Chapter 3

3

In the past, I would have gently put his shoes away, brewed his tea, and wiped his face with a warm towel.

Today, I merely stood near the foyer with my arms crossed over my chest.

There was a time when our marriage was sweet, peaceful, and warm.

He conquered the corporate world while I managed our home and investments flawlessly.

Everything changed the day Yasmin Clark―his college sweetheart―reentered his life.

Zach started spending nights away from home, claiming business trips while taking Yasmin on luxury vacations and lavish dinners.

The so-called executive assistant soon became the unofficial lady of the company, while I, his lawful wife, was reduced to a punchline.

Even now, I could not comprehend why Zach assumed that after tossing me into the storm like a stray dog, I would still grovel at his feet.

Did he honestly believe I was a disposable toy he could discard and summon at will?

Seeing that I had not moved an inch, Zach rubbed his temples and sighed with fake magnanimity.

"Look, I know you are grieving your mother's sudden passing, but I am the CEO of a multi-million-dollar firm. I cannot just walk away during our biggest quarter, or everything we built falls apart."

He stood up, walked over, and attempted to wrap his arms around my shoulders.

"I know you felt neglected, and I will make it up to you. But you are a grown woman now, Shelby. You need to be mature. There is no reason to throw endless tantrums over this."

I sidestepped his embrace, letting his arms drop into empty air.

"Make it up to me? Zach, the person who died was not my mother. It was yours. How are you going to compensate for that?"

"For your pathetic overtime party, you refused to even look at her one last time."

Zach froze, the alcohol instantly draining from his system.

"What did you just say?"

"Do not make jokes about my mother."

He shook his head dismissively. "Whatever. You are clearly unstable right now, so I will let it slide."

Reaching into his blazer, he pulled out a velvet jewelry box containing a diamond necklace.

"The project closed with record profits, and I bought this specifically for you. It will look stunning on your neck."

"I didn't realize you were sick that day until a friend mentioned seeing you at the pharmacy later."

I snatched the necklace from his hands, snapped the delicate platinum chain in half, and tossed the broken pieces onto the hardwood floor.

That night, my head had been pounding with agony.

If Zach had bothered to check a single text message or answer one phone call, he would have known I was sick, and his mother would still be alive.

"Keep your blood money," I said coldly. "I don't need your hypocritical apologies. The signed divorce papers are on the kitchen island. Sign them."

The smug warmth vanished from Zach's face, replaced by a dark, suffocating fury.

"Are you seriously going to drag this out forever over some petty grudge?"

"Let me tell you something, Shelby Foster! Don't push your luck!"

"I have indulged you and spoiled you for years, which is why you think you can trample all over my boundaries!"

"I bust my ass providing for this family while you sit comfortably at home enjoying luxury! Not only do you refuse to support my career, but now you try to blackmail me with divorce?"

His voice rose to a thundering roar filled with self-righteous outrage.

"First you used your mom to manipulate me, and now you are doubling down on this insane drama! Your mother's death was an accident, so what more do you want from me?"

Even now, he refused to absorb a single word I spoke.

He would blindly believe every lie whispered by his mistress, yet dismissed every truth from my lips.

To impress Yasmin Clark, he had traded his own flesh and blood's life.

Words were entirely pointless now.

I would let reality shatter him when the truth finally broke through his thick skull.

Watching his pathetic temper tantrum, I felt only disgust.

"If you refuse to sign the settlement, my divorce attorney will be in touch."

Without another glance, I gripped the handle of my suitcase and walked out the front door.

On the day of the burial, I followed my mother-in-law's final wishes to inter her alongside her late husband in the family plot.

Looking at her smiling portrait, my heart ached with profound sorrow for her.

What sin could such an angelic woman have committed in her past life to give birth to a cold-blooded, narcissistic monster like Zach Holt?

Just as the cemetery workers prepared to seal the vault, a furious roar echoed across the hillside.

"Who authorized you to disturb my father's grave? Stop right now!"

Zach came storming across the manicured grass, with Yasmin trotting breathlessly at his side.

"Where is my mother? Where the hell did you hide her?"

I looked at him with hollow, emotionless eyes and pointed toward the small marble urn on the pedestal.

"I am amazed you finally remembered Mom exists. There she is."