Chapter 7

Zachary let out a bitter chuckle and continued packing. With so many things to sort, it took nearly half an hour to finish. After that, he stepped out of the room with his heavy suitcase. The moment he entered the living room, he saw Wendy sitting there alone, nursing a drink. Upon hearing the noise behind her, she glanced over her shoulder at him before turning away. Her flushed cheeks made it clear she'd had quite a bit to drink. "I'm leaving the keys here. Take care of yourself," Zachary said, placing the keys on the coffee table. Without looking back, he gripped the handle of his suitcase and made for the door. Just as he reached for the doorknob, a violent coughing fit sounded behind him. Zachary froze, an instinctual urge to turn back tugging at him, but he resisted. He turned the doorknob and stepped halfway out the door when Wendy's voice called out, "Zachary!" followed by the hurried patter of footsteps. Before he could turn around, he felt a soft touch on his back, accompanied by the warmth of Wendy's embrace. "Don't leave me, please." Wendy pleaded, her voice losing all its former strength and sharpness. Zachary sighed softly and said, "Wendy, there's no future for us. Let it go, and keep your dignity." With a sob in her voice, Wendy rasped, "You promised to love me forever! You can't break your word!" Zachary felt a sharp pang in his chest. He pried Wendy's arms off his waist and turned to face her, his eyes downcast. "Yes, I promised," he said softly. "But you were the one who broke that promise first." "I didn't!" Wendy protested. "Yes, I brought Ethan into the company, but nothing happened between us!" "Nothing?" Zachary laughed bitterly, remembering the photos Ethan had sent him. Maybe Ethan had done it deliberately. Maybe nothing had happened yet. But with the way things were going, it was only a matter of time. Was he supposed to wait until his wife put a definitive mark of infidelity on their marriage before seeking a divorce? "Wendy, emotional infidelity is still betrayal. It's just as unforgivable as a physical affair," Zachary said, his voice steady. "No, it's not the same! I love you!" Wendy insisted stubbornly. "No, you don't," Zachary countered. "If you did, you wouldn't deliberately ignore my feelings, knowing how much this would hurt me." Wendy started to cry. With her breaking voice, she said, "Why can't you believe me? I've told you, there's nothing between me and Ethan! Why won't you trust me? Why do you have to divorce me? You know I can't live without you!" Wendy's eyes were red, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face. "Wendy, are you still trying to lie to me?" Zachary's voice was firm. "He's your ex, the one you've never been able to let go of. He's the one you've always longed for in your heart." Wendy's tear-stained eyes held no sympathy for Zachary, but only anger. "I already know everything about you and him," Zachary continued and added, "Why do you think he came back? Have you ever wondered why he showed up only after your company started to do well?" Looking at the woman he once loved so deeply, Zachary couldn't bring himself to remain indifferent. He decided to tell Wendy the truth, the real reason Ethan had returned. But before he could speak, Wendy's expression changed. She stopped crying, her face paling. "You… you knew? Who told you?" "Does it matter?" Zachary asked with a frown. Wendy's voice hardened with resentment, "Of course it matters! The person who told you wants to drive a wedge between us, to make us divorce! Tell me who it was!" "Enough!" Zachary roared. Wendy fell silent, stunned by the outburst. She stared at Zachary, completely speechless. Zachary's voice was cold as he broke the silence. "Wendy, until today, I was your husband. Do you think it was right to keep all of this from me? Now that someone else has told me, instead of feeling guilty, you're angry that I found out? "Wendy, what's going on in your head? How could your morals get so twisted? You're not the same girl who used to cling to me so sweetly." "This is over," he declared, his tone final. "I'm done with you and everything about this mess." Wendy shook her head fiercely. "No, please listen! I only brought Ethan back to get back at him for abandoning me! Then… then I found out he had connections and resources, so I wanted to use him—" Zachary interrupted, losing patience. "I don't care. That's between you and him. If you want revenge, go ahead. If you want to use him, be my guest. But please don't drag me into your mess. I find the entire thing revolting." With that, Zachary turned and quickly walked away with his suitcase in hand. Wendy screamed at Zachary as he walked to the door. "Zachary! I told you everything! Why are you still leaving me? I said my heart only belongs to you! Why won't you believe me? Why?" Watching Zachary's resolute figure disappearing into the distance, she collapsed weakly onto the ground, her quiet sobs breaking the silence. … Zachary didn't look back. He left the building and made his way to the community gate, where a red sports car soon pulled up in front of him. It was Anya. Zachary had called her earlier to arrange a ride. "Mr. Lloyd, does this count as overtime?" Anya asked playfully as she got out of the car and opened the trunk for him. Zachary chuckled as he replied, "No, it doesn't. I didn't ask you to come personally, did I? You volunteered." Anya pouted. "Capitalists all have black hearts, exploiting poor workers like me." Zachary laughed at her attempt to look pitiful and said, "If you're a poor worker, then no one else stands a chance." They got in the car and drove to a villa. When they arrived, Anya tried to lift Zachary's suitcase from the trunk, but it was too heavy for her to budge. Zachary watched in amusement, a grin on his face. "What are you laughing at?" Anya flushed, embarrassed. She shot him an annoyed look. "What do you have in here, bricks?" Zachary stepped forward and lifted the suitcase with one hand. Pulling out the handle, he said, "Alright. It's getting late. You should head back. Let me know when you get home safely." "Okay!" Anya nodded obediently and pulled out her phone. As Zachary turned and walked toward the villa's front door, his phone suddenly buzzed. Curious, he checked his messages and saw one from Anya. "Mr. Lloyd, I'm home!" Zachary blinked in confusion and turned around, only to see Anya walking toward him with a mischievous smile. "Anya, what's going on?" he asked. She grinned as she replied, "Reporting to Mr. Lloyd, I live here too!"