All Chapters of After My Brother Died, I Stopped Pretending to Be Good: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

“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

Chapter 2

No wonder my brother chose to end his life in such a devastating way.He had been so kind.So sincere.How could someone like him ever stand a chance against a scheming man like Ethan Markers?I had heard before that Maya had a childhood sweetheart who had studied overseas.And now, after driving my brother to his death, that man still dared to stand in front of me.“Ethan, what happened to your face?”A familiar voice came from behind me.It was my wife, Vivian Chancer.But it was as if she didn’t see me at all.She walked straight past me and hurried to Ethan’s side, carefully touching his face with pain written all over hers.“Who hit you? Tell me who did this, Ethan. I won’t let them get away with it.”My gaze grew even colder.I had almost forgotten.She and Maya had grown up together.That meant she and Ethan had been childhood friends too.Ethan looked even more pleased with himself.He shot me a provocative glance.“Vivi, don’t blame Adrian. Nathan just died.

Chapter 3

A chill spread through my entire body.I kicked Oliver away.He hit the floor and burst into loud sobs.Everyone’s faces turned pale.They probably hadn’t expected me to show no mercy even to Nathan’s own son.But if not for Nathan, I wouldn’t have spared Winters family a second glance.“You little brat. You don’t deserve to be my brother’s son either.”“Say one more word, and I’ll make you regret it.”Oliver was so scared he stopped crying. He stared at me in terror as I walked toward the cold body.I lifted the white sheet and looked at my brother lying there.My voice broke completely.“Nathan, I’m here to take you home.”Just like you once took me home.I was the real heir of the Hayes family who had been stolen as a child.When I was seven, I was kidnapped by traffickers and sold to a remote, impoverished town.They kept me locked up beside a pigpen.The stench inside was suffocating, and filthy water seeped beneath me.They didn’t feed me.To survive, I fought t

Chapter 4

He hugged me and shook his head.“I’m not afraid. Adrian, you’re the best person in the world to me.”Tears fell from his eyes as his voice choked.“It’s not worth throwing your life away over a bunch of animals.”He said my future was supposed to be bright.Brilliant.Whenever I ran into trouble or danger, he always appeared just in time.With his help, I climbed all the way to the top.I even married Vivian, whose eyes and heart seemed to hold only me.Nathan should have left after that.But he fell in love with Maya, Vivian’s best friend, and finally married the woman he wanted.I was happy for him.Because that meant he wouldn’t leave.But I was also worried.I had heard too many stories about Maya and Ethan.Again and again, Maya promised me she would only love Nathan for the rest of her life.When I saw the happiness on his face, I thought we would both finally have our happy endings.But the happier Nathan had been back then, the more hopeless he must have felt

Chapter 5

The few of them started talking about their childhood together, smiles covering their faces.But my brother was still lying in the cold morgue.He would never smile at me again.Why?They would all pay for this.Not long after I returned to my hospital room, Vivian came back.She acted as if nothing had happened and opened a takeout container with a smile.“Honey, this is your favorite bacon and egg breakfast sandwich. I got up early this morning just to pick it up.”“It’s at the perfect temperature now. Try some.”She held it out toward me.I picked up the container and dumped it over her head.She jumped up, veins standing out as she screamed, “Adrian Hayes, do you know you look like a lunatic right now? You’re being completely unreasonable.”I looked at her coldly and let out a mocking laugh.“Vivian, I hate bacon. Who’s the one who really loves bacon and egg breakfast sandwiches?”In an instant, panic flashed across Vivian’s face.She quickly came over and grabbed my

Chapter 6

I arrived at the jewelry store and saw Vivian with Ethan.“You don’t listen to me anymore, do you? Bring out that necklace. Right now.”The store manager refused. “Mrs. Hayes, that necklace was custom-made by Mr. Hayes for Mr. Nathan. Without Mr. Hayes’s order, we can’t take it out.”Vivian’s face darkened after being denied in public.“Do you want to lose your job?”“Nathan is already dead. What does a dead man need jewelry for?”I strode over.The store manager saw me and quickly greeted me.“Mr. Hayes.”Vivian saw me and immediately ordered, “Perfect timing. Give Ethan the necklace you had custom-made for Nathan.”“Why should I?”“You hurt Ethan last time. Consider this necklace your apology. You owe him.”I laughed in anger and looked at Ethan’s smug face.He was covered in luxury jewelry.Every single piece had been custom-made by masters I had hired for Nathan.I raised a hand at the bodyguards behind me.They immediately stepped forward and dragged Ethan in front

Chapter 7

I grabbed her by the hair and dragged her back.Maya finally realized I meant it.She scrambled up, dropped to her knees, and clutched my pant leg.“Adrian, this is Nathan’s and my home. He’s just angry with me.“He loves me. Once he stops being angry, he’ll come home.“Adrian. Please. Nathan isn’t dead. He really isn’t. He told me himself that he’s not from this world. He won’t die.”Maya sobbed until her face was soaked with tears.But all I wanted was to end her right there.Nathan had trusted her.He had held nothing back from her.He had even told her his biggest secret.People who know they’re loved always think they can get away with anything.My rage was almost impossible to hold down.I stepped on Maya’s chest and looked down at her.“Maya Winter, do you remember what you promised me back then?”Her face went white as paper.“You promised you would never betray Nathan in this lifetime. You said if you did, you deserved a terrible end.”Maya still tried to stru

Chapter 8

I touched her face and forced out a smile.“Of course.”“Honey, I’ll never make you angry again.”For several days in a row, Maya came to my door, begging me to tell her where Nathan was buried.Ethan was always by her side.He looked at me with a cold smile and proudly lifted his hand, showing me the diamond ring on his finger like a winner.“Adrian, Maya and I are getting married next month. You have to come.”I nodded.“Sure.”That idiot Ethan really thought he had latched onto a rich family.Maya was useless through and through.She knew how to sweet-talk people, but when it came to business, she was a complete idiot.Ever since her parents died, the Winter family had been going downhill.If not for Nathan’s help, Winter Group would have collapsed years ago.All these years, Maya and her son had been leeching off my brother just to maintain their glamorous image.Now that a homewrecker was flattering them, the mother and son had turned around and repaid kindness with

Chapter 9

A swarm of reporters rushed in, cameras flashing as they took photo after photo.Ethan screamed, “Who is it? Who’s trying to ruin my wedding?”I let out a soft laugh.“Oh, what a shame.”Everyone turned to look at me.“Adrian Hayes, what did I ever do to you?”I looked down at him from above, my eyes full of contempt.“You know exactly what you did.”Then I turned toward the guests and smiled.“Everyone, you might not get to eat food this good tomorrow, so enjoy as much as you can today.”I turned and walked away.A recording began playing on the giant screen.“Maya, do you love me or Nathan?”“Of course I love you, Ethan.”“I’ve been sick of him for ages. He spends all day in the kitchen and always smells like grease. It’s disgusting.”“But he’s a Hayes heir.”“A fake one. If I didn’t still need the Hayes family’s money, I would’ve divorced him a long time ago.”“Aren’t you afraid he’ll hear you say that?”“Afraid? That idiot? I can sweet-talk him a little and he’d d

Chapter 10

They couldn’t even get back into the villa Vivian had once given them.To avoid retaliation, they moved into a basement.Because of everything online, Maya and Ethan’s reputations were ruined.The companies that had gone bankrupt couldn’t touch Hayes Group.But dealing with the two of them was more than easy enough.Oliver threw tantrums every day, screaming that he wanted to go home.“It’s all your fault. You’re the one who got my dad killed. You ruin everything.”But what greeted him was Ethan’s slaps and kicks.Maya was beaten too.“You worthless woman. Didn’t you say you’d let me live a good life? Now I have to support you and your son?”Maya fought back, clawing and hitting Ethan.“Useless trash. If you hadn’t seduced me, my husband wouldn’t be dead. I’d still be Mrs. Hayes.”“You’re the one who ruined us.”It had only been a short while, yet they were already living in despair, tearing each other apart.So their love hadn’t been that deep after all.Maya once broug

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