CHAPTER ONE: Hard Decision

"Honey, I made your favorite. There's bacon, eggs, oats, and pancakes just as you like it," Zara announced as soon as she heard her husband coming down the stairs.

Scott strode down the stairs, adjusting his knotted tie with one hand. He ignored her words as he always did.

Out of desperation, Zara blocked his way and said with sad eyes, "It's only gonna take a few minutes, Scott. Just eat with me. I woke up at the crack of dawn to prepare breakfast for you."

"And who asked you to do that?" His moss-colored eyes turned hard. When she didn't respond, he added, "I thought as much. Now, get the hell out of my way!"

Although shaken up by his shout, Zara didn't move an inch. She cupped her hands over her chest and pleaded. "Please, Scott. Remember that we promised our respective grandmothers to make this marriage work. Let's not entertain outsiders anymore. Marriage should be exclusive. We can do this."

"Ha-ha-ha!" Scott suddenly threw his head back and laughed out loud. He then dropped his briefcase and took a step forward. His face darkened all of a sudden.

Seeing this, fear gripped Zara even more. She inched backward slowly, but he wouldn't stop taking those slow footsteps with a menacing look that she knew too well.

"Please... Don't hurt me. Please..." Zara cried, shaking uncontrollably. Her back soon hit the wall. "You don't need to have breakfast if you don't want to. I can just put it away. Please don't—"

"Shut the fuck up!" Scott yelled in her face once again. With an inexplicable glint in his eyes, he reached out, raised her chin, and then grabbed her neck. "You have a lot of nerve speaking about making this marriage work. Anyone who hears you would think that you are one faithful and dutiful wife. Have you suddenly forgotten what you did?"

Zara was shaking like a leaf now.

"Answer me! Don't you remember what you did two months ago?"

As the air in her lungs escaped, her voice hoarse. "I thought we have already been through that, Scott. It wasn't intentional. I was drunk that night. I have nothing to do with Aiden. He's just a friend."

"That bastard was almost melting into you. And you call him just a friend? Are you out of your damn mind?" Scott's anger tripled in an instant.

Zara tried to wriggle free from his enclave, but the more she tried, the tighter his grip became. His hard chest was only a few inches away from hers. The fire in his eyes scared the shit out of her.

"You are hurting me. Please let me go. Scott, you have got to stop treating me this way. I love you," she cried again, a sharp pain shooting from her neck to her brain.

"Love, my foot!" Scott grunted and pressed hard. "Now, let me get one thing very clear. This union is going to be on my own terms. The next time I see you anywhere near a guy, I'm going to bash his skull and then do the same to you. And don't you dare tell my grandmother about this. If you do... I guess you already know what's gonna happen."

Zara clawed her thin fingers over his strong hand as her face turned red. Small ragged gasps escaped her throat. It wasn't until her gasps became less frequent that Scott finally let go of her. He picked up his briefcase and stormed out as she sank to her knees.

She breathed hard and coughed severally. It took her several minutes to get a grip. As soon as she mustered up the strength to stand up, she rushed to the dining table, grabbed her phone, and made a call.

******

"You gotta leave that asshole. He's not good for you. This is the height of it!" Mia Williams, Zara's best friend, uttered as she paced about in the living room.

Zara stirred on the sofa with a pack of ice against her neck. "Calm down, Mia. It's not that bad. I'm—"

"Don't give me that crap, Zee! Look at what that monster did to you. Who knows, he might just kill you next!" Mia rushed to her side and grabbed her free arm. "Just tell your grandmother that you can no longer carry on. You have had enough. I'm sure she will understand."

Zara sat up painstakingly. "You know that I didn't just get married to Scott because I wanted to fulfill my grandmother's wish. He's my first love. I have been in love with him since I was a kid. Maybe, just maybe if I continue to be a dutiful wife, he would reciprocate my love."

Mia held her head and let out an exasperated breath. The next second, she grabbed her friend's arms, shook her hard, and shouted, "Snap out of it, Zara! That monster doesn't have a heart. He's not only a cheat, but also a manipulative asshole. He was the one who asked for an open marriage. He has been frolicking with that bitch called Cora, but yet, he got mad because you went partying with another man. You even did that just to get his attention. It worked but in a bad way!

"Don't you get it? He's incapable of loving you, Zara. He hasn't treated you well since you both got married. What makes you think he will change any time soon? You deserve so much better."

Mia pulled her into her embrace and cried with her. "I want my friend back. Give me my friend back before it's too late!"

Both women cried their eyes out until evening came. At about seven o'clock, the door of the living room swung open just as they were about to dig into the bowl of Mac and cheese Mia made.

Zara tensed up as soon as Scott walked in. The fork in her hand fell to the table. She was about to stand up when Mia ordered, "Sit back down."

"But..."

"I said sit!" she commanded in a much firmer voice.

A deep frown appeared on Scott's face as soon as he spotted Mia. He snapped immediately. "What are you doing here? How many times do I have to tell you that you are not welcome here?"

"Last I checked, my best friend also lives here. I didn't come to see you, Scott. But since you are here, I'd like to humor you." Mia sprang to her feet and walked towards him slowly.

She only stopped when her nose was almost brushing his. "Tell you what, you can try to cut Zara off from those who love her, but that won't stop me from knowing that you are an asshole. Let today be the very last time you will ever lay a finger on or yell at my friend. I'm only holding back now because if I decide to strike, one of us will have to leave here on a stretcher. And it's definitely not gonna be me!"

Those words flipped Scott's lid. "Go to hell!"

"You first!" Mia fired. "Oh, I forgot. This is already hell. Anyway, I just want to say that I'll be taking my best friend out of your lake of fire. You have done enough harm, Scott Brown."

Scott arched his eyebrows in confusion. He then laughed. "You will do no such thing." He glanced at his wife, who had just gotten up. "Get this thing out of my house!"

Zara slipped a document off the shelf close by and timidly walked up to him. She held out the document and said in a choked voice, "I want a divorce, Scott."

"This again?" Scott tut-tutted, yanking the paper from her hands.

Zara's eyes became misty. "Please just sign it. I know you don't want me. Cora is the only one you love, so let's stop torturing each other. I'm sure our grandmothers will understand. I'll go to mine and explain things to her."

Scott guffawed as he read the document. "You have got to be kidding me, Zara!"

"No, she's not!" Mia pulled her friend behind her and faced him. "In case you haven't noticed, this is for real."

Looking in the direction she glanced at, Scott finally saw a couple of suitcases packed just by the door. No freaking way!