Chapter 4

15 minutes later, Anya pulled up in front of the Jennings Corporation building to drop off Zachary. Jennings Corporation was situated in the business district of Crescent Street in Yelbric. They focused on pharmaceutical research and development as well as sales. This year they'd successfully branched out into international markets, raking in impressive profits. A big part of their success was thanks to Lauren's quiet support. Without her, Jennings Corporation wouldn't have had the resources for pharmaceutical R&D, let alone breaking into international markets. A month ago, Zachary had been visiting the Jennings Corporation office often, so the receptionist and most of the staff recognized him. He went straight to the general manager's office to look for Wendy. He was about to knock when he heard Ethan's voice along with Wendy's cheerful laughter coming from inside. He gripped the divorce agreement tighter and knocked on the door with a blank expression. Zachary pushed the door open and stepped inside, finding Wendy in her office chair. She rested her chin on her left hand, casually twirling a pen with her right. She looked at Ethan with bright eyes and a warm smile, the kind of look she gave when genuinely drawn to someone. Zachary had never seen that expression in their five years together. Ethan lounged on the couch, looking handsome with his legs crossed, grinning as he spoke confidently. Their faces changed the moment they saw Zachary. The smiles faded, leaving behind a look of uncertainty and awkwardness. Ethan quickly uncrossed his legs, trying to look calm as he pulled out his phone. He kept his head down, pretending to be focused on it. Wendy cleared her throat and sat up straighter, her expression turning serious. "Honey, you're here?" The sparkle in her eyes disappeared as soon as she saw Zachary. Zachary felt a tightness in his chest. He put on a forced smile and glanced at Ethan. "Sorry. Did I interrupt something?" Ethan was all ears. He seemed to be focused on his phone, but the screen hadn't changed at all. "Honey, what are you talking about? Ethan had some questions about work and came to ask me, that's all!" Wendy said, her eyes avoiding his, her tone laced with impatience. Zachary had been married to Wendy for five years, so he knew her habits and tells inside out. She couldn't meet his eyes whenever she lied. But he didn't call her out on it. Instead, he said flatly, "Earlier on the phone, you promised that if I apologized to Ethan, you'd agree to whatever I asked. Is that still the case?" "Of course!" Wendy's eyes lit up. She continued cheerfully, "It was your fault, after all. Ethan and I are completely innocent, and you totally misunderstood him. You even hit him. Shouldn't you be the one to apologize? "There's something else you might not know. Ethan is incredibly talented. It took a lot of effort to bring him on as the head of our business department. "Our company struggled for ages to break into international markets with our new medications, but we finally made it happen thanks to Ethan and his connections! "If it weren't for Ethan, we might not have expanded overseas for another decade. But now, things are looking up. "We've secured a slice of the domestic market and tapped into international channels. The future is looking bright!" Wendy's eyes sparkled with pride when she talked about how capable Ethan was. "So, whether it's for personal reasons or work, you should apologize to Ethan, don't you agree?" She got up and walked over to Zachary, reaching for his hand. However, Zachary quietly dodged her reach. Nevertheless, Wendy wasn't too bothered. She guessed he was just sulking a bit and figured she'd be able to cheer him up later at home. To her, Zachary was always pretty easygoing, and a few kind words usually did the trick. "Come on, honey, You need to apologize to Ethan! Otherwise, he might quit, and that would be a big blow for us!" Wendy urged. Zachary studied her for a moment, gave a wry smile, and nodded. "Fine. I'll apologize." He tightened his fists and forced the words out between gritted teeth. "I'm sorry." Ethan looked up, putting on a blank face. He glanced at Wendy, then at Zachary, and grinned. "Were you talking to me? Sorry, I was caught up on my phone and didn't hear you." Zachary's knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists. Wendy's expression changed, and her voice took on a serious tone. "Ethan, Zachary just apologized to you. Whether you heard it or not, I did, so let's move on and don't bring it up again, okay?" "Alright, alright. I get it. But do you have to be so serious? It's a little scary. You looked like you were about to 'swallow' me whole!" Ethan threw up his hands in defeat, acting like he was frightened. He put extra emphasis on the word "swallow" and shot a sidelong glance at Zachary, clearly trying to provoke him. He was pushing Zachary's buttons right in front of Wendy. Zachary got the challenge loud and clear, but Wendy seemed completely unaware. She couldn't help but laugh, then rolled her eyes at Ethan. The playful vibe between them felt like a knife twisting in Zachary's heart and was too much to bear. He took a deep breath and turned to Wendy. "I did what you asked. Now, it's your turn." Wendy furrowed her brow when she saw the serious look on his face. Feeling exasperated, she managed a wry smile. "Fine, fine. Whatever. What do you want? Just say it, and I'll go along with it." Ethan fixed his gaze on Zachary, clearly curious about what he would ask for. "Great," Zachary said, nodding as he handed Wendy the divorce agreement he'd been holding. Wendy looked confused but still reached for the document. As soon as her eyes caught the words "divorce agreement", her expression went blank. Her hand went rigid around the papers, and she stared at Zachary in disbelief. "Y-You want a divorce?" Wendy's voice trembled, her eyes locked on Zachary's as if she were searching for something desperately. But to her disappointment, his expression was completely calm. There wasn't even a hint of emotion as if divorce was no big deal to him. The divorce agreement slipped from Wendy's fingers and landed on the floor with a soft thud. Her eyes filled with tears, and she felt like she couldn't breathe. Biting her lip, she asked uncertainly, "Zachary, do you really want a divorce?"