Chapter 62 : I'm Jealous dont You get
STEPHEN’S POV
The moment Mom’s assistant texted me “Your mother needs to see you immediately,” I knew something was wrong.
Mom doesn’t summon people just like that and she definitely doesn’t interrupt my day unless it’s serious.
I step into her office twenty minutes later, loosening the tie around my neck. The place looks exactly like it always does, immaculate, intimidating, and ridiculously expensive.Floor-to-ceiling windows overlook half the city, sunlight reflecting off the glass buildings outside.
Mom is standing near her desk, flipping through a folder.
Hayden is sitting on the couch and that alone is enough to ruin my mood.
My eyes narrow slightly. “What’s he doing here?”
Hayden glances up lazily from his phone, sprawled across the couch like he owns the place. “Nice to see you too, brother.”
I ignore him and look at Mom. “You said it was urgent.”
“It is.” Her tone leaves no room for argument.
She closes the folder and walks toward us, heels clicking against the floor.
Hayden straightens slightly, and that’s when I notice the tension in his shoulders. His usual smug expression isn’t fully there today.
Interesting.
Mom gestures toward the chair across from Hayden. “Sit, Stephen.”
I do, but my gaze stays on my brother. “What did he do this time?” I ask flatly.
Hayden scoffs. “Good to know you assume it’s my fault.”
“It usually is.”
Mom sighs sharply. “Enough.” The room goes quiet. She places the folder on the table between us. “Hayden has been accused of academic misconduct.”
My brows pull together. “Meaning?”
“He was reported for cheating during his midterm exam.”
I blink once, then I look at Hayden and I laugh.
“You?” I say. “Cheating?”
Hayden’s jaw tightens. “Glad you find it funny.”
“No, I just….” I shake my head. “You’re many things, Hayden, but smart enough to cheat successfully isn’t one of them.”
“Wow,” he mutters.
Mom shoots me a warning look.
“The accusation is under review,” she says. “However, the university has offered him a retake.”
My attention sharpens. “A retake?”
“In two days.”
Now I understand the tension in the room. Two days isn’t studying time. “And if he fails?” I ask.
Mom’s voice is calm.
“He will be expelled.”
The words sit heavy in the air. I glance at Hayden again. For the first time since I walked in, he doesn’t look cocky.
He looks… worried.
Mom crosses her arms. “That is why you’re here, Stephen.”
I frown. “What does this have to do with me?”
“You’re the top student in the economics department.”
“That’s not news.”
“You also happen to be his brother.” I already don’t like where this is going. Mom’s gaze sharpens. “You’re going to help him study.”
Silence. I stare at her like she just asked me to jump out the window. “You’re joking.”
“I’m not.”
I laugh again, but there’s no humor in it. “Absolutely not.”
Hayden rolls his eyes. “Relax. I didn’t ask for your help.”
“Good,” I snapped. “Because you’re not getting it.”
Mom’s patience visibly thins. “Stephen.”
“No.” I lean back in my chair. “He got himself into this mess. He can get himself out.”
Hayden sits up now, irritation flashing across his face. “I didn’t cheat.”
“That’s what they all say.”
His eyes narrow. “You think I’d risk getting kicked out?”
“You risk everything constantly,” I reply. “Why would this be different?”
Mom slams her hand lightly against the table. “That’s enough!”
We both go quiet.
She looks between us with the expression of someone very close to losing her temper. “You two are acting like children.” Neither of us says anything. “You’re brothers,” she continues firmly. “You are supposed to support each other.”
Hayden snorts under his breath.
I shake my head. “Support goes both ways.”
Mom steps closer to me. “This is not a negotiation.” My jaw tightens. “You will help your brother prepare for that exam.”
“And what if I don’t?”
Her gaze hardens. “Then I will consider it a personal disappointment.”
Great. The guilt card.
I run a hand through my hair, exhaling slowly. “This is ridiculous.”
“Maybe,” she says. “But it’s happening.”
Hayden looks between us, clearly annoyed by the entire conversation. “You know what?” he mutters. “Forget it. I don’t need him.”
Mom turns to him immediately. “You do.”
“I’ll figure it out myself.”
“In two days?” Stephen laughs sharply.
Hayden glares at me. “Still better than dealing with you.”
Mom pinches the bridge of her nose like she’s developing a migraine.
“I have a court meeting in twenty minutes,” she says finally. “Which means I do not have time to babysit the two of you.”
She grabs her bag from the desk. Before leaving, she looks directly at me. “Stephen.”
“What?”
“Help your brother.”
Then she looks at Hayden. “And you….listen to him.”
Neither of us responds and Mom sighs again. “You are one family,” she says firmly. “Start acting like it.”
Then she walks out and the office door closes behind her. Silence falls over the room for exactly three seconds. Then Hayden stands.
“Well,” he says dryly. “That was fun.”
I stand too. “You’re unbelievable.”
“Me?” he scoffs. “You’re the one acting as I asked for charity.”
“You basically did.”
“I didn’t!”
“You need help passing a test you should’ve studied for weeks ago!”
Hayden grabs his jacket from the couch. “Not everyone lives their life inside textbooks.”
“At least textbooks don’t get me expelled.”
His eyes flash. “I didn’t cheat.”
“Sure.”
He steps closer. “Say that again.”
“You heard me.”
The tension between us snaps tight. For a second I actually think he might punch me.
Instead, he laughs bitterly. “God, you’re insufferable.”
“And you’re irresponsible.”
“Better than being a robotic perfectionist.”
“At least I have a future.” The words leave my mouth before I think about them.
Hayden goes very still. Oops. Then his expression turns cold. “Nice.”
He walks past me toward the door.
“Where are you going?” I ask.
“Dorm.”
I hesitate for a moment. Then I grab my bag and follow him because apparently I’ve been dragged into this disaster. The walk across campus is tense but we argue the entire time.
“You always think you’re better than everyone,” Hayden snaps as we cross the quad.
“Because I actually work for things.”
“You mean like being Mom’s golden child?”
“At least I don’t spend my time chasing girls and failing classes.”
“Oh please. You’re just jealous you don’t know how to have fun.”
“I’m jealous of stupidity?”
“Careful,” he mutters.
By the time we reach the dorm building, both of us are furious. We push through the front doors and head upstairs.
The hallway is quiet. Hayden unlocks the dorm suite door aggressively. Inside, the space splits into two private rooms. He tosses his keys onto the counter.
“Just go to your room and stop talking,” he says coldly.
“Gladly.”
He walks toward his room, then pauses. For a moment I think he might say something else.
Instead, he shakes his head. “Two days,” he mutters. Then he slams his door. I stare at it for a second, then walk into my own room and shut the door just as hard.
Helping Hayden study? Yeah. That’s definitely not happening.