Chapter 9

Roxanne spent the next two days in the hospital. Her left arm, which was now all bandaged, had suffered burns across a large area. The pain was so severe that she could barely move her arm. Brandon had been busy dealing with the aftermath of the press conference over the past two days, so he hadn't had time to come to the hospital. He just had someone deliver a bouquet of roses and baby's breath. Roxanne had liked these flowers a lot during university. Truthfully, she had only liked these two flowers because Brandon liked them, and Brandon liked them because Nicole always used rose-scented perfume. As she stared at those gorgeous roses, she realized she didn't want them. As pretty as they were, they didn't belong to her. The third day happened to be her birthday. It was also the day her immigration papers were approved. After Roxanne was discharged, she went home to grab her suitcase. Brandon wasn't at home. The housekeeper said that he hadn't returned home for the past few days. She didn't care anymore. She removed her wedding ring and placed it on the bedside table in the bedroom. Then, she grabbed her suitcase and walked out of the mansion. She had just stepped outside when she saw Nicole getting out of her car. Smiling, Nicole said to her, "I know you're leaving today, so I came to see you one last time." Anger and resentment flashed across Roxanne's eyes. With a stony expression, she walked up to Nicole and said, "You've won, Nicole. You've won beautifully. The signed divorce papers will arrive via post today. Once he signs it, our marriage will be officially over. "No one will stand in the way of the two of you getting together anymore. He won't need to keep himself away from me just so he can stay solely yours. There'll be nothing holding you back anymore. "I also hope that the two of you won't bother me ever again. My marriage to him will forever stay a secret, and this relationship will be erased. "The Lesterfields and the Slewmans will continue to be enemies," Roxanne said with a sneer before walking past Nicole. She didn't want to stay there for a second longer. Behind her, Nicole called out smugly, "Thank you for having enough sense to return him to me." Roxanne stiffened. She bit down on her lip as she fought back the lump in her throat. Then, she got into a cab and left. Just as the car pulled out onto the street, Brandon's Bentley happened to return. As the two cars passed each other, Roxanne glanced at Brandon, who was in the car. Brandon, however, didn't feel her gaze and just drove straight up to the mansion. Roxanne slowly turned to face the front again. Many images popped into her mind, but they weren't sweet memories of their time together. Instead, they were all memories of him chasing after Nicole. When Kirk had suspected that Nicole was cheating on him, Brandon had pleaded on her behalf. He had been whipped and then made to stand out in the storm for a whole night in her stead. When Nicole had a sudden case of gastroenteritis, Brandon had abandoned Roxanne, who had also been in the hospital for a minor surgery, and rushed over to see Nicole. Brandon had even missed Roxanne's birthday for the past seven years. Every year on that day, he would have to suddenly leave because of a call from Nicole. Roxanne couldn't help but laugh at herself. And as her laughter grew, her tears suddenly started flowing uncontrollably. She swore that this would be the last time she cried for him. This year, she wasn't going to spend her birthday waiting for Brandon to appear. She had chosen to leave. She no longer needed his scraps of affection. Right then, her phone chimed. It was a message from Brandon. "It's your birthday today. Have you used the key I gave you to open the cupboard? There's a surprise waiting for you inside." Roxanne didn't reply to him. She wiped away her tears, blocked his number, then deleted all his contact information. Then, she pulled her SIM card out and snapped it in half. When the cab reached the airport, Roxanne got out and headed for the departure gate. She raised her head and gazed at the blue sky. She couldn't help but feel that the sunlight was especially warm and bright today. She took a deep breath, savoring the rare taste of freedom. "Goodbye, Brandon. May I never see you again!" she thought to herself.