V
After that day, something shifted between Zach and me.
He didn’t bring up the divorce again, as if the agreement had been some impulsive mistake. In fact, he started acting… clingy.
At seven in the morning, he’d pull me out of bed and say, “You promised to make me breakfast. Did you forget?”
By eleven, I’d be playing with Cooper in his room when Zach’s call would come through.
“I’m done with work at eleven today. I’m craving your spicy potato strips and sweet and sour ribs. Didn’t you say you’d cook your signature dishes for me every day? Don’t think you can avoid it just because you ‘lost your memory.”
Then, on Friday night, as we ate dinner, Zach looked at me and casually said, “I’ve got the
weekend off. Didn’t you sign us up for that Family Day Out event? It’s scheduled for
tomorrow. Make sure you wake up early.”
So according to him, I spent almost every hour of the day with Zach, except when I was
sleeping or bathing.
How could I possibly have time for “dinners with another man“? What, did I have a clone?
It was frustrating because Zach said everything with such sincerity that even if I wanted
to argue, I couldn’t find a reason to.
So, I did what I had to do: I played along, nodded as if I understood, and tried to keep up with this new reality.
By the end of the week, the entire hospital knew about me bringing Zach lunch every day.
The nurses and doctors in his department were full of praise.
“Dr. Warren is so lucky. His wife isn’t just beautiful, she’s an amazing cook too.”
They even slapped the “perfect couple” label on us.
I awkwardly patted the divorce agreement tucked away in my bag, feeling both guilty and
09:32 Sun, 29 Jun
<
confused.
One day, after I’d delivered lunch as usual, the nurse told me Zach was out doing his
rounds and asked me to wait in his office.
88%
Bored, I started browsing the books on his shelf. Most of them looked dense and overly
professional, but one book caught my eye. I pulled it out, and a small travel guide slipped from between the pages.
What…?
Hiding books inside other books? Were we back in school?
Curious, I sat in his office chair and glanced at the open computer screen. A few tabs
were still up, and they were all titled something like:
“How to improve communication between couples.”
“How to make her more attached to you.”
“Best family activities to strengthen relationships.”
Was Zach spending his time at work researching how to improve our marriage?
Before I could dig any further, the door creaked open, and I jumped, quickly closing the
tabs.
“What are you doing?” Zach asked, stepping into the room.
I nervously grabbed the lunch container.
“Waiting for you, of course! Time to eat.”
Zach chuckled, ruffled my hair, and handed me a sanitizing wipe.
“Clean your hands first. Let’s eat.”
We’d barely started eating when the door opened again.
09:32 Sun, 29 Jun 18
<
“The food smells delicious, Mind if I join?”
It was Blair.
I stood up automatically and greeted her, “Hi, Blair.”
But Blair acted as if I didn’t exist. She waltzed in like she owned the place and sat down
right next to Zach, totally ignoring me.
“How could you eat all this by yourself without inviting me?”
I stood awkwardly to the side, unsure of what to do.
“Get out,” Zach said, his tone cold and firm.
Blair blinked, clearly not expecting that.
Zach didn’t even look at her.
“No one taught Dr. Quinn basic manners?” he asked, his voice sharp.
Blair’s composed expression cracked, her face flushing as she forced a smile.
“What are you saying, Zach? Are you accusing me of having no manners?”
“Barging in without knocking and interrupting a couple’s meal isn’t exactly polite, is it?”
Zach didn’t answer directly, but his rhetorical question made Blair’s face turn pale.
She bit her lip, glared at me, and then stormed out, her heels clicking furiously against
the floor.
The moment was so awkward I almost felt sorry for her. Almost.
I couldn’t help but mutter to myself, “What did I do to deserve that glare?”
Zach noticed my puzzled expression and finally said, “You know, you could’ve been a little more assertive. Blair doesn’t mean anything to me, and she certainly doesn’t in front of
”
09:32 Sun, 29 Jun BO
<
; ཊཱི 88%▪
So… he was standing up for me?
Somehow, that small gesture made me feel warm inside.
I couldn’t help it. My brain short–circuited, and before I could stop myself, I blurted out, “Zach, will you always stand by my side?”
Zach, not expecting the question, paused mid–bite, then casually replied, “I will, as long as you behave.”
I opened my mouth to say something else when my phone buzzed with a new text
message.
I glanced down, and my eyes widened at the screen.
It was from an unknown number: “Sis, I hope I did well the other night. Need me to do it
again?”
I nearly dropped my phone into my lunch. My heart raced as I quickly deleted the message and blocked the number.
What on earth was that?
Was I seriously involved with another guy behind Zach’s back?
A chill ran down my spine as I looked over at Zach.
“Uh, Zach… hypothetically speaking, if I had cheated on you…”
“You’d get a beating.”
Good to know.
<
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