Chapter 3

I opened my banking app and swiftly unlinked all of Zachary's credit cards from my account, then canceled the automatic transfers for our marital home's house loan, utility bill, and management fee. After that, I transferred the remaining balance in the account Zachary and I shared for our expenses to my own personal account.

Back when we first started dating, we agreed to have a shared account. However, Zachary had never once put any money in. He was always complaining about how his salary wasn't paid on a fixed date or that his income had decreased. He even whined about having to support his parents.

Not once did I ever suspect anything was amiss. I bore our shared expenses and even paid for the renovations and house loan for our marital home.

However, it seemed my trust had simply brought Zachary a lot of convenience when it came to living two lives.

With me, he was the busy yet thoughtful, supportive fiance.

But with Sierra, he became the sugar daddy who provided everything she could ever ask for, a figure worthy of her worship. He used my money to please another woman and form another family, another home, with her.

I dug through the drawer for the folder hidden deep inside it. That folder contained the renovation contract for our house, the receipts for payment of all the construction materials and utilities, and the payment records for the house loan.

I took photos of them all, then dug out my bank statements and saved all of those too.

It still wasn't enough!

Finding three large black trash bags, I tossed away everything Zachary owned. I even opened the closet and dumped out all of his clothing. I also tossed every single photo I could find, each a snapshot of our shared moments from the past five years, into the communal dumpster outside the building.

At last, Zachary returned in the afternoon.

He immediately hugged me. "I'm sorry, Jessica. I didn't get to spend the occasion with you again."

Fishing out a necklace from a well-known luxury brand, he added, "Here. The surgery came too suddenly, so this is to make up for it. Do you like it?"

With that, he stared at me with what he thought to be an adoring look.

I had to fight hard to quell the nausea roiling within me. Calmly accepting the necklace from him, I then placed it down on the nearest surface, which happened to be the dining table.

"Was the surgery a success?"

"Yeah. We managed to save the patient," Zachary answered vaguely before sweeping me into his arms and leaning down to kiss me. "Did my fiancee miss me?"

As I watched his face grow closer, an image of him kissing Sierra abruptly popped into my mind, making me even more repulsed.

Turning my face slightly, I said, "Don't. I'm on my period."

Zachary paused briefly, a hint of disappointment flashing across his face. However, it was swiftly replaced by concern.

"Oh. Then drink more water and get some more rest."

He took my mug to get me some water, only to realize that his mug was gone.

"Honey, where's my mug?"

I lowered my gaze, prepared to lay all my cards on the table.

However, Zachary's phone rang just then. He checked the screen quickly, his expression taking on a hint of panic.

"It's from the hospital. There could be an emergency again."

He headed to the balcony with his phone and lowered his voice. Still, I was able to hear everything.

"Don't cry, babe. I'll be right over."

Zachary came back inside and put on his jacket while shooting me an apologetic smile. "It's an emergency, honey. I have to go."

I smiled at him. "You only just got back, yet you're leaving already?"

"Yeah. A critically ill patient's condition suddenly took a turn for the worse," he replied in a tone filled with reluctance. "Don't wait up for me, okay? You can sleep first."

"Alright." I saw him off at the elevator.

However, the moment the doors shut, I immediately followed him down.