After He Called Me Trouble, I Quit Him

Hailey Blake spent 30 minutes staring at the wedding photograph on the wall and the little girl beside her before she finally had to accept it. She'd traveled 10 years into the future. Her future self had not only married Julian Bennett, the man she liked, but also had a daughter with him. Their daughter, Mia Bennett, had Hailey's eyes and brows. Everything about her manner, however, was exactly like Julian's. Hailey took a deep breath and pointed at the impeccably dressed man in the wedding photograph. "Where's your dad?" "He's at Stillwater Abbey on retreat," Mia said impassively. Hailey fell silent. Julian was the most sought-after bachelor among the heiresses of Hawthorne high society. No one else even came close. He'd taken over his family's business at 20. Disciplined and scrupulously proper, he was proud, aloof, and untouched by either cigarettes or alcohol. A devout Catholic layman, he spent his only time off on monthly prayer retreats at the abbey. Hailey was his complete opposite. She'd lost her mother as a child, and nothing appealed to her more than whatever her father forbade. She drank, went clubbing, and raced. She lived exactly as she pleased. Never had she imagined she'd actually marry Julian! Now, looking at the couple nestled together in the photograph, she couldn't wait to see him. She quickly got ready and headed out. On the way to Stillwater Abbey, unfamiliar memories began surfacing in her mind. They played out like scenes from a movie, and Hailey slowly realized they were memories from the 10 years of her life she had never actually lived. In those memories, the rebellious girl she'd once been had grown into a poised, soft-spoken wife and devoted mother. It was the dead of winter, and the mountain road was slick with ice. By the time Hailey reached the abbey, she had already composed herself, slipping into the calm, gracious demeanor she remembered from those lost years. She raised her hand and knocked on the heavy wooden door. A monk soon answered. "Can I help you, ma'am?" "I'm here to see Julian Bennett." She smiled politely. "I'm his... wife." The word wife lingered on her tongue, sweet and intoxicating. Julian emerged a short while later. He was dressed in simple, light-colored clothes, a dark wooden rosary wrapped loosely around one hand. His cool, chiseled features were every bit as handsome as she remembered. "What is it?" She'd been so excited to see him that she'd forgotten to think of a reason. After a long hesitation, she managed, "I came to take you home." His eyes immediately chilled, and his voice hardened. "Hailey, do you want a divorce?" She froze, utterly bewildered. Searching those unfamiliar memories, she quickly discovered why. When they'd married, Julian had established a rule. She was never to interrupt his prayer retreats. She'd gone up the mountain anyway. He'd lost his temper with her for the first time, and afterward, she hadn't dared do it again. No wonder Mia had looked as though she wanted to say something when Hailey announced she was coming here. "That's not what I..." Hailey hurried to explain. "Then stop disturbing me." With those cold words, Julian swung the abbey door shut behind him. Hailey couldn't believe he'd simply locked her out. Every bit of happiness she'd felt at learning they were married vanished. "Fine, I won't come back! Did you have to be so nasty?" She kicked a stone step in frustration and turned to leave. A few paces later, a woman approached from the opposite direction. Her business attire was tasteful, her makeup flawless, and every movement poised and elegant. Seeing Hailey, she stopped and nodded. "Mrs. Bennett." Hailey frowned slightly. 'Do I know her?' A moment later, she found the woman in her memories. This was Julian's secretary, Camille Mercer. Hailey immediately softened her expression. "Ms. Mercer, are you here for Julian? He's praying. He doesn't want to be disturbed." Camille merely smiled and walked past her to knock on the door. The dismissal stung. Hailey stayed where she was, waiting to see Camille turned away just as she had been. But only moments after the monk went inside, Julian appeared, now wearing a suit. He walked beside Camille. Hailey couldn't hear their conversation, but she distinctly saw the faint amusement in his eyes. The difference in his treatment of them made her chest tighten. Instinctively, she reached for him. He stepped aside to avoid her. Unable to stop her momentum, Hailey slipped and landed hard on the snow-covered slope with a thud. Pain shot through her, bringing tears to her eyes. She'd thought that even if Julian didn't help her up, he'd at least stop to ask if she was all right. Instead, when she looked up, he was already gone. Only the black Cadillac bearing the license plate HWT-88888 remained in sight, speeding away through the heavy snow.