No Return After Goodbye

When I was seven months pregnant, my husband, Brandon Adkins, got into a car accident. I held my belly and rushed over as fast as I could, but by the time I got there, his body was already mangled beyond recognition. The shock hit so hard that I started bleeding right there. At my lowest point, it was the eldest son of the Elledges who got me to the hospital and handled Brandon's funeral. Three years later, Brandon showed up out of nowhere, holding his first love. He pulled me into a tight embrace, voice soft as he explained, "I'm sorry. Alanna was terminally ill. Her last wish was to travel the world. I was afraid you wouldn't agree, so I faked my death. "Now that her wish has been fulfilled, we can go back to the way things were." I looked into his affectionate eyes, then shoved him away in disgust. "Too bad for you. In the three years you were gone, I got engaged to someone else." Chapter 1 "Got engaged?" Brandon Adkins's face darkened instantly. His hand trembled as he grabbed my shoulders, but his eyes never once left Alanna Harmon. "Jocelyn, don't joke around. It's only been three years. You were a widow with a child. Who could you possibly have gotten engaged to? I admit I was wrong. I'll make it up to you however you want." I met his panicked gaze. I tried to speak, but the moment I saw Alanna standing behind him, my eyes burned red. So all those endless days and nights I spent grieving him, he had been traveling the world with another woman. And me? Even on the verge of giving birth, I didn't matter at all. I pushed Brandon away again. "Just let me go." Maybe I used too much force, because I bumped into Alanna behind him. Brandon's expression turned cold, laced with irritation. "That's enough, Jocelyn. You don't need to keep pretending. What do you want? A designer bag? A car? A house? I owe you. I'll transfer that riverfront condo into your name. Is that enough? Even if you don't care about me, think about our baby. By now, our child should be three, right?" The word "baby" made my fingers tremble uncontrollably. So he knew. He knew that when he faked his death, I was seven months pregnant. My baby was so small and fragile. When the doctors had to remove it piece by piece from my body, where was Brandon? Was he standing on a snow-covered mountain, watching the sunrise with Alanna, making promises? Or was he holding her close beneath the northern lights somewhere at the edge of the world? My vision blurred as tears spilled over, unstoppable. "Our baby died the day you staged your death." Brandon's face went completely dark. He grabbed my wrist, fingers tightening until my bones nearly cracked. "Jocelyn, I said I was wrong. Isn't that enough? Our child is three. Don't say things like that just to upset me. Where’s the kid?" The harder I tried to pull free, the tighter he squeezed. By the time my wrist turned bruised and purple, Alanna suddenly collapsed in front of me, eyes red with tears. "Brandon, blame me. If I hadn't insisted on having you travel the world with me, this wouldn't have happened." Only then did Brandon let go, though his gaze stayed locked on me. "Jocelyn, learn something from Alanna. Be more understanding." A stiff laugh slipped out of me. Because Alanna was terminally ill, I was supposed to give up my jewelry, my room, and even my husband? He faked his death and spent three years traveling the world with her. And now, he wanted me to be understanding? I still remember the day I went into labor. Alanna was the one who told me. "Brandon died on his way to bring you some soup." One phone call was all it took to throw me into panic. Even with my body swollen from pregnancy, I rushed out without thinking. I saw Brandon lying there, his body torn apart, unrecognizable. Grief, guilt, and self-blame crashed over me all at once. I threw up, and before I could steady myself, blood was already spreading beneath me. In those endless days and nights after losing both my husband and my child, I thought about ending everything more times than I could count. And now, he was telling me his death was fake? So all my tears meant nothing? Did my baby die for nothing, too? Chapter 2 I stood there, frozen. It took me a while before I noticed the driver Dwayne Elledge had arranged waiting in the distance. When I finally spoke, my voice came out cold. "Brandon, stay away from me." The driver stepped out to open the door for me, but before I could take more than two steps, Brandon grabbed my wrist hard. His eyes were bloodshot, the anger in them refusing to fade. "Jocelyn, even if I really had died, would you seriously get engaged to someone else after just three years? Doesn't that count as betrayal?" Alanna walked up beside me, all calm and composed, and took my hand like we were friends. She glanced the driver up and down, then sighed like she felt sorry for me. "Brandon, Jocelyn must've had a hard time these past three years. Otherwise, she wouldn't have ended up with a poor driver. And honestly, it's been three years. If she couldn't stand being alone, that's normal. You should just let it go." The veins on Brandon's forehead bulged instantly. He shot me a look, his jaw trembling. "So this is it? You're leaving me for this driver? For him, you're even willing to abandon our child?" I let out a cold laugh. He actually thought the driver was my husband. What he didn't know was that during the three years he was gone, I had already gotten engaged to Dwayne, the eldest son of the Elledges. Back then, at a business dinner, Dwayne was the one who introduced me to Brandon. I took the driver's white-gloved hand and shut the car door with a sharp click. "Brandon, you were dead, right? Then who I’m engaged to has nothing to do with you." Brandon gritted his teeth and grabbed the car door, his face shadowed as he forced the words out. "Did you forget? Today's our wedding anniversary! And now you're just brushing me off like it means nothing? Are you just like Alanna said? You couldn't help yourself and had to be with another man?" When I didn't answer, he suddenly yanked me out of the car, his face cold and hard. "Jocelyn! I was only gone three years, and now you'll sleep with just anyone?" I didn't bother arguing. I turned and shut the car door again. Under his stunned stare, I got in and left without looking back. He collapsed to the ground, shouting after me, "You'd better not regret this! Once I secure tomorrow's investment, I'll make you beg me on your knees!" I ignored him and sped all the way home. As soon as I reached the front door, Dwayne wrapped his arms around me from behind. His lips brushed lightly against my ear. "I've got an investment project tomorrow. I won't be able to make it. Can you go check it out for me?" I didn't think much of it. "Sure." He took my hand and led me out to a five-star hotel for a candlelit dinner. Chapter 3 The next day, I waited at the office at the appointed time, ready to meet the person for Dwayne's investment project. Then I heard a voice I knew all too well, and my face went cold. "Brandon, do you think you can actually land this deal? I saw this new designer bag, limited edition, only 200 grand. I really want it." "Be good. This meeting is a big one. Once it's done, I'll buy it for you." A chill ran through me. Instinctively, I tried to avoid them, but the moment I pushed the door open, my eyes met Brandon's. He froze, even letting go of Alanna's hand without noticing. "Jocelyn… What are you doing here?" Alanna spoke up right away, her voice sharp with alarm. "Don't you know how important this deal is for Brandon today? You're not here to get back at him, are you? Are you really going to cause a scene here?" Brandon had been about to reach for me, but he stopped cold. Instead, he stepped forward and grabbed my hand. "Do you really hate me that much?" When I didn't answer, something in him snapped. "You want another man, fine. Go find one. Don't stand here and mess up my deal." I looked at him, my voice flat. "I'm the one you're meeting today." The moment I said it, Alanna let out a mocking laugh. "Have you been with that broke driver so long that you've lost your mind? Do you even know what kind of deal Brandon's here for? This is a multi-billion-dollar project!" Brandon's face turned hard and cold. He stared at me, then shoved me aside. "If Alanna hadn't reminded me, I might've actually believed you. Stop wasting my time here!" Alanna beamed, throwing herself into his arms, her voice sweet. "Brandon… I want another bag, too…" My lower abdomen slammed into the edge of the table. The lingering damage from the miscarriage three years ago hit all at once, and the pain curled me in on myself. Brandon didn't even blink. He just looked down at me. "Stop pretending. I barely touched you." Alanna crouched beside me, adding fuel to the fire. "Brandon, I think she's just trying to stall. She wants to wait for the investor to show up and ruin your deal." She pointed at me with a laugh. "Look! Her little plan failed, and now she's wet herself in the office. She's doing this on purpose, trying to embarrass you and wreck your project." Brandon's eyes turned red as he clenched his fists. "Jocelyn, what the hell is wrong with you? You'd go this far just to get back at me? I've been working on this deal for so long. What exactly do you want?" I lowered my head, staring at the dampness beneath me, my chest tightening. Back then, after the hemorrhage, my seven-month-old baby had to be removed piece by piece from my body. In the three years since, my body had never fully healed. I would often wet myself without warning. Through all of it, Brandon never once apologized. My voice shook as I forced myself up while holding my abdomen, trying to keep what little dignity I had left. Brandon looked disgusted, covering his nose. "Clean that mess up!" Alanna laughed beside him, not bothering to hide it. "Jocelyn, did that broke driver mess you up so badly that you can't even control yourself anymore? Look at you now! How could you ever be worthy of Brandon?" Humiliation flooded through me, and I couldn't stop trembling. "Brandon, do you even know the reason I'm like this now is that when you faked your death, the shock made me lose the baby?" His jaw tightened. Suddenly, he stepped forward and kicked me hard in the stomach. The pain dropped me to the floor. I couldn't even speak anymore. Brandon looked down at me, his voice cold. "You make me sick! If you want to leave me, just say it. There's no need to make such a mess of things." Alanna smiled faintly beside him. "Let me take care of trash like this. Don't let her ruin your deal." Chapter 4 I was dragged into the restroom like dead weight, my whole body reeking of urine. Alanna let out a cold laugh beside me, then tilted my chin up with a mocking look. "Every time I see your face, it makes me want to throw up." I glared at her, but the next second, her hand cracked across my face. The sting burned hot, my cheek instantly flushing red. She leaned in closer, voice low and cruel. "What do you think would happen if Brandon walked in and saw you messing around with other men in here? Do you think he'd feel disgusted every time he saw your face after that?" Fear shot through me. Looking at the expression on her face, I knew she meant every word. I collapsed to the floor, my voice breaking as I begged, "I'm already engaged to the eldest son of the Elledges. I don't love Brandon anymore." She ignored me completely, her smile bright as she gestured behind her. Two large men stepped forward. "Only if you're truly ruined will Brandon finally give up on you. Oh, and I forgot to tell you… I was never terminally ill. When you rushed over to see Brandon's so-called body, I had someone give you a little push. Otherwise, maybe your baby would've been born after all." She turned and walked out, shutting the door behind her. Her laughter echoed harshly through the restroom. My body shook uncontrollably as I begged again and again. The two men didn't care. They just laughed. "Nice figure," one of them said. "Wonder how it feels." His hand reached toward me, and a wave of humiliation crashed over me. I forced myself to stay conscious and focused. Behind me, I spotted a mop. I grabbed it with everything I had, gripping it tight. Dwayne had said he would come pick me up after the meeting. If I timed it right, he had to be nearby. Tears mixed with sweat as they slid down my face. I used all my strength to slam the mop against the restroom door, again and again. The men's expressions changed instantly. They rushed forward and slammed me to the ground. My abdomen was already injured. The impact knocked the air out of me, and I couldn't stand back up. One of them spat at me, grinning. "Damn, you almost pulled one over on us." "Don't worry. We'll take our time with you." My throat tightened. Even as blood rose in my mouth, I didn't stop struggling. They didn't care. One of them clamped a hand over my mouth while the other yanked at my clothes. "Still got some fight in you. Let's see how long that lasts." Despair swallowed everything. The light in my eyes started to fade. Just as they were about to strip off the last piece of my clothing, the door burst open with a deafening crash. "Jocelyn!" Dwayne's expression was something I had never seen before. He kicked the man in front of me to the ground, his eyes cold enough to tear them apart. "Who did this? Who the hell thought they could touch her?!" His bodyguards moved fast, pinning both men down in seconds. Dwayne grabbed the mop handle and brought it down on them again and again, not stopping even when they were already a bloody mess. Only after venting his rage did he finally stop. His whole demeanor shifted as he pulled me gently into his arms. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have let you go through this today." A tear slipped from my eye. Just then, Alanna's voice came from the doorway. "Brandon! Jocelyn was just in here with two men! I tried to stop her, but I couldn't!" Brandon rushed in immediately. The moment he saw Dwayne holding me, his jaw tightened. "Wh-what did you do with Jocelyn…" Before he could finish, Dwayne's fist slammed into his face. "So these animals were sent by you?" Brandon staggered, stunned from the blow. "Who the hell are you? Why are you holding my wife?" Dwayne's gaze turned icy. He glanced at the investment proposal in Brandon's hand and let out a faint, mocking chuckle. "Mr. Adkins. You want my investment, and this is how you treat my fiancée?"