Chapter 4

The air in the restaurant thickened, suffocating me. My woman. The words echoed in my ears, sealing my fate, extinguishing the last embers of a dying love. I felt lightheaded, disconnected from my body. I needed out. Now.

I stood up, my chair scraping harshly against the floor, drawing all eyes to me. My polite smile felt brittle, about to crack. "Excuse me," I murmured, my voice barely audible above the stunned silence. "I think I' ve had enough for tonight. It' s been... an interesting farewell."

I turned and walked towards the exit, not looking back, not daring to. Each step was an agonizing effort, but I pushed forward, propelled by a desperate need to escape the toxic charade.

"Averi! Wait!" Brandon' s voice, laced with panic, cut through the din. He rushed after me, grabbing my arm, his touch now unwelcome, repulsive. "Averi, please. Let me explain. You know I didn' t mean it like that. I just... I had to say something. Lucas was out of line."

I pulled my arm free, my gaze cold and steady. "You said it, Brandon. You meant it. That' s the truth."

His face contorted in a mask of distress. "No! I was just trying to protect Kendal. She was upset. You know how sensitive she is."

"Sensitive," I repeated, a bitter taste in my mouth. "Or manipulative. You always choose her, Brandon. Always."

He flinched, the accusation hitting its mark. "Averi, please. Don' t do this. I love you. You know I do. This isn' t a good time for you to make rash decisions."

I looked at him, truly looked at him, and saw a man utterly lost, entangled in a web of his own making. But I couldn't save him. I could only save myself. His words, his excuses, they were all just noise now. The real truth had been spoken tonight, loud and clear.

Just then, Kendal limped out of the restaurant, her face tear-streaked, her bandaged ankle making her seem even more pitiable. She saw us, and her sobs intensified.

"Brandon!" she wailed, rushing towards him, or rather, limping dramatically. "Oh, Brandon, I' m so scared! Lucas was so mean! Please, take me home. I don' t feel safe here." She shot a triumphant glance at me over Brandon' s shoulder.

Brandon' s gaze flickered between us. His jaw tightened. He looked torn, but I already knew the outcome. He always chose her.

He hesitated for a moment, a brief, agonizing pause. My heart, though numb, registered the familiar pattern. The choice was already made.

Just then, a black car pulled up beside us. My ride. Perfect timing.

I didn't utter another word. I didn't spare them another glance. I simply opened the car door and slid inside, leaving Brandon and Kendal standing in the harsh glare of the streetlights, forever entwined in their toxic embrace.

Back in the apartment, it took me less than an hour to finish packing. I kept only a small carry-on bag, filled with essentials. The rest of my belongings, the years of accumulated memories, I arranged for a shipping company to collect and store. I wanted a clean break. A fresh start. Unencumbered.

Brandon was gone, probably still with Kendal at her place, comforting her. He had called and texted a few more times, voicemails filled with desperate pleas and half-hearted apologies for his words at the party. I didn' t respond. What was there to say? He had already revealed his true priorities. The calls eventually stopped.

The next morning, the doorbell rang persistently. I knew it was him. I opened the door. Brandon stood there, his face etched with fury, his eyes blazing. He looked like a man possessed.

"What is this, Averi?" he snarled, his voice low and dangerous. "What did you do?!"

I frowned, genuinely confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Kendal' s family!" he spat, his hands clenching into fists. "Her parents! You bought them off, didn' t you?! You paid them to abandon her!"

My mind reeled. "What? Brandon, I have no idea what you' re talking about."

Suddenly, Kendal appeared behind him, her face a mask of manufactured despair. She clutched Brandon' s arm, her tears flowing freely. "She' s lying, Brandon! She' s always been jealous of me! She told my parents terrible things about me, about us! She bought them off so they' d cut me off! She wants me to be alone!"

I stared at them, speechless. The audacity. The sheer, unadulterated fabrication. "Kendal, you know that' s not true! I haven' t spoken to your parents in years!"

But Brandon wasn' t listening. His eyes were fixed on me, hard and accusing. "Don' t lie, Averi! Kendal told me everything! You' ve always hated her! You' re a vindictive, cruel woman!"

He pushed me, hard, his hands on my shoulders. I stumbled backward, losing my footing on the polished wooden floor. My head hit the edge of the coffee table with a sickening thud. A sharp, searing pain exploded behind my eyes, and a warm, sticky liquid trickled down my temple.

Brandon saw the blood, saw me lying on the floor, and for a split second, his face softened. A flicker of genuine concern. But then, Kendal' s sniffles, her exaggerated gasps, drew his attention. He looked at her, then back at me, and his face hardened once more.

"Apologize to Kendal, Averi," he demanded, his voice cold and unforgiving.

I looked up at him, blood blurring my vision, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. "Apologize? For what? For her lies? For your blindness?"

"Apologize, Averi!" he repeated, his voice rising, a vein throbbing in his temple. "Or I swear, I' ll never forgive you."

I slowly pushed myself up, my head throbbing, my body aching. My gaze, though blurry, was unwavering. "Then don' t," I stated, my voice clear and firm. "Don' t ever forgive me. Because I won' t apologize for something I didn' t do. And I won' t apologize for seeing the truth."

He stared at me, his eyes wide with a mixture of anger and disbelief. "Fine," he snarled, his voice dripping with venom. "Then it' s over, Averi. Truly over. You made your choice."

He grabbed Kendal' s hand, pulling her protectively behind him, and stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door shut with a resounding bang that echoed through the silence.

I stood there, alone again, blood dripping onto my pristine white shirt, a fresh wound added to the collection of the past five years. My phone buzzed again. This time, it was an itinerary. A detailed schedule for my wedding to Diego Riddle, sent by his family. The reality of my new life, a future I had chosen, solidified in my mind.

I took a deep, shuddering breath, the pain in my head a dull throb. I picked up my carry-on bag, wiped the blood from my temple with the back of my hand, and walked out of the apartment, locking the door behind me. I didn't look back. There was nothing left to see. Nothing left to feel.

As I headed for the airport, a single thought crystallized in my mind: He won't be there. He won't be a part of it. And that, finally, is a relief.

Meanwhile, across town, Brandon was pacing his office, a whirlwind of anger and confusion. He had just spent hours at Kendal' s parents' home, listening to their carefully rehearsed story of Averi's "manipulation" and "bribes." He had forced them to sign a document promising to cut ties with Kendal financially, a futile attempt to assuage Averi's supposed anger. He felt a twisted sense of victory wrapped in a shroud of self-righteous fury.

His phone buzzed. It was his old military chat group, alive with chatter.

Did you guys hear?

The big news?

Yep! Riddle Industries CEO is finally tying the knot!

Our boy Diego! Always knew he' d snag a good one.

Brandon frowned, scrolling through the messages. Diego Riddle. The rival CEO. Old money, formidable influence. He respected Diego, even if they were competitors. He tapped on a new message, a link to a news article.

Diego Riddle to Marry Corporate Law Prodigy Averi Reed in Private Ceremony.

The words hit him like a physical blow. Averi. Reed. His Averi. His stomach dropped, a cold, sickening lurch. His eyes fixated on the names, the words blurring and sharpening, blurring and sharpening. This couldn't be right. It had to be a joke. A mistake.