Chapter 9

As expected, Faye's comment immediately made Virgil stand up. His gaze was intensely fixed on Zelda. He frowned and asked, "Zelda, you married a male escort?" Faye released Zelda's arm and quickly stepped forward to calm Virgil. "Virgil, please don't be angry. Zelda might have just made a mistake and ended up marrying a male escort." Seeing Virgil's expression darken, Edric intervened, trying to smooth things over. "Virgil, don't worry. I've already instructed Zelda to get a divorce from him." Virgil realized his reaction was too strong and tried to compose himself. He maintained a stern expression as he said, "Zelda is Faye's sister. If she marries a male escort, it could affect Faye's reputation negatively." Belinda also joined in and nodded in agreement. "Yes, Virgil, you're very considerate." Turning to Zelda with a disapproving glare, she added, "Zelda, did you hear that? Don't think of dragging Faye into it by making such a mess of things." Zelda had been silent. She looked up at the two of them, feeling a sense of irony. One had been unfaithful, and the other had stolen her fiancé. Now, they had the audacity to accuse her of causing trouble. Smirking, she said coldly, "Don't worry, I'll definitely bring my husband to your wedding next week." With that, she turned and walked upstairs. Once upstairs, Zelda lay down on her bed, feeling exhausted. She closed her eyes, and Damian's handsome face flashed in her mind. Though they had known each other for a short time, Damian had left a good impression on her. He was polite and respectful, even though his profession was a bit unusual… Perhaps he was driven by necessity. Zelda thought about how he had mentioned his grandmother's illness. Perhaps he had no other choice but to enter this line of work. This thought brought a tinge of sympathy to her heart. While she was lost in thought, a knock came on her door. She snapped back to reality, knowing that anyone knocking on her door in the Cantrell residence likely had ill intentions. Zelda composed herself and opened the door, only to be surprised to find Virgil standing there. "What's the matter, Mr. Valdez?" Zelda looked at him, her tone cold and distant. Virgil's eyes showed a hint of hurt as he tried to step inside, but Zelda blocked him at the door. "Mr. Valdez, you have a fiancée now. It's not appropriate for you to enter another woman's room like this." Virgil paused. He looked down, focusing on Zelda's bare face. Years ago, when his family mentioned a prearranged marriage with a woman from the countryside, Virgil had been highly resistant. However, he couldn't refuse his grandmother's pleas and agreed to meet her. When he first met Zelda, she was dressed in simple white jeans, but her exquisite beauty immediately captivated him. After that encounter, he agreed to that marriage. However, Zelda's deeply ingrained conservatism had caused problems. Despite being together for over a year, she had refused to be intimate with him. It was precisely because of this that Faye managed to take advantage of the situation. Now that Faye was pregnant, he had no choice but to end his engagement with Zelda. "Zelda, when did we become so distant?" Virgil asked, his lips pressed together in disappointment. "Mr. Valdez, please respect yourself. If there's nothing else, kindly leave," Zelda replied. She was clearly uninterested in further discussion. As Zelda moved to close the door, Virgil quickly wedged his foot in the gap, stopping her. "Zelda, are you marrying a male escort just to get back at me?" Zelda let out a derisive laugh. She lifted her gaze to Virgil and said, "Virgil, don't flatter yourself. Who I marry is my own business." Virgil believed Zelda was just putting up a tough front. He sighed and said, "Zelda, I'm truly sorry for breaking off the engagement. I'll talk to your father about arranging your divorce from that male escort." "And then? Are you planning for me to marry Osbert afterward? Wasn't your rush to end our engagement just because you were worried about Faye marrying him?" Zelda's clear eyes revealed no emotion. She had already moved on after Virgil decided to break off their engagement and marry Faye. Virgil's eyes showed a flicker of guilt as he desperately tried to explain, "Zelda, it's because Faye is pregnant. I have no choice but to marry her." His tone grew urgent as he stepped forward and grasped her arm. He continued, "Zelda, don't ruin yourself. If you divorce that male escort, I'll help you with Osbert. You can count on me." Faced with his sudden show of concern, Zelda knew there were no free lunches. She looked up at Virgil and asked, "And then what?" "What?" Virgil was momentarily confused. Zelda remained calm and repeated, "And then what? What do you want in exchange for helping me with Osbert?" Virgil's expression softened with a touch of longing. He looked intently at Zelda and said, "Zelda, I still love you. If you divorce that male escort, I'll overlook everything. Even though I'm marrying Faye, it's only because of her pregnancy. We can still be together." Zelda suddenly felt that her past self had been foolish. She wondered how she could have thought Virgil was a good person. She looked up with her bright eyes, and a mocking smile slowly spread across her face. "Oh, really? Are you suggesting I become your mistress, Mr. Valdez?" Virgil tightened his fits and said urgently, "Zelda, that's not what I meant. I just don't want to see you ruin yourself." What a grandiose excuse. Zelda almost wanted to applaud him for his hypocrisy. She coldly replied, "Thank you for your concern, but my affairs are none of your business. You should focus on preparing for your wedding with Faye. I truly wish you both the best." Seeing Zelda's cold demeanor, Virgil grew anxious. He lowered his voice and scolded, "Zelda, I'm doing this for your own good. Are you marrying a male escort just to provoke me?" "Mr. Valdez, you're giving yourself too much credit. I genuinely like him. I'll be sure to bring my husband to your wedding," Zelda said, showing no respect. Virgil's frustration was evident, with veins popping on his forehead and his eyes locking onto Zelda. His fists clenched, making an audible creaking sound. Just as the tension between them reached a stalemate, Faye came up from downstairs. Spotting Virgil standing in front of Zelda, her anger erupted. It was always Zelda. Faye hurried over, positioning herself in front of Virgil. She glared at Zelda, her voice dripping with accusation. "Zelda, do you have no shame? Virgil is my fiancé, and we're getting married in a week. Are you trying to seduce my fiancé?"