She was clearly lying, yet Zach harshly accused me:
"Hurry up and apologize to Vicky!"
I caught a glimpse of Vicky’s triumphant smirk.
Keeping my tone indifferent, I repeated, "It wasn’t me. This has nothing to do with me."
Zach grabbed my collar, his eyes blazing with anger.
"Why do you still act like some spoiled princess?" he spat.
"Don’t forget—you don’t have your parents to shield you anymore. You’re nothing but a dog I keep around now."
Zach always knew how to cut me where it hurt most.
My parents passed away suddenly a year ago. They had been my pillar of strength, and their loss left me adrift. Since then, Zach’s treatment of me had grown colder and more distant. It was only the news of the baby that brought some warmth back into our relationship.
But now, his words crushed me.
It wasn’t enough for him to trample on my love—he ground my dignity into dust.
Despite the bitterness welling up inside, I lifted my chin and said, "If you don’t believe me, check the surveillance footage."
Zach glared at me with disappointment in his eyes before turning to embrace Vicky. Without another word, he walked out of the private room with her in his arms.
I stared at the river view through the window, but all I could feel was the piercing ache in my chest.
I never thought he would look at me with such disdain. When my parents passed away, I entrusted all their wealth to him, thinking we were building a future together. Yet, he regarded me as useless and reduced my worth to nothing more than an object.
Late that night, I lay in bed, tossing and turning, when my phone buzzed with a series of messages.
[Little sister, I heard you’ve been chasing Zach for seven years. Funny how I’ve only been back for a few days, and you’re already losing.]
[Do yourself a favor—step aside now. I’d hate to see you humiliated any further.]
She even sent me intimate photos of her and Zach.
The images burned into my mind: their bodies entwined in bed, her perched on the kitchen counter with him between her legs. Every detail was visible.
My hands trembled as I stared at the screen.
I hadn’t expected Zach to be so eager. Vicky had only been back for three days.
I pulled the quilt over my head. Strangely, I couldn’t cry anymore. It was as if I’d already accepted the reality that Zach never loved me.
I didn’t know when he came home, but I felt his arms wrap around me as he sighed softly.
"Yvette, what am I going to do with you?"
I caught sight of faint kiss marks on his neck and the unmistakable scent of another woman’s perfume clinging to him.
Still, he held me close.
"You shouldn’t have hurt Vicky," he said.
I pulled away from his embrace, but his expression darkened.
"You’re so childish," he muttered.
"You’re coming with me tomorrow to apologize to her."
I closed my eyes, unwilling to see or speak to him any longer.
His hand moved to my abdomen, and his voice softened.
"The baby needs a good mother."
Those words hit me like a blow. The loss of our child was a painful reminder that Zach and I should have ended long ago.
When I didn’t respond, his anger flared.
"If you don’t apologize, I’ll scatter your parents’ ashes."
I froze, staring at him in disbelief. His threat was merciless. My parents had been the ones to save him, yet he now weaponized their memory against me.
My voice trembled as I replied, "I’ll apologize."
His expression eased into a satisfied smile, while despair crushed me like weight.
The next morning, Zach dragged me to the villa next door.
Vicky greeted us in her pajamas, her eyes brimming with glee.
Zach pushed my head down, forcing me to bow.
"Apologize to her," he ordered coldly.
Swallowing my pride and choking back tears, I said, "I’m sorry."
Vicky wrapped an arm around my shoulders with faux graciousness.
"It’s nothing serious," she said sweetly.
But as soon as Zach’s back was turned, she leaned in and hissed,
"Little sister, didn’t I tell you? You don’t stand a chance against me."
Her voice dripped with venom as she added,
"I’ve only been back a few days, and Zach’s already given me a villa and moved me right next door—just so we can spend more time together."
