Chapter 8

"Brandon Hayes, let me go..."

"Let go?"

Brandon's body was already pressing down on mine.

His eyes were narrowed, desire and anger intertwined, making it impossible to tell what he was truly thinking.

"Riley Maxwell, should I let go so you can go on a date with other men?"

Brandon pinned my hands above my head to the bed, pressing his body further down.

"Brandon Hayes, you bastard..."

I struggled, but it was futile. Tears immediately streamed down my face.

Seeing my tears, Brandon paused, then a cold smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"I'm a bastard? Riley Maxwell, you're cheating on me, aren't you the bastard?"

With that, Brandon's grip on my hands tightened, his drunken eyes filled with a thirst for revenge.

Without another thought, Brandon reached out with his free hand and slowly unbuttoned my clothes.

"Hiss..."

Just as Brandon was about to remove my last layer of clothing, my pained gasp made him stop.

Looking at the faint bloodstains on the bedsheet, Brandon frowned tightly.

"Damn it!"

How could he forget? I had just had an abortion a few days ago.

Thinking of this, Brandon looked up at my stubborn face, then got up and left the studio.

Watching Brandon leave, I finally let out a sigh of relief from my tears.

After a long while, when the pain below intensified, I finally got up and dressed.

I went to the hospital alone.

When the doctor told me everything was fine with my body, the weight in my heart finally lifted.

The next morning, I timed Brandon's departure for work, then returned to his family mansion.

To spite me, Brandon had fired all the household staff and the driver three years ago, so the house was empty.

I went back to my room, packed all my belongings, and then called a delivery service for pickup.

I opened my laptop and scheduled an audio recording from my phone to be sent to Brandon.

As I pulled out my wedding photos with Brandon, I felt a slight daze.

Back then, we had just gotten married, Brandon hadn't lost his memory, and we were still in love.

At that time, I was very happy. But now, everything had changed.

I gathered all the wedding photos and, along with all the things Brandon had given me, lit a fire in the courtyard.

Let it be this way. Let our past, along with my love for him, turn to ashes in this world.

Watching everything burn to ashes with my own eyes.

I dragged my suitcase and got into Liam Henderson's car.

The sun was just right in the sky. Everything would start anew.

At Hayes Group headquarters, Brandon was in a meeting when the family's security guard burst in, flustered.

"Sir, bad news! Mrs. Hayes, Mrs. Hayes left with her luggage, and she lit a fire at home!"

"What did you say?"

The documents Brandon held fell from his hands.

Under the astonished gaze of everyone, Brandon pushed past the security guard and rushed to the parking lot.

Sure enough, for that man outside, she chose to leave him!

But how could he let her go so easily? Her atonement wasn't complete yet.

Brandon drove as fast as he could, the panic in his heart a confusing mix of hatred and reluctance.

"Beep..."

A car horn pierced the sky. A truck collided with the silver Porsche.

Brandon felt a huge impact, then countless memories flashed through his mind like a movie: our acquaintance, our love, our marriage, the joy of discovering I was pregnant, and of course, the car accident that changed everything.

Everything rushed into his mind like a flood.

In his last moments of consciousness, Brandon saw my lost gaze and my resolute retreating back.