Chapter 2

Margaret Quinn gently squeezed my hand, signaling me to stay calm.

Brandon, seeing his mother remain silent, assumed it was tacit approval. He beamed and invited Hailey to sit beside him.

Hailey clung delicately to Brandon's sleeve, leaned close to his ear, and whispered in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, "Bran, your girlfriend doesn't look happy. Do you think she's mad at me? Maybe I should go. I don't want to cause any trouble between you and Stephanie just because I'm your ex."

I couldn't hold back anymore.

So this manipulative girl was Brandon's ex-girlfriend?

And this jerk actually brought his ex to our engagement party? Sat her beside him like it was nothing? Was he out of his mind?

"Well, you're already here," I said, my voice sharp. "Might as well stick around and witness your ex-boyfriend's happiness."

The moment the words left my mouth, Hailey's eyes filled with tears.

Margaret didn't even glance at her. She simply announced the start of the dinner.

Though we called it an engagement banquet, neither of our families had many relatives, so most of the guests were close friends or colleagues from Quinn Tech.

During the meal, the conversations were mostly about work. Hailey, knowing nothing about the company, couldn't keep up. She ended up whispering with Brandon, their heads nearly touching, chatting intimately like school sweethearts.

I didn't know what they were talking about, but at some point, both of them started crying. Their eyes locked, emotions tangled like vines, impossible to separate.

Margaret's expression darkened, then turned pale, then dark again.

As the banquet neared its end, someone in the crowd cheered for Brandon and me to kiss.

Brandon hesitated, glancing reluctantly at Hailey before slowly walking to the front.

Just as he leaned in for a perfunctory kiss, a low sob broke the silence.

Brandon froze. He jerked back instantly.

From the crowd, Hailey's tears streamed down her face. Her eyes locked on Brandon, full of longing, dripping with sorrow and love.

Brandon couldn't hold it in any longer. He turned to me and shouted, "Stephanie, I'm sorry. I realized I still can't let go of Hailey. I'm calling off our engagement."

The room fell silent.

I closed my eyes. My head felt like it was going to explode.

"Brandon," I said, trying to steady my voice. "We've been together for three years. We were about to get married. And now, in front of everyone, you tell me you can't forget another woman? What am I to you, huh? A pebble you can just throw away?"

A flicker of guilt crossed Brandon's face, but before he could respond, Hailey rushed forward, choking on her sobs.

"Bran, you can't do this! I never wanted to hurt anyone. I don't even know how things ended up like this."

Then she turned to me, grabbing Brandon's hand tightly, and cried, "Stephanie, you've misunderstood. It's not what you think. Don't blame him. It's all my fault."

She clung to Brandon's arm and pleaded, "Stephanie's a really good person. She's just misunderstood us. Please don't be mad at her, okay?"

Brandon pulled Hailey into his arms, holding her tightly, his voice full of regret. "This isn't your fault. It's mine. I should've realized what I truly wanted sooner."

I saw the flash of triumph in Hailey's eyes and nearly gagged. I wanted nothing more than to walk up and kick the both of them across the room.

But Margaret beat me to it.

She stepped forward, her gaze as cold as ice.

"One last time," she said, voice low and firm. "Are you really choosing Hailey? Even if it means giving up your right to inherit anything from the Quinn family?"

Hailey's face turned pale. She opened her mouth to speak, but one sharp glance from Margaret shut her up instantly.

Brandon hesitated for a moment. Then he nodded, hard. "Mom, there's no need to test me. I love Hailey. I'm not leaving her again."