The sound of Haillieâs voice made Ellinor spin around, only to find Haillie leading a chestnut horse and watching her from a distance âHaillie, has your foot already healedâ Ellinor asked Belinda had gone to another row of stables to fetch her horse, leaving the two of them alone. Haillieâs pretentious friendliness was gone as she openly showed hostility towards Ellinor âMy footâs still busted, but that little scratch ainât stopping me from riding!â
Haillie had wailed so dramatically when she got hurt that any passerby mightâve thought sheâd been maimed And now, here she was, standing and leading a horse as if nothing had happened. She mustâve been pretending back then, otherwise, she wouldnât be able to ride so soon Ellinor simply smiled. âThatâs good to knowâ
She didnât want to engage with Haillie any further and without giving her another glance, she continued towards the horse sheâd chosen.
Just then, Haillie scoffed, âEllinor. Iâd steer clear of that horse if I were you. Even if you manage to lead it out, you wonât be able to ride it!â
Ellinor paused. Haillieâs words didnât sound like a taunt. She glanced at the horse, then back at Haillie, âWhat do you mean, Haillie?â
Haillie looked at her with disdain. That horse already has an owner, and it only listens to its owner. No one else has been able to ride it so far!â
Ellinor was curious. âAnd whoâs the owner?â
âYouâre not worthy of knowing who the owner is! If I were you, Iâd pick another horse, otherwise, youâll scare the living daylights out of the others!â
Haillieâs dislike for her was now clear.
Ellinor, however, found this conversation quite enjoyable and responded with a smile, âThanks for the heads up, but can I ask you one more thing?â Haillie frowned and looked at her with contempt. âWhat now?â
Ellinor asked, âHaillie, do you dislike me because you have a crush on Theo?â
Haillie explained straight up. âTheo, Jonah, and I have been friends since we were kids. Our relationship is pure and not something a woman like you would understand!â Ellinor wasnât bothered by her insult and asked, âIf youâre not into Theo, why are you targeting me? The watch incident and todayâs incident were both deliberate setups, werenât they? Youâre just trying to make Theo hate me, right?â
Without showing any guilt, Haillie nodded, âSince youâre so eager to know, Iâll tell you straight up.
Patriciaâs my best friend and I canât stand by and watch a woman like you steal him itâd break her heart!â
Ellinor caught on immediately, âSo your bestie is Byrans sister?â
âExactly!
âShe must be a wonderful person for you all to care for her so much.â
Haillie was proud and overjoyed when talking about her bestie, âAbsolutely! Patricia Howard is the best girl in the world! Sheâs noble, kind, and academically outstanding You canât hold a candle to her!â
âIs that so?â Ellinor asked nonchalantly Haillie was irked by Ellinorâs indifference. Nothing seemed to bother her. So, she said fiercely, âEllinor, since weâre already talking about Patricia, let me tell you more about her! Theo and Patricia were great together. They only broke up because of family conflicts, but that doesnât mean you can just waltz in and marry Theo!â