Chapter 2

2

The surrounding staff did not voice a single objection to his ridiculous words.

Instead, they nodded in eager agreement, acting as though Zach and his mistress were the true soulmates destined for each other.

To them, I was nothing more than an unhinged joke deserving of ridicule.

Zach watched their reactions and smirked, silently validating every shred of disrespect.

It was his blatant indulgence that emboldened his sycophantic employees to step all over me.

Remembering that my mother-in-law was currently lying cold in the morgue, I choked back my agony and spoke with icy resolve.

"Mom was in a fatal accident on the road trying to deliver your medicine. Her body is at the hospital right now. Come see her one last time, and then we are getting a divorce!"

Zach froze for a brief second, seemingly caught off guard by the severity of the claim.

A fleeting shadow of guilt crossed his face, but after glancing at Yasmin, his brows knitted tightly in irritation.

"Shelby, your mother's accident is an unfortunate tragedy, and I know you are upset. I will pretend I never heard that divorce nonsense."

"Go handle her funeral arrangements first. I will have my mother attend the service on my behalf."

The rage I had been suppressing erupted like a volcano, and I pointed directly at his face.

"Zach Holt, are you even listening to the garbage coming out of your mouth?"

Losing face in front of his team, his expression darkened completely.

"I am swamped with closing this acquisition! Why do you keep throwing these ridiculous tantrums?"

The employees immediately joined in, eager to kiss the boss's ass.

"Exactly. Mr. Holt cannot leave right now. If we drop this deal over personal drama, our entire team's six months of hard work goes down the drain!"

"And here I thought Secretary Clark was in the wrong! Turns out she has the patience of a saint. Nobody should have to put up with a shrew like you."

"How did someone like her even marry Mr. Holt? The boss has the temper of an angel. If it were me, I would have divorced her years ago!"

My skull felt as if it were splitting open, and a high-pitched ringing drowned out the room.

Their cruel accusations crashed against my battered mind, making my vision spin.

Fighting the agonizing exhaustion in my body, I stared straight into Zach's eyes.

"You are really choosing her over seeing Mom one last time? Do you have even an ounce of humanity left in you?"

Zach lashed out like a cornered animal.

"I was willing to overlook your disrespect for your mom's sake, but since you want to start a riot, get the fuck out of my office!"

With a flick of his wrist, security guards grabbed my arms, dragging me down the hall and throwing me out the front entrance into the pouring rain.

Weakened by my illness, I could not fight back as I hit the muddy pavement outside.

Crawling on all fours, I looked through the glass doors to see the office instantly return to warmth, laughter, and celebratory drinks.

A single pane of glass separated two entirely different worlds.

Grit, determination, and grief pushed me back onto my feet, and I staggered step by step toward the hospital.

My mother-in-law had always cherished me like her own daughter.

Today, she had essentially died in my place, when she should have been safe at home watching television by the fireplace.

Zach Holt was a heartless monster, but I was not.

After finalizing the paperwork for the morgue, I returned to our empty suburban house and began packing my bags.

Two days later, the medication finally broke my fever, and I woke up in a daze just as Zach stumbled through the front door, reeking of expensive scotch.

He kicked off his designer loafers, sprawled across the living room sofa, and barked orders at me.

"Shelby, bring me a glass of hangover tea and some water!"