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."

James looked at her and sneered. "How will you survive without me?" he taunted mockingly.

Zelda felt the weight of his words. She knew what he meant, she belonged to the Ferguson family. They had saved her life, taken her to school, fed her, and clothed her. And then she became his wife, continuing to use the Ferguson name and power. How was she going to survive without him in her life?

Great question.

But beneath her doubts, Zelda was determined. She had a secret of her own. What James didn't know was that all the credit cards he had given her were untouched. She had never used a single cent.

Ever since she was old enough to start working, she had ensured that she bought whatever she could on her own without depending on the Fergusons. She took any side jobs she could because she felt guilty to depend on the Ferguson's so much. She felt like a burden to them and hence she tried to become independent on her own.

Since they had married, she had been taking care of her sick brother with the money she earned from various side projects, never touching a cent from his bank account or the Ferguson family's resources.

"I'll survive, James," she declared, her voice stronger than she felt. "I won't ask for anything from the divorce. I'm leaving you everything."

He laughed, mocking her.

"You think you can just walk away? What about your sexual satisfaction? Who is going to touch you the way I do? Who's going to take care of that itch when it needs a scratch?" His words cut through her and she felt humiliated.

It became painfully clear that he had only used her for his own desires, without a shred of real affection towards her.

That realization hurt and made her decision clearer; she was serious about the divorce, and leaving him felt more important than ever.

James then with a winning smirk made a move to touch her. Zelda moved away from him and when he caught her, she slapped him. But before her hand could connect with his face, he caught her and pulled her toward him, taking the breath out of her.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. It turned out to be Susan. She knocked only once and entered without waiting to be invited inside. When she found Zelda struggling against James, who had yet to let Zelda's hand go, her expression turned into fake concern.

She had found the two in an intimate position and they let go of each other abruptly. Susan quickly plastered on a worried look, trying to placate Zelda, though Zelda could see through her act.

" Sister, are you okay? Is everything alright? I hope James hasn't upset you. You know how he is, he can be quite.."

"Don't fake the gentleman's kindness toward me," Zelda snapped, her patience wearing thin. "I'm tired of fighting for James's attention. I'm letting him go. You can have him."

With those words, Zelda turned and walked away from James's office, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders as she exited the room.

'you can have each other' she said as she left.

****

When she got home, she gathered her things. Her marital home. She took all the essentials she needed, leaving behind the remainder of a life she no longer wanted. She had cut all ties with James and was determined to move forward without his shadow over her anymore.

As she stepped out of the house for the last time she couldn't believe that she was really leaving. After all those years, five years to be exact, and now she was leaving, never to return. The moment felt bittersweet. When James married her, she never thought this day would come. She never thought she would ever be the one to leave, but she was.

She called her best friend to see if Jian could pick her up from the house. She was leaving all the luxuries behind and that included the car she drove that James had bought for her.

She didn't have a place to go right now and she planned to stay with Jian for a few days until she figured out her next move.

When Jian arrived, she helped her with her bags in the trunk of the car. While they were in the car, Zelda's phone rang. It was Susan's manager, reaching out about a new song Susan was producing, in which she wanted Zelda to be involved.

"Why aren't you picking up your phone?" Jian asked.

"It's Susan's manager. She wants to feature me in her new music video." Zelda answered.

Zelda and Jian exchanged incredulous looks, wondering how Susan could take Zelda's husband and then ask her to work on her music video.

"Susan is truly shameless. The nerve of her!" Jian exclaimed angrily.

" Forget about her. I don't ever want to think about her or James, ever again. Let's go."

*******

Back at the office, James Ferguson sat by the window, lost in thought. He was busy thinking about the chaos in his life when Susan tried to get his attention.

" James, I really like what you did with the office, it suits you and your power." she said with a smile, beaming at him.

However, James remained unresponsive, lost in his own head. Frustrated, Susan placed her hand on her stomach,

"Oh!" she yelped.

This got James's attention as he got close to her with a concerned look on his face.

"what is it are you okay?"

" it's nothing. I get these aches that feel like gas passing and they hurt at times." Susan answered with a fake pained smile.

" What did the doctors say?" He asked, finally giving her his undivided attention.

"I have to take things slow and take better care of myself. I need your support right now. Stress isn't good for the baby." She added giving him googly eyes.

Just as James's mood began to soften at the news, there was a knock on the door.

" sorry to bother you Mr Ferguson, but I couldn't find Zelda and you're running late for a meeting." the office manager told him.

"got it." He answered and the man left.

" Sorry, I can't spend more time with you. You should have called before coming." James told Susan with a hint of disapproval.

"It's not a problem. I will finish having my juice and wait for you. It's not a problem." Susan answered with a smile.

James watched his phone and saw that he was late. He sighed as he left promising to be back very quickly.

James left Susan alone in the office. As she looked around, her curiosity piqued. Soon, she began to snoop through James's belongings, discovering the divorce papers and resignation letter that Zelda had given James on James's desk. A sly smile crept onto her face.

It was evening when Zelda finished her part-time job at the local training institute, where she had been working as a fashion design instructor for the past year in the evening. She taught adults about fashion, clothing, and makeup, which she enjoyed.

Since she no longer worked at Ferguson's company anymore, she came to work early to get ready for her evening class and find something to do, that's when the manager approached her with an unexpected request.

"Zelda! I'm so glad I found you here," the manager said with relief. "Mary couldn't make it to her children's class today. Would you mind covering for her?"

Zelda smiled. "Of course, I'm free right now during the day, so it's not a problem."

The manager's face lit up. "Oh, thank you so much. Actually, Mary's husband was just transferred, so we're going to need someone to take over her position permanently. If you're interested, go through today's class, and let me know how you feel afterwards."

Zelda got excited. "I'll give it a try! Thanks for thinking of me."

When Zelda entered the children's classroom, she quickly found herself captivated. They were brimming with energy, full of ideas, and eager to learn, making the experience refreshing and so much fun. Their eagerness and creativity reminded her of why she loved fashion and design.

After her evening class, she went to see the manager. "I'd love to take the children's class position," she said with a smile.

The manager beamed back at her. "Perfect! I've already heard great feedback from the kids, and the parents seem thrilled, too. You're a natural."

Zelda left the institute feeling very happy. This new role came at the perfect time, giving her a way to support herself and her brother while doing something she truly enjoyed. This job felt like a sign from God.

*****

Zelda went to see her brother-in-law, Zander, since she hadn't been able to visit him since the previous day, when she'd overheard her mother-in-law, Helen Ferguson, plotting to manipulate her. Helen had acted like she was finally welcoming Zelda as a true daughter-in-law, but Zelda now knew better. He only wanted her to produce a blood bag.

She cared deeply for Zander and would do anything for him, but the thought of being deceived by Helen hurt her deeply.

When Zelda arrived at the hospital, she found Zander being his usual mischievous self, refusing to eat and giving the staff a hard time. The nurse and a maid were trying to coax him into taking a bite, but he wasn't having any of it.

Zelda knocked softly before stepping in with a smile.

"What's all this fuss about, Zander?" she asked warmly.

"This young man refuses to eat his food." The nurse answered, looking at Zander pointedly.

Zander, noticing her, grinned and pointed at the nurse. "I like this one. She's cute and knows I'm a man, not some little boy!"

With a smirk, Zelda teased him, "Then if you're a man, you don't need anyone to feed you, right? You can eat on your own."

The maid looked relieved. "I'm so glad you're here, Miss Zelda. Let me take a quick break. I'll come back soon," she said, leaving.

As the nurse checked Zander's chart and quietly slipped out, Zander turned his gaze to the window, pretending to be hurt.

"Sister-in-law, you brought me here and then just left me yesterday," he pouted.

"I'm so sorry, Xander. I know I didn't say goodbye yesterday, but I made sure your mom and your brother were here," Zelda apologized, moving closer to him.

Xander crossed his arms, still pouting. "You didn't even come to say goodbye," he muttered dramatically.

Zelda leaned in, pinched his cheek playfully, and planted a quick kiss on his forehead.

"I'm really sorry, will you forgive me?"

He looked up at her. "I don't believe you."

With a smile, Zelda reached into her bag, pulling out a small cake box. She held it just out of his reach, teasingly.

"Hmm, I don't know what's in here. But if you forgive me, maybe you can find out."

Xander's eyes lit up, and he leaned closer, eyeing the box. "What's that?"

Zelda raised an eyebrow, her tone sing-songy. "Better decide fast before your mom catches us. She wouldn't like what's in here."

"Okay, okay, I forgive you!" Xander grinned, grabbing the box eagerly.

He opened it to find the chocolate cake and gasped in delight.

"You brought me chocolate cake?"

Zelda smirked, putting a finger to her lips. "Keep it down, or everyone will know. Now hurry and eat it before we get caught."

Xander nodded and started wolfing down the cake, but before he could finish, they both froze as a voice came from the doorway.

"What are you two up to?"

James stood there, eyeing them both suspiciously. Xander stuffed the rest of the cake into his mouth, trying to act innocent as he wiped chocolate from his face.

"Nothing, nothing!"

James narrowed his eyes at Zelda. "What did you give him?"

Zelda shrugged nonchalantly. "Like he said, nothing. Just some fruit for a balanced diet," she replied. "Speaking of which, I'll go prepare you some fruit," she added, heading into the small hospital kitchen.

Behind her, she heard Xander whispering to his brother. "What did you do now?"

"What are you talking about, you little brat?" James asked, exasperated.

"You must've upset her again. If you keep it up and she leaves, don't come crying to me."

James scoffed. "Why would I ever come crying to you? What could you do to help me?"

Xander leaned back smugly. "Because she loves me, obviously. If you ever want her to forgive you, I'm the only one who can put in a good word for you. She only married you because you're older than me, but no worries. When I'm older, and she's finally left you, I'll be there to marry her."

Zelda stifled a laugh from the kitchen when she heard Xander yelp, clearly having earned a flick or poke from his brother.

Returning to the room, Zelda placed a bowl of fruit on the table next to Xander and smiled, she took her bag and leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to Xander's forehead.

"Are you leaving?" Xander asked, his voice tinged with a hint of hurt.

"Yeah, I've been up since morning, and I need to get some rest. But I'll be back to see you tomorrow," she replied, smiling softly to reassure him.

Xander turned his gaze to James, a glint in his eyes. "Are you leaving without my brother?" he asked.

Zelda shot a quick glance at James, who met her gaze "Of course not," James replied. "We are going back home. Why do you think I came here? I came to take my wife home."

Xander grinned, lighting up his face.

"Aha, you're afraid of leaving your wife with me, aren't you? You know she'll leave you and be with me someday."

"Zelda would never leave me," James replied confidently.

Zelda looked over at him, caught off guard by his certainty. 'Is that what you think?' she thought, surprised.

But she kept her thoughts to herself.

"Just keep on saying that," Xander muttered with a knowing look, "but if you hurt her, you're going to regret it."

"Shut up, you little brat," James chastised him. But his tone was gentle as he took Zelda's hand and started leading her out of the room.

When they stepped out of the room, James noticed a nurse wheeling a cart of equipment into Zander's room to draw blood. His eyes narrowed, and he turned to his assistant.

"Look into why Zander's having blood drawn every day. It's just a cold." He instructed and continued pulling Zelda with him.

Zelda wanted to pull her hand away, to break free of his touch, but she allowed him to lead her, not wanting Xander to see anything unusual or suspect the reality of their relationship.

The two continued until they reached the hospital entrance. James started his car, rolled down the window, and said, "Get in, home."

Zelda's voice steady yet firm. "It's enough."

James looked at her, his expression unreadable as he let out a bitter laugh. "What's enough?"

She took a deep breath, finding the strength to hold her ground. "I'm fine here. I don't need you to take me home. I am not going with you."

A flicker of disbelief crossed his face. "I'll take you home," he insisted, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.

Zelda steadied herself. "I don't want to go back there, James. I've already left. I served you with the divorce papers; all that's left is for you to sign them and finalize things. I already took my things from the house."

A cold anger settled over James's face as he laughed harshly, his expression hardening. "What are you saying?"

James' handsome face visibly darkened as she kept mentioning divorce in the conversations.

A car drove up from behind and honked its horn.

James, seemingly losing patience and the desire to communicate, looked away, rolled up the window, and drove off.

Zelda took out her phone to call an Uber when a gray Lamborghini slowly pulled up in front of her.

She looked up, surprised, and saw the driver turning to face her.it was Hammer.