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Falling at Her Feet
Falling at Her Feet
Author: Unsweetened Dessert

Chapter 1

Author: Unsweetened Dessert
The day I was discharged from the hospital after the car accident, Zachary Quinn brought something up out of nowhere.

"I found a great massage parlor recently. We should try it together sometime. I go there now and then when I need to unwind."

I froze. Of all the things he could've said, I never expected him to mention that place. The place that I loathed with every fiber of my being.

Zachary didn't seem to notice anything. Instead, he casually held my hand. "I know you have a thing against massage parlors, but you can't just assume they're all the same.

"Not everyone's like your dad, you know. You have to trust me. I only love you. Besides, holding onto stuff like that isn't good for you."

But forgetting wasn't an option.

Not when I could still hear my mother's ragged screams echoing in my head. Not when I could still see my father, red-faced and furious, shouting obscenities.

Not when I could still picture the woman tangled up in the sheets, hiding as she was too ashamed to show her face.

Those memories still yanked me out of sleep in a cold sweat.

"And what if I never stop hating that place? What if I never move on?" I asked.

Zachary just smiled and ruffled my hair. "Then don't. You don't have to go."

Something inside me snapped. I pulled my hand away under the pretense of tucking my hair behind my ear.

He just went on. "If you won't go, I'll just go by myself. Come to think of it, I've been so busy these past few days—I haven't had the time."

I clenched my hand into a fist, and my nails dug into my palm. My voice was flat when I finally responded, "Do whatever you want."

Zachary grinned and pinched my cheek. "What's with the attitude? Are you mad because I didn't stay with you at the hospital?"

I couldn't even muster a smile.

He hooked his pinky around mine, but I ignored him. Undeterred, he leaned in, aiming for my lips. I turned my head at the last second, and his kiss landed on my cheek instead.

"I'll cook you something nice later to make up for it. You know, anger gives you wrinkles. Don't be mad at me anymore, alright?"

To Zachary, this was a passing conversation that could have been forgotten in minutes. But to me, it was a tidal wave crashing through everything I thought I knew.

He had never been the type to share these little details of his life, too.

Then, his phone buzzed. I glanced at his back as he moved around the kitchen, then—almost without thinking—let my gaze drift to his screen.

A message from Tiffany Larson popped up.

"It's been three days. Should I still wait for you today?"

The second I saw that familiar name, my breath caught in my throat. The thing I had feared most was no longer a possibility. It was real.

I took multiple deep breaths to force myself to calm down. After doing so, my hands trembled as I reached for his phone and typed in the passcode.

Even though I was mentally prepared, seeing it with my own eyes still sent a sharp, undeniable pain straight through my chest.

As the last illusion between us shattered, all I hear was silence.
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  • Falling at Her Feet   Chapter 11

    As Ethan was the one who started the fight first, Zachary's parents took him to court.On the day of the trial, I debated with myself for a long time before finally deciding to see him one last time.Zachary was pushed out in a wheelchair. His face was unshaven, and he looked utterly dejected.The moment his mother saw me, she jabbed a finger in my face and snapped, "You've got some nerve showing up here. I'm warning you, my son is leaving the country soon. He's not foolish enough to take you back."At her words, he jerked his head up, and something like hope flickered in his eyes.I didn't give him a single glance. Without hesitation, I walked right past him. He had no one to blame but himself for such an ending.Ethan seemed surprised to see me. Then, after a beat, he let out a low, bitter laugh. "Of all people, I never thought you'd be the one to come."Ever since everything fell apart, the fiancée his family had lined up for him had flat-out refused to marry him—she wouldn't

  • Falling at Her Feet   Chapter 10

    I deliberately found the video of Tiffany with different men and sent it to Zachary. He has necrospermia, yet Tiffany somehow managed to get pregnant with his child.I knew he'd open the email I sent him to check out the little gift.I didn't touch the things he left behind at the old house. I simply changed the locks and put the place up for sale.I slept alone at my new place at night, but I couldn't get a peaceful rest.I went on to my regular check-ups at the hospital, stayed home drawing sketches, or met with Vivian to discuss new projects.She complimented me for what felt like ages, probably because, now that I was away from the people who drained me, my complexion was looking much healthier than before.Just when I thought life might slowly get better, Tiffany showed up at my new place. Her belly was starting to show, and she looked like she'd gained a lot of weight."You bitch! What the hell did you send him? You've already divorced him, and you still can't leave him al

  • Falling at Her Feet   Chapter 9

    I pulled out my phone and showed Zachary the screenshots I'd taken from the videos, along with Tiffany's Facebook page.I was even kind enough to spare him some dignity—I didn't shove the explicit videos of Tiffany with other men in his face and let them play on a loop.His face paled as he grabbed my phone, frantically trying to delete everything.I let out a dry laugh. "You don't actually think I don't have backups, do you? I've got as many copies as you'd like."The divorce papers are in the drawer. Take them out and sign them. This is what's best for everyone."He stared at me, jaw clenched, before forcing a smirk. "Sienna, look at you. You've really learned a thing or two, huh?"With a cold chuckle, Zachary yanked the drawer open. The divorce papers lay there, untouched, as if they'd been waiting for him all along. I had them drawn up the day I found out he was cheating.He flipped through them lazily, pausing for an extra second at the asset division before scrawling his n

  • Falling at Her Feet   Chapter 8

    I had no idea what kind of connections Vivian had to bypass the police and get surveillance footage from such a huge massage parlor.But I was beyond grateful to her. Without her, I'd probably still be stuck in a pointless back-and-forth with Zachary."Sienna, before you go to bed tonight, ask yourself—do you really want a divorce? Or is this just a heat-of-the-moment thing you'll regret later?" Vivian asked."One day, he might show up at my door with another woman's kid in his arms. And if I'm still married to him by then, congratulations—I get to be a stepmother, no questions asked. Personally, that's not my idea of a good time."Laughter rang out from the other end of the call. "Sienna, a woman like you never backs down."Things were unraveling faster than I'd expected. That night, while scrolling through Tiffany's posts, I saw that she was three weeks pregnant.I let out a soft, bitter chuckle. So it was real. I really was about to become a stepmother.By the time the sun d

  • Falling at Her Feet   Chapter 7

    Zachary pulled his hand back, and his voice softened. "She works at the massage parlor next door. We just know each other and decided to grab a coffee."Monday, a massage parlor, and casually stepping out for coffee with an employee.Not even a half-decent lie, huh? He couldn't be bothered to make it sound convincing.Tiffany's pitiful cries filled the air. "Ms. Parker, please don't get the wrong idea! We really just… ran into each other. Please, just let Mr. Quinn take me to the hospital first. My stomach really hurts. Please, I'm begging you."Cold sweat dripped down her forehead, and her voice grew weaker with each cry. By the time she finished, she was barely holding herself up. The commotion had already drawn a crowd.Zachary hated being caught in an embarrassing situation. The more eyes on us, the darker his expression became. "Sienna, she really is in pain," he said.I waved a hand dismissively, confused. "And what does that have to do with me? You brought her here, an

  • Falling at Her Feet   Chapter 6

    It was 6:00 am when I heard the front door creak open. A moment later, the mattress dipped beside me.Zachary's hands, still warm from the cold outside, slipped around my waist as he pressed close to whisper, "I love you."I didn't want to respond to him, so I kept my eyes shut, pretending to be asleep.I didn't know how long I lay there, unmoving, until he left. Eventually, I heard the quiet rustle of fabric and the soft shuffle of footsteps. The door clicked shut behind him, and only then did I open my eyes.On the nightstand, he had left me a small note. While in the kitchen, a pot of warm soup sat on the stove.Everything was just like every other morning, if only I hadn't caught him cheating. But I didn't have time to drown in heartbreak. After spending two weeks in the hospital after the car accident, I was already drowning in work—dozens of unfinished sketches piled up on my desk and one particularly important commission sitting on top.It was my first commercial proje

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