Chapter 5

Zachary nodded and hummed in reply. "You said that as long as I apologized, you'd go along with whatever I asked. So, I need you to sign the papers and come with me to the courthouse next Monday to file for divorce." Wendy's face went pale at his words. She instinctively took a few steps back as if she couldn't believe Zachary was serious about divorcing her. The air in the office felt heavy and stifling. After a moment of silence, Wendy looked at Zachary with tears in her eyes. "Can you tell me why you want a divorce?" "Because I don't love you anymore," Zachary said, his voice steady as if he was stating a fact. "If there's no love, why should we stay together?" Wendy let out a bitter laugh, her fists clenching tightly together and her eyes blazing with anger as she glared at Zachary. With an icy tone, she asked, "Zachary, have you forgotten? You were the one who chased after me and proposed. We've been married for five years, and now you're saying you don't love me anymore? "What do I even mean to you, Zachary? What did those five years mean to you? Is this really how you think I deserve to be treated after everything we've been through?" Wendy clenched her jaw, her eyes brimming with anger and pain. However, Zachary simply looked at her and gave a slight smile. "I've never wronged you in these five years. Just yesterday, I still loved you and saw you as my wife. "But, Wendy, what do I mean to you? Do you even care about the five years we've been together?" He pointed at Ethan, sneering. "Tell me. Who's this guy? What's going on between you two?" Wendy's eyes darted around, looking uneasy. "H-He's just the head of our business department. We're just colleagues, that's it!" "So you're saying there's nothing but work between you two?" Zachary's smile dripped with sarcasm. Wendy was about to nod when he added, "Yet because of this 'work thing', you've bailed on me four times this month. Even yesterday, on our fifth anniversary, you picked him over me. "The first time, he had a problem with a client, and as the general manager, you went along to sort it out. I get that. But the second time? He went through a breakup and needed you, his higher-up, to cheer him up. "And then the third time, he lost in truth or dare, and you, the general manager, actually helped him out. You even shared a drink with him. Do I really need to spell out what that means? "And the fourth time, just yesterday, I invited all our friends like you asked, but you didn't even show up because he was sick." Zachary felt a sudden ache in his chest. He clutched it, his face revealing just how hurt he was. "Wendy, seriously, what's your role in all this? Are you some kind of emotional expert, or his best buddy?" Fed up and unable to hold back, he snapped, "He gets sick, and you rush to take care of him. Are you a doctor or something? "Every single time you're feeling unwell, I'm the one looking after you, but have you ever bothered to check on me when I'm sick? "You ditch your husband and friends just to help out some colleague! Wendy, do you think you're being smart, or do you take me for an absolute fool?" Wendy pursed her lips, her eyes swirling with emotions as Zachary bombarded her with questions. "I can… explain everything!" "Forget it. I don't care about your excuses. I want nothing to do with a woman who cheats emotionally. That's filthy to me!" Wendy froze, shocked that Zachary had just called her "filthy". Zachary stood his ground. He crouched down, picked up the divorce agreement from the floor, and handed it to her. "Just sign it and wrap this up without any drama. There's no reason to embarrass ourselves." "Zachary, do you really have to take it this far?" Wendy could feel her temper rising as she saw how determined he was to get a divorce. It hurt her deeply when he called her filthy. Zachary's face stayed icy. "You're the one who said that, as long as I apologized, you'd agree to anything. And of course, firing him isn't part of the deal." Wendy gritted her teeth and glared at him. "Zachary, you better think this through. If we get divorced, you won't see a cent from me!" Zachary scoffed. "You think I'm with you for your money? Wendy, don't forget how much I had in my bank account before we tied the knot." Wendy was left speechless. It looked like she had forgotten that he'd given her parents three million dollars as a wedding gift just to be with her. Zachary had no interest in revisiting that part of their history. His tone was distant as he said, "Take a good look at the divorce agreement. It states I won't take a dime when we part ways. Are you happy now? Ready to sign?" Wendy felt embarrassed by his words and the way he was treating her, especially with Ethan there. Zachary was usually so gentle, but his sudden aggression really set her off. She snatched up the divorce agreement and immediately signed her name on it. "You're going to regret this!" Wendy tossed the agreement at Zachary and continued, "Listen, Zachary. Without you, I, Wendy Jennings, will do just fine and come out on top! But you'll end up with nothing the moment you walk away!" Zachary picked up the divorce agreement without a hint of emotion and said, "That's my issue, not yours." Wendy couldn't stand his indifference anymore. She grabbed the coffee cup from the table and flung it down near his feet. "Get out!" she yelled. The cup shattered with a loud crash. Wendy's chest heaved with fury, her face flushed with anger. As requested, Zachary turned and left the office. The moment he was out of sight, Ethan stepped up and gently consoled her. "Wendy, don't be upset. It's not worth ruining your mood over a guy who's moved on. "Oh, by the way, I've been talking with a friend who owns a chain of pharmacies abroad. I mentioned your company's new medication, and he's really interested. "If everything goes smoothly, and I push a bit more, we could land an annual deal worth at least 20 million dollars!" Wendy took a deep breath to steady herself. Then, she turned to Ethan with a warm smile. "Thanks a lot, Ethan. Our company's been thriving since you came on board. "I've mentioned it to my dad. You'll get every penny of your commission by the end of the year. Plus, I'll make sure to get you an extra bonus, too!" Ethan waved his hand with a smile, brushing it off. "Wendy, I'm not in it for the money. I just want to be here for you, that's all. Even though I've been abroad these past few years, I've heard all about you from our friends. "It's been a rough five years for you, but from now on, I'm here to help. You won't have to shoulder all of this alone anymore." Wendy's heart raced as she locked eyes with Ethan but didn't say a word. She quickly looked away and grabbed a file from the desk, flipping through its pages. But her thoughts wouldn't settle no matter how hard she tried. Memories of the last five years with Zachary kept flooding her mind. She couldn't understand how he could be so heartless and just divorce her. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Wendy's heart leaped with hope. She thought maybe Zachary had changed his mind and come back to apologize. But when she saw it was the head of the commercial department walking in, her face fell with disappointment. The commercial manager had a serious look. "Ms. Jennings, Yel Corporation just pulled out of our partnership. That means we've lost access to our overseas channels." "What?" Wendy's face went white at the news. Yel Corporation was Jennings Corporation's biggest partner, accounting for nearly 60% of their revenue. "How did this happen? What did the Yel Corporation representative say? Why did they end the partnership? Was there a problem with how we were working together?" Wendy was in a panic. Yel Corporation could easily get by without Jennings Corporation, but Jennings Corporation wouldn't be the same without Yel Corporation. "They explained that Jennings Corporation isn't eligible to work with Yel Corporation any more. They only partnered with us before because of someone, but that person is no longer with our company," the commercial manager said. "How could that be?" Wendy was dumbfounded. Who could that person be? She had just signed the divorce agreement with Zachary, and now Yel Corporation was severing ties. Could Zachary be the one they were talking about?