She let out a quiet, derisive laugh. Then, her voice dripped with venom. “You just can’t keep your hands off him, can you? The changing room, of all places? Are you really that thirsty? Don’t you have a shred of shame?”
Hadley blinked, taken aback. Her brow furrowed—not in anger, but in quiet confusion.
“Seriously, how old are you?” Hadley’s voice was calm, but laced with icy disdain. “You and Ernest spent over ten years together, and now you’re unraveling over a kiss like some lovesick teenager? Are you that desperate for affection… or just playing the wide-eyed innocent to feel better about yourself?” The more she spoke, the more ridiculous the situation seemed.
“And let’s be clear—Eric is my boyfriend. Not yours. So please, explain how that makes me the indecent one here?”
Her eyes narrowed, sweeping Linda with a pointed, cutting look. Latest content published on find{n}ovel.net
“You walked in without knocking, lingered like a voyeur, and didn’t even have the decency to apologize. Honestly? That’s the only thing here that’s shameless.”
“You—”
Linda’s cheeks flushed crimson, fury crackling in her eyes, but Hadley had already sliced through her ego with frightening precision.
A scoff escaped Linda, bitter and trembling. “You’ve really started to think you’re something, haven’t you?”
Hadley didn’t even blink. “If you’ll excuse me.”
She took a graceful step forward, carefully sidestepped the wheelchair, and nudged it aside without breaking stride. The satin hem of her gown skimmed the floor as she passed.
“Hadley!” Linda’s voice cracked like a whip behind her.
Hadley was nearly past when she felt the sudden grip on her wrist—cold, tight, unyielding. “Bask in it while you can. Smile, glow, act untouchable—go ahead. But don’t fool yourself. It won’t last forever.”
LΑττ chαρτ?rs ιn glov?l.
Then, as suddenly as she had grabbed her, Linda let go and wheeled herself away.
Hadley remained still for a moment, her heart beating slow and heavy.
What was that supposed to mean?
Linda’s parting words echoed in Hadley’s mind, but before she could chase the meaning down, the door swung open—and in walked Eric, their daughter bundled securely in his arms.
“Mommy!”
Joy spotted her and immediately sprang to life, wriggling free from Eric’s grasp and darting toward her.
“Joy!”
Hadley’s expression bloomed like sunshine breaking through clouds as she knelt to gather her daughter into a tight embrace.
“Wow!” Joy gasped, her eyes wide with delight. “Mommy, you look like a princess!”
“Is that so?” Hadley laughed softly, brushing her cheek against Joy’s. “Do you like my dress?”
“I love it!”
“Can we wear the same one now? Just like we talked about?”
.
.
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