Chapter 4

Anne tried to jerk her hand away from Zachery's grip, but he held her from behind. She bit down on his hand in frustration, only for him to grab her chin.

Then, Zachery shoved her into the car and ordered Tyrell Gilliam to drive.

As Zachery's personal driver, Tyrell naturally knew Anne. He glanced in the rearview mirror and sensed the tension in the air.

"Tyrell, he's lost it! Get me out of here!" Anne pleaded.

"Mr. Judd, Ms. Stafford—"

"Shut up and do as I say! I pay your salary!" Zachery snapped.

Assuming it was just a lovers' quarrel, Tyrell quickly started the car, eager not to get caught up in it.

Anne struggled, but after a while, she calmed down slightly.

"I don't want to argue with you, Zachery. We've broken up. There's no need for this," she said.

Zachery's face twisted in fury. "Broken up? Ha! I don't agree!"

"You're marrying Sophia. Can't you just leave me alone?" she asked, incredulous.

"No!" he barked.

"You—"

Anne couldn't even finish the sentence before he pulled her in close and taunted through his teeth, "Wasn't it you who wanted to have my child? I'll make sure you're pregnant tonight."

"Zachery! You scumbag!" Anne slapped him across the face. The sound of the blow rang through the car.

For a moment, there was a stunned silence.

Zachery stared at her in disbelief. "D-Did you just hit me?"

Anne's eyes welled up with tears, but she clenched her jaw to keep herself from crying.

This was the man she had loved for eight years. How could he say such a thing to her? What happened to even the bare minimum of respect?

"What am I to you, Zachery? A free maid? Or just some worthless prostitute?" she asked.

Zachery, stung by the slap, seethed with anger. "You're quite clear about your own worth, huh? Whether you're a maid or a prostitute, it's all your choice. Who's to blame but you for being cheap?"

Anne stared at him for a long time, then let out a bitter, mocking laugh. "You're right. I am cheap. I deserve it!"

"Don't you just want to marry me? You think you're worthy?" he taunted.

"I'm not," she admitted.

"Y-You're jealous of Sophia, aren't you? But can you even compare to her?"

"I can't," Anne replied, her voice devoid of emotion.

"You… You…"

Zachery was becoming frantic now, but Anne only grew calmer.

"You let me sleep with you for free for eight years. Do you think any man would still want you?" he yelled.

"So, in your eyes, I'm just trash?" Anne asked coldly.

Zachery pressed his lips together tightly. "Yes, you're trash!"

Anne nodded. At that moment, she felt an overwhelming sense of clarity and relief. She had finally seen Zachery for who he truly was.

Eight years might seem like a long time, but she still had a lifetime ahead of her.

At that thought, Anne smiled.

"What's so funny?" Zachery growled.

Anne looked at him, the smile still on her lips. "Zachery, from this moment on, I don't love you anymore."

He fell silent. Anne had threatened to break up with him many times before, but she had never said she didn't love him.

"Tyrell, pull over," Anne ordered.

Tyrell didn't dare to speak up earlier. So, when Anne called him, he cautiously replied, "Ms. Stafford, we're on the highway right now. Are you sure about this?"

Anne wasn't about to risk herself on the highway just to prove a point. "Let's wait until we're off the highway, then."

Just then, Zachery's phone rang. His fury dissipated as soon as he saw the caller ID—Sophia.

Sophia said she was surrounded by reporters outside the set and needed him to pick her up.

"Alright. I'll be there soon."

He hung up the phone and told Tyrell to take the next exit toward Northia.

Anne frowned. Her villa was in Southia.

"Tyrell, please exit the highway and drop me off first," she requested.

"Pull over and let her out!" Zachery barked.

Tyrell hesitated. "But this is the highway—"

"Just do it!" Zachery growled.

Tyrell had no other choice but to pull onto the emergency lane.

Zachery shoved Anne out of the car. As she steadied herself, she remembered her bag was still inside the car. But when she turned around to grab it, the car was already speeding away.

It was rush hour, and traffic was heavy on the highway. She stayed close to the edge, heading for the next exit, while car horns blared behind her.

Some frustrated drivers rolled down their windows and yelled, "Crazy bitch! You wanna die?"

Anne kept walking for over an hour before finally leaving the highway. Without a phone or money, she had to continue on foot to head home.

The night air was cold. She wrapped herself tightly in her clothes.

The cars on the street grew fewer. As Anne turned a corner, she encountered a drunk man who tried to grab her. She gritted her teeth and ran as fast as she could.

In the chaos, she tripped, scraping her knee, but she didn't dare to stop. She kept limping, determined to escape until she finally lost him.

Her villa was on the outskirts of the city. By the time she made it back, the sky was already lightening.

The soft glow of the house lights surprised her. She hesitated for a moment before stepping up to the door and knocking.

Sophia opened the door. Her hair was loose, and she wore a revealing camisole nightgown. She looked surprised when she saw Anne standing outside.

"Where have you been?" she asked.

Anne frowned. Why was Sophia here?

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

Sophia blinked innocently. "Zachery brought me here."

Anne stepped around her and walked inside, only to bump into Zachery as he came out of the kitchen. He was carrying a steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup.

She had no idea he could cook.

There was one time before when she had a fever. Her body was drenched in cold sweat. Zachery had come home late from work, complaining that he was starving and demanding she cook for him.

At the time, she had sighed. "If you don't like eating out, maybe you should learn how to cook. You can't let yourself starve when I'm not around."

He had hugged her and said, "I don't want to learn. I want you to cook for me forever."

Anne bitterly smiled at the memory.

Of course, Sophia was his princess, and she was just his maid. After all, who would cook for the maid?

Zachery shot her a cold look before leading Sophia to the living room. He set the soup on the table and handed her a cushion to lean against.

"I'm not hungry." Sophia pouted.

"You have to eat. Breakfast is important," Zachery said, lifting the bowl and feeding her.

Sophia reluctantly took a bite, then shook her head. "It's too salty."

"Really?" Zachery tasted it himself. "Yeah, you're right. I'll make you another bowl."

He didn't seem to mind the trouble. He headed back into the kitchen without a second thought.

Anne was exhausted. All she wanted was to lie down and sleep.

She dragged herself to the bedroom. But when she walked in, she froze. The bed was messed up, the pillow was on the floor, and Sophia's clothes hung in the wardrobe. Her own clothes had been tossed aside on a chair.

Fury boiled inside her as she ran downstairs. "Who slept in my bed last night?"

Zachery barely glanced at her. "Sophia's going to stay here from now on."

"This is my home. Since when do I have to agree to that?"

Zachery scowled. "It's my house. My word is all that matters."

Anne froze.

Right. The house was Zachery's.

After she graduated, she had wanted to rent a place, but Zachery had complained it was too small and insisted she move in with him here.

While she didn't pay rent, she covered most of the household expenses. She didn't owe him anything—not a single thing.

Sophia tilted her head and smiled as she looked at Anne. "Zachery and I plan to renovate this place into our marital home. We can give you a room."

"I don't need it!" Anne snapped.

With that, she stormed upstairs, grabbed a suitcase, and started packing her things. After a while, she came back downstairs and was ready to leave.

"I don't have much patience for this, Anne. If you walk out with that suitcase, it's really over between us. There's no coming back from it," Zachery said through gritted teeth.

Anne had already reached the doorway. Upon hearing that, she turned around and looked straight at him. Then, she set the keys on the shoe rack.

"Goodbye."