Chapter 4 He Tears It Up
Chapter 4 He Tears It Up
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Zacharias had clawed his way up from nothing. His rise had been fast, but not clean. He knew how to charm people. He also knew how to break them.
Her mind flashed back to that round of venture capital funding.
There had been another tech startup in the race, one with stronger tech and a better pitch.
But just before the deal closed, the CEO had a sudden car accident. Zacharias had swooped in and claimed the win.
It had seemed like bad luck for them.
Now, it didn’t feel like luck at all.
“You really mean that?” she asked, her voice cracking. Her eyes turned glassy.
A wave of chill crept up her spine.
Zacharias thought she was moved. His smile returned. He gently touched her cheek.
“Of course I do. We’ve spent thirteen years together. That’s a lifetime.
“If I didn’t love you, would I have taken all that pressure just to be with you?
“If I didn’t love you, would I name my company after you? Anne, we’re going to grow old together.”
She had never changed her last name after being found by the Whites. She still used her adoptive father’s name, Claude. But Zacharias had branded his company with that same name, like it was a promise.
He believed what he said.
Selina had been his unreachable fantasy.
The moment he decided to marry Anneliese, any chance they had to be a couple went up in smokes.
Coral was just for fun.
But the woman beside him, the one he married–he saw her as the one he’d grow old with.
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Chapter 4 He Tears It Up
Zacharias was too handsome for his own good.
And when he smiled, those soft eyes and that calm voice could cover every lie.
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If Anneliese hadn’t overheard what she did, maybe she would still believe him now. She kept. her tone steady. “Then, promise me something.”
He raised a brow and grinned. “Anything”
She stepped back and pulled a few sheets of paper from the drawer beside her bed. Then she held them out.
“If you’re that sure you’d never betray me, sign this.”
He took them without hesitation. But the second he saw the title–Divorce Agreement–hist face dropped.
“Anneliese, what the hell is this?”
His fingers tightened around the papers. The crisp pages buckled and creaked under the pressure.
“If you’re really that loyal, then sign it. Just to prove it. I’ll believe you-”
Zacharias cut her off.
“Enough! This is because of that secretary, isn’t it? You’ve been jumping to conclusions ever since I hired her!
“Have I not treated you well all these years? Or are you just too used to playing my wife?
“Marriage needs trust. And this is how you test me? I can’t believe it. Don’t ever let me see this again!”
He didn’t even glance at the terms. He ripped the papers in half, tore them again, then flung the shreds into the air.
He turned and stormed out. The door slammed so hard the frame shuddered.
Anneliese stood in the middle of the room. Her fists stayed clenched. Torn pieces of paper floated down around her, scattering across the floor like pale leaves. Her face didn’t move. But her eyes burned like ice.
Jessica had called it from the start. Zacharias was never going to hand her freedom over that
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Chapter 4 He Tears It Up
She had only tested him, but he reacted like she’d stabbed him in the back.
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If he had even a shred of affection left, he would’ve noticed how many of her things had vanished from the house.
Instead, he cheated with both his body and his heart, yet still expected to keep her trapped in a marriage built on nothing but performance.
A normal divorce wouldn’t work. Not with him. She had to find another way out.
After the fight, the ride back to the Whites‘ estate felt like a tomb. Neither of them spoke.
As the gates came into view, Zacharias finally reached for her hand. His voice dipped into something tender. “If you don’t like me working with Coral, I’ll move her to another department.”
He didn’t think Anneliese really wanted to leave him.
In his head, she was just too in love. Too jealous. Too wrapped around him.
That thought made him feel smug. Like he still had control. He didn’t mind humoring her at little if it meant keeping her calm.
Sure, he could move Coral out. That was easy.
But he also needed Anneliese to stay in her place. He couldn’t keep tolerating every little outburst.
ut up with you being
So, he added, “Let’s just forget this whole thing. But Anne, I won’t always put up unreasonable.”
Anneliese left her hand in his but didn’t return the gesture.
“That won’t be necessary. I’ve probably been drinking too much medicine. Guess the bitterness got into my
my head.”
Zacharias looked at her with mock concern and ran a hand over her hair. “You’ve been through a lot. But hang in there, alright? For our future. For the baby. I even picked out names already.”
He leaned closer and whispered in her ear like he was building a dream they would never
share.
Anneliese lowered her eyes and let her disgust sink deep into her gut.
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Chapter 4 He Tears It Up
She could bash his head in with that baby he wanted so badly. That image gave her a spark of
joy.
At the dinner table, dishes lined every inch of the table, steaming and untouched. But no one moved.
Timothy White, Melanie Lawrence, Perseus White, and Christopher were all seated.
Across from them, a massive screen showed a paused WhatsApp screen, waiting for Selina to
answer from overseas.
Anneliese picked up her fork. “Have fun waiting, you guys. I’m hungry.”
Timothy shot her a glare.
“Put those down. Show some manners.”
She smirked. “So, starving the whole house just to wait for Selina counts as manners now?”
They had begged her to come home when she never wanted to return. Now, they expected her to go hungry every night for someone who didn’t even want to be here.
The Whites had even shifted their entire dinner schedule to match the time zone in Agylae, just to fit Selina’s convenience.
Melanie frowned. “Anneliese, your sister
all alone out there. Her only wish is to video chat and have dinner with her family. Can’t you wait for her?”
Perseus chimed in, “We made all this just for you. Selina eats takeout every night. What else do you want?”
Christopher let out a dry laugh. “Come on, when does she not make a scene? Selina left for college overseas just to avoid her. If she had even half of Selina’s sense, this house wouldn’t be such a mess all the time.”
Anneliese almost laughed.
She said one sentence about being hungry, and they all came for her like wolves.
Selina didn’t even have to show her face. Her name alone made the whole family rally behind her, but none of it bothered Anneliese anymore.
The only reason she came tonight was to see if her father, mother, and eldest brother had known the truth about the stabbing back then.
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Chapter 4 He Tears It Up
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If not for that, she wouldn’t have stepped foot through the door. She ladled herself a bowl of soup and gave a bitter smile.
“So, she moved abroad to avoid me? That’s new. I thought she just failed her SAT and had to find another way out”
She turned to Zacharias, her voice light but sharp.
“Though I also heard she followed some airline captain out there. Not very proper, is it? Did she catch him in the end?”
Zacharias stayed still, his face calm. But she saw the way his fingers clenched on his knee.
What a joke. A man pining for a woman who barely gives him a second thought, Anneliese thought.
Her appetite came roaring back.
She leaned forward to take a bite, but before the spoon reached her lips, Christopher slammed his hand across the table and knocked the bowl straight into her chest.
Soup splashed everywhere, soaking her blouse and burning her skin beneath. “You deaf or just ignoring us? What are you, a starving pig? You want to eat? I’ll give you something to eat!”
The burn stung, but no one moved to help.
Christopher jabbed a finger in her face and kept yelling.
“And what trash were you talking about just now? Selina’s incredible. She got into college because she’s talented. Cello, piano, painting–she’s an artist!”
Perseus added, “And what if she chased a guy? That shows confidence. That shows guts. She goes after what she wants. Unlike you. You’ve done nothing but embarrass this family from day one. We’re lucky Zacharias still bothers with you.”
Anneliese stood up, her blouse clinging to her body. That was when Zacharias finally noticed the red patch spreading across her shirt.
“Enough!” he snapped. “That’s enough! She’s hurt. Anne, let me see it.”
He reached for her, trying to check her burn, but Melanie just rolled her eyes
“The soup’s barcely hot. She’ll live. Probably another one of her games. Zacharias, don’t fall for it.”
Anneliese smacked his hand away, sneered, and grabbed the edge of her shirt. Then she
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Chapter 4 He Tears It Up
yanked it up without a word.
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Chapter 5 Go F*ck Yourself, People
