Chapter 79 No Home Left to Return To
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Chapter 79 No Home Left to Return To
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“You’ve pped me, shouted at me, cursed me, and humiliated me in front of everyone. Isn’t that enough? Let’s just go home already!” Zacharias grabbed her wrist, his voice tight with desperation.
Anneliese wrenched her hand free, her tone cutting like ice. “Home? With you? Don’t kid yourself. Zacharias, whatever we had ended a long time ago. There is no ‘us,‘ and there’s definitely no home waiting for us.”
Her eyes were sharp and steady, but there was nothing of him reflected in them. It was like he didn’t even exist.
Color drained from Zacharias‘ face. His hand trembled as he gripped her, terrified of letting go, as though releasing her now meant losing her forever. “Anne, I…”
She cut him off before he could spin another excuse. “You im to be a man of stature. Then act like it. Stop disgracing yourself. Let me go.”
The crowd was already buzzing. Whispers spread, fingers pointed, phones discreetly raised to record.
Zacharias red at the onlookers, his cold eyes silencing some. Yet when he turned back to her, there was no trace of mercy. His grip finally ckened.
Anneliese turned without hesitation and walked away.
Coral rushed over, still clutching her cheek. “Zacharias, let me see. She hit you too hard… how are you going to walk into the office like this?” Her voice trembled with worry as she reached for him.
His icy stare snapped to her.
The weight of it made her flinch. For a moment, it felt like she was the one who had pped him. Coral stumbled back, rattled.
Zacharias said nothing. His jaw was locked, his whole frame rigid with anger as he strode off, leaving Coral behind in the middle of the gawking crowd.
Phones clicked, and whispers followed. Most of them were Astoria University students, and plenty recognized her–Coral, the Faculty of Business Administration’s so–called campus belle. Now the whispers twisted. <i>Is </i>she the side chick?Is <i>she </i>stealing <i>someone’s boyfriend</i>? Screens lit up as photos snapped one after another.
14:25 Fri<b>, </b>Sep 5
Chapter 79 No Home Left to Return To
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Heat burned through Coral’s cheeks as she covered her face, drowning in humiliation.
Inside, hatred boiled. <i>Anneliese</i><i>… </i><i>that </i><i>b</i><i>*</i><i>tch</i><i>. </i><i>Acting </i><i>like </i><i>she’s </i>too <i>good for </i><i>Zacharias</i><i>, </i><i>pretending </i><i>she </i><i>doesn’t </i><i>care</i>. <i>Then </i><i>showing </i><i>up </i><i>here </i><i>on </i><i>purpose</i><i>, </i><i>digging </i><i>into </i><i>my </i><i>life</i><i>, </i><i>waiting </i><i>for </i><i>the </i><i>perfect </i><i>moment </i>to ruin me<i>. </i><i>Too </i><i>vicious</i>. <i>Too </i><i>calcting</i><i>. </i>
“Coral, who was that girl just now? Is Mr. Shaw really your boyfriend?”
“Wait… you’re not the side chick, are you?”
Her roommates crowded around, eyes full of questions.
Tears rolled down Coral’s cheeks as she looked at them, overwhelmed with helplessness. “Why would you say that? It’s not what you saw. She’s just his ex. They broke up ages ago! She cheated first, and now she’s bothering him persistently.”
One roommate frowned. “Then why did he run after her?”
Coral took the opportunity to borate on her story. Her voice quivered slightly, making her appear convincing, and she raised her voice so everyone could hear. “You don’t get it. She’s unstable. She has bipr disorder. She’s done many reckless things to cling to Zacharias, even harming herself. He can’t simply ignore her. He’s at a loss.”
She let out a heavy sigh, shoulders sagging as if the weight of it was crushing her.
Her reputation meant everything. She couldn’t let Anneliese drag her down. She needed to flip the story before it spread further.
Her roommates, knowing Coral’s spotless image–her grades, her internship, her polished reputation–chose <i>to </i>believe her. Their gazes softened, recing suspicion with pity as they attempted to soothe her.
Meanwhile, Anneliese was sitting in the Astoria University library, browsing archives on smart manufacturing. Her hands moved, but her mind was miles away, Frustration simmered within her. The words blurred, and nothing seemed to stay in her mind.
Finally, she shoved back her chair and pushed open a window. The breeze cooled her flushed face, her chest slowly loosening. She shut her eyes, steadied herself, then sat down again and forced her focus onto the papers.
By noon, she returned to Maple Bay, stopping at the pet shop for snacks and a fresh bag of dog food for Meatloaf.
In the parking basement, she was juggling her shopping bags when a familiar voice called out, “Ms. ude? What a coincidence.”
Chapter 79 No Home Left to Return To
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She turned. Zion was standing there with two heavy grocery bags, following right behind Jonathan.
She paused briefly. The scene–Jonathan leading with Zion behind, carrying groceries- appeared surprisingly domestic, reminiscent of a husband with his gentle wife.
Her brows lifted. <i>Two </i><i>men </i><i>doing </i><i>groceries </i><i>together</i><i>? </i>
Then Jessica’s words echoed in her mind. <i>Could </i><i>it </i><i>be</i><i>… </i><i>Jonathan </i><i>really </i><i>does </i><i>swing </i><i>that </i>way<i>? </i>
Before she could think, Jonathan approached with a steady voice. “What’s going on with your hand?<b>” </b>
Without waiting for her reply, he took the bags from her arms.