Runaway Mommy: My Boss is the Father novel Chapter 2

Only someone who no longer cared could act so indifferent.

Back then, Jaxson was the untouchable idol of Amherst University's economics department, holding the title of campus heartthrob for four consecutive years.

His romance with heiress Phoebe Vance had sent shockwaves through the school.

At the time, rumors swirled that she was his sugar daddy, throwing money at Jaxson to buy his affection.

Even Phoebe believed it.

After all, he played the part of the struggling, impoverished student perfectly, though he never actually accepted the money she tried to give him.

It wasn't until Jaxson's birthday that things unraveled. Phoebe had logged into his shopping account, wanting to see if there was anything expensive he had saved but couldn't afford, intending to buy it as a gift.

Instead, she stumbled upon his private messages with someone else.

The person on the other end was calling him 'babe' with sickening intimacy.

The stranger even remarked that he didn't seem like the type to ever fall for someone like Phoebe.

Reading that felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over her head, soaking her to the bone.

But it didn't matter. Jaxson hadn't replied, so she bought the gift anyway.

When he received it at his birthday dinner, he didn't look surprised or particularly happy. He just offered a flat thank you.

Using a trip to the restroom as an excuse, Phoebe snuck out to pay the bill.

When she returned, she caught the vicious, mocking voices coming from inside the private room.

"If the Vance heiress wasn't so shameless, practically begging for his attention, why would Jaxson ever stoop to dating a tacky girl like her?"

"Exactly. She thinks having a little cash makes her untouchable."

Then, Jaxson's voice drifted through the door, landing with crystal clarity in Phoebe's ears. "I never really took Phoebe seriously anyway."

The eruption of laughter from the room drowned out the rest of his sentence.

"I knew Jaxson wouldn't fall for nouveau riche trash like that!"

Phoebe could never forget the suffocating despair that crushed her in that moment. Her chest ached so badly she couldn't breathe, and a numb, electric shock radiated through her limbs.

Coincidentally, a crisis struck her family right after, and Edward sent her abroad.

She was gone for three years.

Now that she was back, who could have guessed that her new boss would be Jaxson?

Phoebe never in a million years would have imagined that the Jaxson who supposedly survived on part-time jobs and scholarships was actually the sole heir to The Hayes Group.

But judging by his reaction earlier, maybe he planned to pretend they were strangers.

That was perfect.

Inside the CEO's office.

Jaxson lounged on the plush leather sofa. His long, elegant fingers clicked the mouse, effortlessly pulling up the employee database.

Phoebe's profile was front and center.

She had joined the company a year ago. Armed with a flawless resume and stellar performance, she had breezed through her probation and even secured a position as a team leader.

Jaxson's expression darkened. He tapped his knuckles against the desk in a slow, rhythmic beat.

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