35. No Evidence to Back up My Story

"Rachel, you're gonna pay for everything you did to me! I swear to God!!! I'm gonna expose who you really are to the whole world!" I yelled out of frustration and hit her again.

"Brandon!" Rachel yelled back. None of the bodyguards surrounding us made a move. Suddenly, a hand grabbed my hand and gently released Rachel's hand that I had grabbed in the air, pushing me aside. When I turned around, it was Brandon.

"He locked me in a room for a whole nine months!" I shouted.

"You asked for trouble when you left Malmo and came here. I didn't invite you to my civil marriage because I didn't want any trouble!" Brandon shouted at me, and my head dropped in sadness.

"I didn't come for your civil marriage. I came to save you and… and..." I paused and closed my eyes. I couldn't tell him that I also came to find peace that only his presence offers me.

"And what? Brandon asked but I kept quiet.

"Save me from who?" Brandon asked again. My head remained lowered.

"You idiot sneaked into my husband's bedroom and took advantage of him because he was drunk!" Rachel added.

"That's enough, Rachel," Brandon said, waving her off while continuing to stare at me. Despite everything, I still loved being near him.

"No, it's not! I warned her to stay away from my house! Go back to Malmo and leave us alone!" Rachel shouted, and Brandon lifted my face with his cold fingers and forced me to look into his eyes.

"Emma, if you don't want more trouble, you should consider going back to Malmo tomorrow morning. Don't blame Rachel if she takes drastic action against you again. You would have done more than locking someone in a room if they snuck into your husband's bedroom on your wedding night," Brandon said.

I removed his fingers from my jaw and took a step forward to take my son and leave both of them that night. One of Brandon's bodyguards stood in front of me.

"You've been banned from getting close to the baby, ma'am," the bodyguard said, and Rachel chuckled. I turned and looked at Brandon, who was casually climbing the stairs, and my heart shattered.

"Brandon!" I called out, but he didn't even glance at me. I didn't know whether to chase after him, make him listen to everything that had happened, or just scream.

"Brandon, I'll go out tomorrow and spill the beans to the whole world since you don't want to hear what went down!" I yelled, and Brandon stopped in his tracks, looking at me now.

"Don't forget to mention how you snuck into my room and had your way with me while I was wasted, thanks," Brandon said, then continued up the stairs.

Slowly, my knees gave way, and I clutched my chest in an attempt to keep my heart from breaking free. Without any evidence to back me up and explain what really happened, no one would ever believe that I snuck into his room to save him. How didn't I foresee this outcome when I made the decision to enter that room?

As I clung to my gown, head bent, Rachel approached me, squatting down and whispering in my ear. "If you don't go back to Malmo and act like none of this ever happened, I'll take Julian out of the country, and you and Brandon will never see him again! Remember, you abandoned him when he was born, and I accepted him. The law recognizes me as Julian's mother," Rachel said, dropping a white envelope beside me. I didn't need to open it; I knew it contained another document granting her rights over my son or his birth certificate where her name was listed as Julian's mother.

"I did not abandon him; you snatched him away," I whimpered.

"Whatever! Here's a photocopy of my travel documents. Take a look and see that I'm dead serious! You've got a mere 12 hours to leave this place!" Rachel declared, standing up and walking away with an evil chuckle.

I came to Stockholm to find joy in Brandon's presence and also to save him from his enemy. I never knew it would be the worst decision ever.

After about an hour of kneeling on the floor, clutching my chest, I felt Eleanor's hand on my shoulder.

"Emma, come with me," she said, her voice showing she'd been crying in her bedroom. Reluctantly, I stood up and began following her to her room.

"I had one of my assistants make you this Spanish dinner. I know you haven't eaten anything," Eleanor said, her hand shaking as she uncovered the food. Her breathing increased again, and she quickly reached for her inhaler and took a puff.

"Rachel is such a two-faced human. You've gotta be real careful with her," Eleanor sniffled as she unveiled the food.

"Eleanor, I'm not hungry," I murmured.

"Emma, we need to have a serious talk tonight. Whatever you wanted to say to Brandon, I want to hear it too. But before that, you've gotta put something in your stomach," Eleanor insisted. I glanced at the food and shook my head.

"I just don't feel like eating," I murmured.

"Alright," Eleanor said, and called one of her domestic workers to take the food away.

"Emma, I know something went down and Brandon hasn't given you a chance to talk. Please, talk to me. Tell me everything, and I'll give you some motherly advice," Eleanor said, her tone gentle. I was relieved that someone was finally willing to listen to what happened. Even though I had no evidence to back up my story, I knew Eleanor would believe me.

"Rachel is a member of the Phoenix Brigade. She…” I stopped talking when the door swung open, and Brandon sauntered into the room, locking his gaze with me as if he had just discovered the truth. I blinked rapidly, waiting for him to speak.

"Brandon!" Eleanor called when his silence became too uncomfortable for us.