Too Late for Sorry, Mr. Billionaire (Chasing my Wife Back) novel Chapter 57

THE minute the door clicked shut behind her mother, Hazel stood frozen for a few seconds, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Her hands curled into fists at her sides, short nails digging into her palms as anger, hurt, and betrayal crashed over her all at once. Her jaw tightened, teeth grinding against each other as she replayed Amelia’s calm, unyielding voice in her head.

‘This decision has already been made.’

Hazel let out a sharp breath, blinking back tears that refused to stay put. With a frustrated growl, she spun around, marched the little distance between her and her desk, and grabbed her phone. Her fingers trembled slightly as she scrolled, then pressed a familiar name.

**Dad.**

The phone rang twice before the call connected.

“Hey, sweetheart,” Adrian’s voice came through, warm but slightly distracted, the low hum of an office in the background. “What is wrong?”

Hazel’s voice broke instantly.

“Dad…”

Adrian straightened in his chair the moment he heard the distress in her tone.

“Hazel? What happened?”

“She… she wants to send me away,” Hazel blurted out, words tumbling over each other. “Mom. She just came into my room and told me I’m going to the boarding school.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line.

“Boarding school?” Adrian repeated, his voice sharpening. “What do you mean boarding school?”

“She said it is ‘weekly boarding,’” Hazel said, mockingly imitating Amelia’s calm tone through tears. “That I will come home on weekends. Dad, I don’t want to go. I don’t want to leave my brothers.”

Adrian exhaled slowly, rubbing his temple.

“Since when did she decide this?”

“Just now,” Hazel replied bitterly. “She said it has already been decided, like my opinion doesn’t even matter.”

“That is not okay,” Adrian said firmly. “She should have talked to me first.”

Hazel sniffed, clutching the phone tighter.

“She said I can tell you if I want. Like she doesn’t even care.”

Adrian’s jaw tightened.

“I’m not happy about this, Hazel. Not at all.”

Her heart leapt at his words.

“You are not right?”

“No,” he said. “Decisions like this shouldn’t be made without both parents agreeing.”

Hazel hurried on, fear lacing her words.

“Dad, she thinks I’m the problem. She said my behaviour is bad. She is only doing this because of Charles. Ever since he came into our lives, everything has changed.”

Adrian hesitated. “Hazel…”

“I’m serious,” she pressed. “She is choosing him over me. Over us.”

“Now honey, that is a big accusation,” Adrian said carefully.

“But it is true!” Hazel cried. “She didn’t do things like this before. Now suddenly I’m being shipped off so he can be comfortable in our house.”

Adrian leaned back in his chair, eyes closing briefly as he processed everything. The timing. The tension. The growing distance he had sensed.

“I don’t like the sound of this,” he said. “And I don’t like that you are this upset.”

“So you will stop her?” Hazel asked quickly. “You won’t let her send me away?”

“I didn’t say that yet,” Adrian replied, his tone measured. “But I will talk to your mother.”

Hazel let out a shaky breath.

“Promise?”

“Yes,” he said. “I will call her.”

Relief flooded Hazel’s chest, but fear still lingered.

“Dad, please do. Call her, please. I don’t want to leave my brothers.”

“I hear you,” Adrian said gently. “And I understand.”

“I swear I will try harder,” Hazel added hurriedly. “I will be nicer. I will do whatever she wants. Just tell her not to send me away.”

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