Chapter 25
I instantly regretted it—that was Hayden, the Parker heir, and I had just stepped on his foot. I couldn’t meet his icy glare and quickly cleared my throat, trying to ease the tension. But honestly, I was about to get a divorce; why was I scared of him?
“Yvonne Jackson,” Hayden’s voice, laced with frustration, reached my ears. From past experience, I knew he was furious. Even Deborah looked in our direction. If this escalated, who knew where it would lead? Thinking fast, I picked up a muffin and said, “Sorry, I forgot this is your favorite.”
Hayden hadn’t expected this abrupt change of subject, and his expression darkened further. Deborah, sitting across from us, mistook his reaction for stubbornness, assuming he wanted me to serve him. “Hayden, Yvonne truly cares for you. You should appreciate her,” she said, her tone somewhat stern.
Suddenly, Hayden flashed a playful smile and forced the words out through gritted teeth. “Grandma, you’re right. I’ll definitely cherish her.”
No longer intimidated, I shot him a smile, hinting, “Go ahead and eat; Grandma’s watching.” In that tense moment, Hayden obediently munched on the muffin. I figured he was trying hard not to look disgusted, but honestly, I didn’t care. Seeing him comply filled me with a rush. I realized I could finally express my true feelings without fear, without worrying about his disapproval or the possibility of him leaving. I felt completely free.
Lost in thought, I didn’t notice Deborah observing us. To her, Hayden had numerous marriage options. There seemed no reason he would settle for Yvonne, even from a prominent family like the Jacksons. At first, she disliked Yvonne, and Hayden didn't seem interested either. Right after the wedding, he’d gone overseas and hadn’t returned. She blamed it all on Yvonne.
But now, watching their interaction—even though they still squabbled and lacked the affection of other couples—a noticeable change was apparent. Deborah began imagining what a child of theirs would look like—would it resemble Hayden or Yvonne more?
Unaware of Deborah’s thoughts, I looked up and met her warm gaze. My heart skipped a beat, and a sense of unease washed over me.
Thankfully, breakfast proceeded smoothly. With Deborah present, Hayden behaved. We even managed to get into the car together without incident, all under her watchful eye.
When we arrived at the company, Hayden remained in the car. I turned to see him lounging back, wondering if he was having a “prince syndrome” moment, expecting someone to invite him out. He must have sensed my confusion because he casually remarked, “Got some stuff to handle.” With that, he signaled the driver to depart.
I stood there, frozen. If he had errands, why come to the office at all? Was he just dropping me off? The thought barely registered before I dismissed it. Even if true, it would be for Deborah’s sake. After all, he was Hayden, who considered even a glance at me excessive. Shaking my head, I entered the building.
“Good day, Mrs. Parker,” my colleagues greeted me warmly. I returned a polite but dignified smile. Balancing my role as Mrs. Parker and my job as a secretary was never easy.
In the secretary’s office, I found Richard and Joanna already present. As soon as Joanna saw me, she glanced instinctively at the door. I had been puzzled by her eagerness to be at work, but now it was clear—it was about Hayden, who was unfortunately busy and hadn’t come upstairs.
As expected, Joanna asked, “Where’s Mr. Parker?”
I didn’t reply and went straight to my desk. Joanna, a little annoyed, approached me, raising her voice. “I’m asking you! Why didn’t Mr. Parker come?”
Richard looked stunned, confused by the change in Joanna’s demeanor. She had seemed gentle yesterday, but now she was entirely different.
Used to Joanna’s mood swings, I replied coldly, “If you want to know, ask Hayden! I’m not your secretary.”
“You’re…” Joanna gritted her teeth, then her expression changed. “You may not be my secretary, but you are my sister.”
I shivered and waved my hands. “Stop it.”
“My mother is now your mother too, so we’re technically sisters,” Joanna said, her eyes shining. Richard’s jaw dropped. “The mistress and the wife are sisters? Man, Mr. Parker’s got some game!”
I’d expected something like this, so I sneered, “I’m the only daughter of the Jackson family.”
“Mom said she wants Quinn and me to change our last name to Jackson,” Joanna dropped another bombshell.
Joanna Jackson? That didn’t sound good. I wondered if Sophia was planning for her children to change their names to inherit the Jackson family business. Joanna was an adult, no longer under her stepfather’s guardianship, while Quinn was still a minor. I had to give Sophia credit; she had guts.
“Is that so? Well, that’s your business. My mother only gave birth to me,” I said indifferently.
Joanna stood awkwardly, her teeth seemingly grinding. With her personality, she wouldn’t have befriended me, let alone called me sister, without Sophia’s prompting.
Noticing the tension, Richard handed me a document. “Mrs. Parker, this is Mr. Parker’s schedule for the next two days.”
I reached for it, only to find Joanna peeking at the contents. I snatched it back and placed it on the table, frowning at her. “Anything else? No? Then get back to your job and stop wandering around.”
She reluctantly obeyed. I scanned the document and noticed Hayden had made an unexpected trip to the hospital that morning. Could Henry be bothering him again?