Hayden listened silently without interrupting.
"Although Shelly has had a child, I think she is better than many women who haven't had children. So if you also have feelings for her, I hope you won't look down on her. And if you don't like her, I hope you can reject her quickly." Fergus did not want Shelly to be strung along by Hayden. "She told me she likes you. I don't know if she told you, though."
Hayden contemplated Fergus's words for a moment and asked, "Is it possible that she's using me as an excuse to reject you?"
Fergus was taken aback for a moment, then said, "I don't think so. She rejected me a long time ago. Actually, I'm not that bad of a catch. If she didn't have someone she liked, I don't think she would have turned me down. I believe she genuinely likes you."
Hayden was not surprised by his answer.
"So, what do you think?" Fergus could not quite figure out Hayden's thoughts on the matter through his calm demeanor. "Shelly and I are from the same hometown, and even though she rejected me, we're still friends. I've advised her not to hold unrealistic hopes because you're so outstanding. Although Shelly is a brilliant woman, there is a significant difference between the both of you."
Hayden asked, "And what did she say to that?"
"She said that she's not in a hurry to get married now, so she is willing to wait. Mr. Tate, you know that it is emotionally draining for someone to pine after someone they have no future with. I don't want her to waste her time on something impossible. If you don't like her and have no intention of marrying her just reject her, so she doesn't hold onto fantasies," Fergus said.
"Fergus, why are you so impatient?" Hayden teased. "You're the kind of person who can decide on a partner after meeting them once or twice but that doesn't mean everyone is like you."
Fergus blushed from the reprimand.
"Even if I weren't your boss, even if I didn't have my current position, I wouldn't rush into a lifelong commitment after just one or two meetings, as you do," Hayden said calmly. "Marriage is a big decision because it affects all aspects of one's life. I've only known Shelly a bit longer than you have."
"Oh... are you saying that you're still evaluating her?" Fergus seemed to understand Hayden's stance. "If you find her unsuitable, you must let her know."
Although Aiden was ill, he had never been down with a fever, and on top of that, Hayden's parents had been the ones to care for him. There was no reason for Shelly to ask Fergus for help.
"Yeah! There was a storm that night. Her daughter was down with a fever, and she couldn't catch a taxi, so she asked me to drive her to the hospital." Fergus grew terrified at the dark look that crossed Hayden's face, and he began to stammer. "Didn't you know she has a daughter? Why are you mad? Her daughter is really pretty, and I even told her that I would raise her daughter as my own…"
"Daughter?! She has a daughter?!" Hayden clenched his fists and trembled in shock.
"Huh?" Fergus scratched his head, struggling to breathe. "Didn't you know this? Why are you so shocked?"
Hayden clenched his jaw and strode toward the parking lot without another word, all the while thinking to himself, "Shelly Taylor has another daughter and she kept it a secret this entire time!"
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