Hailey's face was a mask of fury as she tried to call Clara . ngent to voicemail . The phone rang and rang , but no one picked up . Finally , it " Damn it , damn it ! " Hailey screamed , losing control right there She'd always seen Clara as a spineless pushover she could wall at the most critical moment .. What was she going to do ? If she couldn't get the money … the sidewalk . all over . She never imagined the bitch would screw her over All the evidence of her crimes would be exposed . By then , it would too late . The perfect facade she had spent years building for Clara's father , brother , and Zane would be shattered . After forcing herself to calm down , she called a cab to the hospital . She had to show up for her so - called final round of chemotherapy . Before long , Clara's father and brother , Ethan , walked into the hospital room . Hailey , pretending nothing was wrong , greeted them with a smile . " Dad , Ethan , you're here ! " " Hailey ? Why are you out of bed ? You need to lie down and rest . " Clara's father fussed over her as usual , but then he scanned the room and frowned . " Hmm , where's Clara? " A jolt of panic shot through Hailey , but she quickly forced a sweet smile . " Oh , she's not here , Dad . " " Clara handed the studio and the publishing rights over to me . She was probably feeling a bit overwhelmed and decided to take a vacation . " " Did you need her for something ? " Ethan scowled . " What's her problem now ? Is she seriously throwing a tantrum over this ? " " We asked her to prepare the handover documents for the studio , and she still hasn't sent them . " " And she's not answering her phone . This is getting ridiculous . " Clara's father sighed " That girl … why is she still so willful ? I'll give her a call . " He put the phone to his ear , but the call went straight to a cold , automated message : the number was no longer in service . " She's not even picking up . It's getting out of hand . " Clara's father sighed again . " I don't know what she's so upset about . " " But since she agreed to it herself , she can't back out now . " Ethan , fuming , pulled out his own phone to text Clara . Hailey watched them , a flicker of triumph in her eyes as a wave of secret delight washed over her . / See , Clara ? This is what I wanted . You can hate me with every fiber of your being , but I'm still the one who's doing just fine . So what if your novels and studio aren't in my name yet ? The people who matter most will always be on my sides But for some reason , Hailey couldn't shake the feeling that their attitude toward her had subtly changed .