Chapter 23 Inviting Humiliation
“You’re back?” Zachary asked.
Lenora paid no attention to him and went straight upstairs.
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Zachary’s eyes darkened, his gaze trailing her figure until it disappeared at the end of the
staircase.
After sitting downstairs for a while, Zachary got up and went straight to the master bedroom upstairs. He pushed open the door but didn’t see anyone in the room. All he could hear was the sound of running water from the bathroom. Lenora was taking a shower.
Zachary’s Adam’s Apple bobbed as he loosened his collar. He picked up a bathrobe from the wardrobe and headed to the bathroom outside to freshen up and take a bath.
Zachary returned from outside just in time to bump into Lenora coming out of the bathroom.
She had forgotten to bring her pajamas. Her hair was half–dried, and she was only wrapped in a bath towel that hung from her chest, barely covering her buttocks. Her neck was graceful, her shoulders round and slender. The parts hidden by the towel were perky and full. Zachary seemed to be able to recall their touch. Her long, slender legs were bare, her skin as white as milk, smooth as silk.
Their eyes met.
Lenora immediately averted her gaze, heading to the wardrobe to fetch her pajamas. As she did so, she casually mentioned, “I’ll be sleeping in the guest room tonight.”
“Lenora, what’s the meaning of this?” Zachary turned his head to look at her.
“It’s no big deal. I’m just granting you two of your wishes,” Lenora sneered, a faint scent of alcohol wafting from her.
Zachary leaned lazily against the doorframe. “Are you upset because I asked you to toast Susanna?”
“Did
you think I won’t?” Hearing his nonchalant tone, Lenora raised an eyebrow.
She was upset about more than just the toast.
The way his &
his friends rallied around Susanna was particularly grating to Lenora.
“Sooner or later, you’ll be referring to Susanna as your sister–in–law. Why fuss over this one time?
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Chapter 23 Inviting Humiliation
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“You can rest assured. After the divorce, I will never refer to a third wheel like her as my sister–in–law.”
“Lenora!” Zachary’s face darkened.
“What do you want me to do?”
Zachary straightened up and stepped forward. “You say Susanna is a third wheel. Then what about the man at the entrance of the photo studio?”
Lenora had no idea how he ended up involving Jonas.
Seeing her silence, Zachary spoke again. “Is he the one you like? Ever since I returned from my business trip, you’ve been rejecting me. You’ve been contemplating divorce for a while. now, haven’t you?”
Lenora never expected Zachary to turn the tables on her. She smirked with fury and said, “That’s because…”
She stopped mid–sentence, her voice abruptly cut off. She swallowed her words. “Think what you will.”
“Why? Because you want to remain pure for the one you love? You know what I think? I think you simply can’t explain anything. It’s why you agreed to the divorce so readily. It turns out that Susanna and I have been fulfilling your wishes all along, even taking the blame for you in front of my grandparents.” Zachary’s eyes were dark as he calmly voiced his suspicions.
“Why would you think that?”
“Isn’t that the case? Would you rather help both of us or would you prefer to be with the one you love?”
Lenora burst into incredulous laughter.
Earlier, her heart had been wounded by him to the point of numbness, riddled with countless scars.
She closed her eyes in resignation. “Think what you will. I need to go back and rest.”
She was simply too exhausted to engage in any further disputes with Zachary,
Lenora turned around and walked away.
“Hold on.” Zachary grasped her wrist. “You take the master bedroom, I’ll sleep in the guest
room…”
When he ended his sentence, Lenora let out a startled cry. She was pulled off balance and
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Chapter 23 Inviting Humiliation.
suddenly toppled over to one side.
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With a swift extension of his long arm, Zachary quickly pulled Lenora into his embrace. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” Lenora shook her head, still in shock.
Suddenly, her towel fell to the ground.
A chill ran through her entire body.
Lenora was taken aback, her face flushing bright red in an instant. She was all flustered, hands moving up and down in a frenzy. “You… Stop looking!” she stammered.
Zachary stared at her flustered appearance and couldn’t help but feel a playful urge to tease her. “I’ve seen it before, you know.”
As he glanced at her naked body unintentionally, his Adam’s apple bobbed involuntarily, and he found it hard to look away.
“Aren’t you going to the guest room? Hurry up!” Lenora hurriedly picked up the bath towel, holding it in front of her chest for cover.
As she lifted her gaze, she met Zachary’s pair of deep, dark eyes, as if they were trying to draw her in.
Lenora was taken aback.
The handsome face before her gradually enlarged, and his warm breath sprinkled on her face.
She couldn’t help but close her eyes.
Even with her eyes closed, she could sense the darkness before her, the light being blocked
OUL
Yet, the kiss never seemed to come.
Lenora opened her eyes.
Zachary had already taken a few steps back. “I’m sorry, I’m heading to the guest room. You should rest early
He stood outside the door, closing his eyes, striving to forget the scene that had just played out in his mind. I almost leaned in for a kiss. I must be truly gone mad. I’m about to divorce Lenora and be with Susanna soon. How can I still be with Lehora?
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He comforted himself, thinking it was only natural for a normal man to have a physical reaction to Lenora’s hot, naked body.
Zachary rubbed his brow.
Listening to the heavy sound of the closing door, Lenora stood rigidly in place.
The icy air around her seeped into her skin, strand by strand.
In a hurry, she lifted the blanket, covering her body and shrinking into the corner of the bed. She buried her head into the blanket as tears seeped from the corners of her eyes, soaking into the bedding.
Zachary’s cold departure was like a harsh slap landing squarely on Lenora’s face.
Whenever he showed her the slightest bit of affection, she would completely lose herself in it. She really was so easily swayed!
Not long ago, he had her propose a toast to Susanna. Yet, with just a slight tease from him, she couldn’t help but throw herself at him! Even when I handed myself to him on a silver platter, he still didn’t look at me! He is truly loyal to Susanna. I’ve embarrassed myself again. He must think I’m a cheap woman. Then again, he never truly considered me his wife. To him, I am merely a plaything. When he was in a good mood, he didn’t mind pampering me; when he wasn’t, he would manipulate me at will. Compared to Susanna, I am even more delusional. Lenora, remember this. Stop longing for things that don’t belong to you. Let’s get divorced quickly. I don’t want to stay here anymore. I want to leave. I miss Dad. I want to resign, go to a nice place, and quietly give birth to my child and raise them.
Boom!
Some time later, the thunder roared continuously outside.
Lenora jolted awake from her dream, her heart pounding fiercely.
She silently stared into the darkness before her, taking a few breaths, and wiped the sweat from her forehead.
Flames, fresh blood, and scenes flashed before her eyes. Her mind was filled with gruesome images that she just couldn’t shake off.
The moment she closed her eyes, the piercing sound of screeching brakes would echo in her cars. She would see her father, drenched in blood, his bones exposed.
Rumble…
Lenora gritted her teeth, her body trembling, and the sweat on her forehead increasing. Her breathing became increasingly rapid, and the scene before her eyes gradually blurred.
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Chapter 23 Inviting Humiliation.
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Not good. Lenora mustered her strength to leave the bed, rummaging through boxes and drawers in the dark until she finally found her medicine. She unscrewed the bottle and poured out a single pill.
Just as she was about to pop the pill into her mouth, she suddenly remembered she was pregnant. She couldn’t take that medicine anymore..
With trembling hands, Lenora pushed the medicine back in place and lay down on the bed again, curling up into a ball. Everything will be all right. Just hang in there a little longer. Everything will be all right.
Outside, the thunder rumbled ominously, intermittently punctuated by flashes of lightning. In the stillness of the deep night, it was particularly frightening.
Suddenly, the sound of the door handle being turned echoed in the room.
The voice was faint, but in the quiet room, it was exceptionally clear.
Lenora, like a cat shocked by electricity, bristled all over, her body tensing up. She watched. the door warily, shrinking into her blanket, peering out with one eye. She held her breath, daring not to make a single move.
The door to the room was opened.
A towering figure made his way toward the large bed.
