[Sixteen years ago, in the city of Lenford…]
-
A single petal floated in front of his eyes.
It was a cherry blossom petal, one that signaled the beginning of the tree’s full bloom in spring.
It was the first thing Michael McGregor saw before a girl about his age suddenly walked up to him, her hand tightly gripping the strap of her shoulder bag.
She was a pretty girl with long dark hair and striking olive-green eyes. She had an intelligent look about her that gave off elegance and beauty, catching the eyes of some of the boys who passed by. Her hair was loose and long enough to reach her waist, letting the wind blow the strands behind her.
It was like a picturesque moment that could have been a little romantic if it weren’t for the words that came out of her mouth the next moment.
“What are you doing with that cigarette?”
-
At 15 years old, Michael McGregor had just arrived for his first day of high school. Back in middle school, he was notorious for rebelling against his family and teachers. He smoked, he drank, he skipped class, and he never studied.
No one dared speak out against him because he was a rich kid with a CEO for a father. Needless to say, Michael always got his way and never backed down from anyone.
He was a kid who had the money but had no dreams.
But all of that changed the day he first met Hailey van Gowen.
Hailey was the daughter of a business tycoon who owned several hotels around the country. She was the eldest daughter who had a lot of potential to become a capable businesswoman in the future. She was strict, disciplined, and liked to stick to her morals. She was also quite studious and would often scold the other kids for doing something that was against the school rules.
It was probably why she volunteered to become the student council president.
Hailey was a year older than Michael. On his first day of high school, she came up to him after noticing that he held a cigarette in his hand.
“Student, smoking is forbidden in this school,” she said with a polite smile on her face. “Aren’t you a freshman?”
Michael was in a bad mood. He had received a severe scolding from his father earlier which made him think twice about going to school today. But after a veiled threat to cancel his credit cards for life, he decided to endure at least one year of school.
He took for granted the fact that his parents seemed to favor him the most and were lenient with him. His brother William was the one his father was training to be the next heir to the company.
His sister Joanna, on the other hand, was being given etiquette lessons and various other lessons for her future. Basically, she was to work in the family business and marry whomever her father chose for her.
Michael was the one who didn’t seem to have any extraordinary talents whatsoever. His mother was always careful with him and took care of him the most because of an old injury to his leg that prevented him from doing anything physically strenuous, like sports. His father, on the other hand, seemed to pity him and couldn’t punish him severely.
Michael hated it. The pity, the careful behavior… all of it.
There were various reasons why he rebelled against them, but mostly he was just tired of this world and the environment around him.
He thought that if he continued to behave badly, maybe his parents would finally treat him differently.
Back in the present, Michael glanced at the yellow line on the breast pocket of the girl’s uniform that indicated she was a sophomore. Under the line was a name tag that had the words ‘Hailey van Gowen’ printed on it.
“It’s none of your business,” Michael said before walking past her.
But Hailey suddenly grabbed his arm, a smile still on her face. “As president of the student council, I’d say it is indeed my business. What’s your name?”
She spun him around with surprising force to look at the name tag on his breast pocket.
“Michael Noah… McGregor. Ah, you’re the youngest son of the Haynes-McGregor Industries’ CEO. I’ve heard that Mr. McGregor’s business has been flourishing these past few years. His name is always all over the papers.”
She said it in such a matter-of-fact tone that it was like she simply recited the words from a textbook.
Michael’s expression darkened. “And what do my father’s accomplishments have to do with me?”
“Nothing, really. It’s just that you’re related to him as his son, so I simply told you what I know.”
“If you’re just here to brag about your knowledge, then buzz off, you showoff,” Michael snarled before yanking his arm away from her grip.
The smile never faded from Hailey’s face. “Ah, a stubborn one, aren’t you?”
She watched Michael’s retreating figure for a while before calling out, “Remember, smoking is forbidden!”
Michael shook his head, thinking that he had just met one of the most annoying people here at school.
-
[Present Time, the city of Penburg…]
-
It was twenty minutes past ten when Michael finally arrived at his apartment.
It was empty as always. No one was waiting for him to come home, and he had no friends to talk to. He had no pets either.
Just him, all alone.
Michael sighed heavily as he sat down on the couch and raised his hand to rub his temple. Had he gone too far earlier?
But he couldn’t bring himself to feel bad about it. After all, his relationship with his family had already changed drastically from what it had been in the past.
Too much had happened, and he felt that it was already too late to face his inner problems. He was probably just running away from conflict, but he was honestly too tired to deal with it right now. His world remained a dark shade of gray, and it would probably not see any color anytime soon.
At least, until—
Suddenly, at that moment, Michael’s phone rang. Puzzled as to who could be calling his private number at this hour, he glanced at the screen.
It was his personal assistant, Grady.
If Grady himself was calling outside of work hours, then that meant this must be something important.
Michael answered the call without further delay. “Hello? Is there a problem?” he asked, going straight to the point.
“Mr. McGregor,” Grady said in a hurried tone, “we’ve found her.”
Michael instantly froze in place. “What?”
“We’ve found her,” Grady repeated. “We’ve found the woman you’ve been looking for. The woman with the name of Hailey van Gowen.”
Michael’s heart began to race. “You—You have?” His voice cracked a little, which rarely ever happened. However, he barely even noticed due to the numerous emotions that rose inside of him. “Where… Where is she now? Is she in the city? Has she finally returned?”
“Yes, Mr. McGregor. However…” Grady paused for a moment, seeming a little hesitant to relay the news. “There is one thing I need to tell you.”
Michael’s heart was suddenly filled with dread.
Did something happen to Hailey? Was it related to the reason why she had left so suddenly?
Or worse… was she sick?
“Her name is no longer Hailey van Gowen,” Grady said. “She had thrown away her last name years ago and has now taken on a new identity. She is now Camille Parker, and she has been transferred to the Callahan Group branch here in Penburg, as Christian Callahan’s personal secretary.”
Michael sat there, stunned.
It was no secret in the country that the Callahans and the McGregors had bad blood between them.
Not as enemies. Far from it, actually. But they were competitors in the same business field, and none of them backed down from a challenge.
And now Hailey was working for them?
But why did she change her name?
What in the world was going on?