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Fading to Zero
Fading to Zero
Author: Washing Wheat

Chapter 1

Author: Washing Wheat
Almost at the same time, Zach Quinn's childhood sweetheart made a post on social media. The photo showed two hands wearing matching couple rings, forming a heart gesture.

Inside the heart was a pregnancy ultrasound report showing a seven-week embryo.

The caption read: [He said he wants to give us a home.]

Zach’s friends liked the post and congratulated them for finally ending up together, saying they would definitely prepare expensive gifts for their wedding. Not a single person mentioned me.

It was as though the wedding tomorrow had always been for the two of them and I had nothing to do with it at all.

I gave a bitter smile and liked the post. Then, I commented: [Wishing you a lifetime of happiness together!]

My comment blended into a stream of blessings and did not look out of place. However, it was deleted the next second.

Zach’s call came right after. His tone was full of impatience. “Coco, what are you trying to do? What was your intention behind leaving that comment? Are you trying to cause trouble?”

I was rendered speechless for a moment. “I wasn’t causing trouble. I genuinely wish you a lifetime of happiness.”

However, Zach clearly could not hear any sincerity in it and was convinced I was deliberately stirring things up. “Fine. Do you think I can’t tell whether you’re sincere or not? Everyone knows tomorrow was supposed to be our wedding. You suddenly jumped in with that sarcastic comment just so people would laugh at Ruby, right? Apologize to her. She’s crying now because of your comment.”

On the other end of the line came the sound of a woman sobbing. “Zach, forget it! I shouldn’t have asked you to help me. I’ll go book an abortion appointment right now. So what if I can never be a mother after this? It’s better than being called a mistress!”

Zach immediately softened his voice, soothing Ruby like a child. “Ruby, you’re not a mistress! Once we get the marriage certificate tomorrow, we’ll be a legally married couple, the kind recognized by law!

“Don’t listen to people talking nonsense without thinking! If anyone dares to mock you, I’ll tear their mouth apart!”

Ruby only cried harder. “What about Coco? Won’t she be heartbroken? Maybe I should just abort the baby, and your wedding can go on as planned…”

Zach’s voice grew even gentler, now laced with urgency, “Coco and I already agreed. She just needs to wait three more years, and she’ll get what she wants. It’s not like I'll run away, right?

“Stop crying. Otherwise, your stomach will start hurting again. And if your eyes are all swollen tomorrow, how are you going to be a beautiful bride?”

Ruby finally broke into a tearful smile.

Zach let out a sigh of relief and then spoke to me in a slightly calmer tone. “Coco, what’s your silence supposed to mean? Apologize to Ruby already!”

I clenched my fists, hating myself for even liking that post in the first place. Still, I had done nothing wrong. Why should I apologize?

“Zach, what if I refuse?”

He froze for a second, then raised his voice in disbelief. “Coco, stop making a scene. It’s getting ugly! Ruby is pregnant. Her emotions are unstable, and you’re deliberately making her cry. That’s really inconsiderate!

“You don’t have to apologize, but you still need to make up for your mistake. Go explain to our friends and family that you don't want to get married anymore.”

Afraid that I would refuse, he hung up immediately. Then, he sent me a message:

[Coco, I’m begging you, stop making a scene, okay? I’m just getting a marriage certificate with Ruby. It’s just a piece of paper. It doesn’t mean anything. We're canceling our wedding this time so that I can give you your dream wedding at the most appropriate time.]

Those familiar words stabbed at my eyes, making them ache again. What did 'the most appropriate time' even mean?

I had been hearing that sentence for eight years, nearly 3,000 days and nights, while waiting for him to marry me. In the end, he was about to become someone else’s legal husband.

I would not wait for him anymore.

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  • Fading to Zero   Chapter 10

    Zach stumbled and collapsed to the ground, then suddenly crawled over to my feet. “Coco, I’m sorry! It’s all my fault! Hit me, yell at me, do whatever you want, just don’t leave me, okay?“I know you’re mad at me, and that’s why you even walked away from the company we built together. Tell me what you want me to do. I’ll do anything. Just give me one more chance!“I already contacted the wedding planner. We’ve redesigned everything into a grand ceremony and included all your favorites. Come back with me and we’ll get married right away. Please!”The next second, he pulled a velvet box from his pocket. Inside was an expensive pink diamond ring.It was the one I had once glanced at twice. Back then, he insisted on buying it for me, but I refused, saying the company needed cash flow during its early stages. He then promised that once the company grew, he would buy it for me.However, even by the time he proposed, he never fulfilled that promise.Now, it meant nothing to me anymore.

  • Fading to Zero   Chapter 9

    Three days later, I received an offer from a securities firm.The position was entry-level, but I had gone straight into building a business with Zach after I graduated. All things considered, my professional experience was not particularly extensive.Finding a role that matched my background so quickly was good enough.On my first day, my manager told me that what impressed him most was my experience helping build a successful startup from the ground up and that he intended to invest heavily in my development.As luck would have it, the apartment my agent found was also close to the office.I began my new life in high spirits just like that.With my managers investing heavily in my development, I advanced rapidly and soon passed my probation period. Immersed in work, I gradually forgot all the pain and unhappiness of the past.Hence, when Zach suddenly blocked my path outside the office building, I felt more surprised than anything else. I had only been away from him for three

  • Fading to Zero   Chapter 8

    It turned out that what had been growing inside Ruby was not a baby at all. It was a tumor. In addition, her uterus was removed when she was eight years old to save her life.The reason she deliberately fell yesterday was that she had already been scheduled for a minimally invasive surgery to remove the tumor. She just used the entire situation to scheme against my marriage.I watched Zach’s ice-cold expression on the screen. Even through the video, I could feel the frost in his gaze seemed enough to chill the air. Yet Ruby still had no idea her lies had been exposed.She acted spoiled while clinging to his arm, deliberately pressing herself against him.Zach lifted his eyes and looked at her with a gaze as cold as ice. He pushed her away and ordered the wedding to be canceled.Ruby immediately panicked. Tears streamed down her face as she threw herself against him again.“Zach, I know your mother doesn’t like me, but we’re already married. I’ll work hard to make her accept me. I

  • Fading to Zero   Chapter 7

    Zach stared at his mother in disbelief, his lips slightly trembling. “Mom, is that true?”Mrs. Quinn shot him a look before launching into Ruby’s history. She stood with one hand on her hip and the other pointing straight at Ruby’s face as she scolded her. Gone was the refined, well-mannered elderly woman I once knew.“You're just like your shameless mother. Instead of learning anything decent, you learned how to seduce other people's husbands!“When we were neighbors, my husband felt sorry for you and your widowed mother. He drove you to work and school whenever he could. Your mother kept talking about how she’d never be able to repay our kindness, but behind our backs, she was trying to crawl into my husband's bed!“If Zach’s father hadn’t stood firm, that shameless woman would’ve succeeded after drugging him! For the sake of both our families’ reputations, we buried the whole thing. We thought once you moved away, we’d never have to deal with you again!“But look what happened!

  • Fading to Zero   Chapter 6

    Zach loudly told his mother, “Mom, Ruby is pregnant. You’re finally going to have a grandchild.”I thought that after longing for a grandchild for so many years, Mrs. Quinn would be overjoyed by the news. Instead, her voice shot up an octave as she bellowed, “Bullshit! She lost her uterus when she was a child. What pregnancy are you talking about?”I could not help but freeze in shock. The whole thing felt absurd and ridiculous. However, none of it had anything to do with me anymore.Realizing the call was still connected, Mrs. Quinn hurriedly shouted into the phone, “Coco, don’t go! I’m going to get justice for you right now! Scamming my son into marriage? She’s just as shameless as her mother!”The flight attendant announced that the plane was about to take off, so I hung up and switched off my phone. Just before the line went dead, I thought I heard Zach ask in a trembling voice, “Mom, is that true?”However, I had no interest in the truth anymore. Whether Ruby was really pregn

  • Fading to Zero   Chapter 5

    “He’ll pay.”It was because Zach truly intended to marry Ruby.After hanging up, it was already 2:00 am.I abandoned my plan to go home and say goodbye to my mother. Instead, I took a cab to a hotel near the airport. The wedding planner texted me to say thank you, adding that although Zach was angry, he had indeed transferred the payment.I smiled, set an alarm, and fell asleep as soon as I lay down. I did not expect the phone to start blowing up with Zach’s calls. I simply blocked him, turned off my phone, and continued sleeping.However, afterward, a frantic pounding came from the door.“Coco! Open the door!”When I heard Zach’s familiar voice, I suddenly remembered that I had forgotten to turn off location sharing. His voice was filled with fury, and my mind involuntarily flashed back to the scene of Ruby deliberately falling earlier.Had she really lost the baby? Or had he come because I sold my shares?The next second, the hotel room door was kicked open. Zach stormed in

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