THE SLAP AND THE ROSE

The sound of the slap echoed through the room, leaving the few servants who had gathered to serve the dinner Zach had meticulously arranged in complete shock. No one had ever dared to raise a hand to Zach, a man of immense wealth and influence. Yet today, Audrey had slapped him—not just once, but twice, and in front of the servants.

Zach, still on his knees, seethed with anger. *I won’t take this lightly, Audrey,* he vowed silently as he watched her walk away.

He slowly stood up, aware of the eyes on him, the servants waiting for his reaction. But instead of lashing out, he turned and walked away, his mind racing.

*If I don’t find out what I did wrong and apologize,* he thought, *my plans will be ruined. My mother will definitely realize that my relationship with Audrey wasn’t built on love.*

The fear of his mother suspecting that their marriage was a sham gnawed at him. The thought that she might even think their marriage was fake shook him to his core.

He quickly dismissed these th