Chapter 2 She's Back

Zelda remembered four years ago when she was caught in James's bed…..

She would admit that she had always had a little crush on James growing up and had deep feelings for him, but she would have never acted on her emotions, and worse she would never have used trickery to get him to be with her. She wanted James to love her back and reciprocate her feelings.

So, the fact that James blamed her for what happened four years ago when they were both caught in bed the day he was supposed to get engaged to his girlfriend, Susan, remained a mystery to her.

James was furious and Nobody believed her when she said she had nothing to do with it.

Nobody believed her, because she and Susan Wenger, who was James's ex-girlfriend, had a history.

When Zelda was six years old, she found out that her parents weren't her biological parents, but that she and Susan had been switched at birth. Each child was taken back to their biological family. That's when Zelda found herself taken into a family full of violence and domestic abuse.

At first, the two parents had tried making things easier for the children by meeting together and trying to help with their adjustments, but later that died a very quick death. Susan never wanted to spend time with the parents who had raised her and Zelda couldn't blame her for it, but that meant Zelda lost the only people who had ever cared for her in her life.

The switch had also created competition between the two children, even though Zelda didn't know why Susan was so obsessed with her and taking away everything that she held dear. Susan would always show fake concern and sisterhood when they had an audience, something Zelda loathed.

Zelda now wondered if James loved her, or if he was ever going to love her. To be honest with herself, she couldn't see it ever happening.

When she was eight years old, James was her hero, her saviour. James had picked her up off the ground when her father had been violent towards her, to save her life her brother had to take her to the Ferguson estate for help.

When they knocked on the door, James was the one who opened the door. Without a question, he took her in his arms and brought her inside the house. Slowly soothing her,

“ Don't worry Zee, You're going to be okay. I am going to take care of you.“

Since then, she had always seen him as her saviour. He had always been good and gentle with her, patient and kind. But ever since those four years ago, when they were found in bed together, James had been different. He had become cold towards her

As she thought this, she took a glass of wine. She drank it and then held on too hard that it broke in her arm. She immediately got out of her haze and began cleaning the mess and herself.

When she was done treating her wound and getting dressed, she went downstairs, and as she expected, her in-laws didn’t make it.

Her inlaws, Mr and Mrs Ferguson used to be her adopted parents. Her mother-in-law hated her with a passion for breaking their son's engagement to the Wengers, thereby trapping James and forcing the circumstances in her favour. She knew that her mother-in-law prayed ll the divorce of her marriage and wasn't shy to express her feelings either.

The only people who came were her brother-in-law, Xavier and her best friend, Gian. She smiled at them, and as she walked towards them, that's when her brother-in-law fainted, and they had to rush him to the hospital.

“Don't worry Xavier. Zee is going to take care of you.“ Zelda kept soothing Xavier as he was put into the ambulance and all the way to the hospital.

When they arrived at the hospital, Xavier was rushed into the emergency room. Zelda called her in-laws and went to the waiting room to wait for the doctor's news. At the waiting room, Zelda found James with Susan.

The two were sitting outside the examination room together. She was shocked but she thought the two of them were there to see her brother-in-law, but when they saw her, James was startled as he went towards her,

“Zelda, what are you doing here? Is everything alright?“

That is when it became clear to Zelda that James had no prior information about his younger brother being at the hospital.

It tore at Zelda's heart. She didn't even know that Susan was back in the country because she had been gone for four years ever since her marriage to James.

Seeing Susan here tore at Zelda's heart, especially on their anniversary, and also her birthday, which was the same birthday as Susan. She could still see the two of them sitting together so close and ooh, so lovely, like a couple made in heaven.

She straightened and pulled James towards her in a show of power as they stood together facing Susan. With gorced cheer she answered her husband with a smile, looking up at him.

“We brought Xavier to the hospital he had another episode….“ She said but Suzan interrupted her with a gasp

“… oh my God! Is he okay?“

Zelda ignored her question and turned to stare at her as if she hadn't noticed her before.

“Susan? I didn't see you there.“

“Sister..!“ Susan exclaimed, pretending to airhug Zelda.

Zelda frowned at her. “ Stop pretending you're happy to see me. What are you doing here with my husband on our anniversary?“

James pulled her q bit too roughly towards her and gave him a disapproving look.

“Sister, you misunderstood…..“Susan began saying.

Just then Susan's parents came into the hospital, dismissing her like they didn't just take care of her six years of her life. The Wengers cooed and petted Susan, asking her if she felt better, and how she was doing.

Zelda realized that James had left her all alone today and gone to celebrate Susan's birthday, leaving her to celebrate her birthday and their anniversary on her own.

A nurse came in and called Xavier's relatives and told them he was transported into a word and they should go see him. She turned and started heading to the ward but James stopped her,

“You go on ahead. I'll come join you in a few minutes.“

“Wha… and where are you going?“ Zelda asked in surprise. Was James choosing to stay with Susan rather than go see his own brother?

“ I am taking Susan to see the doctor.“ James answered with a straight face.

“But Susan's parents are already here and she looks perfectly healthy to me.“ Zelda answered, throwing Sharp looks at Susan.

James didn't answer her but went to take Susan's arm who gave her a pleased look as the group went down the hall. Zelda couldn't believe that James was choosing Susan over her, over everything, over them.

As Zelda was walking towards her brother-in-law's ward in a daze, she heard her mother-in-law speaking with her friend about her brother-in-law's condition. Her brother-in-law Xavier had leukaemia. But from her mother-in-law's words, it seemed his condition was far worse than she had earlier thought. She heard her mother-in-law plotting to get her pregnant as soon as possible to act as a blood bag, a blood bin, to save her brother-in-law.

"I know, but Xavier has Rh-negative blood, so blood transfusion is inevitable. If Zelda Liamson can give birth to a matching child, then she will be of some use, and the Ferguson family will not have raised her in vain..."

her mother-in-law's voice was heard on the other side.

That's how she found out that her mother-in-law was setting her up to get pregnant, not because she had finally accepted her as her daughter-in-law, but because she wanted to use her to save her son's life. She suspected her mother-in-law might have been behind the torn condoms this morning too.

This was too much for her, and Zelda couldn't hear anymore. She ran out of the hospital and started walking, not knowing where she was actually walking.

Eighteen years ago, when Susan came into her life, Zelda lost everything, a family, everything she knew. And now, she was back again. She wondered if she was going to lose everything to Susan again.

She saw a group of women walking down the street. They were coming from a fashion show. She stopped and stared at the building of the fashion designer. She loved designing and she loved putting on a show. Growing up, she went to fashion and modelling school. She used to joke that she was going to be a model

‘why model for other people when I can model my own clothes’ she used to say.

But ever since she got married, she had gotten rid of that dream. Her brother had tried telling her to go back to school, but she had been reluctant because she wanted to concentrate on her marriage. But considering what James had done, having buried any last hope she had of them being together, she wondered whether this was a sign for her to let him go and continue living her life.

Just then, a taxi started coming towards her. She hailed it and got in. Just as the car started moving, she remembered that she didn’t have any money. She forgot to take her bag from the house when they took Xavier to the hospital.

“I am so sorry sir, I don't think I have any money on me.“ She said to the taxi driver.

The car stopped. The driver turned towards her, and she saw his eyes going towards her chest. Her hands instinctively went towards her necklace. This necklace was very special to her.

She remembered how James had given the necklace to her on her very first birthday at the Ferguson home. It was her most prized possession. Not because it was worth millions of dollars but because of what it symbolised. She had never taken it off.

She removed the necklace and gave it to the driver,

“ You can have this. It is worth a lot of money”

The taxi driver took the necklace as he watched her and took notice of her expensive clothes.

“ How much can I get for this?“ He asked her suspiciously.

“Two to four million dollars” she answered with a straight face. The driver gasped but Zelda tuned him out.

Giving a way the necklace marked as a symbol of her finally letting go.

As the driver continued on his way, he then noticed someone was following them. The person seemed to be signalling for them to stop.

“Miss do you know the person following us” he asked Zelda. Zelda turned around and immediately recognized the car. It happened to be James. She sighed heavily.

“It's my husband. Just pull over, he never gives up .“ She told the driver who listened to her and stopped.

James got out of his car and stood outside waiting, but Zelda didn't make a move to get out. While gritting his teeth he came towards the taxi and opened it,

“Get out!“ He commanded her with a sharp tone.

“No. I want a divorce.“