THE CONTRACT WIFE

CHAPTER 1- Zara’s POV The morning sun spilled through the drapes, rousing me from my slumber. As I stirred, the memories of the previous night with Lucas came flooding back. However, a wave of regret washed over me. I had allowed myself to be carried away by the heat of the moment, and now, in the harsh light of day, the reality of my actions was sinking in. Tears welled up in my eyes as I realized the gravity of my mistake. I had given myself to Lucas, not just physically, but emotionally as well. I closed my eyes, taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm my racing heart. I wished I could turn back time, erase that fateful night, but life didn't offer such conveniences. Instead, I was left to face the consequences of my actions. How had I ended up in bed with my famous college batch mate, Lucas Blackwood? Why him? There were countless other men who were more attractive, but why Lucas? Why had I surrendered myself to him? “Zara Delafontaine! Come here right now!” a voice called ou

CHAPTER 3 – Zara’s POV He continued to blame me for everything. I felt bad for my family because of how Lucas ignored them. I also felt bad for myself because when we got home, Lucas threw a maid's uniform at me! As he kept blaming me, I started to believe that it was my fault. I blamed myself for getting drunk that night, for letting him have me. I had been paying for that mistake for six years. Every day, he blamed me. It had been six years since our secret wedding. After enduring our unhappy marriage, I wanted to free myself. He couldn't keep me as his secret forever! How could he keep me but not love me properly? I felt bad for our son who never felt love from his father. It had been six years, but I still remembered how harsh he was on our wedding night. He knew I was pregnant, but he claimed my body again and again. He didn't let me sleep that night. Since then, he treated me terribly. For six years, he was always cruel. He constantly blamed me for ruining his life, and he

CHAPTER 5 – Zara’s POV When Enrique asked if he was adopted, I couldn't hold back my tears. I didn't care about crying in front of him anymore. I was heartbroken that he felt this way because of how Lucas treated him. All he wanted was his father's love, but Lucas couldn't provide that. I despised him for it! “Are you crying because of me?” Enrique asked. “No, something just got in my eye,” I lied quickly, seeing the sadness in his expression. “You have school tomorrow, my love. It's time for bed,” I told him. Thankfully, Enrique was a good boy and didn't protest. A few moments later, I watched him sleeping peacefully in his bed. He was such a lovely boy who deserved nothing but pure love from his parents. Silently, I pledged to love him every day, regardless of my situation with Lucas. After leaving Enrique's room, I headed downstairs to grab something to drink. I was feeling overwhelmed and thought a drink might help me relax. But I wasn't prepared for Lucas to show up, seemingl

CHAPTER 7 – Zara’s POV After their chat, Enrique ended the call and handed the phone back to me without saying a word. He then excused himself to continue watching his television show. I was about to start washing the dishes when Nick called again. For a moment, I was tempted to ignore the call, but in the end, I couldn't. “Wazzup, Nick? You called again,” I said. “Did you know that Giselle is one of my clothing models, right? Your husband is here supporting her,” he informed me. I wished he hadn't. A new wave of pain washed over me, a pain I thought I was immune to. “It's fine... he told me about it,” I lied, trying to save face. But Nick's anger flared. “No, it is not fine, Zara! Are you crazy? I just told you that your husband is cheating on you, and you tell me it's fine. What’s wrong with you?” As Nick's voice raised in anger, the tears I had been holding back began to flow freely. Through the video call, I saw a mix of confusion and pity in Nick's eyes. “Hey, Zara. Listen

CHAPTER 9 – Zara’s POV I wanted to confront them or even slap the woman, but my conscience stopped me. Besides, I wasn't a scandalous person. So, I lied to Enrique that Lucas received an emergency call from the office, and he couldn't join us. Enrique pouted but understood there was nothing we could do. I took him to a fast-food restaurant popular with kids and ordered a kiddie meal for him. He seemed contented, but as I watched him eat, I felt a pang of guilt. I wanted to drag Lucas away from that woman, but Giselle had no idea he was married. We then went to a toy store, but Enrique lost the drive to shop and asked if we could just go home. I knew he was sad, and at that moment, I felt a deep resentment towards Lucas. When we got home, Enrique went to his room, saying he was tired, but I knew better. I took a deep breath before going downstairs to prepare his favorite snacks. But while cooking, I couldn't focus because I kept thinking about Lucas and Giselle. That evening, Lucas