Second Chance at Yale

My life was a perfect fairytale, or so I thought.

Born into old money, I was the golden girl who married Yale University's campus prince, Liam Vanderbilt.

Two years into our blissful marriage, I quit my job, ready to start the family we'd always dreamed of.

Then, Liam announced a year-long project in London, barely coming home to pack.

I missed him terribly, barraging him with texts, but only met with silence.

My best friend, Chloe, delivered the crushing news: Liam' s old flame, Serena Dubois, was back from Paris and working in his London office.

Then Liam' s assistant confirmed: the new Vice President, familiar with Europe, accompanied him – a woman.

My worst fears confirmed, I lay in bed, the realization hitting me like a punch: Liam's private Instagram account, a shrine to a girl from his prep school, Serena.

He didn't just leave, he left for his first love, the jet named after me presumably carrying her.

I was suffering through fertility treatments, waiting for him, while he was with her.

My dream of a baby, our perfect life, shattered by his betrayal.

Why marry me if he only truly loved her?

Then I woke up, sweating, to a message from Liam.

My desperate "I want a divorce" text received only one two-word response: "Fine."

He didn't beg, he didn't explain.

He just agreed.

The only jet available to follow him to London was 'The Hailey,' the one he gifted me.

Then I collapsed.

When I opened my eyes, I was back on Yale's Old Campus, the day I first tried to ask Liam out.

He stood before me, arrogant and young, wearing the Rolex I knew was Serena' s gift.

I remembered his cutting rejection from my past life, and the thought of reliving that humiliation made me sick.

But this time, I wouldn't let him break me.

This time, I was getting off this rollercoaster before it even started.

Hailey Reed always believed her life was a fairytale.

Born into a wealthy Connecticut family, parents in perfect health, she was the golden girl who, through sheer, relentless pursuit, had won the heart of Yale' s campus prince, Liam Vanderbilt. A direct descendant of the Vanderbilts, Liam was more than just old money; he was a prodigy. Graduating top of his class, he'd launched a fintech startup that disrupted Wall Street within two years, his net worth rocketing past a hundred billion.

Even back at Yale, Liam was a magnet for attention. At every alumni gala, Hailey' s former classmates would toast her, calling her a goddess for taming the notoriously aloof and sought-after Liam.

Two years into their marriage, she quit her job at a SoHo art gallery, ready to start a family in their Greenwich mansion.

But before she could share the news with Liam, he announced he was being dispatched to London for a year-long project, only returning every few months.

Hailey had always put him first. A few months apart? She could handle it.

The longing, however, was unbearable.

By the third day, Hailey had sent him over 99 texts on WhatsApp.

- Hubby I miss you, can we FaceTime?

- Ugh, this fertility tea is disgusting.

- Should I just fly over to you?

So far, radio silence.

Hailey lay in their king-sized bed, phone clutched in both hands, staring at the screen until it went dark.

The screen lit up again. A call from her best friend, Chloe.

The second she answered, Chloe' s furious voice erupted.

"Hailey! I just heard Liam' s old flame, Serena Dubois, is back from Paris? And she just got a job at his London office? What the hell is going on? Is he trying to write a sequel to The Affair?!"

Hailey froze, her voice trembling. "When did this happen?"

"I heard she flew in a couple of days ago! What' s the deal?"

A couple of days ago... the same day Liam left for his "business trip."

"I..." Hailey buried her face in the crook of her arm, her voice muffled. "I don' t know. All I know is he left for a year-long trip two days ago. He didn' t even come home to pack, just left straight from the city."

"A year?! Why didn' t he take you? And the timing is way too perfect. Serena comes back, he leaves? Have you texted him to ask?"

"I have. He' s not replying."

The words were a punch to the gut, leaving Hailey feeling hollow and sick.

"Not replying?! If you weren' t so head-over-heels for him, I' d personally key his vintage Porsche. You need to find out who he went with! Dummy! Call his assistant right now!"

After hanging up, Hailey dialed Liam' s executive assistant.

"Hi, could you tell me who Liam traveled with? Thank you."

"Of course, Mrs. Vanderbilt. It' s the new Vice President. She just transferred from our Paris branch and is very familiar with the European market, so..."

Hailey hung up abruptly, unable to listen anymore. Her eyes, red and stinging, stared blankly at the silk curtains swaying in the breeze.

She stared for a long time until her eyes ached. Defeated, she collapsed onto the bed, her quiet sobs turning into gut-wrenching cries.

She knew Liam had an old flame. Once, while playing with his phone, she' d found a private Instagram account. Curiosity got the better of her.

The account was a shrine to another girl. It was then she discovered that Liam had been in love with someone since his prep school days at Andover.

Hailey and Chloe had spent weeks speculating, finally concluding the mystery girl was likely Hailey' s own freshman roommate at Yale, Serena Dubois.

She knew when she started chasing Liam that she wasn't his type and that the competition was fierce. But their two years of marriage had been blissful. They had a marriage certificate; they were husband and wife. Hailey thought she could endure anything for that.

But now, a crushing, acidic pain filled her chest. A pain she couldn' t ignore.

A storm broke outside. A loud clap of thunder rattled the windows, illuminating the pale, tear-streaked face of the woman curled at the foot of the bed.

Clutching her cold phone, she bit her lip until she tasted blood.

She called Liam' s number dozens of times.

"The person you are trying to reach is unavailable..."

The robotic voice blended with another crash of thunder outside.

Hailey flinched.

After they were married, on every stormy night, no matter how busy he was, Liam would come home to hold her.

Now, he wouldn't even answer her call.

Hailey suddenly remembered a Reddit thread she' d once read.

A man' s first love is an unbeatable ghost. Even if she' s gone, she lives in his heart forever.

Hailey' s gaze fell on the nightstand, covered with prenatal vitamins, CoQ10 supplements, and folic acid. Now, her dream of a baby was shattered, and her husband was cheating.

Knock, knock-

"Come in," she choked out, getting up.

The housekeeper, Maria, entered with a large bowl of soup, placing it on the small dining table in the corner of the suite.

When she lifted the lid, a fishy, herbal smell filled the air.

Hailey instantly covered her nose.

"This fertility soup, it helps with follicle..."

"Maria..." Hailey' s weak voice stopped her.

She' d been forcing down similar concoctions for months, each time fighting back nausea.

She was here, suffering through fertility treatments, eagerly awaiting her husband's return.

Meanwhile, he was off in Europe with his first love.

Hailey' s eyes were swollen and red. "You don' t need to make this anymore."

Her voice was hoarse as she asked Maria to take the soup away.

She sent one last message to Liam.

- Liam, I want a divorce.

The phone remained silent. No reply.

Hailey clutched her phone and drifted into a restless, tormented sleep.

That night, at 4 a.m., she woke up in a cold sweat, ripped from a nightmare.

She had a new message from Liam.

- Fine.

The sweat-soaked hair clung to her cheeks. Her already swollen eyes instantly reddened again, hot tears streaming down her face like broken pearls.

After sending the text, she had hoped he would explain, beg for forgiveness, comfort her.

Hundreds of messages, and this was his two-word response.

He could ignore everything else, but he replied to her request for a divorce.

Of course. Why would Liam Vanderbilt ever beg or comfort her?

Hailey took a deep, shuddering breath, a sharp, stabbing pain piercing her heart.

First thing in the morning, she called their private jet coordinator. She had to go to London.

At the very least... she needed to ask him to his face.

Why marry her if he didn' t love her?

Why, after marrying her, would he be so shamelessly involved with another woman?

"Mr. Vanderbilt took the Gulfstream to London, ma' am. The other jet is currently in maintenance. Shall I book you a commercial flight?"

"Which jet did he take?" Hailey gripped her phone, her knuckles white, her teeth digging into her lower lip.

On their first anniversary, Liam had gifted her a private jet, naming it 'The Hailey.'

She prayed he hadn't taken that one.

Even if... even if he didn' t love her, surely he wouldn' t share a gift meant for her with another woman?

"It was The Hailey, ma' am. Is something wrong?"

Beep, beep, beep-

The line went dead.

Hailey shot up from the sofa. Suddenly, the world spun. She collapsed, darkness swallowing her whole.

The late summer sun was blinding. The sweet scent of freshly cut grass from the Old Campus lawn filled the air, and the chatter of students was a noisy buzz all around her.

"Did you hear? After chasing him for two months, Hailey Reed is finally going to ask Liam Vanderbilt out."

"I bet he says no."

Hailey turned her head. Standing next to her were her freshman year classmates.

Wasn' t she at home?

A familiar, crisp, woodsy scent tickled her nose.

After four years of chasing Liam and two years of sharing a bed with him, she knew that scent better than her own.

Hailey looked up.

The man before her was tall, dressed in a crisp white Oxford shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing the faint blue veins on his pale forearms. The top two buttons were undone, showing a hint of his collarbone, where a single, striking mole rested.

Hailey stared at his young, arrogant face and pinched her arm.

It hurt.

She looked around again at the crowd. The puzzle pieces started to click into place.

Somehow, she was back. Back to her freshman year, the day she first asked Liam out.

Liam stood with one hand in his pocket, a black laptop bag slung casually over his shoulder. On his wrist was a silver Rolex.

She remembered that watch. He wore it constantly, even after they were married.

Hailey had asked him about it once, but he' d refused to say a word.

It was probably a gift from his precious Serena. He had never forgotten her.

"Why isn' t she doing it yet?"

"Come on, we all know Liam' s going to turn her down anyway."

Ask him out...

Hailey remembered Liam' s rejection from her past life with painful clarity.

His voice was lazy, his tone mockingly playful: "I' m not really into... twigs."

Later, in their marriage, there was a night when Hailey was exhausted, but Liam wanted to go another round. She' d thrown his own words back at him.

"Didn' t you say I was a twig? That you weren' t interested..." she' d murmured.

In the heat of the moment, a man' s words are always sweeter. He' d held her close, his low chuckle sending shivers down her spine. "I was wrong. My wife was just a late bloomer."

Then he' d held her and whispered how much he loved her.

A single, thoughtless "I love you" whispered in passion had made her lose her mind.

Hailey stared at the face of the man she had loved for six years, the ache in her chest still raw and real.

"Hailey, is this a confession or a funeral? You' re not talking, your eyes are all red. Anyone would think you' re mourning something."

A deep, lazy male voice drifted down from above.

Hailey remembered this day perfectly. To prepare for this moment, she had woken up before dawn, picking out the perfect outfit, applying flawless makeup. Every strand of her hair was meticulously styled.

But the man in front of her was completely indifferent.

Hailey' s hands clenched into fists at her sides, the back of her hands showing taut tendons.

Her past life revolved entirely around Liam Vanderbilt. She' d chosen to major in Economics for him, given up a prestigious postgraduate program at Oxford to enter the workforce for him, and quit her job to prepare for a family for him.

Liam had become her entire world.

And in the end, that world had betrayed her.

Hailey lowered her gaze, hiding the soul-crushing pain in her eyes. Loving Liam was a habit etched into her very bones, but she had to break it. No matter how much it hurt, she had to change.

Let someone else chase him. She was done.

"Liam, I just wanted to say... your fly is down."

The girl' s voice was clear and bright, loud enough for everyone to hear.

The air went still for a few seconds.

"Pfft-" Someone burst out laughing.

"Wow, even the pretty girls use lame tricks to get his attention."

"This is hilarious. She knows he' ll reject her, so she' s trying to make a lasting impression this way?"

Liam didn' t even glance down. His eyes were fixed on Hailey, the corners of his eyes lifting in a lazy, mocking smile. "Oh? Of all the parts of my body you could look at, you chose to stare at my crotch? You' ve got... unique hobbies."

His voice was nonchalant.

Hailey' s lips thinned. The stuffy air suddenly felt even more oppressive.

"Sorry, it' s so flat, I couldn' t tell it was a man' s crotch," Hailey retorted sharply.

"Whoa-" The crowd erupted.

"Hailey' s playing a good game. He' ll remember this forever."

"So what if he remembers? He' ll just hate her more, right?"

Liam' s eyelashes fluttered. The pressure around him dropped. He took two steps forward, closing the distance between them. He leaned in, his nose almost touching her ear.

"You think I don' t know what game you' re playing?"

The rich, cold scent of his cologne was overwhelming. Hailey stepped back, her eyes stinging from the bright sun.

Suddenly, a voice called out from behind.

"Excuse me, is Liam Vanderbilt here?"

Hailey saw a delivery guy from a local florist holding a bouquet of red roses.

The roses glistened in the sunlight, a heart-shaped card tucked among them.

-Liam, I like you.

The handwriting was neat and elegant, clearly written with great care.

Liam' s gaze dropped to the card. He could almost picture Hailey, hunched over a desk, pen in hand, writing each character with intense focus.

The corners of his eyes lifted slightly. He looked at Hailey and mouthed two words.

The evidence.

This was the 'evidence' of her planned confession.

Hailey strode forward and took the bouquet.

She ripped the card off and crumpled the heart-shaped paper in her fist.

Liam watched as she tossed it into a nearby trash can.

His eyes narrowed, his entire demeanor turning cold and severe.

Even the students standing far away could tell that Liam seemed to be in a very bad mood. His face was dark.

"Hailey didn' t confess, so why does Liam look so pissed?"

"Well, one thing' s for sure, it' s definitely, absolutely, positively not because he likes her!"

Hailey heard it all. She wasn' t surprised.

In fact, she thought the same thing herself.

Her eyes met Liam' s.

He seemed bewildered by her gaze. The Hailey standing before him had red-rimmed eyes, the corners drooping, glistening with unshed tears.

A wave of irritation washed over Liam. He glanced at two figures shrinking back into the crowd.

Wes and Evan froze, then took two steps forward as Liam' s low voice reached them. "Enjoying the show?"

The two immediately understood. Liam was... angry?

Probably because he was uncomfortable being the center of attention.

Wes put on a mock-angry face and quickly dispersed the crowd.

Liam turned back to Hailey, his gaze deep. "Now you' re embarrassed."

"Yes. I' m embarrassed for chasing you."

Hailey sniffed, her nose stinging, her eyelashes damp.

Under the sun, his thin lips moved. "Don' t cry."

"People will think I' m the asshole who broke your heart."

Hailey wiped a tear from her cheek.

He was still the same. Forever high and mighty.