Runaway Mommy: My Boss is the Father novel Chapter 25

On her very first day of college, Phoebe had been dragged into the administration office and chewed out for driving a flashy sports car onto campus.

That was where she first laid eyes on Jaxson, who was there as the freshman representative checking the student roster.

Back then, Jaxson was wearing a crisp white shirt, gray sweatpants, and a pair of faded Converse sneakers. He exuded a vibrant, youthful arrogance, and just the sight of his side profile had instantly stolen half of Phoebe's heart.

When the administration demanded she write an apology letter, she didn't even argue. She just wanted to run outside and see if his face matched that perfect profile.

When she caught up, she saw a few guys slinging their arms over Jaxson's shoulders, asking him to play basketball.

Phoebe actually recognized one of them: Sebastian.

Before the semester started, there was a freshman group chat for gaming. Sebastian had spent days teaming up with Phoebe online, and they had added each other as friends before school even began.

During a late-night session, Phoebe absolutely crushed Sebastian in a match.

He couldn't help but message her about it.

Phoebe: "I want a boyfriend. Introduce me to the hottest guy you know, and I'll carry you in every game."

Sebastian: "?"

If she wanted to date, why did she destroy him in the game?

Sebastian: "The hottest guy I know is obviously me. You wanna date me?"

Phoebe: "..."

Psycho.

The next day, Phoebe managed to get Sebastian's class schedule and proceeded to crash almost every single one of those lectures.

Sitting right next to Jaxson, Phoebe arched an eyebrow, offering a bold, unapologetic smile. "Hey there. You look exactly like my future boyfriend. Wanna give me a shot?"

Jaxson gave her an icy, detached look.

The girl sitting next to him was stunning, her bright eyes shining with mischief, yet the words coming out of her mouth were utterly shameless.

He ignored her, so Phoebe just came back the next day.

Before long, the entire department knew Phoebe was relentlessly pursuing Jaxson.

Plenty of girls liked Jaxson, but none possessed Phoebe's sheer audacity. Most people assumed Jaxson would eventually snap and tell her to get the hell out, but to everyone's shock, they actually started dating.

Only Phoebe knew just how desperate she had been during that time.

Jaxson had a bad stomach, so regardless of whether she had morning classes, she would wait in line every single day to buy him breakfast.

All that earned her was a dismissive comment that he didn't usually eat breakfast and she didn't need to play the martyr.

She constantly assumed Jaxson was struggling financially. Wanting to support him without crushing his pride, she even went as far as paying people to hire him for 'part-time gigs,' secretly footing the bill herself.

Whenever she bought him gifts, she tore off the price tags.

It turned out that the cold look in his eyes back then wasn't because he felt bad about her spending so much. It was because the items were too cheap.

How could gifts worth a few thousand dollars ever impress the heir to The Hayes Group?

Her love had been so fragile, treating their relationship like delicate glass that would shatter if she didn't protect it constantly.

When it finally broke, every single shard lodged deep into Phoebe's heart, leaving her numb, paralyzed, and completely drained of life.

She used to think that deep down, he must have loved her, even just a little.

But she realized that 'little' was nothing more than her own pathetic fantasy.

Slumping against the balcony door, Phoebe stared at the lightbulb in her hand as silent tears spilled over, burning against her skin.

During dinner, Mrs. Lennox helped Lily eat while looking over at Phoebe. "If there's any nice guys at your company, you should go out with them."

Phoebe offered a self-deprecating smile. "Who would want to date someone in my situation?"

Mrs. Lennox glared at her. "I'll watch Lily while you go out on dates after work, what's wrong with that? Sure, things are a little tough right now, but you're a catch!"