Chapter 11
Zachary composed himself and acted as if nothing had happened. Then, he headed home.
As soon as he walked through the door, Yasmin threw herself into his arms.
Zachary stiffened. It was only then that he noticed Charles and Susan sitting in the living room, too.
“Zachary, I have amazing news!” Yasmin clung to him, her eyes lit with joy. “It was a misdiagnosis! I’m not dying after all!”
He gently ran his fingers through her hair, but something dark and unreadable flickered in his eyes. “Was it
really a misdiagnosis?”
“It absolutely is!” Charles exclaimed.
He was glowing with excitement as he handed over the report. “It was just a benign tumor. Once it’s removed, she’ll be fine. And the doctor who got it wrong has already been fired.”
Zachary studied the report in his hands. A moment later, he lifted his gaze and asked, “Have you told Melanie?”
Charles’ expression shifted awkwardly.
Right then, Susan rose and walked over to Zachary, saying, “We were just about to talk to you about that.”
She paused, looking uneasy. “Well, you and Yasmin are already legally married. Besides, the wedding’s over, and she’s healthy again. Maybe you and Melanie-”
“You want me to end things with Melanie?” Zachary asked while looking at her.
Susan froze. Just as she was trying to find a more tactful way to say it, Zachary spoke up. “Alright.”
For a moment, the room went still. No one had expected him to agree so readily.
Yasmin was elated. She rose on her tiptoes and cupped his face. “Zachary, are you serious? Are you really willing to let Melanie go and choose me instead?”
Zachary slipped an arm around her waist, but his face remained impassive.
He looked her straight in the eye and replied, “We’re husband and wife in every sense. I only married Melanie back then because of you.”
At those words, Yasmin’s heart thundered in her chest.
She had been planning to wait until she was pregnant with his child before coming clean about her illness. But the call she received that morning had left her deeply unsettled.
Zachary had suddenly asked for her medical records. Although he claimed he wanted to consult another specialist, she knew things weren’t that simple.
Chapter 11
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He was probably getting suspicious. So, she had discussed it with Susan. They decided it was safer to tell him it had been a misdiagnosis before he started digging further.
“Since Zachary has made his decision, I’ll inform Melanie tomorrow and tell her not to come back,”
Charles said.
The moment those words settled, a sharp pain twisted in Zachary’s chest.
For the first time, he observed the Lloyds like an outsider. None of them-Charles, Susan, or Yasmin- spared a single thought for Melanie. They didn’t even stop to think about how she might feel, or if it would
hurt her.
It was as if Melanie didn’t even exist.
In the days that followed, Yasmin no longer had to pretend she was sick. She went shopping with her friends every day and swiped Zachary’s supplementary credit card without a second thought.
Anytime she had the chance, she’d show up at Fuller Group, making sure everyone knew about their
relationship.
At first, the employees of Fuller Group whispered behind her back. But in time, they stopped paying
attention. Everyone assumed Zachary had divorced Melanie, and Yasmin was now the new Mrs. Fuller.
Yasmin had gotten everything she ever wanted, yet something felt off. It seemed Zachary didn’t care
about her at all.
He met all her material needs and even satisfied her in bed. But beyond that, he showed no interest in
where she went or who she spent her time with.
Once, out of spite, Yasmin hit a club and surrounded herself with a group of male escorts. Then, she sent the pictures to Zachary on purpose.
And all he replied was, “Don’t wear yourself out. Come home early.”
At that moment, a strange emptiness settled in her chest. It felt like all she had was the title of Mrs. Fuller, but not his heart.
