Chapter 5 Desperate people make the best liars

Chapter 5 desperate people make the best liars

(Hayley's POV)

My heart pounded in my chest as Anthony's words sank in. Five minutes to decide. Five minutes to figure out if I was willing to plunge myself into this twisted charade of his, pretending to be his girlfriend just to save him from a situation he didn't want to be in.

I opened my mouth, unsure of what to say, when Anthony's phone buzzed on the desk. He grabbed it, glancing at the screen with a curse under his breath.

"Sarah's already with them," he muttered, looking agitated.

"Maybe... maybe this is a bad idea," I said, my voice shaky. The pressure was getting to me, and I could feel the edges of my sanity fraying. "I don't even fit into your world. You know it, I know it. I'll never be the kind of woman your family expects-"

He cut me off, his tone cold. "I'm not asking you to be that kind of woman."

I blinked, taken aback by the sudden shift in his voice. His expression had darkened, the charm and intensity from earlier slipping away, leaving something sharper, crueler, in its place.

"Let's make something clear, Hayley," he said, stepping closer, his eyes narrowing. "This is just an arrangement. It's nothing serious, no strings attached. So don't get ahead of yourself thinking this means anything more."

I froze, his words like ice splintering in my chest. No strings attached. He had no intention of seeing me as anything more than a convenient solution to his problem. It was like a slap to the face.

"I never said I was getting ahead of myself," I shot back, feeling my cheeks flush with both embarrassment and anger. "You're the one asking me to pretend to be your girlfriend. What else am I supposed to think?"

He laughed, but it was bitter, laced with something cruel. "Oh, please. Don't flatter yourself. You think this is about you? You're convenient, that's all. I'm not about to parade you in front of my parents because I think you're special."

My stomach twisted painfully, but before I could respond, he pressed on, his words becoming more biting, more venomous.

"Look at you," he sneered, his gaze sweeping over me. "You're not exactly the kind of woman they expect me to be with. You barely fit into that cleaning uniform, and you think you could pull off being my girlfriend? Don't kid yourself, Hayley."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I felt my face flush hot with shame, my eyes stinging as I stood there, rooted to the spot. He wasn't just insulting me-he was tearing me down, reducing me to nothing more than a joke.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms as I fought back the tears threatening to spill over. I wasn't going to let him see me break. Not like this.

"So why ask me?" I bit out, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to keep it steady. "Why even bother if you think I'm such a bad fit for your perfect life?"

He paused, the cruel smile fading from his face. For a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of something-regret, maybe-but it vanished just as quickly as it had appeared.

"Because you're desperate enough to say yes," he said coldly. "And desperate people make the best liars."

The room fell silent, the weight of his words hanging in the air between us. What happened to the man who made me feel like I was on top of the world the previous night? I could feel my heart breaking a little more with each passing second, the sting of humiliation burning through me. He was using me-plain and simple. And now, he wasn't even pretending to hide it.

I should've walked out right then. I should've turned on my heel and left him standing there with his cruel words and his cold heart. But I didn't.

Instead, I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. "Fine," I whispered, barely able to meet his gaze. "I'll do it."

His eyes lingered on me for a second longer, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he turned toward his desk, straightening his jacket with a sharp tug.

"Good," he said, his voice as cold as ever. "We'll get started tonight. Just make sure you look the part. We're having dinner at the penthouse, and I won't tolerate anything less than perfection."

With that, he walked out, leaving me standing there, my body trembling from the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside me. The humiliation, the anger, the shame-it all clawed at my insides, leaving me raw and exposed.

I stared after him, my mind racing with a thousand thoughts. He had no idea how much his words had cut me. No idea how deep the scars ran... So piercing...