Chapter 6

If their mutual friends could remember these things, Yvonne would remember them too.

In the past, after Zach “died”, she relied on those memories to get her through another day. But whenever she remembered those past events at present, they were like glass shards that stabbed into her heart. Every time she breathed, it would hurt.

“Are you girls talking about me again?”

A familiar hand found its way around Yvonne’s waist, and Zach’s voice traveled into her ears.

Their friends exchanged glances before they teased her, “Look. It’s just been a moment since he last saw you, and he’s already worried about you leaving!”

Zach chuckled, and he was about to speak when the door suddenly flung open.

Someone spotted him and immediately ran toward him like a hurricane.

She hugged him tightly.

“Zach, I thought that I’d never see you again!”

Zach was stunned, but he noticed that Bella had shown up barefoot with scratches on her face. Right then, his amusement faded away, and he instinctively tightened his grip around her.

“Who is she?”

“I don’t know. What’s Zach’s relationship with her?”

Suddenly, there were murmurs all around.

Zach narrowed his eyes and quickly turned to Yvonne.

The moment Bella showed up, Yvonne had instinctively clenched her fists.

It was her birthday, and she just wanted to meet her friends one last time before she left.

Even so, Bella still had to ruin it.

All of her dignity crumbled like dirt at the moment.

The sight of Yvonne swaying on her feet alarmed Zach for a moment. But before he could say anything, Bella threw her tear-stained face into his arms again.

Zach looked at Bella’s neck. The red handprints and red marks there made him burn with anger. Rage surged through him as he demanded, “Who did this?!”

His question made Bella tremble as she looked at him. Then, with a whisper only the three of them could hear, she said, “It was… my uncle. He said that… you just wanted to toy with me, and he wanted—”

“He has a death wish, huh?!”

Zach quickly removed his jacket and covered Bella before he picked her up.

As for Yvonne, she instinctively grabbed Zach, even though he was oozing ruthlessness.

Just some time ago, Zach was brought to the police station because he had hurt someone. She had to work herself down to the bone to make sure the news never went out. He could not afford to be so rash again.

Yvonne wanted to say something, but her words died in her throat when Zach glared at her.

“Yvonne, I’ll make it up to you for your birthday. You’re a woman too. Can’t you feel some empathy?”

Soon, Yvonne smiled bitterly. “Is that how you see me?”

Zach tensed up, while Bella grabbed his shirt.

“Isn’t it true?” he growled.

Then, he shoved Yvonne away and left the hall.

The moment he left, everyone burst into a ruckus and started talking about it.

“Did you see that? Him? Loving? It’s all just an act!”

“What’s the point of him being a loving husband? Good times fade away quickly, and he can have as many women as he wants. Yvonne won’t be able to get rid of all of them.”

Their words stabbed Yvonne in the heart like knives.

Even so, she maintained a numb smile as she sent her guests away.

As her friends gazed at her with concern, she made sure to retain the last of her dignity. She needed to hide the humiliation Zach had dealt to her with her own power.

Eventually, everyone left, and she was alone in the room full of the fragrance of roses.

Like a kite with a broken string, she collapsed to the floor. After this fatal blow, her heart was shattered into pieces. All of her sadness burst forth like water from a broken dam, and she bawled on the floor. She no longer cared about her image.

The man who claimed that he would protect her for life had lied to her!