Chapter 3

I clearly hadn't used any of his money, and Zachary was fully aware of that. I suddenly realized that he was deliberately retaliating against me for challenging him and demanding a divorce a few days earlier.

I had no other choice, as Mom was still in the hospital, and every second mattered. I forced down the bitter metallic taste of blood rising in my throat and whispered hoarsely, "What do I have to do for you to give me the money, Zachary?"

It was evident that Zachary was pleased with my submission, as he smugly lifted his chin and said, "I'll give you the money as long as you respectfully apologize to Ms. Ziegler."

Juliana was standing right there, wearing a thoroughly practiced and hypocritical smile of benevolence.

I clenched my fists at my sides, my nails digging into my palms. I chose to swallow my pride for Mom's sake and lower my head before her, forcing out the words through a veil of humiliation. "I'm so sorry for misunderstanding you a few days ago, Ms. Ziegler."

Juliana made a show of reaching out to stop me, but her voice was laced with passive aggression. "You don't have to do this since I never blamed you, Ms. Warner. You have constantly badmouthed me and dragged my name through the mud at work, but since we are colleagues, I won't fuss over it."

I immediately looked up, realizing that she was completely making things up.

Zachary's expression hardened, snapping, "You're truly despicable, Serenity! How could you treat your colleague in such a manner? Get down on your knees and apologize to Ms. Ziegler now!"

"I did no such thing!" I protested, the humiliation crushing me.

"You still dare to talk back, huh?" Zachary's expression hardened, his eyes brimming with disgust and distrust.

In the meantime, the onlookers eagerly fueled the confrontation with their taunts and shouts.

"That country bumpkin just doesn't know any better! Get her to grovel before Ms. Ziegler!"

"You either grovel before Ms. Ziegler or get out of the factory!"

In the end, the two nearby colleagues, known for always sucking up to the supervisors, rushed forward and tried to physically shove me down into a groveling position.

I struggled fiercely against their grip, the sting of shame burning in my eyes as tears threatened to fall.

Zachary asked indifferently, "Have you already given up on the two thousand dollars meant for your mother?"

In that single moment, every ounce of my energy completely deserted me. I ceased all resistance, yielding to their strength as they pushed me down onto the factory floor.

In the end, the impact of my knees striking the floor resonated dully, drowned out by the factory worker's boisterous mocking. I stared defiantly at Zachary as my eyes turned bloodshot from shame. "I did what you asked, so hand over the money now."

Zachary looked down at me and stated indifferently, "You'll get it when I collect my paycheck at the end of the month, since I don't have that kind of money on me right now."

I felt the fury boiling within me as I gritted my teeth, snarling, "You went back on your word!"

Zachary casually brushed off his sleeve, stating, "I clearly stated that I didn't have the money, Serenity—you were the one who chose to be so persistent."

In that instant, all the humiliation and bitterness I had swallowed finally erupted. "You're truly despicable, Zachary!

"Mom and Dad treated you like their own child back in the village! Mom even sold all her wedding gifts and pleaded with everyone she knew to send you to the city for this position of yours! How can you be so utterly ungrateful?"

I was just about to say more when a slap across my face silenced me. Zachary glared at me with bone-chilling coldness, yelling, "How long must you cling to such a trivial kindness, Serenity? You'd better stop making any trouble. Otherwise, you can walk out that door for good!"

Having said that, Zachary ignored me completely and left, taking Juliana with him.

"Why don't we try that Franconian cuisine place on Central Street, Zachary? It might be pricey, though—I heard a meal costs a few hundred dollars."

"I've got it covered! It'll be considered a celebratory dinner for us!"

I felt an overwhelming fury consuming my final bit of control. I immediately bolted toward the police station, and by the time I led the two police officers to the restaurant, Zachary and Juliana were finishing their Franconian cuisine.

Zachary's sophisticated smile vanished the moment he noticed the police officers.

I lowered my gaze and noticed the 1,440-dollar bill, thinking that he was certainly spending on a grand scale.

Upon hearing that I had reported him to the police on charges of "personal property theft", Zachary completely lost it, quickly raising his hand to strike me.