Chapter 4

I was physically and mentally exhausted, and I didn’t want to argue with Julian in this atmosphere.

I had already lost the urgency to argue for a definitive answer from Julian, the desperate yearning for his complete sincerity.

I answered Julian with silence.

Julian felt like he was punching a cotton ball.

Just as I was about to close my eyes, he grabbed my chin, his voice deepening.

“Tomorrow, are you planning to move out? The day after, are you planning to swallow up Hayes Corp too? What are you thinking?”

“Can you stop acting like a mute?”

Julian’s presence was heavy.

The faint scent of alcohol mixed with a woody base note on him was usually pleasant.

Normally.

Whenever I smelled Julian’s scent, I always slept soundly.

But today, I detected another scent on him.

It was Brittany’s perfume.

A wave of nausea unexpectedly rose in my stomach.

The moment Julian leaned closer, I pushed him away with all my might, clutching the edge of the bed as I started to vomit.

“Get away!”

I vomited until I felt lightheaded, tears streaming down my face. I hated Julian.

“Get away!”

My emotions suddenly broke.

I had constantly told myself to hold back, told myself that even if I was abandoned, even if I became a stranger to Julian, I should do so gracefully.

While Julian and Brittany celebrated, with fireworks lighting up the entire city.

Recalling their intimacy, and my child, reduced to a bloody mess under the blade.

I hated Julian, deeply, deeply.

He could choose not to love me. He could be devoted to Brittany.

He could marry any woman in this world. But why did he have to trample on my sincerity?

I had only one heart in my life, and Julian had taken it, treated it like a toy, and smashed it to the ground again and again.

I witnessed, with my own eyes, how my heart was torn to bloody shreds.

How could I not hate Julian?

“Get out!”

I broke down.

I shrieked hysterically at Julian, “Get out!”

I saw a rare flash of confusion on Julian’s face, a rare moment of helplessness.

I grabbed the flowers and nutritional supplements Mrs. Hayes had brought, all on the bedside table, and hurled them at Julian.

“Get out!”

I threw everything I could, and when Julian still didn’t react, I finally couldn’t bear it, curling into a ball under the blankets, sobbing like a wounded animal abandoned by the world.

Besides crying.

It felt like I couldn’t do anything.

Couldn't keep anything.

I was so miserable, so miserable.

Julian watched me cry, watched me, devoid of my usual composure, throw things at him.

His expensive suit was crumpled, stained with water. He was confused for a moment.

*What was she making such a fuss about?*

*She made a mistake, why is she making a fuss?*

Julian looked at her, curled into a ball, sobbing uncontrollably.

A sharp pang went through his heart.

But he still couldn’t understand why someone who had made a mistake would dare to cry in front of him.

He had left the party.

He had left his friends, and told his family not to disturb her peace. She wasn't grateful, but was instead throwing a tantrum at him.

“Alice Hayes.”

Julian, despite being disheveled, still stood tall, his aristocratic aura strong.

“Have I given you too much leeway?”

Julian walked to the edge of the bed, abruptly pulled back my blanket.

He roughly yanked me out from under the covers.

“Who do you think you’re throwing a tantrum at?”