The Miracle of You

"When are you going to get married?"

The lively dining table went silent in an instant, and there was a lingering anticipation in the air that did not go unnoticed by anyone in the room.

Michael McGregor could hear his father's voice loud and clear, but he chose to ignore it, focusing on the meal before him.

It was a question that he had grown accustomed to over the years. There was no need for him to give a verbal response. After all, his answer would remain the same.

Around the table sat five individuals overall: the Chairman of Haynes-McGregor Industries, his wife, Michael, and the latter's two siblings, namely William and Joanna.

John McGregor sat at the head of the table with a scowl, obviously displeased by his son's blatant lack of response. He slammed his fork down on the plate, making a loud noise that caused the others to jolt in surprise.

"I am talking to you," John said, his eyes narrowing in anger. "When are you going to stop refusing marriage prospects and blind dates? You are not getting any younger, Michael. It's time for you to find a wife and have her give birth to a son. An heir."

"And you're sticking to your traditional beliefs as always, Father," Michael said indifferently as he took a bite out of the steak. "I am still young enough to avoid settling down for the time being."

"There have been many rumors going around about you," John said, his tone filled with displeasure. "What do you keep waiting around for? Do you fancy men, or is there a woman that you secretly favor but is already taken?"

"None are correct," Michael said calmly.

Michael's mother, Diana, turned to him with a concerned expression on her face. "Son, is there really no one who has ever caught your attention? Your father and I are just worried about you. You've never shown the slightest interest in any of the women we've introduced you to."

Michael's two siblings, William and Joanna, remained silent, knowing better than to interfere in the same old discussion that had been going on for years.

Michael was the only one in the family who wasn't married. Will had married a beautiful and obedient woman his parents had arranged for him while Joanna had given birth to her second child last year.

They both worked hard in the family business at Haynes-McGregor Industries, Will being the COO and Joanna running the branch office in another city. She was just here today to visit her family for the weekend.

So, whenever they had family dinners like this, the conversation would eventually come back to one point.

Michael's lack of interest in women and marriage.

Since Michael was the current CEO of the company, the family had high expectations for him. At first, Will was the one that John wanted to inherit the CEO position. However, when Michael suddenly showed tremendous growth over the past few years, it eventually became clear that he was the one who was best suited for the job.

Will, the most mellow and rational son of the family, did not take it personally and supported his brother in any way he could. He didn't really care about the position and stepped out of the way when Michael began to prove himself to their father.

Joanna, on the other hand, disapproved of Michael's way of doing things. As the eldest daughter and sibling, she couldn't understand why Michael tended to do whatever he wanted and whenever he wished. Because of her father's strong personality, she had unconsciously adopted his traditional beliefs, believing that every life had a proper process that would guarantee success.

"I don't understand what the big deal is with you refusing to date or get engaged to someone at least," Joanna suddenly spoke up with a raise of an eyebrow. "If you don't want to get married or have a relationship, just say so. Don't keep stringing Mom and Dad along with your carefree tendencies."

"Joanna," Will said calmly with a warning tone in his voice. The two of them were twins, born in the same year, with Michael being the youngest. If there was anyone who could keep her in line, it was him.

"Don't keep defending him, Will," Joanna snapped. "He's been really arrogant lately. He keeps making big decisions on a whim without informing any of us, and he never even tries to ask our opinion when it comes to business matters. It's like he doesn't have a family!"

John frowned, but said nothing.

Diana, on the other hand, looked aghast as she tried to remedy the situation.

"Joanna, your brother just has his own way of doing things," she said. "I'm sure he means well and has plans for himself that we don't know about."

"That's great, then. He can tell us exactly what those plans are," Joanna said, turning to Michael with a glare. "Enlighten us, dear brother, as to why we seem to no longer exist in your life."

Michael sighed quietly as he set his utensils down on the table. Then, very calmly, he said, "If being in this family means that I have to obey every single thing I'm told to do and report every detail to all of you, then I don't need it. I am no one's puppet, and I am certainly nothing like you, Joanna."

A stunned silence met him as a response.

Diane gasped in shock. Will closed his eyes, already dreading the outcome of this conversation.

Meanwhile, a deadly scowl painted John's face while Joanna's expression twisted into something even uglier.

"What did you just say?!" she shrieked. She slammed the knife and fork down on the table, the loud noise echoing off the walls.

Will reached out and tried to get her to sit down, but she wouldn't let him. She pointed at Michael accusingly with a fierce glare.

"You've become quite brave ever since you took over as CEO. But I hope you haven't forgotten what you did in the past," she snapped. "We did our best for you, yet this is how you repay us. If that's the way it's going to be, then just get the hell out of here and never come back!"

"Joanna!" Will exclaimed, shocked.

"I will take my leave now," Michael said calmly, getting up from his seat and turning around.

"Michael Noah McGregor, if you take one more step, I will make you regret it!" John's booming voice echoed through the room.

Michael, however, paid no attention to his father's warning and simply walked out of the mansion without another word.

But just as he was about to get into his car, he heard the sound of panting coming from behind him as well as rapid footsteps approaching.

Michael turned around to find himself face-to-face with his older brother, Will.

"Mike, wait," Will said, taking a deep breath before reaching out to clamp a warm hand on Michael's shoulder. His eyes were as gentle as ever, ones that suited him as a caring older brother. "I know I've already told you this a hundred times already, but..."

"I know," Michael said evenly. "Mom and Dad are just worried about me, but they don't know how else to express it. My sister is just annoyed that I keep doing things my way without consulting the rest of you. They say that I'm an ungrateful child because they did everything for me, so I should just let it go."

The deadpan in his tone made Will wince.

When he said it like that, it did sound bad.

Will felt the guilt in his heart grow even more. He didn't know how to handle this situation peacefully, but he had to try. Otherwise, the constant conflict would only tear their family apart.

"Sometimes, people say hurtful things when they're angry. Please don't take it to heart, okay? You should think more about what you said, too. It really shocked Mom," Will said softly. "I'll talk to Joanna later and make her apologize. She was out of line. Make sure to eat breakfast before going to work tomorrow, all right?"

"Okay." Michael sighed. "I'm sorry, Will."

"No need to apologize, little brother. I'm sure that things have been tough for you recently, especially since you still have to close the deal with an important client. The board of directors has been breathing down your neck lately, too, right?" Will smiled at him reassuringly. "But... about what Father said earlier..."

"Will..."

"No, I'm not here to nag you about it. Don't get me wrong. But... Mike, are you really waiting for someone?" Will asked in concern. "What are your plans for the future? You're not getting any younger, you know. You're already in your thirties."

Michael said nothing in response, so Will continued.

"Everybody's just worried about you, Mike. You're really good at the business, but... is this all you're going to do for the rest of your life?" Will said, his tone filled with worry. "Don't you think it's time you found someone to fill that empty hole in your heart? Haven't you ever... you know... longed for someone to be by your side?"

To Will's surprise, Michael gave him a soft smile in response.

"I am waiting for someone," Michael answered. "In fact, I've been waiting for her for fourteen years already."

Will's eyes widened.

He did not expect that at all.

"What? For that long? Why?" Will asked, completely caught off-guard. "Who is she? When did you first meet her?"

Michael tilted his head skywards, watching the clouds drift lazily across the black night sky. The moon shone brightly, casting an ethereal glow over the surroundings.

"I was a freshman in high school when I first met her," he said softly. "Her name is Hailey, and she's my first love."

Sixteen years ago, in the city of Lenford...

-

There was a single petal floating before 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 that Michael McGregor saw before a girl about his age suddenly came up to him, her hand firmly gripping the strap of her shoulder bag.

She was a pretty girl, with long dark hair and distinctive olive-green eyes. She had an intelligent look about her that was mixed with elegance and beauty, catching the eyes of a few boys who passed by. Her hair was so long that it reached her waist, and she left it loose with the wind blowing the strands behind her.

It was like a picturesque moment that could've 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 on the first day of high school. In middle school, he was notorious for his rebellion against his family and the teachers. He smoked, he drank, he skipped classes, and he never studied.

Nobody dared to say anything against him because he was a rich kid who had a CEO as a father. Needless to say, Michael always had his way, and he would never back down from anyone.

He was a kid who had the money but had no dreams.

But all of it 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 wrong.

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. "Hmm... Aren't you a freshman?"

Michael was in a bad mood at that time. He had gotten a heavy scolding from his father which made him think twice about going to school today, but after a veiled threat about canceling his credit cards for a lifetime, he decided to endure at least a year of school.

He took for granted the fact that his parents seemed to favor him the most and were lenient towards him. His brother, William, was the one his father was training to become the next company heir. His sister Joanna, on the other hand, was being given etiquette classes and various lessons for her future. Basically, she was to work in the family business and get married to who her father would choose 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 most of all, he was just tired of this world and the environment that was around him.

He thought that maybe, if he kept on displaying bad behavior like this, his parents would finally treat him differently.

Back to the present, Michael glanced at the yellow-colored line on the breast pocket of the girl's uniform which indicated that 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.

However, Hailey grabbed him by the arm with a smile still plastered on her face. "As the president of the student council, I'd say that it is indeed my business. What's your name?" She turned him around with surprising strength to gaze 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."

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. Nobody waited for him to return home, and he had no friends he could talk to. He didn't have any pets, either.

Just him, all alone.

Michael sighed heavily as he sat down on his couch, raising his hand to rub at his temple. Had he gone too far earlier?

However, he couldn't bring himself to feel bad about it. After all, his relationship with his family had changed drastically from what it had been back in the past.

Too many things had happened now, and he felt that it was already too late to face his internal 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.

And now Hailey was working for them?

She also changed her name?

What in the world was going on?

Michael was still frozen in disbelief even after hanging up the phone.

As though sensing that Michael was in internal conflict with himself, Grady told him that he would send all the details through one of their secure chat channels. Michael agreed to it absently and ended the call.

Michael scrolled down all of the information that Grady had investigated for him about Hailey. Apparently, after going off the grid for fourteen years, she had managed to turn herself into a different person.

The woman in the photo who was staring back at him was so different from the girl he once knew years ago.

In the past, Hailey had long black hair. She used to grow it so long that it reached her waist. But now, she had blonde hair that was cut short at a modest length, just a little below her shoulders. Her face had become mature over the years, having lost some of the baby fat from her cheeks. Her features had morphed from cute and smiley to serious and intelligent.

Her eyes were still the same, though. She still had those enchanting olive-green eyes that seemed to pierce into his soul.

Michael couldn't stop staring at her employee ID photo. Back then, Hailey hated makeup and preferred a natural look, but now, she wore eyeshadow, eyeliner, and red lipstick which made her look even more mature. It seemed that she trimmed her eyebrows as well.

If he were to look at this photo without knowing anything at all, he never would've recognized her.

It looked like she even changed her birth date. Her family information was different as well, something that puzzled Michael greatly.

Apparently, she had a mother, but her father died before she was born.

What did this mean?

So it was true that she wasn't on good terms with her family at all?

Fourteen years ago, after high school graduation, Hailey suddenly stopped everything. She refused to go to college and simply walked out of her home when she turned eighteen, bringing with her her hard-earned savings and a few bags.

By the time Michael had found out, it was already too late.

She only left him a single letter addressed to his home, and that was the only thing he had left of her.

At that time, the media had painted her as a rebellious, ungrateful daughter who only used her family for money and education before going off to elope with some random college guy. The van Gowens had been faced with bad publicity at that time, and Hailey's parents refused to say anything about the issue except for one statement.

"We did everything for her, and we'll still wait for her to come back."

Michael leaned back against the couch, suddenly feeling drained. First the family dinner, and now this.

What on earth had happened to Hailey?

And...

Would she even recognize him now?

After all, Hailey wasn't the only one who changed.

Michael changed as well.

When they were in high school, he used to dye his hair in different colors. On some days, he would go for blond. Sometimes, he felt like having bright red hair or light brown hair. He even once tried out green hair and gray hair just for the heck of it.

Hailey had scolded him a lot for it back in those days. Even though she was the student council president, she didn't really hold any power over him since their families were equal in power, and there was no logic in involving them with trivial issues.

So she simply watched over him and pointed out his wrongdoings, such as smoking on school grounds and bringing alcohol to school. Although Michael liked to rebel against everyone, he wasn't the type of person to hit or curse at a girl, so he had no choice but to ignore her all the time.

It hadn't been easy, but as time passed, his opinion of Hailey changed, and his heart softened for her each day no matter how much he tried to resist it.

At first, she was like a calm and polite authoritative figure who wanted to set things straight at school, and that included him. As the months passed, she became more like a warm mother who chided him gently.

And then she was like a friend who wanted to look out for him.

The only constant thing in life was change.

Just like how their relationship developed slowly over time, it went without saying that a lot of things would change drastically in the span of fourteen years. He didn't really expect that they would still look the same, but he never thought that it would be this huge of a change. Hailey seemed to have undergone a complete makeover.

Michael, on the other hand, became much more mature. Gone was the baby fat from his cheeks, replaced with masculine features and sharp edges. Due to his stress and exhaustion over the years of managing the business, there were faint lines on his face, but the rest of his appearance was elegant and refined.

His hair went undyed for years, his original brown hair color intact. His style became a constant clean haircut that had his strands combed back neatly. His eyes were a dark shade of honey, and flecks of amber would appear on his irises once reflected by the sunlight.

He didn't look like the foolish teenager he once was back then anymore, but if looked closely, his features were similar enough to his past self. Most of the people here knew his name by now, and although he never talked about his rebellious past, he didn't find any shame in talking about it when prompted to, either.

It was nearly impossible for Hailey not to seek him out, especially after hearing his name and reputation going around.

Which probably meant that she didn't think of their friendship as anything worthwhile at all, and that he was the only one who actually cared.

The thought of it made his chest ache a little.

However, he wasn't going to give up. Not yet, and not anytime soon.

After all, he made her a promise fourteen years ago.

-

"Wherever you go, and whenever you need me, I will do my best to find you."