Chapter 2

"Oh, my God. My best friend actually showed up at my place!" Miranda was feeling more than a little annoyed. She rolled over and pulled the blanket over her head. Hazel yanked the blanket off, leaning in close to Miranda's ear. "Do you have any idea what it's like to get a phone notification at 3:00 am, saying someone just opened my front door?" "Hazel, stop messing with me," Miranda grumbled. Hazel grinned wickedly. "Are you kidding? This is perfect! Now that you're in my house, you're not leaving! Forget that lousy husband and ungrateful son. Stay with me. I'll take care of you!" Miranda didn't say a word. The silence turned heavy and strange. Hazel immediately picked up on it and sat up straight, her face turning serious. "Did those two jerks upset you again? Did you set that brat straight last night? If he dares call someone else Mom, you should have spanked him until he can't sit!" Miranda sat up in bed. "I've talked to him about it a thousand times already." Hazel just shook her head, fully believing it. Then, Miranda said calmly, "I want a divorce." Hazel's eyes lit up. She jumped to her feet but then remembered something and sat back down. "You're not messing with me, right?" Back when they were in school, every time Lucas broke Miranda's heart, she would come to Hazel in tears, vowing, "I'm done with him!" But the second Lucas called, Miranda would come running back with a smile. After Jake was born, Lucas didn't even need to call her back. The kid had become the strongest chain holding that marriage together. Miranda said nothing, getting out of bed and tossing aside the blanket. So, Hazel asked, "What about Jake?" After the marriage, Jake became Miranda's entire world. Knowing that, Hazel added, "You know Liliana is never going to let you take Jake with you." "We'll see," Miranda replied quietly. Hazel nodded in understanding. Walking away was hard, but letting go hurt even more. Hazel understood that all too well. To cheer Miranda up, Hazel suggested a shopping trip. She dragged her through the mall, handed her armfuls of new arrivals, and pushed her into the fitting room. "You know what your problem is? You've ignored yourself for so long, pouring everything into your husband and son. No wonder they take you for granted! Listen to me. Put this on and show them how amazing you are!" When Miranda finally stepped out of the fitting room, Hazel squealed with excitement and even called over the sales associate to admire her. Miranda, naturally introverted, quickly tried to shush Hazel. But the sales associate smiled and said, "Mrs. Holden, that looks incredible on you." Miranda stared at her reflection. She looked both familiar and like a stranger—almost as if the version of herself that she'd buried was back. Meanwhile, Hazel had already paid for the dress, snipped off the tag, and wrapped her arm around Miranda's waist with a satisfied smile. "May I have the honor of taking you to the rooftop restaurant for dinner?" Miranda pinched her playfully. "You're kind of a celebrity now. Maybe we should avoid crowded places." Hazel grinned. "How about we just go home, and you cook for me instead? Since Jake doesn't want your food, let me have some for once." Miranda couldn't help laughing, and her whole face lit up. When they left the store, they bumped into a crowd, and that was when Hazel suddenly came up with a wild idea. "You're so gorgeous. Why don't you go flirt with Lucas' boss? Isn't his name Wayne Sunders?" A man walking past them paused for a split second. He glanced back but only caught a glimpse of a flawless, porcelain cheek. Hazel continued, "I heard Wayne owns this mall. He's loaded and handsome. If you hooked up with him, you could whisper in his ear every night and get your husband fired. Oh, wait! If you got together with Wayne, Lucas would be your ex-husband. Then, you could get your ex-husband fired." Miranda looked at her, shaking her head. Ignoring that, Hazel got even more carried away with her wild idea. "Who knows, maybe Wayne's super possessive and will drag you into his office, kissing you behind a glass door just so Lucas can see!" Hazel lowered her voice, doing her best dramatic imitation. "Mrs. Holden, you wouldn't want your ex-husband to lose his job, would you? So, why don't you come over here and kiss me?" Miranda gave her a deadpan look. Hazel burst out laughing. "That's exciting!" She must have read too many romance novels. "Isn't it?" Hazel asked, hoping for agreement. Miranda humored her. "Sure, Hazel. Whatever you say." A group of employees walking behind Wayne were breaking out in cold sweat. How did they end up hearing something like this when they were just taking their boss around the mall? Hazel was still caught up in her daydream, imagining Miranda stepping all over Lucas, chasing Eva out of town, and making Jake cry his eyes out. She pulled Miranda along as they walked away. Meanwhile, Wayne looked away without another glance. Next to him, Carson Caddell looked like he wanted to say something but couldn't find the words. He had witnessed plenty of things, but never anything like this. An employee's wife openly fantasizing about the boss? Wayne asked coldly, "Is she Lucas' wife?" Carson nodded. "Yeah, she's Lucas Holden's wife." If he hadn't seen her face just now, he wouldn't have believed it. Miranda had always been known as the perfect wife and devoted mother, who really cared about her family. Carson added, "I heard things in Lucas' family haven't been so great lately." Wayne said calmly, "No surprise there." He thought Miranda was just another social climber, unfaithful, and maybe even a little unhinged. ... Meanwhile, Hazel was practically giddy, spinning wild stories in her head about Wayne falling for Miranda, Lucas being forced to sign the divorce papers, and getting kicked out for good. But joy quickly turned to disaster when Hazel twisted her ankle. Because of that, Miranda had no choice but to go with Hazel to the hospital. When they arrived, Miranda saw Celine holding Jake in the distance and quickly rushed over. But the second she saw Eva there, too, her heart sank. The doctor finished up the exam. "He's running a slight fever. You all need to be more careful. I've prescribed two bottles of medicine. Once he gets his shots, you can take him home. Make sure to watch his diet for now." Celine turned and saw Miranda. "Mrs. Holden, what are you doing here?" Miranda hurried over. "What happened to Jake?" "He's got a bit of a fever." Before Miranda could even touch him, Jake swatted her hand away. "This is all your fault!" Miranda's face hardened. "You were out playing until 10:00 pm last night and refused to change your clothes." Jake glared at Miranda and immediately reached out for Eva. His voice turned soft and pitiful as he said, "I want you." Eva scooped him up. "Jake, you can't talk to your mom like that. Even if you're upset, you don't say things like that." Jake flopped onto Eva's shoulder, turning his face away from Miranda. "Nobody likes her. She's awful. I hate her!" Celine was at a loss. "Mrs. Holden..." For a moment, Miranda wanted nothing more than to slap Eva, as well as Jake. She nearly lost it right there in the hospital. But there was so much she wanted to say, so much she wanted to blame them for, and it all pressed down until she couldn't even argue anymore. She knew nothing she said would change a thing. All she'd get was exhaustion. Eva gave Jake a stern look. "That's not how you should speak to your mom." Jake just sulked on her shoulder, saying nothing. They looked just like mother and son. Eva turned to Miranda then. "Mrs. Holden, I'll take him to get his medicine and shots." Celine looked uncomfortably between the two women. "Mrs. Holden, I'll help settle Jake in. He's not feeling well, so don't let it get to you." Miranda just nodded. "Go ahead." Celine, feeling relieved, hurried after Eva. Later, Miranda found Hazel, who was leaning against the wall and giving her a look. "Who did you see? You just left me behind." "It was Jake," Miranda replied. Hazel was surprised. "Is he sick?" Miranda nodded. "And he wasn't alone." "Oh..." Hazel raised an eyebrow, noting Miranda's expression. "Should we just head back to my place?" "No. Go back to my house with me first," Miranda replied. Hazel's face fell. She knew it—Miranda was still going back. But Miranda hastily explained, "I just need to pick up a few things." She wasn't going home for her jewelry or designer bags, but for her personal documents and her favorite camera. Photography had always been her passion, and it was what she'd studied in college. Hazel had actually made her name after a set of photos shot by Miranda blew up online. When they reached Miranda's place and stepped into her room, Hazel stared at the pile of luxury goods. "Wow! Look at all this jewelry and that limited-edition bag! Are you really sure you don't want any of it?" "Yes," Miranda replied calmly. Hazel reluctantly set everything down and, still limping, followed Miranda as she packed up. After a while, Hazel asked, "What about Jake?" Miranda zipped up her suitcase and stood up. "I'm leaving him behind, too."