Chapter 6
Jane had never planned to pay Xena any attention. Honestly, she wasn’t worth the energy.
But earlier, Xena had been sitting right behind them at the restaurant, loudly bragging to her friend. She claimed that when Zac went to the bridal boutique with Liz, he brought her along too. Not only did he let her try on wedding dresses too, but he even pushed Liz aside for her.
That alone was enough to make Jane’s blood boil. And when she remembered how quiet Liz had been that day and the red, swollen ankle she noticed later, everything suddenly clicked.
Jane didn’t have Liz’s patience. Giving Xena just two slaps? That was Jane being polite.
Zac’s expression darkened. “This is between me and Liz. You have no right to interfere.”
As he spoke, his cold eyes landed on Liz, who had just walked up. His expression was full of contempt.
“I thought if I gave you a few days, you’d cool off. But instead, you ran off and told Jane about what happened at the boutique just to pick a fight with Xena?”
Liz’s face went pale. “You really think I’d do something like that?”
“What else am I supposed to believe? How else would she know? You’re vindictive, Liz. No wonder your family kicked you out. Falling in love with you is the one thing I’ll always regret.”
Liz swayed slightly. Her body stiffened, and she took a step back, like she was about to fall.
Eight years ago, when he confessed to her, he said meeting her was the best thing that had ever happened to him.
Now, for another woman, he was telling her that loving her was his biggest mistake.
This was the man she had loved for eight years. The man she once believed she would marry.
Jane’s face twisted with fury. She marched over and slapped Zac hard across the face.
“Zac Lincoln, do you even have a conscience? How can you say something like that?”
If Liz had never been with him, she wouldn’t have been disowned by her own family.
And now, he had the nerve to defend some shameless homewrecker and throw all those years away like they meant nothing?
That wasn’t just cruel. It was a knife straight to the heart.
The moment the words left his mouth, Zac felt a pang of regret. Guilt swept through him, quickly followed by frustration. He turned to look at Liz.
She was standing behind Jane with her head lowered, and he couldn’t see her face.
Xena, always quick to pick up on his mood, noticed the shift right away. Her eyes flickered.
Then, out of nowhere, she lunged at Jane, hand raised to strike.
But Jane wasn’t someone who took hits without swinging back. She had trained in self-defense. Xena never stood a chance.
Before Xena could even land the slap, Jane caught her wrist mid-air and fired back with one of her own-then another, and
another.
Zac rushed over to pull them apart, but Jane wouldn’t let up. In the struggle, he ended up getting scratched across the face, looking completely disheveled and out of control.
The scene spiraled into chaos. It wasn’t until the staff rushed over that the two women were finally separated.
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Chapter 6
Jane walked away without a scratch.
Xena, on the other hand, was a complete mess. Her hair was wild and tangled, and both of her cheeks were visibly swollen. She looked like a wreck.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she turned to Zac, clearly hoping he would comfort her.
“Mr. Lincoln…”
But he didn’t even look at her.
His eyes were locked on Liz, who stood motionless, completely silent. His jaw clenched.
Liz didn’t meet his gaze. Instead, she turned to Jane with a pale, empty expression and forced a faint smile.
“Let’s go. I don’t want to stay here.”
Jane’s chest tightened at the sight of Liz’s lifeless face.
“Okay.”
She walked over and gently took Liz’s cold hand, leading her out of the restaurant.
The car ride was quiet. Liz stared out the window, her eyes distant and unfocused. Jane opened her mouth to say something several times but kept stopping herself.
When they reached Liz’s apartment, she finally spoke.
“Liz… I’m sorry about what happened tonight. I lost it. If I hadn’t-”
Liz shook her head and turned toward her. “It’s not your fault. I’m just really tired. I won’t keep you. Drive safe, okay?”
“Liz… please don’t scare me. You’re starting to worry me.”
Jane’s voice was soft, but her eyes were full of concern.
Liz wanted to smile, to reassure her somehow, but she just couldn’t. She gave a small shake of her head.
“I’m fine. I just need to sleep. Don’t worry.”
With that, she stepped out of the car and closed the door behind her.
Only after Jane’s car disappeared down the street did Liz finally turn and walk inside.
She sat alone on the couch for what felt like forever.
Then the front door opened.
Her entire body tensed and she slowly looked up.
Zac stood in the entryway, lit by the soft glow of the ceiling light. He was still painfully handsome and effortlessly magnetic. But to Liz, he looked like a stranger.
She lowered her gaze without saying a word. Her hand, resting by her side, slowly curled into a fist.
Zac sat across from her. Neither of them spoke. The silence in the room was so heavy, it felt like the air might crack.
After what felt like an eternity, he finally spoke.
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Chapter 6
“Liz, what I said at dinner… I didn’t mean it. Please don’t take it to heart.”
A faint, bitter smile played at the corners of Liz’s lips.
Was it really just something said in the heat of the moment, or had he finally let slip what was buried deep inside?
Only he would know.
At this point, she didn’t even trust herself to tell the difference between his lies and the truth.
When she didn’t respond, Zac frowned. Just as he opened his mouth to say more, his phone rang. It was Xena.
He hesitated before answering.
Whatever she said made his expression turn cold. “I’ll be there soon,” he said curtly.
As he hung up, he noticed Liz watching him. He pressed his lips together before saying, “Xena’s been in a car accident. I need to check on her.”
Liz’s smile deepened, but it was all mockery now.
“She had the strength to call you after crashing? Impressive.”
Zac’s jaw tightened. He remembered the awful things he had said to her earlier and forced himself to stay calm.
“Liz, it’s not worth getting worked up over something so minor.”
She gave a dry laugh. Her fiancé had abandoned her at dinner because of another woman’s lie, and now he wanted to talk about not sweating the small stuff?
He stood up, ready to leave, but her voice stopped him.
“Zac, if you stay, I’ll forgive you.”
He froze. His face stiffened as he turned to look at her.
“I know you’re upset about tonight,” he said, his tone low. “But a car accident is serious. It could be life-threatening. Can’t you
She cut him off before he could finish.
“I understand. Go. I was kidding anyway.”
Something about her felt different tonight, and for the first time in a long while, Zac felt genuinely uneasy.
“When I get back,” he said, reaching for some kind of reassurance, “we’ll figure out a new wedding date.”
It was a peace offering. A small step toward making things right.
But Liz didn’t respond.
“Go on,” she said quietly. “Take care of it.”
Remembering how Xena had cried on the phone, Zac didn’t say another word. He turned and left in a hurry.
The front door opened, then shut. Silence settled over the apartment once more.
Liz got up and walked slowly to the bedroom. At the vanity, she opened the jewelry box. Without saying a word, she pulled out a diamond necklace and threw it away.
It was the most expensive piece Zac had ever given her, but that wasn’t why she had held it so close.
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Chapter 6
She had cherished it because it had once saved his life.
He had spotted it in a shop window while returning from a business trip and wanted to surprise her. But he didn’t have enough on him at the time, and the wire transfer took longer than expected. He missed his original flight.
That plane went down. Everyone on board-passengers and crew-was killed.
Liz had always been thankful for that necklace. If Zac hadn’t stopped to buy it, she would have lost him forever.
But now, ever since Xena entered their lives, everything she once held dear felt like a cruel joke.
All that remained in the jewelry box was a rough, handmade engagement ring.
Zac had crafted it himself during their first year together. When he gave it to her, the first thing she noticed wasn’t the diamond. It was the cuts and scrapes on his hands from shaping the band.
He had promised that one day, he would replace it with something bigger and more beautiful. She told him not to bother. She only wanted that one.
Later, she found out he had spent two straight months delivering food just to afford that tiny diamond. Then he had spent weeks grinding the metal by hand to make the setting.
She had called him an idiot, laughing through tears. Her heart had never felt fuller.
But now, looking back, it was clear who the real fool was.
She picked up the ring and slowly slid it onto her finger.
It used to fit like it was made for her. Now it slipped right past her knuckle, loose and unfamiliar.
She pulled it off and stared at it for a long time, until her eyes stung and her vision blurred.
Only when the ache in her chest grew too much did she finally place the ring back in the box.
One more chance. Just one.
This time, it really would be the last.
