Chapter 2
385 Words
"Hailey, Susan is still in college, and this incident has blown up online. If people find out she was drunk and accused the wrong person, what will her friends think? How will she go on with her life?"
"What about my father…"
"Your father's just a worker. There's no comparison." The words hit Hailey like a slap.
Her voice breaking, she whispered, "Kevin, I…"
But he cut in impatiently, "You're only pursuing this to go after Jane, aren't you? I can't understand why you're so fixated on her. What has she ever done to you?"
Hailey stared at his face, now completely foreign to her.
When she had passed the bar exam, Kevin had smiled and said, "From now on, our Hailey will fight for justice. If you ever need help, just tell me. I'll back you no matter what."
Yet less than a year later, that same man claimed she wasn't seeking truth, but acting out of spite.
Hailey sank to the floor, utterly spent. Kevin's eyes flickered with something unreadable.
Someone entered and murmured in Kevin's ear. He grabbed his coat and stood. "Hailey, just listen to me. Stop causing trouble."
After he left, Hailey covered her face, her body shaking with silent sobs. The conference room was filled with muffled weeping. Though she hadn't recovered the video, Hailey went to the police station the next day.
Seeing James's bloodshot eyes, Hailey felt a sharp pang in her heart.
Yet the middle-aged man with a hunched back and graying temples managed a faint smile at the sight of her.
He beckoned her over, and as she approached, asked with concern, "Does your knee still hurt?"
At the sound of her father's voice, Hailey's eyes welled with tears. Choking back a sob, she replied, "It doesn't hurt anymore…"
He let out a quiet sigh of relief. "That's good… Don't overexert yourself on my account. Kevin has looked after you all these years. Don't go against him. No matter what happens to me, it's fine…"
Hailey's heart twisted with agony.
She forced a strained smile. "I'll be careful, Dad. Don't worry. Today… I should head back now, but I'll visit again tomorrow."
With that, she bolted for the door.
As she turned, tears streamed down her cheeks. Outside, she clenched her jaw, stifling her sobs.
- Writer
