HAZE (On Hold)

Part 2

Finally, it was the day of Hailee's release from the hospital. She was so nervous and excited that she had barely gotten any sleep during the night. She got herself ready and packed up her belongings and watched the door for her father. The hours slowly ticked by until mid-afternoon when one of their drivers, Charles, who also happened to be Anna's husband walked in the room. Hailee quickly climbed off her bed and walked over to him wrapping her arms around him.

"It's so good to see you up and about Ms Hailee."

"Thank you, Charles. Where is my father?"

"He is in the car on his phone, he asked me to collect you. Is this everything?" Charles lifts up her bag. Hailee nods as a nurse appears pushing a wheelchair.

"No! no way am I going back to one of those." Charles puts his hand on her arm, "Ms Hailee, it will be okay. They only want you to ride down to the car in it and then we can kick it to the curb. Now, I happen to know that Anna is at home making all of your favourites, we shouldn't keep her waiting any longer."

"Alright, lead the way, Charles." Hailee sits down in the chair and allows the nurse to push her to the elevator and then out to the awaiting car.

Charles opens the car door for her and then the trunk to put her bag inside. Hailee gets out of the chair and takes a seat in the back seat of the car. Her father acknowledges her with a smile and nod as he continues his phone conversation, while the blonde woman beside him types away frantically on her phone.

Her father finishes his conversation and turns to looks at her, "You look really good, I'm so glad you are finally coming home."

"Me too Dad, I've missed you. Why haven't you been to see me lately?"

The woman clears her throat, "Sorry." Randolph reaches over and takes her hand, revealing a big diamond on her finger, "Hailee, this is Shay, my fiancée." "Shay, this is my daughter, Hailee."

Shay shows her an obviously fake smile, and reaches her hands out towards her, "It's so nice to finally meet you Hailee, Randy, hasn't stopped talking about you. I'm sorry we couldn't meet sooner, but, well, I just don't do hospitals, cause, you know that's where sick people are and I don't want to end up with some crazy disease."

Hailee listens and watches the actions of the woman and already has formed an immediate dislike for her. If her daughter is anything like her it's going to be horrible. Maybe I should just check myself back in the hospital, she thinks as the car starts the drive to her new home.

Neither Shay nor her father acknowledges her for the remainder of the hour-long ride to the mansion. She watches out the window and tries to prevent herself from crying as buildings and houses go by. Eventually, they pull up to a gate which opens for them and Charles drives them down the driveway, and she catches the first sighting of her new home. They pull up and stop at the door and Charles opens the door, helping Shay step out of the car in her expensive heels. Randolph follows her out, leaving Hailee sitting in the car.

Charles bends his head in the door, "Everything will be okay, Ms Hailee, Anna is waiting for you inside." Hailee climbs out of the car and looks at the driver for reassurance, he nods and she slowly walks towards the open door.

Walking inside she is immediately overwhelmed by the size of it, she struggles to control her breathing. Anna appears from somewhere, and Shay addresses her, "Anna, could you please let Aurora know that Hailee has arrived, she has so been looking forward to meeting her soon to be sister." "Yes, Ms Shay, right away." Anna gives Hailee a look before following her directive.

Hailee continues to stand in the middle of the marble floor, not sure where to go or what to do. Her father and Shay have both gone about leaving her on her own. She looks at the paintings and pictures on the walls and doesn't understand the appeal of them, other than perhaps they were expensive. It must be Shay's doing, her parents were never ones to flaunt their money.