After My Brother Died, I Stopped Pretending to Be Good

“Adrian, I’m sorry. I can’t protect you anymore.”

In the hospital surveillance footage my assistant sent me, Nathan stood there with messy hair and a hollow look in his eyes.

After saying those words, he turned and ended his life without a moment’s hesitation.

There was only despair on his face.

My whole body trembled with rage.

My brother had cared about his appearance ever since he was little.

Even when I messed up his hair, he would sulk for half the day.

How could someone like him choose to leave this world in such a painful, humiliating way?

The moment I got out of the car, I rushed toward the operating room.

All the darkness I had buried deep inside me broke through the surface and began to grow wildly.

The surgery was already over.

Inside the cold operating room, a white sheet covered what was left of my brother.

“Maya, don’t be too sad. Nathan loved you so much. If he saw you like this, he wouldn’t be able to rest in peace.”

My steps stopped cold.

Standing beside my brother’s supposedly devoted wife was a pretty boy in a suit.

In his hand, he was holding my six-year-old nephew, Oliver Hayes.

There wasn’t a trace of grief on Oliver’s face.

Instead, he stared at the body under the white sheet with disgust.

“That useless loser is so annoying. Why did he have to die right when Mom and Daddy Ethan were taking me to Toy City? I didn’t even get to buy my toy car.”

The man put an arm around the boy and smiled gently.

“Be good, Oliver. Your mom and I will take you to buy your favorite toy car in a couple of days, okay?”

“Okay. I love Daddy Ethan the most.”

Oliver’s face brightened at once. He hugged the man and kissed him on the cheek.

In that instant, I understood everything.

I understood why my brother had given up without hesitation.

I walked into the operating room.

“Your husband isn’t even buried yet, and you’re already bringing your lover here?”

The man’s face stiffened.

Then he quickly forced out a polished smile and walked toward me.

“Bro, you must be Adrian Hayes. I’ve heard Maya mention you many times.”

He looked straight at me with the air of a winner.

As if he were saying, So what if your brother was the young heir of the Hayes family? He still lost to me in the end.

I sneered.

Then I raised my hand and slammed my fist into his face.

“I only have one brother, and that’s Nathan. What the hell are you?”

The man cried out and fell to the floor.

Oliver clenched his fists and charged at me.

“You bullied Daddy Ethan! You’re a bad guy too! I’m going to beat you to death!”

I looked at him coldly.

He immediately shrank back and hid behind Maya Winters.

As for Maya, she stood there like her soul had left her body, staring blankly at the covered body on the bed.

As if she couldn’t hear or see anything around her.

Ethan gritted his teeth, but his smile returned quickly.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Hayes. Maya and I grew up together. We’ve always been as close as family. I thought…”

He bowed to me.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Hayes. I crossed the line. It won’t happen again.”

Ethan looked so wronged as he apologized and backed down.

So innocent.

So harmless.

He made it seem as if I were the one throwing my weight around and bullying people.