When the Contract Marriage Ended, He Stayed

###Chapter 86: So You Can Feel Pain, Too

This was just the first step in Hazel Hawthorne’s plan to pursue Aiden Xavier. The goal was to create an air of mystery, to make Aiden Xavier wonder about her motives. It was a bit risky; if he ever found out he was just a pawn in her scheme to get revenge on Raina Lowell, the consequences would be severe.

However, Hazel Hawthorne couldn’t be bothered with all that. What she wanted was for Raina Lowell to pay the price.

Stealing what someone treasures most is the best form of revenge. Considering Raina Lowell’s feelings for Aiden Xavier, losing him would be the one thing she absolutely could not accept.

Even if Aiden Xavier and Raina Lowell didn’t break up, this would at least get under Raina Lowell’s skin. It would make her feel Hazel’s presence as a constant threat, even when she was with Aiden Xavier, keeping her forever on edge.

Hazel Hawthorne spent only one day acting strangely before returning to her diligent work assisting Holly Shaw. After the incident in Freyburg, Holly Shaw’s attitude toward her seemed to have grown even friendlier.

As for her disappearance in Freyburg, no one knew about it besides the few people involved.

Sharon Winters pulled Hazel Hawthorne aside, insisting on hearing about her experiences in Freyburg. Hazel shared a few stories involving Holly Shaw, which left Sharon filled with envy, wishing she could be learning under Holly Shaw herself.

"Hazel, I’m so jealous of you," Sharon Winters sighed, her eyes filled with a trace of disappointment.

Hazel Hawthorne comforted her. "You’ll get your chance too. As long as you don’t give up, Director Shaw is sure to notice you."

Sharon Winters gave a wry smile. "Don’t try to comfort me. You’re terrible at it. Hearing you say that just makes me feel worse."

Hazel Hawthorne didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "You’re right, I’m not good at this. But I really do have high hopes for you."

As soon as she finished speaking, she happened to glimpse a burn on the back of Sharon Winters’s hand. It hadn’t scabbed over yet and was still an angry red patch. She immediately grabbed Sharon’s hand and asked with concern, "What happened to your hand? How did it get this bad?"

"Huh? Oh, my hand?" Sharon Winters instinctively yanked her hand back, hiding it behind her. She stammered, "I was just careless while pouring water... I lost my grip on the cup and got scalded. It’s just a small burn. I’m fine."

’A small burn?’

Hazel Hawthorne’s expression hardened, but she didn’t dare grab Sharon Winters’s hand, afraid of accidentally hurting her. "You call this a small burn? I know you. You’re not that clumsy. Did someone give you a hard time while I was gone?"

"No." Sharon Winters’s denial was quick, and she couldn’t meet Hazel Hawthorne’s eyes.

The more she acted like this, the more suspicious Hazel Hawthorne became. "Was it Chloe Lee? She’s the only one in the whole company who would target you because of me. I’m going to go get the story straight from her."

"Don’t." Sharon Winters quickly grabbed Hazel Hawthorne’s arm, her eyes pleading. "Please, don’t go to Chloe Lee. It has nothing to do with her. I really was just being clumsy."

"How could you have been so clumsy? You’re my only friend. I don’t want to see you get hurt because of me. I was gone this one time, and Chloe Lee did something this horrible to you. If I’m not here in the future, she’ll only get worse."

Hazel Hawthorne pulled free from Sharon Winters’s grasp and stared into her eyes, her expression serious and firm. "With some people, there’s no need to show mercy. Because if you’re kind to them, they’ll just take it as an excuse to be even crueler."

"Hazel!"

Sharon Winters couldn’t stop her. Hazel Hawthorne picked up the cup of hot water she had just poured for herself and walked straight over to Chloe Lee’s desk. "Chloe Lee."

Chloe Lee stood up, crossing her arms and staring at Hazel Hawthorne with a smirk. "What is it?"

"Did you do that to Sharon Winters’s hand?"

"Well, well. Are you here to call me to account for Sharon Winters? Who do you think you are to her?" Chloe Lee’s eyes were filled with disdain. "What, did she go running to you to tattle? I never realized Sharon was so conniving..."

Before Chloe Lee could even finish, Hazel Hawthorne grabbed her right hand and poured the scalding water over it. Caught completely off guard, Chloe’s hand was drenched, and the skin instantly turned bright red. She yelped in pain and violently wrenched her hand free.

She shrieked, "Are you insane?!"

"I’m just giving you a taste of your own medicine. You know how to cry out in pain, so why would you think others don’t? I wanted you to experience exactly what it feels like to be scalded."

Chloe Lee shot a venomous glare at the stone-faced Hazel Hawthorne before bolting for the restroom. She immediately stuck her hand under a faucet, running cold water over the reddened skin to soothe the pain.

When Sharon Winters caught up, only Hazel Hawthorne was left in Chloe Lee’s office. Seeing the empty cup in Hazel’s hand, Sharon completely deflated. She murmured in a small voice, "You stood up for me like this, but what happens when you go on your next business trip? They’ll just find another way to come after me."

Her voice was so low that Hazel Hawthorne couldn’t hear her. "What did you say?"

’What’s done is done,’ Sharon thought. ’Chloe Lee must hate not only Hazel Hawthorne now, but me as well. My life at the company is only going to get harder.’

"It’s nothing. Let’s go." Sharon Winters gave Hazel Hawthorne a tug. Chloe Lee was still cursing up a storm, but the two of them acted as if they hadn’t heard a thing.

Fortunately, Chloe Lee had a private office. The fact that Hazel Hawthorne had burned her hand wasn’t witnessed by anyone else, which saved her from public humiliation.

As Hazel Hawthorne bandaged Sharon Winters’s wound, she saw that the back of her hand was already blistering. Sharon winced at the slightest touch, though she was clearly trying to bear the pain. Hazel’s heart ached just watching her.

’Sharon Winters was her friend—her only friend. She never wanted the people who cared about her to get hurt because of her.’

But the truth was she had failed to protect the person closest to her. Hazel Hawthorne was filled with self-reproach. "I’m so sorry. If it weren’t for me, Chloe Lee wouldn’t be targeting you."

"It’s fine. Don’t take it to heart. It’s just a small burn, and it’ll be better in a few days."

Hazel Hawthorne sighed to herself. ’The title of Mrs. Xavier can only protect me; it can’t protect the people I want to shield. I have to become powerful in my own right to protect the people around me.’

"Chloe Lee is Mr. Sterling’s cousin," Sharon said nervously. "We’ve really crossed her this time. She’s never had to put up with something like this in her entire life. She’s definitely going to complain to Mr. Sterling, and then we’ll both be fired for sure."

’Of course, Sharon Winters knew the situation was more complicated than that. Hazel Hawthorne was Aiden Xavier’s wife. Even if the company wanted to fire her, they would have to see if Aiden Xavier approved. But she was different. The company could fire her for any reason at all. She had no powerful connections; she would just have to take it.’

Unaware of Sharon Winters’s worries, Hazel Hawthorne scoffed. "Don’t worry. Even if they fire us, they have to give us a valid reason."

’As if a company needs a valid reason to fire someone,’ Sharon thought.

Sure enough, that very afternoon, Hazel Hawthorne and Sharon Winters were summoned to the HR department. The HR representative was straightforward, handing them termination letters that included three months’ salary as severance.

Sharon Winters started to accept it, but Hazel Hawthorne stopped her. "If you’re firing us, you need to give us a reason. I want to know why we’re being terminated so abruptly."

"This is the company’s decision. You should be happy you’re getting three months’ severance."

"Sorry, but we don’t accept that." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

*****