Chapter 6 Regret it

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 Chen Ting.

"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.

They walked in silence until they reached the hallway, far enough from Xander’s room for her to finally voice her frustration.

When they were alone in the corridor, Zelda pulled her hand from his grasp, her 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?”

She met his gaze, her voice calm. “I’m saying I meant what I did. I’m not coming back from this, James. All I’m waiting for is for you to sign the papers so we can finalize the divorce.”