I Refuse to Divorce!

Needless to say, Zoe was displeased about it. They had just finished having sex and he left immediately, claiming that he had to deal with some emergency at work. It took him the entire night, apparently.

What kind of work emergency would take him the whole night?

She wasn't willing to ponder too much on it, but she had a good idea where he went. Surely, it had something to do with other women. She was ironing his shirt when her mind traveled back to the moment he told her that he wouldn't meet up with Lilith anymore.

A series of footsteps disrupted her thoughts.

It was probably Mason!

He looked a little drained after dealing with the matter for the entire night. She felt him hugging her from behind and smelled the faint scent of disinfectant. It was the kind that was unique to the hospital.

She could feel his warmth through his shirt, but she felt as thought someone had stabbed her right in the heart.

He went to the hospital to check on Lilith.

What was sad was the fact that it had been less than a week since he confessed to her. Be that as it may, she didn't press him for information. That'd be too pathetic.

Lowering her gaze, she said softly, “Ava called early in the morning. She mentioned you have an important meeting this morning and she wanted to remind you to be there on time.”

He was touching her slender waist, but he stopped abruptly and said, “Why did she call you?"

Smiling lightly, she responded, “Wasn't she working with you last night? Perhaps you turned off your phone, then!”

Checking his phone, he found that he had switched it off. Turning it back on, he realized there were four missed calls from Ava. There were none from Zoe, though. He couldn't believe she didn’t even call him once when he had gone away for the whole night.

Smiling faintly, he said, “Do you have that much faith in me?”

She laid out his ironed shirt, looked at him, and said, “Didn't you say you want to become a faithful, loyal husband? I believe in you, Mason!” He held her and tried to kiss her. She was wearing a bathrobe and it felt smooth and soft to the touch.

Little did he know Zoe would turn her head away. She spoke in a silky voice, accentuating the fact that she was the best wife in the world, “Hurry up and take a bath, or you'll be late! Take a nap in the afternoon if you're too tired to carry on.”

Checking the time, Mason realized she was right. Time was running out. He gave her a quick peck before heading to the bathroom.

The lights were shining bright in the fitting room, but she was pale as a ghost. After a long time, she managed a bitter smile.

It was fine.

Her heart had been ripped to shreds in the first place. Yes, what he said did stir her heart for a bit, but he went ahead and tore it up again. That was all. It didn’t hurt that much. The pain she felt was the kind that throbbed slightly. He wasn't as rough with her as before, at least. Picking up his suit, she ironed it in a daze.

This time she didn’t let her emotions get the better of her. She continued to act the role of his thoughtful wife and lived out their marriage as if they were a loving couple. At the same time, she was working towards her personal goal.

Aiden started preparing for the concert. Zoe spent most of her time with him when she wasn't at home. She was making real progress on her violin playing. David heard her practicing and couldn't help but say, “I'm sure she'll hit it big!”

Aiden, however, kept a clear head and responded, “Don't let pride get the better of you. We have to remain humble!”

Zoe would try to find out who bought her old villa when she had the time, but the agent wouldn't reveal the buyer's identity, no matter how many times she asked. He only told her that the buyer was some famous, rich guy from Brookesville. He also said for her to give up on it because the buyer wasn't letting it go.

She went home when it was evening, but Mason beat her to it. He watched as she got out of the car under the evening light and pulled her into his arms, not paying the chauffeur any attention. Smiling tenderly, he said, “I've been waiting for you! Have you had a busy week?”

He was as tender as before.

She couldn't help but wonder about something. Was it because Lilith couldn't satisfy him sexually? Was that why he made concessions and went for the second option? Was he merely using her to sate his lust and bear his baby?

Was he treating her like a charity case?

On the surface, though, she spoke gently, “Look who's talking! Have you been sleeping out there for three days this week? Sure, I know you're busy working, but the others don’t. They might start spreading rumors and say you were away from home for so long because you're cheating on your wife!”