Chapter 24 Burn It Into Ice
Chapter 24 Burn It Into Ice
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Anneliese stared at Zacharias, watching him monologue like he had everything figured out. It was almost laughable.
What had she done to make him so sure of himself? How low had she stooped, how hard had she clung to him in the past, for Zacharias to believe she could never leave him?
Cheating men were all the same–arrogant, delusional, convinced the world revolved around them. Zacharias was no exception.
Anneliese had no desire to argue with him anymore. She was beyond exhausted. Her head hurt, her knee ached, and her whole body was sore.
She
gave a faint nod. “I’ll go to the hospital tomorrow. But tonight, I’m staying here.”
Zacharias, seeing her finally give in, loosened his hands–the same ones he’d been clenching without even realizing it. He still wasn’t thrilled about her refusal to go home, but he was willing to take this as a win, to compromise.
“I won’t be coming to get you tomorrow,” His voice dropped low. “Or ever again. Once you’ve thought things through, come home on your own.”
And with that, he left–no goodbye, no concern for her well–being, not even a glance back.
Jessica was furious. “You’re really going to the hospital tomorrow to apologize? For what?! Annie, come on—don’t tell me you’re actually thinking of going back to him.”
Honestly, it wouldn’t have surprised her. After all, Zacharias had saved Anneliese from drowning when they were kids. Ever since she was eight or nine, Anneliese had been trailing behind him like a little shadow. She’d poured years into this man, quietly sacrificing, suffering in silence.
The sunk cost was massive. But rational decisions weren’t supposed to be based on the past. They should be about the future.
Jessica was just about ready to shake some sense into her when Anneliese blinked. “Did I say I was going to apologize?”
A smile crept onto her lips. “Jess, I’m going to need you with me tomorrow. If all goes well, I should be able to file for divorce at City Hall. Might as well congratulate me in advance.”
She walked over to the window and snapped a photo of Zacharias‘ car, which was still parked downstairs. Then she opened WhatsApp and sent it to Coral.
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11:33 Fri, Sep 5
Chapter 24 Burn It Into Ice
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Hopefully, Coral wouldn’t let her down that night and keep Zacharias occupied just long enough.
The night was silent.
Anneliese lay in bed, eyes fixed on her phone. The harsh glow of the screen stung her eyes, but not as much as the image on it–the live feed from the security camera in the living room of Madison Villa.
Jonathan lay back on the couch. And the woman? She was dressed in a skimpy maid outfit.
Disgusting.
Infuriating.
Absurd.
Heartbreaking.
Still, Anneliese didn’t look away. She kept watching. She had to. She had to let the truth scald her deep enough that no warmth could ever grow back.
“What are you doing awake? What’re you looking at…”
Next to her, Jessica stirred from sleep. Sensing the light, she cracked an eye open and glanced at the screen. The next second, she jolted upright, horrified. “Annie, don’t watch that! It’s gonna scar your eyeballs!”
There was nothing crueler than watching one’s own husband cheat on one–seeing it, in full, in real time, while he got handsy with another woman.
But Anneliese simply raised her hand, brushing Jessica away. Her face was numb, her voice eerily calm. “Why shouldn’t I watch? This is your masterpiece, Jess–your hard–won intel. Solid proof.”
The photos they’d taken earlier wouldn’t hold up as evidence in court. But Madison Villa? That was marital property. And she had every right to install cameras in her own house.
That the footage just so happened to catch her husband cheating? That was legally admissible evidence.
Anneliese’s eyes were red as she stared at the screen. The man grabbed the woman by the hair, flipped her onto the couch, and pinned her down.
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Chapter 24 Burn It Into Ice
“Ah!” the woman moaned. “No. Zach–don’t…”
“You little sl*t. You say no, but your body says yes.”
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Anneliese couldn’t take it anymore. She scrambled out of bed and rushed into the bathroom. And there, she vomited–watching herself unravel.
For just a second, she felt it. The last remnants of love she had for Zacharias–everything she’d held on to–flushed down the toilet with a gurgling rush of water.
Expressionless, she returned to bed, saving and backing up the surveillance footage to the cloud while Jessica watched her with growing worry.
“I’m fine. Get some sleep.”
She even smiled, reached out, and gently brushed Jessica’s hair back before closing her eyes. But Jessica leaned over and pulled her into a hug.
It had only been a few days since the lies began unraveling. From the moment she discovered the betrayal to now, Jessica had seen everything–how Anneliese had gotten to this point.
Just a few days. That’s all it took for her to strangle her own heart.
She looked calm and numb on the outside, but inside she was a ruin.
Jessica’s tears fell one after another, silently soaking into the crook of Anneliese’s neck.
Annie, if you’re too broken to cry, then let me cry for you. Let my tears soak into your cracked heart. Don’t let it freeze over completely. Let it feel warmth again. Let it bloom once more, brilliantly. Because Zacharias–he doesn’t deserve a single piece of you.
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