Better Late, But Never His Again novel Chapter 52

"Who was that?" Nellie leaned in, though she clearly wasn't in the mood to gossip.

"Just an acquaintance," Hazel replied softly, pulling her gaze back.

Nellie didn't press the issue, her mind immediately pivoting back to the attack. "How did Sean Sutton even track you down? Isn't he Evelyn Vance's ex-husband? If he was looking for someone, it should have been her."

Hazel's expression hardened. "Evelyn sent him."

Nellie froze before her anger flared up all over again. "What? She sent him? How dare she! That manipulative bitch is out of her mind! We can't let her get away with this!"

Hazel remained silent, staring out at the pitch-black night. Her eyes grew colder by the second. She absolutely wouldn't let Evelyn get away with it, but she needed to bid her time.

Early the next morning, Hazel headed straight to the Institute.

The sun had barely risen, and the streets were practically deserted. She stood by the entrance, her chilling gaze fixed on the end of the road, lost in her own dark thoughts.

At exactly seven-thirty, the familiar black Maybach pulled up.

The car parked, and Julian Hayes stepped out from the driver's side. He walked around to the passenger seat and opened the door.

Evelyn stepped out, tilting her head up with a sweet smile. Julian leaned in to gently adjust her coat, his movements so tender they looked exactly like a happily married couple.

As Julian lifted his head, he locked eyes with Hazel.

He paused, his brows furrowing slightly. He had been irritated by her complete lack of communication over the past few days, but if she was here to apologize and make peace, he might consider letting it slide.

He was just about to speak as Hazel marched toward them. Julian parted his lips. "Hazel, what are you..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Hazel raised her hand and delivered a vicious slap right across Evelyn's face.

A sharp smack shattered the quiet morning air.

Evelyn stumbled backward, the impact sending her reeling. The side of her face instantly swelled with angry red marks, and a tiny trickle of blood pooled at the corner of her mouth.

Julian immediately caught her by the waist, pulling her protectively against his chest. He snapped his head up, glaring at Hazel with sheer fury.

"Hazel! Are you out of your mind!"

Evelyn cupped her stinging cheek, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She looked at Hazel, her voice trembling in perfect victimhood. "Hazel... why would you hit me?"

Hazel stared her down, letting out a dark, cynical laugh. "Why did I hit you? Don't act dumb. You know exactly what you did."

Julian shielded Evelyn like she was a fragile, priceless treasure. He looked at Hazel, his gaze dripping with disgust. "Hazel, are you a total lunatic?"

A lunatic.

It felt as if a knife had been twisted into her chest. Julian, her own husband, was standing there blaming her without even bothering to ask for her side of the story.

"Do you have any idea what she did?" Hazel asked, a lump forming in her throat.

Julian frowned, his tone laced with heavy impatience. "I don't care what she did. You have no right to assault people in the street."

There wasn't a single shred of concern for her in his eyes.

A freezing numbness settled over Hazel's heart. She looked at him, her lips curving into a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Julian, your blatant favoritism makes me sick."

He quickly forced the anxiety down. There had to be some sort of mix-up for Sean to have tracked her down. He would definitely sit her down for a serious conversation tonight.

That evening, Hazel packed up her things and left the lab. The hallway was dead silent, her footsteps echoing sharply in the empty corridor.

"Hazel." A voice called out from behind.

She stopped and turned around. Evelyn stood at the other end of the hall. The swelling on her cheek hadn't subsided, and the bruise at the corner of her mouth stood out vividly under the overhead lights.

Hazel crossed her arms. "What? Didn't get slapped hard enough this morning?"

Evelyn's expression twisted. She closed the distance and stopped just a few feet away.

She looked up. Her eyes were still red from crying, but all traces of her fragile morning persona had completely vanished.

"Do you honestly think Julian likes seeing you act like this?"

Hazel stared at her coldly. Evelyn took another step forward, dropping her voice to a conspiratorial whisper meant only for the two of them.

"I was the one who told Sean exactly where to find you yesterday."

A triumphant smirk played on her lips. "But Julian still took my side. He's going to divorce you sooner or later."

Hazel looked back at her, her eyes devoid of any emotional reaction. She let out a soft chuckle.

"Is that so? I couldn't ask for a better outcome."