She Cheated The Man Who Made Her Who She Is novel
She was buying flowers to celebrate her husbands promotion, while I had stepped inside to avoid the rain.
After a brief, awkward moment, we exchanged greetings.
Hallie asked kindly how I had been over the years. I answered respectfully that everything was fine.
As we were about to part, she suddenly said, Byron Stewart, you seem a bit different from before.
I smiled but stayed quiet. In truth, nothing had changed. I just didnt love her anymore.
A cold wind blew through the crack in the door.
My right leg, the one that had been hurt before, began to ache faintly.
I rubbed it gently and said nothing.
The only sound around was the rain tapping against the window. The silence broke when the shopkeeper brought out a bunch of irises.
Mrs. Walker, you and your husband have such a good marriage.
Even on a rainy day, you still remember to buy him flowers.
Taking the flowers, Hallie glanced at me without thinking.
She gave her usual kind of reply. Harrison Robinson has been under a lot of pressure at work lately; seeing these flowers will make him feel better
With a nod, I gave a few polite compliments.
As the rain slowly stopped, I took my bag and got ready to go. When I reached the door, Hallie suddenly caught my hand.
Where do you live? Let me walk you home.
Theres no need.
I stepped back a few paces, keeping some distance from Hallie.
Calmly, I said, Im afraid your husband might take it the wrong way.
As she turned around to leave, Hallie seemed to say something.
The wind was too loud and I didnt catch it. Only the breakfast in my hand was soaked through by the rain.
What a waste.
I tossed the ruined food into the trash can.
The wind lifted my sleeve, showing the scars left from the past. I stopped, remembering something.
It had been seven years since my divorce from Hallie. And three years since I had truly let her go.
There was no sadness I imagined, none of the wild emotion I felt right after the divorce.
I was calm now, like looking at someone I no longer knew.
The rain had ended and the sky was clear.
Pulling down my sleeve, I walked unsteadily toward the steamed bun shop.
Cooper, who was helping out inside, greeted me with a bright smile.
Byron, youre here! I found a box while cleaning up.
See if you still want it. If not, Ill toss it out. That way, Ill have room for the dough press.
I wiped the dust off the box. Right away, my eyes landed on Hallies neat, flowing handwriting. [A gift from Byron.]
Curious, Cooper leaned closer.
He jokingly asked, Oh, which woman gave you this present?
The wrapping looks so fancy, its clear she spent time on it.
He eagerly checked the signature at the bottom.
As soon as he saw the graceful handwriting, he froze. His voice shook a little. Hallie Walker?
You mean that famous genius beauty with a PhD?
That stunning astrophysicist PhD who got featured in an international journal for discovering an asteroid?!
Coopers look toward me instantly turned full of surprise. Byron, who are you really?
Opening the box, I said quietly, I was Hallies ex-husband.
The unstable, unpredictable man. He had once stayed in a mental hospital because of his delusions.
The ex-husband she saw as a lasting shame.
Under Coopers constant questions, I sat down and told him my story with Hallie.
When I first met Hallie, she wasnt yet known as a legendary genius.
She was just seen by the neighbors as a troublesome child with a quiet and strange personality.
No friends and no family. Her parents didnt like her simply because she was a girl.
After their divorce, they passed her around like an unwanted burden.
Nashvilles winter was freezing cold.
Wearing only a thin undershirt, Hallie trembled in the stairwell. Feeling sorry for her, I brought her home.
While her father was playing games, he happened to notice her incredible skill in math.
From that moment, Hallies life completely changed.
At ten years old, she won the International Mathematical Olympiad and by fourteen, she entered Phoenix University without needing to take the entrance exam.
At sixteen, her published work gained global attention, earning her many awards.
The parents who once didnt want her now fought over her custody, but she knelt before my father and bowed three times.
"I know in my heart who truly cares for me and who really loves me."
"From now on, you and Calla are my real parents."
"Ill take good care of you and Byron."
After that day, Hallie kept pushing forward, never once thinking of leaving me.
When I was being recommended for university admission, she asked the school to lower the required score for me.
When I decided to stay and teach at the university, she requested a position through her student connection.
I often worried that I couldnt keep up with Hallie, but she looked at me and said, "When I was eight, my parents divorced and neither wanted me."
"I sat alone in the stairwell from sunset to sunrise and you were the one who took me home."
"From that moment, I promised myself that I would never leave you."
"Byron, without you, there wouldnt be who I am today. No matter how far I go, I will never leave you behind."
Thats the kind of person she was, unbelievably stubborn. Once she decided on something, she would hold onto it tightly.
Even when doing research projects, chasing after me and even when she cheated on me.
Cheated?
Hearing that, Coopers eyes went wide in shock.
You two grew up together, childhood sweethearts, such a close bond and she still cheated?
Whos the other man? A second-generation heir? A good-looking guy?
Or one of those scheming flirts from TV shows who love stirring trouble?
Neither of those.
Hallies affair partner was a dark-skinned, skinny, plain-looking flower farmer. By that time, Hallie had already reached great success in her career.
She no longer chased after money or fame. She began putting more of her time into personal interests.
She didnt care for stocks or investments, didnt care for beauty or fashion.
But one day, she suddenly became interested in flowers. Imported, cheap, ordinary, rare, she liked them all, bringing every kind to her small garden.
Among all of them, her favorite was the iris I once gave her for her birthday.
"It was this flower that made me fall in love with flowers from all over the world."
"Such a simple seed, with a little human care, can grow into something so beautiful."
"The whole process amazes me."
She said she loved flowers, but what she loved even more was watching them bloom.
In that small world of hers, she was like the ruler of everything.
Flowers opened and faded, died and grew again. It all depended on her.
What Hallie said, I couldnt really understand. To me, a flower was just a flower; it bloomed when it wanted and faded when it was time.
Why worry too much?
Lifting his head while moving the flowers, Harrison suddenly spoke. Professor Walker is right, I feel the same way.
How well the flowers grow depends completely on how much care the grower puts in.
Look at this iris, its thriving because Ive taken good care of it.
That autumn, when the irises were in full bloom, the two of them met.
Because of the flowers. And also because of me.
After that, Hallie started ordering flowers from Harrison often. Roses, magnolias, lilacs.
Soon, our villa looked almost like a rooftop garden.
Their connection grew stronger and deeper.
Then one day, Hallie suddenly said she wanted to sponsor Harrisons education.
Hes just a young man, smart and hardworking. It would be a shame to waste his talent.
Harrison nervously rubbed the rough calluses on his palms.
On his dark face, a worried yet eager smile appeared. Byron, Ill study hard.
My grades are good. My mom got into a car accident, so I had to quit school to take care of my family.
As long as you give me a chance, I wont let you down!
His young face already showed tiredness and lines beyond his years. When I looked into those honest eyes, I remembered something.
At eight years old, Hallie had sat on the stairs, lost and helpless.
My heart softened again.
For a long time, I treated Harrison like my own little brother. I bought him clothes and tutored him.
I taught him how to live and how to behave.
He always called me brother, saying I was the best person hed ever met. If ever he had the chance, he would repay me.
And he really did.
He was accepted into the same school where Hallie and I worked.
On the night he got his acceptance letter, he climbed into Hallies bed.
That day, I had gone home early on purpose, wanting to make a special dinner to celebrate.
When I got home, what I saw was
The two of them, messy and hugging. Their bodies were pressed together.
Right then, I completely lost control.
I threw the cake at them.
I broke every flower and plant in the house.
Hallie stood in front of Harrison, coldly watching me. Byron, if youre done, close the door.
Youre shameless, but Harrison isnt.
Between me and Harrison, she chose him without any hesitation.
I couldnt take it anymore and forced Hallie to give me an answer.
She frowned at me. Byron, youre still my husband. As long as you dont act out, Harrison will never replace you.
Harrison then dropped to his knees in front of me with a thud.
Byron, I know Ive done wrong, but Hallie and I truly love each other.
Were soulmates, the two people who understand each other the most in this world.
Please dont worry, Ill never forget your kindness.
I dont care about titles or status and I wont fight you for anything. Just let me stay by Hallie's side!
That year, I was only in my early twenties.
At that age, being young and hot-headed, I couldnt stand even a small insult.
I wrote a complaint letter to the school.
I wanted to reveal the dirty and improper relationship between the two of them, but reality quickly gave me a harsh lesson.
The school would never expel Hallie, their strongest professor.
Instead, to calm her down, they gave me a warning and a punishment.
Hallie even made a public statement, asking the other professors to take good care of Harrison.
This is my student. Hes smart, hardworking and serious.
For my sake, I hope youll all go easy on him.
He used to be a flower farmer; hes suffered a lot to get here.
Harrison may not be the best or the brightest, but in my eyes, hes the most precious one, my biggest pride.
Hallie even openly admitted that Harrisons entry into this top university was all thanks to her help behind the scenes.
She knew it wasnt right, but she didnt care.
All she wanted was for Harrison to have a good future.
And me? What about me? What am I? A joke?
At home, I hid away, crying night after night.
As I turned over in bed, all I could see were the cruel and mocking faces of the people around me.
Meanwhile, Hallie kept taking care of her irises.
Byron, don't you understand?"
Your work, your name, your place, all of it comes from me.
Without me, youre nothing.
I already told you, Harrison wont threaten your place. Cant you be calm and just live quietly with me?
No.
I couldnt stand the thought of my wife, the woman I lived with every day.
She kept thinking about another man. I wasnt some plaything that Hallie supported.
My love and self-respect were never for sale, not even for fame or fortune.
I began shouting and yelling, losing control completely.
Driven by anger, I took wild revenge on that disgusting pair.
When Hallie gave a speech, I switched her slides with explicit photos of her and Harrison.
While they were being interviewed, I suddenly rushed in to expose their dirty affair.
I wrote many letters of complaint and recorded many videos, but what I got back was only a diagnosis of mental illness.
Hallie was far too smart.
She pushed me to the edge, then used the video of my breakdown as proof against me.
Her mind, her influence and how well she knew me, all of it made it easy for her to destroy me completely.
In the end, I was expelled, fired and stripped of my degree.
Hallie was the one who sent me to the mental hospital.
I spoke calmly, but Coopers eyes were already red.
He started crying and asked, And then?
After that, Hallie got pregnant. It didnt matter if the baby was mine or not.
What really mattered was that she needed someone respectable to be the father of the child she carried.
Because of that, Hallie took me back.
She held my hand and said, Byron, I did make mistakes, but you shouldnt have acted so rashly.
Your Dad and Mom have aged overnight because of you and now people whisper and gossip about them whenever they go out.
Youre not young anymore; please, stop being so stubborn.
Then, she placed my hand on her lower stomach.
Half begging, half warning. Think about this baby. Think about your parents.
Tears rolled down into my palm.
That time, I gave in. After everything that happened, my heart was deeply hurt and all my strength was gone.
Each day, I wandered like a walking corpse, spending my time in that flower-filled house, lost in thought.
On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, Hallie came home to keep me company, taking her unborn child with me to early education classes.
Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays were different; those were the days she spent with Harrison, enjoying their sweet and passionate romance.
Even with her stomach issues, she still followed Harrison to every trendy and new restaurant.
Milk tea, coffee, barbecue and ice cream.
Whatever Harrison liked, Hallie accepted without a second thought.
This same woman once thought wasting even ten minutes of her life was shameful.
Yet with Harrison, she was willing to sit through one boring romance movie after another.
This woman, who always put her career first, was still willing to do every silly and childish thing with Harrison.
To protect him, she even let him be listed as a co-author on a paper outside his field.
To please him, she joked with her coworkers and skipped her own lectures.
She crushed my pride.
The rules and boundaries of the industry were also stepped on by her.
What made me finally explode was the marriage proposal Hallie had prepared for Harrison.
That year, she became famous after discovering an asteroid.
She appeared in international magazines and became known all across the country for her beauty and achievements.
At the top of her career, Hallie chose to share her moment with Harrison.
She named the asteroid The Promise of Mountains and Rivers.
Under the name of those mountains and rivers, Hallie and Harrison made their vow: To never be apart in this lifetime.
On the night of the award ceremony, under that asteroid called The Promise of Mountains and Rivers in the romantic planetarium, she held a small wedding for Harrison.
When Hallie walked toward Harrison in her wedding dress, she did so gracefully. When I saw them make vows of lifelong love beneath the stars, I broke down again.
Hallie and I never had a wedding.
Even after I begged her many times, she only said, Byron, you know me. I dont care for meaningless things like that.
Id rather spend my time and energy on important work. I still have many experiments waiting.
Because I loved her, I gave in. And because of that same love, I lost everything.
The emotions I had held back finally collapsed.
In front of everyone, I ran up to Harrison and slapped him twice.
Coldly, Hallie threw a glass of water in my face and said, Byron, youve gone too far.
She asked for a divorce and said she would leave with Harrison.
I refused. I couldnt accept it and I couldnt bear it.
Crying, I told Hallie, If you dare to leave today, Ill jump off this building.
She didnt walk away. She pushed me down.
Maybe she just wanted to scare me, but my right leg was really broken and I became disabled.
I was admitted back to the mental hospital again. This time, it was because I had severe depression.
While I said this, I smiled.
I spoke lightly, my tone calm. In my second year in the mental hospital, Hallie filed for divorce.
I fought until the very end, but all I got was this box of junk.
In the first year after the divorce, I couldnt accept it, I hurt myself and lost control many times.
My condition got worse and because of my injured leg, I couldnt find any proper work.
My parents worried so much that their health became worse day by day.
To stop worrying them, I went to help at the shop and slowly, my emotions calmed down.
Now, Ive taken over this steamed bun shop and things are going quite well.
My tone stayed calm.
Cooper, on the other hand, was sobbing nonstop.
Byron, why are you in so much pain?
Hallie is such a devil. If I run into her, Ill beat her to bits to get revenge for you.
The words had barely left his mouth.
Someone lifted the thick curtain of the steamed bun shop.
A cold gust of wind swept past my injured right leg. There, Hallie stood before us.
A thick fog covered her face, then I suddenly remembered what she said when we parted.
Those words they sounded like
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