Chapter 68: No One Is Their Match

Rachel’s POV:

Remembering Hayley’s warning from yesterday, I spent the night in anxiety. Just as dawn broke, I was startled awake by loud pounding on the door. “Open up!”

“Your loans are due! We’re here to collect the payments! Don’t hide inside! Hurry up and pay!”

In a panic, I rushed downstairs. My father looked at me with disappointment; he had just learned about my borrowing from loan sharks. Wave after wave of debt collectors surrounded our home, blocking any escape. “Rachel Softson! Hurry and open the door to pay! Otherwise, we’ll turn into wolves and give you and your family a proper lesson!”

With a loud crash, the front door of our house shook violently, and I was so frightened I could hardly stand. “You wretch!” My father slapped my face hard, and a sharp sting radiated through my cheek. I dropped to my knees, crying and pleading, “Dad, please help me! I’m begging you! If you don’t help me, I’m finished.”

“I don’t have any money; you made this mess, so you deal with it.” My father angrily turned away, and I quickly rushed to grab his leg. “Dad, I really have no way out! They are Beta werewolves who have been to prison, and none of us can stand against them. Our only option is to pay them back…”

“Rachel, you…” My father pointed at me, his finger trembling, but before he could finish, he coughed up blood and fell heavily to the ground. “Dad… Dad…” No matter how much I shouted, he showed no sign of responding. Then, with a loud crash, our front door was kicked down, and a pack of black wolves lunged toward me, their mouths wide open and sharp fangs bared.

Hayley’s POV:

After I won the public speaking competition, Henry was the first to find me and offer his congratulations. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a newfound tenderness in the way he looked at me. Could he be thinking of choosing me as his mate? I quickly shook my head, dismissing the absurd thought. My wolf, Hera, hadn’t reacted to him at all.

Back at school, Rachel had taken a leave of absence, yet the rumors about her hadn’t stopped.

“Did you hear? Rachel’s family went bankrupt.”

“Not only that, but I heard she borrowed money from a loan shark. When debt collectors came after her family, her father passed away from the stress, and she suffered from serious injuries.”

“She totally deserves it. She used to flaunt her wealth and Beta status all over the school. This is karma, isn’t it?”

Most classmates had never liked Rachel’s attitude, so now they shared the gossip with a sense of glee. I had expected these rumors, given how often Rachel had crossed me.

“Hayley, come over to my house tonight! My mom’s making your favorite paella!” Christine’s voice broke into my thoughts. She looked at me eagerly, awaiting my answer.

I snapped out of my reverie and happily agreed, “Sure, I’ll head to your place after school.”

“Yay, Hayley, you’re the best!”

Smiling, I took out my phone and texted Irving, letting him know he didn’t need to pick me up. But when Christine and I left school, I spotted Irving’s car almost instantly.

“I’ll give you both a ride,” he said, looking at me.

Christine had no objections. “I’ll tell my driver to head home, and we can all go to my place in Irving’s car.”

So, we all got into Irving’s car and slowly drove toward Christine’s house. He turned on the car’s music, and one of H’s classic songs started playing. Christine asked Irving excitedly, “Wow, you like H’s music too?”

He nodded slightly. “I’ve liked her for many years.”

Christine’s eyes lit up at his words. “Really? Same here! I fell in love with her music from her first song, ‘Forgotten Sea.’ Almost every one of her songs has been played on repeat on my phone.”

“Is that so? Well, it looks like the three of us are like-minded friends,” Irving said with a smile, making Christine look at me excitedly. “Hayley, do you like H’s songs too?”

I gave a light cough, trying to sound casual. “I like her, I guess.”

Christine’s excitement grew as she kept chatting away, recounting every detail from H’s viral debut track, Forgotten Sea, to each release that followed. By the end, she sighed softly. “I’ve admired her for years, but it’s a shame… H never appears in public, so I still have no idea what she looks like. Her music has just captivated me all this time.”

Irving chimed in, “I’m curious too – what kind of woman would have such talent? Who knows if we’ll ever get another song from her,”

Watching the two of them in their nostalgic moods, I sighed quietly to myself. We reached Christine’s house quickly, and with her enthusiastic invitation, Irving joined us inside.

Christine’s mother was a graceful woman who greeted me warmly as soon as she saw me. “You must be Hayley! Christine talks about you all the time. Welcome to our home!”

“Thank you for having me, Mrs. Bush.”

“There’s no need to be so formal! Please feel free to come by whenever you like,” she replied as she headed to the kitchen to arrange dinner. Meanwhile, Christine eagerly pulled me toward her room.

“Look, Hayley!” Christine said, proudly showing off her collection. “These are all albums containing songs written by H, except for the impossible-to-find first and third editions.”

Christine enthusiastically introduced the albums she had collected over the years, and she handed me her prized album with a grin. “Here, I want you to have this one.”

Knowing how much she treasured it, I smiled and replied, “I can’t take it from you. You should keep it. But I have the first and third editions at home. I’ll bring them next time.”

Christine’s eyes lit up. “Are you serious? I’ve wanted those forever! I tried so many channels but couldn’t get them. I can’t believe you have them. Hayley, you’re amazing!”

Just then, Christine’s mom came in with a plate of fruit and asked, “What’s making you all so happy?”

Christine playfully linked her arm with her mom’s and said with a mischievous smile, “That’s a secret. I’m not telling you.”

Christine’s mom chuckled. “Oh, keeping secrets from your mom now, are we?” She peeled a lychee and held it out to Christine. “Gloria just brought these fresh lychees home. They’re your favorite. Go on, try one.”

“Thanks, Mom!” Christine said. She shared some of the lychees with me as we continued chatting.

By dinnertime, Christine’s dad came home and joined us. As I sat with their family, I couldn’t help but feel a lovely sense of warmth.

“Hayley, make yourself at home here. No need to feel shy,” Christine’s father urged. He then turned to Irving and said, “You’re all Christine’s friends, and we’re really grateful for how you look after her.”

“Dad, I have to tell you, Hayley is amazing! Not only is she great at tennis, but she also won first place in our state’s Spanish public speaking competition. She’s my idol!”

Christine’s father said, “Well, you have a lot to learn from Hayley then.”

She stuck out her tongue a bit shyly, “Absolutely, Hayley is my idol.”

Christine’s family laughed and chatted together, and the ambience was so warm and cozy that I couldn’t help feeling a bit dazed. I quickly lowered my gaze to hide my emotions.

After dinner, Irving and I said our goodbyes and left Christine’s home. As we headed back, I reclined in the seat, closing my eyes to rest. But old memories played out before me like a movie. They were scenes from years ago with my parents – those scenes were vivid despite the time that had passed.

I opened my eyes, looking out the window as a tear…

Irving turned to me unexpectedly and said…