Zelda thought back to the night four years ago, when she'd been found lying in James' bed.

It was supposed to be James and Susan's engagement party. But there she was, inexplicably in his bed. Everyone said she'd set him up.

The way James looked at her-like she was some filthy, worthless parasite.

No one believed her when she tried to explain.

In everyone's eyes, Susan was the pure, noble daughter of a wealthy family.

And Zelda? Just a poor, gold-digging bitch consumed by jealousy of Susan.

After all, they were sisters swapped at birth.

When Zelda was six, she'd found out her parents weren't her biological ones. The two girls were sent back to their real families shortly after.

That's how Zelda ended up in a home filled with violence and abuse.

Susan took everything that mattered to her. And whenever there were people around, Susan would put on this sickening act of fake concern and sisterly love-it made Zelda's skin crawl.

Zelda shook her head hard, trying to shake off those suffocating memories.

Her phone suddenly rang. It was Jian, his voice tight with urgency. "Zelda, get to the hospital-now! Xander passed out!"

By the time she arrived, Xander had already been wheeled into the emergency room. She'd just sat down in the waiting area when she looked up-and locked eyes with someone she knew all too well.

James was sitting on a bench nearby, Susan curled up right beside him.

Today was her birthday. Their wedding anniversary. And Susan's birthday, too.

Zelda's blood rushed to her head, then turned ice-cold in an instant.

James clearly hadn't expected to run into her here either. His eyebrows shot up, and he stood up, walking straight toward her. He smelled of Susan's signature gardenia perfume-the scent pricked at Zelda's heart like a needle.

"What are you doing here?" His voice held a faint, unnoticeable hint of fluster.

Zelda twitched the corner of her mouth, a bitter laugh escaping her. "I brought your brother here because he collapsed. Shouldn't you be off handling that 'important business' you mentioned?"

Her gaze drifted past him, landing on Susan.

Susan's face immediately crumpled into a frightened expression. She hurried over, reaching out like she wanted to grab Zelda's arm. "Sister! What are you doing here? Is Xander okay? I'm so worried about him."

"Don't touch me." Zelda stepped sideways, dodging her hand. Her voice was cold as ice. "If I remember correctly, today's our wedding anniversary. You're out here on a date-with my husband?"

Susan's eyes welled up with tears instantly. She turned to James, her voice trembling with grievance. "Sister, you've got it all wrong! I wasn't feeling well, so James just came with me to get checked out."

"Not feeling well?" Zelda raised an eyebrow, her eyes sweeping over Susan's flushed, perfectly healthy face. "Looks to me like you're doing just fine."

A well-dressed couple walked over. They were Susan's biological parents-or, technically speaking, Zelda's adoptive parents. They went straight to Susan, fussing over her, without sparing Zelda so much as a glance.

Zelda's heart sank completely.

A nurse's voice suddenly cut through the tension. "Xander's family? Please come with me to his room."

Zelda turned to leave-but James grabbed her wrist. His palm was burning hot, his tone sharp and commanding. "Go on ahead. I'll be there soon."

Zelda wrenched her hand out of his grip, her eyes glinting with bitter mockery. "Soon? Are you going to wait until you finish taking Susan to her doctor's appointment? Or until you've celebrated her birthday?"

James' face darkened. He opened his mouth to retort-but Susan suddenly clutched her stomach, letting out a soft whimper. "Oh. my stomach hurts."

His frown deepened instantly. Without thinking, he steadied Susan, his voice softening right away. "Where does it hurt? Let's get you checked out right now."

With that, he didn't even look back. He wrapped an arm around Susan's waist and led her down the hallway. As Susan passed Zelda, she slowed down deliberately, a triumphant smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

Zelda stood rooted to the spot, staring at their retreating backs. Her throat felt tight, like it was stuffed with cotton.

She took a deep breath and turned toward Xander's room. But just as she reached the door, she heard a familiar voice coming from inside-her mother-in-law, Helen Ferguson.

Helen was on the phone, her voice low and calculating, sharp as a poisoned blade. ".Xander's got Rh-negative blood. Regular transfusions won't work. The only way to save him is if Zelda gets pregnant and has a baby with the same blood type-then the baby can be his donor."

Zelda's footsteps froze. Her blood turned to ice in her veins.

"That girl actually thinks James is starting to have feelings for her again?" Helen let out a cold laugh, her voice dripping with contempt. "If I hadn't deliberately poked holes in all those condoms, she never would've gotten the chance to get pregnant. Once she has the baby, the Ferguson family won't need her anymore."

It was Helen who'd poked the condoms!

Zelda's fingers dug into her palms, hard enough to draw blood. The pain was sharp, but it was nothing compared to the ache in her chest. So that night had all been a setup. James' angry accusations, her futile attempts to defend herself-every bit of it had been a carefully orchestrated trap.

She'd been so stupid, thinking James had started coming home because he still cared about her.

".Once the baby's born, we'll kick her and that sickly brother of hers out of the house. The Ferguson family doesn't let just anyone in."

Helen's voice droned on, but Zelda couldn't listen anymore. She stumbled backward, hitting the wall with a soft thud.

The voice inside the room fell silent immediately.

Zelda didn't waste another second. She spun around and ran for the stairwell. She needed air. She needed to get away-away from this place, from all the lies and betrayal.

Eighteen years ago, Susan had walked into her life and taken everything from her-her family, her old life, everything she'd ever loved.

And now, Susan was back again.

Zelda couldn't help but wonder-was she going to lose everything all over again, just because of Susan?

She looked up and saw a group of women walking down the street, fresh from a fashion show.

She paused, her gaze fixing on a nearby fashion designer's studio.

She'd loved design. She'd loved fashion shows. Ever since she was a kid, she'd gone to fashion and modeling school. She used to joke that she wanted to be a model someday.

She'd always said, "Instead of modeling other people's clothes, I'd rather model my own designs."

But after she got married, she'd given up that dream.

Her brother had begged her to go back to school, but she'd refused-she'd wanted to focus on her marriage, on making it work.

But everything James had done had shattered her last shred of hope. Now she couldn't help but wonder-was this a sign? A sign that she should let go, and finally get her life back on track?

A sudden gust of wind blew, tangling her loose hair around her face. She raised a hand to brush it away-and her fingers brushed against the necklace around her neck. It was the one James had given her when she was eight years old. Her most prized possession.

She'd never taken it off, not once.

When she was eight, James had been her hero. Her savior. Her father had been beating her that day, and her brother had been forced to take her to the Ferguson estate for help.

It was James who'd carried her into the house, whispering softly to comfort her. "Don't worry, Zee. You'll be okay. I'll take care of you."

Turns out, it had all been a lie from the very start.

Zelda let out a bitter chuckle. She curled her fingers around the necklace, yanking hard, ready to tear it off.

"Miss, are you alright?"

The taxi driver's voice jolted her out of her thoughts. She looked up to find him staring at her, a hint of concern in his eyes.

Zelda shook her head. She pulled open the car door and climbed in. She gave him Jian's apartment address-then realized she'd rushed out of the hospital without her wallet or phone.

"I'm so sorry," she said, flustered. "I didn't bring any money with me."

The driver turned to look at her. His eyes fell on the necklace around her neck.

She removed the necklace and gave it to the driver,

" You can have this. It is worth a lot of money"

The taxi driver took the necklace as he watched her and took notice of her expensive clothes.

" How much can I get for this?" He asked her suspiciously.

"Two to four million dollars" she answered with a straight face. The driver gasped but Zelda tuned him out.

Giving a way the necklace marked as a symbol of her finally letting go.

As the driver continued on his way, he then noticed someone was following them. The person seemed to be signalling for them to stop.

"Miss do you know the person following us" he asked Zelda. Zelda turned around and immediately recognized the car. It happened to be James. She sighed heavily.

"It's my husband. Just pull over, he never gives up ." She told the driver who listened to her and stopped.

James got out of his car and stood outside waiting, but Zelda didn't make a move to get out. While gritting his teeth he came towards the taxi and opened it,

"Get out!" He commanded her with a sharp tone.

"No. I want a divorce."

James pulled Zelda from the taxi towards his car, without saying a word. The minute he put her inside, he noticed that she was not wearing her necklace.

"Where is it?" he asked, his tone firm.

"What?" she replied, pretending she didn't know what he meant.

"Where is the necklace? Where is your necklace?" James asked, getting more worked up

"I threw it away," Zelda said, her voice steady.

"You threw it away!? Why?" James asked, clearly caught off guard by the answer.

He knew how much Zelda loved that necklace. He had never seen her without it, ever since he put it on her neck himself

"I want a divorce," she said simply.

James's expression shifted from confusion to anger and disbelief.

"What are you talking about? What divorce? You're the one who wanted to marry me," he said, disbelief filling his voice. "You drugged me and climbed into my bed, making sure that everyone knew that we were together, tying me to you, forcing me to marry you, and now you want a divorce?" he laughed mockingly.

Zelda felt a familiar ache in her chest as memories of the past washed over her. It was clear that James didn't trust or believe her, and he never would. He would never believe a word she said again because of what happened four years ago.

Zelda didn't drug him, she hadn't planned for them to be found together or to force him to marry her. She had nothing but love and respect for him. She would never want to gain his love or attention that way.

This realization only further solidified her decision to divorce him.

Since he didn't understand or believe her anyway, she decided to remain silent, giving him the cold shoulder. She didn't respond when he asked about the necklace again or when he pressed her with other questions.

"Zelda, answer me, where is it? Where is the necklace?"

Quiet.

"Zelda, you're going to force me to do something that both of us are going to regret. Where did you put the necklace?"

Still, she remained silent.

"Why did you take it off in the first place?"

Quiet.

"Okay, do you want to go home or do you want to go back to the hospital?"

Nothing.

James grew furious. In his frustration, he pulled her onto his lap. She struggled against him, but he didn't let her go. He gave her two hard slaps on her bottom.

Whenever he used this method, she would give in, or beg for forgiveness. But this time, it didn't work for her.

He demanded, "Where is the necklace?'

' Where did you take it?'

' I saw it on you just a few minutes ago. Where is it?"

Nothing.

"Don't make me angry."

Still, nothing.

He continued with his punishment, delivering harder, heavier slaps. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but her mouth remained closed, biting on her bottom lip to keep from crying out.

James's anger shifted when he saw it wasn't having the desired effect. Suddenly, it dawned on him what Zelda truly wanted.

He lifted her off his lap and positioned her on top of him, her legs straddling his thighs.

"Fine," he said, his voice low and determined. "I'm going to give you what you want."

Tears streamed down Zelda's cheeks as she wiped them away, confusion clouding her eyes. What the hell did he mean?

James, however, interpreted her recent behaviour as a reaction to his refusal to have a baby. That evening, when she had tried to set him up to have a baby and he had denied her, he believed it had triggered this new behaviour in her. From the beginning of their marriage, he had been clear that he would never allow her to carry his child. But after finding the torn condoms that morning, he assumed she was upset because he had refused her desire to have his baby.

So, in a moment fueled by frustration and misguided intention, he began unbuckling his trousers and pulling on her dress. That's when Zelda realized what he was about to do.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice sharp and trembling.

"I'm giving you what you want. You want a baby, don't you? You want a baby so much that you would use divorce to threaten me? That you tore the condom in the bedroom? Okay, I'm giving you that baby right now, right here."

Zelda's heart raced, panicking.

"Please don't do this to me. What are you doing? We're in the middle of the road! Anyone could pass here and see us! There are cars here. If I'm found like this, where would I put my face? This would be the embarrassment of the century. I will be humiliated! I will.."

At first, James didn't listen to her. He tore at her dress, kissing her neck and getting to her breasts. He didn't care about her please, but only about fulfilling his mission.

But then, the desperation in Zelda's voice seemed to pierce through his anger.

"Please, James, I'm begging you not to do this. Please, do not act like my father."

Her words struck a nerve. Suddenly, he relented, letting her go abruptly. The last thing he wanted was to be compared to Zelda's biological violent father.

Feeling bad for what he almost did, he shoved her aside and buckled his belt. In a daze, he moved to the front seat and started driving the car, leaving Zelda alone in the back.

The drive home was silent, filled with tension and unspoken words. Both of them were left to deal with the emotions that had erupted between them, the distance growing ever wider between them.

When they arrived home, Zelda quickly tried to get out of the car, but James was quicker. He jumped out and stopped her, his expression hardening as he took in her dishevelled appearance. Even though nobody was supposed to be home, there were still security personnel around, and he didn't want anyone to see her that way. Her dress was torn into shreds, clinging to her as she held on to the pieces.

Without a word, he took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. As he did, his eyes caught the sight of her hand. It was bleeding. Concern flashed across his face as he took her hand to inspect it. He noticed a bandage that had been there was now gone, likely torn off during their struggle in the car, and the wound was fresh and angry.

"What happened?" he asked, genuine concern lacing his voice. "How did you hurt your hand?"

Zelda merely shook her head, refusing to answer. It wasn't like he truly cared about her well-being, so she kept her mouth shut.

James silently picked her up and carried her inside. He took her straight into their bathroom and placed her on the counter. He opened the medicine cabinet and took the first aid kit, the sterile smell of antiseptic filling the air as he began to clean her wounds.

As he applied the antiseptic to her wound, Zelda felt a wave of nausea wash over her. She pushed him aside and dashed to the kitchen sink, where she doubled over and started vomiting. James rushed to her side, holding her hair back slowly as she heaved.

Once she was done, he turned to her, searching her eyes.

"Are you pregnant?" he asked,

James did not wait for Zelda to answer him as he went towards the cabinet and came back with a pregnancy test. He showed it to her, placing it in front of her face.

"Here, take it," he said.

Zelda looked at him as she took the pregnancy test in her hand.

"I'm not pregnant," she told him as she placed the test on the counter.

James took it back and shoved it toward her again. "Take the test."

"I'm not pregnant. You just came back yesterday, and you forced me to take the pills after we slept together. How could I be pregnant?" Zelda replied with frustration. "I don't want to argue with you, James."

"Just take the test," he insisted, his tone unmoving.

Zelda sighed. "Okay, fine," she said, grabbing the test from him. She raised her eyebrow at him before asking, "Can I have some privacy?"

"No, I want to see you do it."

She sighed again but complied. Fighting James was a losing battle, she was already tired with the whole day. Zelda peed on the stick, all while watching him stand over her like a hawk.

When she was done, she placed the test back on the counter, not bothering to check it. She knew what the result would be. She wasn't pregnant.

Two minutes passed, and James walked over to the counter, inspecting the test. His face hardened as he read the result.

"It's negative," he announced.

"I told you I wasn't pregnant, but you didn't want to listen," Zelda said, her voice flat. "I didn't want you to know this, James, but..." She trailed off, knowing there was no point in continuing. It was as though every word she said was ignored.

Zelda knew the result would be negative. Every time they were intimate, James made sure to take more than enough precautions to ensure she wouldn't get pregnant. It was almost as if he feared the idea of her ever carrying his child.

Without saying anything else, James left the room and walked outside. Zelda stayed inside, her weariness weighing her down, as she heard him make a phone call.

"I've sent you the number of the car," James said into the phone, his voice low. "It's a taxi that Zelda used today. I want you to look for her necklace. She was wearing it at the hospital, so if you don't find it there, check the security footage. From the hospital to the taxi...she must have lost it somewhere between."

The person on the other end of the line must have agreed, as James ended the call and stood there in the garden, his phone slipping back into his pocket.

Zelda watched him through the window, feeling numb as the gap between them grew wider by the minute.

The next morning, the shrill ringing of her phone woke her. Still sleepy, she reached for it on the nightstand, seeing her best friend Jian's name flashing on the screen.

"Zelda, have you seen the news?" Jian's voice was breathless with urgency.

"What news?" Zelda rubbed her eyes, still half-asleep.

"About Susan and James! They were seen coming back together from the airport yesterday. It's all over social media. James has been away for three months with her, and now they're back together like nothing happened. It's all anyone can talk about."

Zelda sat up, her heart pounding. Jian's words hit her like a punch. The truth, which had been lurking in the back of her mind, now screamed at her. James had been with Susan this whole time when she thought he was away for work. He hadn't even bothered to hide it.

He had left their home, spent months with another woman, then casually returned to play his role as her husband for a night before going back to Susan. The betrayal was too much. Zelda's fingers tightened around the phone.

"I see," she whispered, her voice hollow.

"Zelda, what are you going to do?" Jian asked concern in her tone.

0ppppp Zelda didn't respond right away. Instead, she stared at the sunlight filtering through the curtains.

"I'm leaving him," she finally said, her voice steady with resolve. "I'm done, Jian. I'm filing for divorce today."

There was a pause on the other end of the line before Jian spoke again.

"Are you sure? I know how much you love him z.."

"I have thought about it and I am sure. I can't do this anymore."

"I support you, Zel. You deserve so much more than this."

Zelda nodded to herself. "I know."

They spoke for a bit before they ended their conversation and Zelda stood up to get herself ready for the morning. That is when she noticed it. The necklace is back in place on her neck.

She felt a tear fall down her cheek as she watched herself in the mirror. The gesture hurt more than she had thought it would.

****

Later that morning, Zelda arrived at Ferguson Enterprises, clutching her resignation letter and divorce papers in her bag. She had dressed simply, her hair pulled back, her face calm, though inside she was anything but. Today was the day she was going to take back control of her life.

No one at the company knew that she and James were married. To everyone else, she was just his assistant, quietly managing his affairs behind the scenes. It had been easier that way, easier to keep the disaster of their marriage hidden.

But now, it was time to walk away from both the job and the man she had once thought she could love.

As she made her way to her desk, some of her co-workers noticed the resignation letter in her hand.

"Zelda, are you leaving us?" one of them asked, concerned.

"Yeah," she said, forcing a smile. "I'm resigning."

"Why? What happened?" another asked.

"It's personal," Zelda replied, shaking her head. "I just need to focus on my life right now. I'm getting a divorce."

That comment set off a wave of speculation among her colleagues.

"Is your husband cheating on you?" one of them asked bluntly. "Or does he not want kids?"

" Does he shoot blanks?" Another added

"Maybe he doesn't satisfy her in bed. Men nowadays have become very.." Another chimed in

Zelda shut them off, as she stayed quiet, not bothering to correct their assumptions. It didn't matter what they thought. Her mind was already made up.

As they gossiped, Zelda suddenly noticed a familiar figure standing nearby. James had been listening to everything they said, his expression dark.

He approached her with slow, deliberate steps.

"Zelda," he said, his voice low, "can I see you in my office?"

The others fell silent as Zelda followed James into his office. He shut the door behind them, the tension thick.

"Why are you spreading rumours about me?" James demanded, his eyes narrowing. "You told them I wasn't satisfying you, that I was cheating on you? To make it worse, you told them I shoot blanks?"

"I never said that," Zelda replied evenly. "They were speculating. I never said anything."

James stared at her, taken aback. "This is ridiculous. You can't just.."

"I'm resigning," she cut him off, placing the resignation letter on his desk. "And I'm divorcing you."

She pulled out the divorce papers and set them down beside the letter.

James stared at the documents, disbelief and anger warring on his face.

"Zelda, what the hell are you doing?"

"I'm serious, James," Zelda said, her voice steady. "I don't want anything from you. You've given me everything you can, and it's not enough. I want a divorce."

She stepped back, crossing her arms, her heart racing.

James's eyes darted from the papers to her face. He couldn't believe it. Zelda had always been the quiet one, the one who would endure anything for the sake of their marriage. She was desperate to have his name attached to her, to have everything that came with being with him. But this..this was something he hadn't expected.

"Sign the papers, James," she repeated, her voice firmer now. "I'm out of here."