(Sub title - one over Ex.)
__________________________

¶Chapter Song- Scared to be lonley¶
¶By-Martin Garrix, Dua lipa¶
________________________

"What?"  Arthur groaned in annoyance as after visiting patients and some important works of the hospital he wanted some time to calm himself.

The way he had reacted with Hailey, the way he professed to protect Cora, as his child. It was not justifiable neither he was interested in doing so.

"What kind of question was that? And why question? You might have said 'Come in Please.' " snickered Lily, stepping in the room.

"What are you doing here? I am surprised that you got such extra time to waste around me." Arthur replied looking away.

"Come on Arthur! Offer me the seat. Where's the gentleman, I know?" Lily walked toward his table?

"Can you come to the point? Is there any message from Mr. Jones or have you had left something to humiliate me?" He turned around to look at her in frustration but took a back to see her leaning against the table.

She had a malicious, wicked smile. Eyes, having a predatory glint were fixed on his face. Her head tilted a bit, "don't you think it's too hot here? You should change your air-condition." She opened the topmost button of her dress.

Arthur was shocked at her behavior at first but soon he got the reason behind it. He closed his eyes to concentrate and not lose his cool,
"You are drunk Mrs. Jones!"

"Lily! call me like you always did, You don't need to be so formal Arthur." She smirked stepping closer to his chair.

Arthur got up to maintain the distance between the two.

"I must be formal with the wife of my senior, and his wife must not forget it." He said strictly.

"What I shouldn't forget Arthur? I was just talking about your miserable ventilation and conditioning system." She held his hand getting closer, "I didn't say anything else that I wasn't supposed to." She looked into his eyes straight.

"Lily, what are you trying to prove?"

"I don't need to prove anything. I just wanted to see how quickly you can get aroused by my presence only." She giggled shamelessly entangling her fingers in his.

"Leave." He said with a clenched jaw.

"Stop acting Arthur. Your new girlfriend must be young but she can never be me."  She held his hand to place on her cheek, "accept that you long for me. At times even I do think about old times." With his touch, her eyes turned deeper.

"You are disgusting Lily!" Arthur pulled back his hand from her, "Your thoughts are sick! Your Husband..."

"He is out of town for two days. That's why he gave you a date after four days for the surgery." She held his hand quickly before he could step away.

"You have no values, Lily! You wanted wealth and status when you were with me, now when you got all that you want me." Arthur said with disgust.

"Arthur, what's wrong if we can have both? You love me and I can give you everything you deserve but never attained." Her hand glided on his chest.

"It's a mash-up of your sick mind and the alcohol that's hallucinating you. I never wanted Money! All I craved whole my life was a family to call my own! Someone to look up to, someone to live for. Today, you have proved. You could never be the one!" He pushed her away with disgust.

"You are pushing me away! Have you forgot how devasted you are, all these years, you couldn't find a single person, and now when I'm showing pity on you. You are denying it! " her words sounded like venom to him, "Oh, got it. Family! You are thinking that Hailey and Cora will gonna be with you. That is what my foolish emotional husband was thinking."

For a moment Arthur felt blank as he never thought Mr. Jones could be thinking that way.

"That woman gonna treat you worse than I did Arthur! She has a daughter, a boyfriend who is supposed to be the father of her daughter. All she needs is stability and security. Can't you see? You are offering her everything that is why she is over-friendly with you. Who knows if it all is just a trap, she was using her daughter to reach you. And you are falling in her trap!" Lily went on and on while Arthur kept looking at her.

"For God's sake Arthur! Speak up! Say that you won't fall into her trap!" She screeched holding his collars in frustration.

Arthur kept looking at her for a moment then for her shock he just huffed with a smile.

"So, that's the center of all this nonsense."

"What? What looks like nonsense to you Arthur? Look at me, you can't fall in..." She cupped his face and started to convince him but before she could complete her sentence, Arthur held her hands to remove them away from him.

"You claim to be here to save me from falling into another Love trap. But the fact is, you can't digest a simple thing. That, Someone, is replacing you. Someone is rejuvenating the ruins you left behind, You can't bear Hailey in my life." He said firmly holding her hands.

"You can't bear that a person you ditched, can be someone's choice." A smirk ran across his lips while a gleam of life shone brightly in his eyes with a smear of tear, "God! I didn't know it would feel so good to see you in such a miserable state of mind Lily." He chuckled coldly while tears were visible in his eyes.

Lily pushed his hand away this time, with aggression, her facial expressions changed quickly as if he had caught her.

"You are pathetic, sadist, and most narcissistic person I ever met Lily. Now, I pity on Mr. Jones."

"Shut Up Arthur! What are you trying to prove with this fake laughter of yours? That you are very happy? That you have moved on with a younger girl while I'm stuck with that old man!"

"You couldn't value our years-long relationship Lily, at least respect His admiration and love!" Arthur replied strictly this time.

"Love! Yes, at least I have an oldie at home. You'll never get one as you have turned it down just now!" She said venomously.

"I might not, because after seeing this disgusting side of yours, I don't think I would be able to love again. I had a really bad choice you know."

"Dr...." At the same time, the door of the room flung open and Hailey steps in.

'Sorry, I guess, I should come later." She took her step back to see Lily standing there, near him.

Arthur quickly pushes Lily away and steps toward the door, "No need, Mrs. Jones was just leaving."

Lily glared at Hailey while stepping ahead to leave, "You got really bad taste, Arthur. No doubt your choices turn out to be a mistake." She commented before leaving.

"Why you left Cora alone?" Arthur didn't wait a moment to inquire Hailey as soon as Lily disappeared from there.

"Meril is there," Hailey replied looking away from him.

"I think we need to discuss a few things," Hailey said calmly.

"Yes, please take a seat." Arthur huffed suppressing the inner storm Lily had instigated in him.

"I want to pay for the apartment."

"Fine. I'm not interested in properties either. You can pay me in installments." He replied looking calm.

"Thank you. But I was talking about paying rent for our stay there too until I pay the whole amount." She added.

"That will be great. But I wonder what kind of job gonna offer you such an amount to do it all." Hailey felt offended at his cold words.

It was the fact that she had no plans to execute her thoughts. She had decided to join Meril as an assistant but she could not give her that much money. That means she had to think about another job along with it. She started to think about it.

"You don't need to worry about it. I'll manage."

"Yes, like you managing your Ex." Taunted Arthur.

"At least my Ex. isn't sitting with me behind closed doors and taunting me for a bad choice." She taunted back.

"Miss Hailey, mind your words. She is someone's wife now." Arthur warned her.

"That's not my problem! Why is she targeting me every time? My toxic boyfriend was enough to make it pathetic for me! I don't need your Ex.! Or anyone's current!" She groaned at him.

"Your boyfriend? I thought he was your Ex." Arthur glared at her words.

"Yeah, that's the same thing. Don't divert the topic." She glared back.

"Woo woo... Can't you guys keep it cool for once?" Luke entered the room without a knock to find them arguing again. "Why are you guys always sparking flares?" He giggled.

"There is nothing funny Luke!" Hailey groaned at him before Arthur could.

"Oh, oh, you are sounding like him, Hail." Luke snickered.

"I'm not staying here to see a bro-sis war." Arthur facepalmed himself and got up to leave, "Cora must be waiting for me."

"She was asking for wedding pictures." Hailey announced with some trouble, "Adam has seeded doubts in her mind I guess. She was inquiring about you. Ahm... and our... Like reason for we not living together."