Chapter 3

There was a loud thud.

Jack tipped straight out of the wheelchair and hit the floor.

He didn't let out a single groan of pain.

Instead, he burst out laughing.

My friends traded looks.

They were probably wondering if this guy was some kind of idiot.

Who gets punched and laughs about it?

But what Jack said next.

Cleared up the confusion for them.

"James."

"You're finished!"

"When Hailey comes back and sees I got hit."

"She'll never let it go."

"Don't believe me? Just wait and see."

I didn't want my last birthday to end on a sour note.

So I got up and walked over to him.

I bent down to help him up.

And he shoved me off.

He looked at me with the eyes of a man who'd already won. "Don't touch me."

I frowned. "It's my birthday. Do me the favor."

"Ha."

"Of course I know it's your birthday."

"That's exactly why."

"That's exactly why I'm going to give you a birthday you'll never forget for the rest of your life."

One of my friends snapped, "James, why are you even talking to a shameless piece of trash like him?"

"He knows full well you're Hailey's fiancé."

"And he still won't stop chasing after her."

"A man like that deserves to get hit!"

My friends were fired up, all of them furious with a lowlife like Jack.

Watching them crack their knuckles.

I swallowed my anger and got ready to just haul him up off the floor.

And that was when Hailey came back.

"Ah, don't hit me."

"I'm sorry."

Jack reacted fastest of anyone.

He heard the door open, and without even looking he'd already guessed it had to be Hailey coming back.

So he immediately started wailing, faking agony.

Hailey heard it and came running.

She saw Jack lying on the floor.

Her face went white, and she demanded, "Jack, who pushed you down?"

"Move!"

Hailey rushed over and shoved me hard out of the way.

Then she lifted Jack up off the floor.

"Hailey, I... I'm fine."

"I just fell on my own by accident."

"It's got nothing to do with James."

"He didn't hit me."

The moment she heard those two loaded words, 'hit me.'

Hailey's eyes finally landed on the blood at the corner of Jack's mouth.

And his right cheek, swollen up.

In an instant she was glaring at me like she wanted to tear me apart.

"James!"

"Is there something wrong with your head?"

"Why the hell did you hit Jack?"