Chapter 7 There Will Be No Place for Me in That Family

I left the Raymond Corporation building just as the sun tilted westward. The afternoon light stretched long across the crowded street, glinting on the glass façade of the tower where, only hours ago, I had cast away my past.

Inside me, everything fell silent, as if all emotions had dried up. No more anger. No more humiliation. Only emptiness.

I caught a bus heading toward the airport. Sitting by the window, I watched the city blur past, the neighborhoods, the strangers, the streetlights beginning to glow in the dusk. I had no destination in mind. I only wanted to leave this place, as far as possible.

Then I remembered the town I'd lived in two years ago, before moving to the city with Edric. I opened my phone, checked the flight schedules, and chose the soonest flight there.

As the bus crossed the bridge leading out of the city, my phone began to vibrate. On the screen appeared a name I never thought would call me again: Rodina Raymond.

I hesitated before answering.

"Anne, dear, where are you?" Her voice was soft, warm, and familiar. "The maid told me you left the mansion with your luggage. Did something happen?"

Rodina's voice still held that gentle tone, a mother's kindness that had always embraced me, even though I was never truly her daughter-in-law.

I took a slow breath and replied, "I'm fine, ma'am. I just... need to get away for a while. Between Edric and me, there's really no reason to stay anymore."

There was silence for a few seconds, then a quiet sigh.

"I see. Honestly, I expected this day would come sooner or later. Edric... he's such a foolish boy."

I smiled faintly, though my lips trembled.

"Please don't say that. I don't blame him."

My voice came out small, as if I were speaking more to myself than to her.

I leaned my head against the window and let the scenery drift by. Memories began to surface, the day I first met the Raymond family.

It was during a heavy rainstorm on a mountain road. I had run out from a shabby roadside inn to pull someone trapped from a burning car. I didn't think about anything then, only smoke, explosions, and the rain pounding down before everything went black.

When I woke up in the hospital, Rodina and her husband, Mr. Raymond, were by my side. They told me I had saved their whole family, that they didn't know how to thank me.

Who I was at that time, I didn't really know.

Another accident before that had taken away my memory. All I knew was my name: Anne.

No family, no friends, no past.

I lived in the mountains, taking small jobs to survive with an empty mind and a hollow heart.

The Raymonds told me to stay, that they would take care of me as one of their own. So I stayed.

And then Edric appeared.

He was the eldest son, still recovering from the trauma of the accident. Rodina told me that if I agreed to marry Edric, they would consider it repayment for saving their lives. They would give me a home, comfort, and companionship for him.

But behind that promise, on our wedding day, Edric handed me a thin folder.

I still remember that day clearly.

Inside was a contract, barely two pages long, with words that chilled my heart:

"The marriage will last two years. No emotional involvement required. After that, both parties are free to end it."

I smiled and signed my name.

Not because I believed in love, but because I needed a place to start over. And deep down, I had hoped that maybe within those two years, I could find something, perhaps a sense of belonging, a bit of peace.

But today, I understood.

Not all beginnings are meant to end in warmth.

Rodina's voice pulled me back to the present.

"I know about Edric and Bella," she said quietly. "Everyone in high society is talking about it. I have no right to ask you to stay. But please remember this, Anne... no matter what happens, the Raymond family will always be grateful to you. If you ever need help, call me anytime."

I bit my lip, my voice shaking.

"Thank you, ma'am. These two years... I'm truly grateful for your kindness. Perhaps the only thing I'll never regret is meeting the Raymond family."

"Anne, you're a good girl," she said softly. "It's just a pity that Edric couldn't see it."

I smiled through my tears, which slipped down onto the back of my hand.

"He doesn't owe me anything. From the start, it was only an agreement."

"Even so," she said slowly, "I believe one day he'll regret it."

I said nothing. I just listened to the hum of the bus wheels and the wind whistling through the cracks of the window. When the call ended, my heart felt as if it had quietly closed a chapter of my life.

The bus stopped at the airport.

I pulled my suitcase along, merging into the crowd. The air smelled of jet fuel, filled with the sharp voice of announcements echoing through the terminal.

I had nothing left to carry except a few clothes and my small savings money I'd earned myself over the past two years by teaching children, translating documents, and baking pastries to sell online.

Edric never knew, and I never told him.

I didn't want to leave with empty hands.

After all, I still wanted to live a life where I could hold my head high.

As I stepped down the terminal stairs, a sudden roar split the air.

A black car came speeding from across the road that was too fast for anyone to react.

In that instant, I heard someone shout, and then everything went dark.

The sound of screams echoed in my ears. Warm blood ran down my cheek.

My vision went white and then blurred into nothing.

...

At that same moment, inside the Raymond Corporation.

Bella sat cross-legged on the leather sofa, phone in hand. The screen's glow reflected in her eyes, sharp and glimmering like a blade.

On the screen was a single line of text:

"It's done. You don't have to worry anymore."

Her lips curved into a faint, satisfied smile, so cruel and elegant.

She set the phone down, leaned back, and gazed through the sunlit glass.

Edric entered, holding two cups of coffee.

"What are you smiling at?" he asked, curious.

Bella turned, tucking a strand of soft brown hair behind her ear, her smile radiant and sweet.

"Nothing," she said lightly. "I just got rid of something that's been keeping me up at night."

Edric frowned slightly.

"Something?"

Bella stepped close, took her cup, tilted her head, and smiled again.

"Don't worry about it. Now..." she whispered, her voice honeyed, "shouldn't we celebrate?"

Edric hesitated, a flicker of doubt in his eyes, but then he simply nodded.

"Alright."

The office door closed.

Inside that luxurious room, the faint scent of coffee lingered in the air... and Bella's knowing smile shimmered on the glass like a hidden shadow.