.

The word shameless really suited him.

Realizing that arguing with him was useless, Gwen released a few deep breaths to calm herself down.

Not long after, she looked at him again, only to find him playing with her bra as if it was a toy.

“Give me my bra,” she sternly said and stretched out her hand.

Seth tilted his head and smiled devilishly. “You want your bra? Come and get it yourself.”

Gwen looked at Seth with disbelief. Impatience and anger were evident in her eyes, but she calmly walked toward the bed.

The ends of the huge blanket fell freely on the floor. Gwen tightly held the fabric on her chest, dragging its heaviness with her.

She was almost near him when she almost tripped on the floor. She glared at Seth, blaming him for her misery as she gathered the blanket from the floor with one hand.

Seth bit his lip as he watched Gwen struggle. He placed his right hand behind his head while the straps of the white bra clung to his left fingers. His blond hair was disheveled, and his gray eyes seemed brighter because of the sunlight.

Obviously, he was having fun watching the woman in front of him.

Step by step, Gwen slowly walked toward him. As soon as she reached him, she leaned her body and was about to snatch her underwear from his hand when Seth suddenly stretched his arm away from her.

Gwen glared at Seth. Unbothered by the woman’s death glares, Seth only looked at her with amusement and mockery.

Realizing that he wouldn’t give her the bra, Gwen stood straight. They both stared at each other’s eyes until a smirk formed on Gwen’s lips.

“I suddenly remembered what you told me that rainy night. Didn’t you say that you wouldn’t sleep with me since Hayes used me already? I guess they were just all lies, then,” she muttered.

She looked at him straight and added, “Do you like me—”

Before Gwen could finish her question, her white underwear hit her face. Gwen groaned and caught the bra with her hands.

“Seth, what the heck?” she screamed.

“I don’t know if you’re just really narcissistic or plain stupid!” Seth shook his head and scowled at her.

“Hayes spent three years with you and still didn’t like you in the end. Why would you think that I like you? My taste in women wouldn’t be worse than Hayes!”

Gwen pursed her lips and looked away.

“Go home,” Seth coldly muttered.

Of course, Gwen was certain that Seth wouldn’t be interested in her.

Her lips twisted upon remembering what he said earlier. Seth and Hayes had quite the same preferences when it came to women. In fact, they both liked the type of Lacey Brooks.

‘Good luck to you two, then. There’s only one Lacey Brooks in the world,’ she bitterly thought.

Gwen picked up all her clothes and marched to the bathroom. She hurriedly showered, put on her clothes, and left the room.

She had one problem, though. When she and Callie went to Glory City last night, she didn’t bring a purse or even her phone. She didn’t even have any money with her now. Her apartment was quite far from the hotel, so it would be impossible to walk back.

So, she borrowed a phone from the hotel receptionist and called her friend.

“Callie.”

“Gwen?” Callie murmured on the other line. “I was looking for you last night! Where did you go?”

Gwen puckered her lips, feeling guilty and sorry for her friend. “I’ll explain later. Please pick me up. I don’t have any money with me.”

Callie huffed. “Fine! But promise me that you’ll tell me everything later, okay?”

Gwen smiled. After a few more minutes of scolding her, Callie asked her where she was and ended the call.

“Thank you.” Gwen smiled at the receptionist and handed the phone.

She turned around, ready to walk out of the building when her gaze landed on a familiar figure.

Gwen and Hayes looked at each other’s eyes at the same time. Hayes glanced at her body once before looking at her face again.

Gwen almost took a step back. For some reason, she felt as if she had been caught committing a crime.

Hayes, on the other hand, looked at her with indifference. Then, he removed his gaze from her and strode toward the elevator with a group of people in corporate attire behind him.

Gwen slumped her shoulders and sighed as soon as he was out of sight.

She walked to the hotel’s lobby and sat on the empty sofa. She closed her eyes and released a few deep breaths, filling her lungs with air she seemed to have lost earlier.

Thirty minutes later, Callie arrived.

Callie’s original plan was to scold Gwen some more, but all of it vanished when she saw her friend’s pale face. Her eyes were closed, and her back leaned against the sofa.

“Gwen, are you okay?” she asked worriedly and touched her forehead. “You don’t have a fever, but you look pale. Do you feel sick?”

Gwen opened her eyes and shook her head. “I’m okay. I haven’t eaten anything yet, so maybe it’s just hunger.”

“Come on, let’s go eat something first!” Callie replied.

Gwen only nodded her head before standing up.

They were both busy eating their food when Callie suddenly brought up the topic again. “My friend told me that they saw you with a cute guy at the club last night,” she said in a malicious tone.

She slowly scanned her friend’s face up to her neck as if looking for something.

Gwen rolled her eyes and stopped Callie.

After a few moments of silence, Gwen spoke. “His name is Seth Parker.”

Gwen drank her orange juice while Callie’s lips parted in shock.

“What?” Callie shouted, making the other people glance at them.

“Yup. I slept with Seth Parker last night.”

Callie’s brows fused in confusion. Thoughts ran wildly in her mind, but she only stared at her friend.

Gwen noticed her friend’s silence.

“Callie…” she gently said.

“No!” Callie exclaimed and raised her right hand to emphasize what she said. “I know what you’ll say, but I don’t want to reminisce about my past anymore. I was stupid and naïve at that time! I didn’t feel anything toward Seth Parker before; if there were any, it would probably be simply disgust. Nothing else!”

Callie could still feel cold shivers every time she remembered Seth. Everything about him was just pure embarrassment.

She took a bite of her burger and looked at Gwen. “I just didn’t expect that you’ll sleep with Seth. This is such big news!”

Indeed, how could these two people, who had nothing to do with each other, end up in the same bed in one night?

Gwen sighed, also feeling the same as Callie. What happened still felt like a dream to her.

Or a nightmare. Remembering the scenes from last night just proved how true these all were.

In the next few days, Gwen didn’t leave her home. If Callie didn’t show up at her door and dragged her to the mall, she wouldn’t leave her bed or sofa at all.

She and Callie walked inside a luxury store.

“Do you like that bag?” Gwen’s shoulders jumped when she heard Callie’s voice from behind.

Callie actually noticed that Gwen had been holding and staring at the bag for a while now.

Gwen looked at the bag with adoration before returning it to the stall. “Never mind. I still have a lot of bags at home.”

Callie’s face contorted in disapproval. She grabbed the bag again and gave it to Gwen. “Nonsense! If you want it, buy it!”

The saleslady appeared beside them. “Miss Cooper is right. If you like the bag, just buy it. That’s the only stock left of that design, Ma’am. Bags of that design are very hard to find.”

Gwen looked at Callie, hesitant and uneasy. Her life was different now. Unlike before, she couldn’t just buy a thousanddollar worth of designer bag without blinking.

Callie instantly read what was in her friend’s mind. She smiled at the saleslady and said, “We’ll get this bag!”

She turned to Gwen and beamed. “This is my treat, okay?”

“No, Callie, you don’t have to do this,” Gwen panicked. “If you buy this bag, I won’t go shopping with you anymore!”

Callie pouted and studied Gwen’s serious expression. In the end, she gave up.

“Fine.”

Callie put the bag back in its place. Two seconds later, a slender hand hastily grabbed the bag. Callie looked at the woman beside her, and her jaw almost dropped when she saw who it was.

“This is pretty! I want this one,” Lacey happily said.

Callie scowled.

“Hey!” Lacey protested when a hand tried to snatch the bag from her and accidentally scratched her.

“What’s wrong?” Hayes, dressed in a black suit and holding a phone in his hand, went to Lacey’s side. His gaze immediately dropped to Lacey’s hand.

When he saw a red mark, his expression became dark and hostile. “What’s going on?”

He raised his eyes, only to find Gwen and Callie looking at him.

“Say sorry to her,” he said in a commanding voice while looking at Callie. The customers in the store started looking at their crowd.

Gwen almost scoffed. Seeing her exhusband riled up about a mere scratch was new to her.

Meanwhile, Callie raised her chin and brow. “Why would I apologize?”

Gwen glanced at Callie. It was true that it was their fault, but one glance at Hayes, and it felt like she couldn’t breathe.

Hayes looked around the store. “There are CCTV cameras in this store, Miss Cooper. If you don’t want to apologize to Lacey now, maybe you’ll want to apologize in front of the police.”

Callie gnashed her teeth as she stared at Hayes’s angry eyes. She opened her mouth and was about to speak when the door of the store swung open, revealing two new customers.

“What’s taking you so long? We’ve been to hundreds of stores already. Just pick a damn bag,” Seth muttered, annoyed. A young girl in a red chiffon skirt walked beside him.

Lacey was also wearing a red dress. If both were compared, Lacey would win without a doubt.

Seth’s eyes widened when he saw Gwen. He walked toward her and smirked. “I didn’t expect to bump into you again, Miss Lewis.”

Lacey looked at them curiously. “Since when did you become close with Gwen?” Lacey asked Seth.

Seth’s eyes brightened as if he remembered something great. “Ah! A few days ago. That one fateful night…” he answered meaningfully.

Gwen wished Seth would just shut his mouth now. She glared at him, but Seth only looked at her innocently.

The young girl shook Seth’s arm. “I’m starving, Seth! Let’s go!”

Seth glared at her. “You’re hungry all the time! Your appetite is unnatural.”

The girl only puckered her lips and sniffed.

Seth sighed. “Shall we go?” He asked and looked at Hayes and Lacey.

“No!” Lacey protested. “Miss Cooper scratched my hand. She should apologize to me.”

Seth glanced at Callie. “She hurt you? Can I see your wound?” He stepped forward and grabbed her hand to inspect it.

“Where does it hurt?”

Lacey pointed at the faint red mark. “Here!”

Seth raised his head and looked at Lacey. “Yeah, this wound is too deep!”

Callie and Gwen’s brows furrowed, ready to protest until Seth spoke again.

“This scratch is too deep that it will completely disappear sooner,” he sarcastically said and chuckled.

Callie coughed loudly and patted her chest. A smile formed on her lips, unable to hide it any longer.

Everyone turned to her.

Seth tilted his head and looked at Callie. “You think that’s funny?”

Callie’s smile faltered at his question. Then, she rolled her eyes at him.

“You think I’m laughing because of you? Aren’t you too full of yourself, Mr. Parker?” she mocked.

Lacey tugged Seth’s shirt. “Seth, I want that woman to apologize to me. Can you help me?” she gently asked.

Callie sneered at her. “In your dreams, darling.”

Seth cleared his throat and gave Callie a warning look. “Miss Cooper, you clearly hurt a person here. You don’t want to apologize, and you’re also acting rudely. Where are your manners?” he coldly said.

Anger rushed through Callie’s system immediately. She scoffed and looked at them from head to toe.

She opened her mouth to speak, but Gwen was fast enough to cut her off.

“She didn’t mean to hurt her,” she said while holding Callie’s arm.

“Even if you didn’t do it on purpose, don’t you still have to apologize for inflicting pain?” Seth replied impatiently. He shook his head as if he was disappointed in Gwen. “I thought you’re a teacher, Miss Lewis? Is that what you teach your students?”

Gwen didn’t reply. She scanned the whole store and saw people staring at them. The saleslady also looked at them with panic and worry.

She glanced at her friend before turning to Lacey. “May I apologize on her behalf, Miss Brooks?”

“Gwen!” Callie exclaimed with frustration.

Never in her life would Callie allow her best friend to submit to these arrogant people, especially Lacey.

So, she gently pushed her friend to the side. “I was the one who did it, Gwen. If you really want to apologize, I’ll do it.”

Callie turned to Lacey, resisting rolling her eyes at her. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Seth let out a dry laugh. “What happened to your voice, Miss Cooper? You spoke fine just now. We can’t hear you. Say it louder.”

Callie glared at Seth. “What the hell do you want, Seth?”

“Forget it!” Lacey butted in. She turned to Callie and said, “I know you don’t really like me, Miss Cooper. The feeling is mutual. Be careful next time, okay? Since I’m having a great day and don’t want it to be ruined, I’ll let this slide.”

Lacey didn’t wait for Callie’s reply and looked at Hayes. “Let’s go,” she said and smiled at him.

Gwen stared at the retreating couple in a daze.

“Seth, come on!”

The young girl’s voice snapped Gwen back to her senses. She glanced at Seth and found him looking at her with a smirk.

“See you around, Miss Lewis.”

Gwen only stared at him with a poker face.

When the four of them were finally out of their sight, Callie immediately started her rants. “They are so annoying! Seth and Hayes are freaks! What did they even see in Lacey that they submit to her whims that much? I don’t get it!”

Gwen rubbed her friend’s shoulder. “Calm down, Callie. I’m hungry. Why don’t we eat something?”

Callie frowned at her. “And you! You’re still in the mood to eat after all that happened? Didn’t you feel disgusted when you saw Hayes and Lacey together?”

Gwen’s lips twisted as she thought deeply.

‘Why didn’t I feel anything?’ she asked herself.

When the night came, Hayes dropped Lacey in front of her house.

However, Lacey was too drunk to walk by herself. She had too many drinks earlier, and now she was completely hammered.

“Come on, stand up, Lacey.” Hayes held her waist and swung the bag over his shoulder.

Lacey opened her eyes and smiled bitterly. She hugged Hayes’s neck, pressed her body closer to him, and licked his earlobe. “Tell me, Hayes. Why do you like Gwen so much? What did you see in her?”

Hayes remained silent.

“Is she prettier than me? Does she dress up better than me?” Lacey slurred.

Hayes stared at her flushed face for a while. Then, he raised his hand and tucked some of her hair behind her ear. The makeup on her face was already smudged, but her face still remained beautiful.

“You can’t compare yourself to her,” he softly said.

Lacey’s eyes turned into daggers. She punched his chest repeatedly and yelled, “Get away from me!”

Hayes grunted but didn’t follow her. Instead, he crouched and carried her inside her house.

As soon as Hayes locked the door, he faced Lacey and caged her against the wall. Without any word, he tore off all her clothes.