The Day I Walked Away

Brandon Hayes had too many enemies, so he asked Hannah Foster to be his public girlfriend until every last one of them was dealt with. "Eleanor, I know this isn't fair to you. I promise we'll get married after I've taken care of all my enemies." I looked at Hannah with concern. "But won't this put her in danger?" Brandon's expression darkened. "I saved her life. She owes me this." The day Brandon proposed to me, I was just about to slip the ring onto my finger when a bullet came flying toward me. Hannah threw herself in front of me. The bullet tore into her abdomen, and blood immediately poured from the wound. The man who had been looking at me with such tenderness shoved me aside without a second glance. He scooped Hannah into his arms and rushed her to the hospital. I looked down at the blood running between my legs. I gritted my teeth and endured the pain as I hailed a cab. "Take me to the hospital." Chapter 1 A Promise Broken The cab driver took one look at the state I was in and floored the gas, running red lights all the way to the hospital. The doctors rushed me into the operating room. Still, I only caught one sentence through the haze. "We can't save the baby…" Tears slipped from the corners of my eyes. Maybe it was for the best. Now, I could leave without anything holding me back. When I woke up, the hospital room was empty. I rested a hand on my now-flat stomach and let out a bitter smile. The baby's father had never even known that our child existed before it was taken from us. My phone rang. It was Brandon. I had been planning to have a serious talk with him, but his anxious voice came through the phone before I could say anything. "Eleanor, where are you?" My heart still skipped a beat. He still loved me. Maybe things didn't have to end like this after all. I inhaled slowly as I answered, "I'm in Room 501 at Central Medical Center." The call ended abruptly. … Moments later, the door to my room was shoved open. Brandon walked in with his two closest friends. The moment he saw my pale face and hospital gown, he froze. "Eleanor, what happened to you?" "I—" Before I could answer, one of his friends cut me off. "Brandon, hurry up. She looks fine. Hannah needs our help!" Brandon snapped out of it. "Right." He grabbed my hand and dragged me toward the door. Pain shot through my body. I'd just had surgery. "Brandon, let go. You're hurting me." A sheen of cold sweat broke out across my forehead. "Eleanor, you have the same rare blood type as Hannah. The blood bank is out of blood, so you're the only one who can donate." He looked at me pleadingly. That was true. Hannah had always served as my emergency blood donor. However, Brandon had protected me so well over the years that she'd never had to donate a single drop. I stared at him in disbelief, tears filling my eyes. I'd just lost our baby. Yet, he now wanted me to give my blood to another woman. "Brandon, I just—" My words were drowned out by a nurse shouting down the hallway. "Where is Hannah's family? She needs a blood transfusion immediately!" Brandon let go of my hand. "I'm her boyfriend! We have a donor!" He turned to his two friends. "Take Eleanor to donate. Make sure she's taken care of." Then, he left without looking back. "Brandon!" I tried to go after him, but his friends held me back. "Eleanor, come with us. Hannah needs your blood." My eyes turned red. "But I just had a miscarriage!" His two friends froze in shock and exchanged a look. Then, one of them sneered. "You're just making excuses because you don't want to donate. How could you have miscarried in such a short time? Hannah has risked her life and has been by Brandon's side for years. "You're just a woman who can't even support him. You would've died who knows how many times if it weren't for Hannah." "That's right. You're donating whether you want to or not." They ignored my struggles as they dragged me to the blood donation room and used their status to pressure the nurse into drawing my blood. As the blood was drained from my body, my vision began to blur. My hospital gown was soaked with cold sweat. I kept staring at the entrance, waiting for the man who had promised to protect me for the rest of my life. He never came. In the end, I couldn't hold on any longer. My vision went black. Chapter 2 No Place Left for Me By the time I woke up again, two days had already passed. Brandon was slumped over the side of my hospital bed. His beard had grown in, and dark circles shadowed his eyes. The moment I moved, he jolted awake and hurried to his feet. "Eleanor, how are you feeling? I know you're angry because I forced your hand. I ignored your condition and made you donate blood. I've already dealt with those two guys who forced you. Please forgive me." I turned my head away. So, he still didn't know. He didn't know we'd lost our baby. Just then, Hannah rushed into the room. She dropped to her knees in front of me. "Eleanor, this is all my fault. I never should've gotten hurt and made you donate your blood for me. Please don't blame Brandon." Brandon immediately let go of my hand and hurried over to help Hannah up. "Hannah, none of this is your fault. Eleanor has a kind heart. She would never blame you." Hannah suddenly stumbled into his arms. I saw her press against the bandage on her abdomen. Almost instantly, fresh blood seeped through the gauze. The panic on Brandon's face was impossible to miss. "Hannah, are you okay?" She shook her head weakly. "I'm fine, Brandon. It's only a little blood. Don't let Eleanor be upset because of me. Otherwise, you'll have to spend forever trying to cheer her up again." I didn't say a word. I simply watched her performance. Sure enough, Brandon turned to me with obvious displeasure. "Hannah got hurt protecting you. Stop making a scene. I've already told you that you're the only woman I'll ever marry." The moment Hannah heard those words, a flash of resentment twisted across her face. "I'm taking Hannah to see the doctor. Stay here and think about what you've done." Brandon then lifted her into his arms and walked out. I wiped the tears from my cheeks. My heart had gone completely numb. For the next three days, not a single person came to visit me. In the end, I checked myself out of the hospital alone and returned to the home Brandon and I shared. The moment I opened the front door, I saw Brandon standing in the kitchen wearing an apron, cooking for Hannah. He had never cooked for me, not even once. When he saw me, he froze for a second before quickly walking over. "Eleanor, you've been discharged! Why didn't you tell me?" "Would you have cared if I had?" I stepped away before he could take my hand. Embarrassment flashed across his face, but he still guided me toward the dining table and set out another plate and silverware. "Come on, Eleanor. Sit down. I made a lot of your favorite dishes." I looked at the food. There wasn't a single dish I liked on the table. I stood up to leave. Hannah's eyes immediately filled with tears. "Eleanor, do you hate me so much that you can't even stand to eat when you see me? In that case, I'll leave right now." My face tightened. "What are you talking about? I never—" Before I could finish, Brandon grabbed Hannah's arm and gently patted her shoulder. "It's okay, Hannah. This is my home. No one is making you leave." Then, he looked at me, disappointment written all over his face. "Hannah got injured while saving your life. I let her stay here so I could make it up to her. Instead of being grateful, you're acting…" He closed his eyes before continuing to speak. "Go to your room. Don't bother coming out unless you have to." His words dug into me like a knife. I clenched my fists so tightly my nails bit into my palms. The pain kept me from falling apart. "I didn't do anything—" Brandon had already turned his back to comfort Hannah. No one cared to hear my explanation. I felt as though a boulder was crushing my chest. I couldn't bear to look any longer. So, I dragged my suitcase behind me and scurried back to the bedroom. The moment I pushed open the door, my suitcase slipped from my hand and crashed onto the floor. The weight on my heart grew even heavier until I could barely breathe. Chapter 3 There Was No Future for Us Everything in the bedroom that I had loved was gone. The blue decor had been replaced with pink. The photo of Brandon and me had disappeared from the nightstand. A woman's pajamas that didn't belong to me were draped over the couch. My feet felt like they were made of lead. I couldn't take another step. When Brandon heard the noise, he rushed over. "Eleanor, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" I stared blankly ahead as tears slipped down my face. Following my gaze, he looked into the room and immediately understood. "Eleanor, Hannah isn't well. She needs a place to recover, and our bedroom gets the most sunlight. Don't get the wrong idea. She only asked me to take our picture down because she was afraid it might fall and hit her." A bitter smile crossed my face. "Really? Then, you'd better take good care of her." I pulled my hand free, walked into the guest room, and locked the door behind me. I leaned against it and began to sob uncontrollably. Brandon kept knocking, calling my name over and over. Then, Hannah called for him, and the knocking stopped. … That night, Hannah knocked on my door. The moment I opened it, she looked around my room with a smug smile. "This room really isn't as nice as the other one." "What do you want? You're not welcome here." My voice was icy. "Eleanor, how did it feel watching the man you love fuss over another woman?" The color drained from my face. She leaned close enough to whisper in my ear. "I arranged for the people at the proposal to be there. The bullet never hit me. All it did was hit the blood pack I prepared. If it weren't for you, I'd already be Brandon's real girlfriend." Her eyes filled with venom. "You should've made yourself scarce." I was still reeling from her cruelty when she suddenly grabbed my hand and shoved herself backward with all her strength. She tumbled down the staircase beside my door. "Hannah!" I reached out to catch her, but my ankle twisted. So, I crashed onto the floor. Brandon came running. The panic on his face when he saw Hannah lying there looked exactly like the expression he used to wear as a boy whenever I scraped my knee. However, he only glanced at me despite the fact that I was prone on the floor before his eyes turned cold. "Eleanor, you shouldn't have done this. She only came to apologize to you." Then, he scooped Hannah into his arms and left. I sat on the cold floor for a long time. By then, my right ankle had swollen badly. I refused the maid's help and limped back to my room, gritting my teeth as I weathered the pain. The moment I sat on the bed, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Brandon. "Hannah's wound opened up again. I'll be staying at the hospital to take care of her for the next few days. You should make some time to apologize to her." I gripped my phone so tightly my fingers hurt. My heart clenched over and over until the pain became unbearable. 'Brandon, we are never going to make it to the altar.' I never replied. I cried myself to sleep, still dressed in the same clothes. … Early the next morning, Brandon yanked me out of bed. "Come with me and apologize to Hannah. She cried all night and has been blaming herself." I stumbled and answered coldly, "I'm not going." Only then did Brandon notice my swollen ankle. "What happened to your foot?" The irritation on his face gave way to a flicker of concern. "That's none of your business. Go take care of your dear Hannah." My refusal made him lose his temper. "Eleanor, Hannah got hurt because of you. She's been worried this whole time about coming between us. If it weren't for you, I would've been with her already to make up for everything I owe her. Isn't that enough for you?" The moment the words left his mouth, I stared at the man I'd grown up with. I refused to let my tears fall. Brandon seemed to realize what he had just said. "Eleanor… you've been throwing too many childish tantrums lately. Think about what you've done. We'll talk when you've calmed down." Then, he turned and hurried out. I covered my face as tears streamed through my fingers. 'Brandon, we have no future, not anymore.' Chapter 4 His Choice For the next two days, Brandon never came home. The only updates I got were from Hannah's social media. She posted about her life constantly, and Brandon was in every single photo. A bitter smile tugged at my lips. I packed my bags and was about to leave the house for good when Hannah texted me. "Come to Luxe Bridal Boutique. You'll want to see this." I took a deep breath. I wanted closure for this relationship. And I wanted to give Brandon one last chance to prove he wasn't beyond redemption. I hurried to the bridal shop. Before I even walked inside, I saw Hannah through the display window, dressed in a wedding gown. Brandon stood in front of her, staring at her dazedly. My chest tightened so violently it hurt. My fingernails dug into the wall until they nearly broke the skin. I knew what it looked like when Brandon loved me. That also meant I knew exactly what that conflicted expression on his face meant. Hannah turned and spotted me. She smiled, leaned over to whisper something in Brandon's ear. A second later, his eyes met mine. He jumped to his feet and rushed outside. "Eleanor, you've got the wrong idea. Hannah said one of the people who still holds a grudge against me sent her a threatening letter. She's worried you might be in danger, so she wanted to use the wedding photos as bait to lure him out." Hannah followed him outside. "Eleanor, don't be mad at Brandon. I was only trying to help you." I turned to leave in anger, but Hannah caught my arm. "Brandon, we're both women. Let me talk to Eleanor alone." He looked at us uneasily before walking back into the boutique. A cruel smile spread across Hannah's face. "Eleanor, don't you want to know who's really the most important person in Brandon's heart?" Before I could react, a group of men rushed us. By the time the hood was pulled off my head, Hannah and I were tied up at the edge of a cliff. It wasn't long before Brandon arrived with several men. Two knives were pressed against our throats. The leader sneered. "Brandon, pick one. The other one belongs to me." Brandon's expression darkened. "Name your price. I'll pay anything. Just let them both go." Hannah suddenly spoke. "Brandon, choose Eleanor. I know she's only acting out because she's upset. Once you get home, the two of you can talk things through." She made it sound as though I had staged the kidnapping myself just with those few sentences. "Brandon, that's not true. Hannah planned all of this!" I shouted as loudly as I could. For a moment, Brandon hesitated. Hannah noticed his hesitation and subtly signaled to one of the kidnappers. He immediately slapped her across the face and shoved her to the ground. The wound she had been claiming to nurse began bleeding again. His eyes widened. "I choose her." He pointed at Hannah. I looked up at him in disbelief. Still, I knew he had always chosen Hannah instead of me. This time, he simply stopped pretending otherwise. Disappointment filled his eyes when he saw the look on my face. "Eleanor, Hannah's already been hurt. You've gone too far. You can finish your little performance by yourself." He gently lifted Hannah into his arms and turned to leave. "No, Brandon. Please don't leave. Don't leave me here!" His footsteps paused for only a second, but he kept walking anyway. The kidnapper in front of me grinned lewdly as he approached. "She made good on her word. I get paid for helping her, and I end up with a gorgeous girl like you." My heart went cold. I stared in the direction Brandon had disappeared. In that moment, I finally steeled my heart and made my decision. A few minutes after Brandon left, he handed Hannah over to the men who had come with him. Then, he turned back to seek me out. What he saw made his blood run cold. The kidnapper was ripping at my clothes. I slammed into him with all my strength, knocking him off balance. Then, I didn't even hesitate as I threw myself over the edge of the cliff. "Eleanor, no!"