A Second Chance at Forever

The photo showed a woman, cradling a toddler who looked to be about a year old
Hailey stared at the pictures, thinking at first that they were sent to her by mistake as she didn’t recognize the people in them.
But then she saw Yeager in one of the photos and she was stunned
What the hell?
She was about to question the sender, brow furrowed in confusion, when a message popped up in the chat box
[This is Yeager’s ex–girlfriend, Bernice, and their child together]
Yeager had an ex and a kid?
As Hailey was still recovering from the shocking revelations, a voice message was delivered to her.
She stared at the audio note for a few moments before pressing play with trembling fingers.
Yeager’s voice filled the air “If she had something to hide, she wouldn’t be able to withstand your interrogation. Why are you still
doubting her?“–
That was followed by the scornful tone of Janice. “Just look at her demeanor, her physique, even her gait exudes sensuality A
woman as striking and attention–grabbing as her, I refuse to believe she doesn’t have something to hide.”
Next was Yeager’s father, Abelson, “She indeed is exquisite. Any average man would be enticed by her, let alone the kind of
men found in nightclubs. Any influential man could easily manipulate her. Hence, any word from her could be swayed”
The background was filled with the tune of a saxophone, the same melody that was playing at the restaurant when she had met
Yeager’s parents. Undoubtedly, this was their genuine perception of her expressed while she had excused herself to use the
restroom.
–
Honestly, what Yeager’s parents thought didn’t really bother Hailey. But what Yeager himself said ‘How can I give up without
getting her?’ and ‘Mom, I didn’t stop you from questioning Hailey out of respect for you, to give you a chance that chilled Hailey
to the bone.

As she stared blankly at the dimming screen, the elevator doors opened. The rooftop garden immediately came into view with its
comfortable red carpet, lush green grass, long wooden tables and chairs, delicious food, elegant surroundings, and the starry
sky above....
Seeing this scene, Hailey felt a touch of irony, especially when she saw Yeager, impeccably dressed in a suit and tie, acting the
perfect gentleman as he walked towards her. Her heart went cold.
Yeager seemed so calm and harmless, so why did he show a different side when she wasn’t looking?
The voice message, the photos, they all played back in her mind, leaving Hailey frozen in place.
When Yeager reached her, he took her hand and found it cold, “Hailey, what’s wrong? Are you coming down with something?”
He seemed genuinely concerned, reaching out to feel her forehead. After a moment, he frowned, “You don’t have a fever, but
why are your hands so cold?”
Hailey slowly lifted her gaze to meet his, staring at the man whose outward appearance didn’t match his true nature. The face of
her ex–husband, Austin Zimmer, suddenly overlapped with Yeager’s in her vision, leaving her momentanly unable to distinguish
between the two men. Or perhaps, despite their different faces and appearances, their true natures were strikingly similar
Austin had deceived her for money And what about Yeager? What had he deceived her for?
Seeing her silence, Yeager asked with concern, “Hailey, are you okay? Did something happen?”
Hailey regained her composure, smiling slightly, “No, I’m just surprised. You prepared such a special candlelit dinner?”
Compared to witnessing Austin’s infidelity firsthand, this revelation felt like a mere ripple on a calm lake.
It wasn’t that she didn’t care, but she’d thought she’d finally found someone who truly loved her. It turned out that it was all a
facade.
Her apparent calmness eased Yeager’s concerns, “Since you find it special, would you please join me for dinner?”
Hailey nodded nonchalantly, following him to the center of the garden.
Yeager pulled out her chair for her in a gentlemanly manner, then look her hand and helped her sit down.

Everything he did was so polished and refined. It would be really hard to see through him if one only looked at the surface.
Hailey watched expressionlessly as Yeager poured some wine into her glass after opening the bottle.
“Hailey, today is your birthday and also our hundredth day together. Let’s raise a toast to celebrate.”
Hailey picked up her wine glass, looking at the red wine inside.
“Such an important day, we should definitely toast to that.”
She clinked her glass against Yeager’s, but didn’t drink, just gently swirling the wine in her glass
Under the dim candlelight, the wine shimmered a brilliant, piercing dark red
After Yeager had Knished his wine, he noticed that Hailey hadn’t taken a sip, his handsome eyebrows creasing slightly
“Hailey, why arent you drinking?
Something seemed off about Hailey today as if something big had happened, but she had been holding it back.
Yeager felt a bit anxious, but he didn’t rush to question Hailey He just sat there, quietly waiting for her to answer