Chapter 50 The Next Day

“Hi, love,” Debbie grinned the moment Hailey opened the door. “What’s with the flowers and gift bag?” Hailey arched her brows as the bouquet of red roses almost covered Debbie’s face. “Oh, I collected them from the delivery man. They’re all yours.” Hailey frowned. “Mine!” “Who sent them?” “Don’t know, but we’ll find out shortly.” Debbie entered. As confused as Hailey was, she shut the door and followed her best friend into the living room. Debbie placed the bouquet of red roses on the table and handed the small gift bag to Hailey.

Hailey accepted the gift bag and glanced at its contents. She took out a box that seemed like a jewelry box and glanced at Debbie, who was smiling. “Do you know something I’m not aware of?” “I’m as clueless as you are, but I’m just really excited. Open it. Let’s see what you’ve got.” Hailey opened the square-shaped jewelry box and came face to face with a pure gold necklace. It came with matching earrings and a bracelet.

Debbie’s smile widened. Hailey’s heart melted as she examined the jewelry. She caressed it with her fingers, stared at it for a while, then faced Debbie. “Who got this?” Debbie shrugged. “You did?” “I wish, but it’s not me.” Hailey sighed. “I hope it’s not who I think it is.” “Who do you think it might be?” “I don’t know many people who love me. If it’s not you, then it’s either Ty or Cole.” “Who would you prefer the gift to be from?” Debbie asked. “It’s going to be really awkward if it were from Ty. I already feel bad turning him down. Accepting the gift would mean leading him on, something that’s never going to happen.”

And if it’s from Cole, Hailey sighed, shaking her head. “I really hope it’s not from him.” She approached the table and picked up the note nestled among the flowers. It read:

“This is for the most beautiful woman in the world. Thank you for all you do for our boys. Last night was amazing. I can’t wait to see you tonight. All my love, Cole.”

Hailey reread the note four times, struggling to comprehend it. It was as if she’d suddenly forgotten how to read.

Seeing Hailey’s lack of emotion, Debbie peeked at the note. “Holy shit, you guys fucked?!”

Hailey snapped back to reality. “What? No!!! Why would you think that? And can you please lower your voice? I’ve got curious four-year-olds in the house.” “Sorry, that came out louder than I intended. I was just so excited. But really, something happened between you both last night?” Debbie whispered, smiling broadly. “I knew I did a good thing leaving on time and allowing you both to spend time together.” “Stop it, Debbie. It’s nothing like that.” “Are you sure? You know you can tell me anything. You don’t need to be shy.” Hailey rolled her eyes, sat on the couch, and placed the jewelry on her lap. “I don’t mean to freak you out, baby. I don’t know why, but I’m just excited that something happened.” “It was just a kiss.” “Are you sure that’s all?” Debbie teased. “I was almost carried away, but thankfully I came to my senses.” “Do you feel guilty about it?” Debbie asked intently. “Of course, I do. That’s why I was skeptical about being alone with him.” “The good part of last night was that we discussed everything. I guess we got carried away. Cole has this intense aura; it’s so hard to resist his advances.” “I can’t believe I feel hatred and possessiveness for a man at the same time.” “You mean both hatred and love?” Debbie teased. Hailey shook her head. “He asked for a chance to make things right and win my heart back. But I didn’t think he’d send me gifts this soon. I mean, he left late last night, and it’s barely noon.”

Chapter 50

Debbie smiled sweetly. “He lost you once. No doubt he’s learned his lessons.” Hailey sighed. “Men definitely make you lose your senses. I mean, how am I supposed to stay mad at him after this?” “Maybe I should just send them back to him.” “You wouldn’t do that!” “Come on, Hailes, this is just a gift of appreciation, not a proposal ring.” “You don’t know me well, Debbie. I’m a fool when it comes to nice gestures. Cole treated me terribly when we were married, and guess what? I was stupid enough to fall in love with him again.” “We can all imagine what’s going to happen now that he’s started sending you gifts.” “So you really mean it when you said you don’t want to get back together with him?” “I mean it.” “What if he’s a changed man? And he’s probably the one you’re destined to spend the rest of your life with?” “I believe he regrets his past actions. But I’m not sure if I want to spend the rest of my life with him.” “You all seem to be on Cole’s side, and that makes it so hard for me.” Debbie smiled sadly. “You don’t have to feel pressured. I’m rooting for you both, but that doesn’t mean I won’t support whatever decision you make.” “It’s up to you to make him earn your trust again before you give him another chance, and it’s up to you to deny him.” “Regardless, I just want you to be happy.” “You did the right thing by allowing him into the twins’ lives, and I’m proud of you.” “I just want to remind you that you deserve happiness too. You deserve to be with those who love and cherish you. Life is too short not to choose what makes you happy.”

Debbie’s eyes shifted to the gold jewelry set on Hailey’s lap. “This is pure gold. It’s so precious.” Hailey looked down, running her fingers through it. “I know. It’s really beautiful.” “I don’t know why he had to buy this though. He’s still trying to get his company back on its feet, and he recently lost a deal.” “That’s so thoughtful of him, considering the issues he’s dealing with. I think this just shows how hard he’s willing to try for you. Go easy on him, okay?” Debbie winked.

“Mom, guess what?” Vanessa rushed to her mother’s bedside, sitting beside her. “Dad just got off the phone with Cole. He’s on his way here,” Vanessa said, smiling broadly.

Chapter 30 (Note: This should probably be Chapter 51, given the previous chapter's ending)

“Oh, really?” “Yes, Mom.” “Did he say why?” Vanessa shook her head. “Wow! He goes into ghost mode for a week and then comes back to be on people’s good side.” “Well, it doesn’t matter, Mom. We were really patient. I’ve got no doubt he’s coming over to ask for our forgiveness. I mean, he’s never called ahead to announce his presence. Or what do you think?” Vanessa asked her mother. “I told you we were going to laugh last, my love. Cole was probably overwhelmed and needed time to process it all.” “He’s definitely coming back to put things in order.” “Yeah, I’m excited to see him.” “Do you think Cole and I would be married now with plenty of babies if I didn’t reject his proposal at first?” Vanessa asked her mom. “Probably. But we had no good knowledge of his financial background. Well, better late than never. We won in the end. That’s all that matters.”

This revised version corrects grammatical errors, improves punctuation, and enhances clarity throughout the passage. I also noted the likely error in chapter numbering.