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."