The doctor hesitated for a beat before adding in a serious tone, "Honestly, this kind of emotional state can be a precursor to depression. If left untreated, it can become severe. Just a few days ago, I saw a patient in the same situation—emotionally withdrawn, blank expressions, no interest in anything. Now he's dealing with full-on suicidal ideation."
That comment made Aunt Zhang's face go pale.
"Oh dear heavens… What do we do then?"
The doctor offered a gentle, clinical smile. "It's not too late. Just try to help her go out, take walks, distract herself, shift her focus. If she starts to regain interest in the world around her, she'll recover."
"Pfft—" Hailey Tang suddenly snorted.
Seriously? Depression?
Her? Depressed?
Please.
She wasn't on the brink of some breakdown—she was just deep in thought. Contemplating life, the universe, and her next dramatic move. That was all.
This doctor was clearly overreacting.
"Ha… hahaha…" She began to laugh—first softly, then uncontrollably. The kind of laugh that bubbles up from nowhere and won't stop. Her stomach started to hurt from how hard she was laughing.
But the laughter didn't make anyone else smile. Quite the opposite.
Ethan Yu stared at her like she'd grown two heads.
Aunt Zhang looked terrified.
Even the doctor tilted his head, watching her with the kind of cautious curiosity you'd reserve for a wild animal.
They all thought the same thing: Yep. She's lost it.
Realizing the awkward tension in the room, Hailey awkwardly cleared her throat and waved a hand. "Okay, okay. I'm fine. Seriously. Don't freak out, I just found that whole 'depression' diagnosis kind of hilarious."
No one looked convinced.
Aunt Zhang stepped forward anxiously. "Miss Hailey… if there's something wrong, you can tell us. Bottling it all up will only make it worse."
"I told you, I'm fine!"
"Then why didn't you speak yesterday or today? And your mood's been totally off—"
"I was thinking about life, okay?"
A long pause.
Everyone gave her the same skeptical look.
Thinking about life?
Who thinks like that?
After the doctor left, Ethan turned to Aunt Zhang and gave a direct order, "Pack our bags. We're leaving for New York tomorrow. Probably for half a month."
Aunt Zhang blinked in surprise. "Both of you, sir?"
He nodded.
She didn't ask any further. Just smiled faintly and went to get things ready. "Understood. I'll start packing right away."
"Wait a minute!" Hailey sat up like she'd been shocked. "You're going to New York—why am I going?"
Ethan didn't even look up. "Because the bidding project we're presenting includes your design. Half of it, in fact. You need to be there."
"I don't even know how to present anything! I'll be useless!"
"You're the only one who can explain the concept behind it," he said flatly.
"I didn't have a concept! I just doodled whatever came to mind!"
"Well, don't you dare say that during the pitch!" Ethan's voice turned cold, commanding. "Start thinking now. Make up a reason. I don't care if you say it came to you in a dream or while drunk on bubble tea. Just make it convincing."
"I already told you—"
"I don't care," he cut her off. "You've got time to overthink your life, then you've got time to come up with an origin story for your art. Use your imagination."
He wasn't being harsh to be cruel.
He was shifting her attention. He just didn't say it out loud.
Hailey didn't understand that part.
But, deep down, she couldn't deny it—he wasn't entirely wrong. Better to obsess over a fake design story than spiral into an existential crisis.
"…Fine. I'll come up with something. But I'm still not going to New York."
"If you don't go and they have questions for you during the pitch, how fast do you think you can fly across the ocean?"
"I mean, what could they possibly ask—"
"Hailey." Ethan's voice dropped into a low growl, commanding and cold. "This bidding project is critical to the company. I won't allow anyone to screw it up. Not even you."
And just like that, it clicked in her head.
Right.
If this bid fell through, the divorce would be delayed.
Hailey stood up like a woman reborn. "Fine. I'll go. I'll play your little game. But you better prepare the divorce papers. The moment we win that bid, we're signing."
Ethan's eyes darkened.
Without warning, he turned and kicked the coffee table—hard.
The thud echoed through the room.
Hailey flinched. "Are you insane?! What the hell are you doing?"
He glared at her, jaw tight. "Don't worry. The agreement is already prepared."
Without another word, he turned and stormed up the stairs, his presence sharp and bitter like a winter wind.
Hailey stood there in silence, her heart thudding like crazy, unsure if she was more shaken by the way he reacted… or by the way she kind of liked it.
Because the Ethan she fell in love with had always been cold, but when he got angry—really angry—it meant something mattered to him.
Even if that "something" was just pride, or ego, or control… it was still something.
And this time, she had poked him where it hurt.
To Be Continued.