hapter 11
43%
Hailey couldn’t help but feel a surge of smug satisfaction as she listened to Alyssa’s remarks. What an idiot, she thought with a smirk. She’s practically handing me the perfect chance to play the good girl
Since Alyssa was unwittingly paving the way for her, Hailey wasn’t about to let the opportunity slip by. With the backing of these influential people, her future was only going to get brighter.
Keeping a poised smile, she was ready to continue weaving her tale of sentimentality. “Yes, Mr. Dawson’s kindness to me is something I’ll always treasure. To me, he was like a—”
But before she could finish, Alyssa’s words cut through the moment like a slap in the face. “Dad treated you like his own, and you have the nerve to ignore what he actually liked. Her eyes zeroed in on the daisies in Hailey’s hand, sharp and accusing
Hailey froze, then scrambled to defend herself. “How could I not care? I was there when Mr. Dawson passed away, and I’m here now because 1-
“But Dad hated daisies.” Alyssa interrupted again, her voice firm and unforgiving. The crowd’s eyes followed her gaze. landing on the inappropriate bouquet in Hailey’s hands.
Hailey stood there, stunned, staring at the daisies she was holding. She glanced at the flowers placed before the tombstone- none of them daisies. Everyone present was a close friend of Mateo, fully aware of his preferences. Yet she, of all people, had made such a glaring mistake at such a crucial moment.
The air grew tense, thick with judgment as the crowd began to whisper, their expressions hardening.
“Figures she’s not really family. No matter how much he did for her, she’s still cold–hearted,” someone sneered.
“Exactly. Mateo despised daisies, and she didn’t even know? What a fucking joke. I heard Mateo treated this chauffeur’s daughter just as well as he did Alyssa,” another person muttered in disdain.
“That’s just ungrateful as hell. Anyone who knew Mateo knew he hated daisies–they reminded him of something painful,” murmurs of suspicion spread through the crowd.
“She claimed Mateo treated her like his own daughter, but here she is after his death, bringing the one flower he despised. Is she doing it on purpose or is she just that clueless?”
“Either way, it’s fucked up. If it’s on purpose, that’s just cruel. If she didn’t know, it proves she never gave a damn.”
“What an ungrateful little bitch. Mateo was so good to her, and this is how she repays him.”
Amid the elders‘ relentless scolding, Hailey clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms. She never expected. Alyssa to bring this up so suddenly and sharply. And she didn’t realize how clueless she was about what Mateo actually liked.
She’d been completely blindsided. Standing there, she felt a mess of embarrassment and helplessness, her emotions all over the place.
Sean shot a cold glare at Alyssa, baffled by why she’d bring up the daisies right now. In his mind, any flower was fine for the dead. It was obvious she was just trying to make Hailey look bad
Just as he was about to step forward to offer Hailey some support, Alyssa suddenly called out, “Sean.”
Immediately, everyone’s attention shifted to him.
Sean stopped in his tracks. He realized that, as Alyssa’s fiance, he couldn’t just walk over to Hailey like that. Swallowing his frustration, he asked. “What now?!
Alyssa looked at Sean, her eyes flickering with a mix of emotiong “When Dad died, you sent me on that business trip, and I
1/2
2/2
Tue, Dec 10
Chapter 11
didn’t get to see him one last time. That’s a regret that’s gonna haunt me forever. We both fucked up. Will you stand with me, own up to it in front of Dad, and show him we’re really sorry?”
Her words were loaded, pushing Sean to come clean to Mateo while also justifying her absence at the funeral.
Sean felt a wave of anger rising, barely resisting the urge to roll his eyes. To him, mourning was about genuine feelings and memories, not this spectacle.
He thought, ‘Is Alyssa out of her damn mind? Does she seriously want me to apologize in front of everyone?
He stood there, not moving an inch, while Alyssa watched him with a cold, almost indifferent gaze, staying silent.
Inside, Alyssa was thinking. Let’s see if Sean steps up. If he doesn’t, he can forget about getting any favors from these people
in the future
