It was already three o'clock in the morning. Soon, it would be dawn and light would crack through her
window.
But Essie couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned in bed, unable to put either her mind or body to rest.
Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. Rain was pouring heavily outside. 'The weather matches my
current mood,' she thought with some annoyance.
Her heart ached every second. Something in it expanded, consuming her completely. Nothing she did
would reduce the ache.
Her imagination started to run wild. She could vividly imagine Zac with his beloved woman, cozily
wrapped in his arms.
Damn it, why did she always have to think about him!
She cursed her thoughts for always running back to him. He was allowed to love whoever he wanted.
And what he did with his lover was none of her business. She had no right to dwell on his thoughts.
After taking a deep breath, she forced herself to think about Hanson. After all, today he had confessed
his love for her. She was supposed to think about him and the happy future he had promised her.
"Essie, think about Hanson. Think about his gorgeous face," Essie spoke to herself in this empty room.
But her attempts went in vain. Zac's face kept flashing on her mind. The way he had taken care of her
when she feigned a cramp. "Someone help me!" she screamed, feeling miserable. She tried to
convince herself that Zac didn't even think about her.
Suddenly, her mind took a different turn. She couldn't think about another man. Perhaps it was because
she was Zac's wife, even if this marriage was only an accident. In the eyes of law, they were a couple.
'Was it appropriate to cheat on him? And most importantly, is it appropriate for him to be with another
woman right now?'
The answer was no. Instantly, she got down the bed, grabbed the darkest lipstick from the dresser and
rushed into Zac's room.
She drew open the curtain and sketched two bloody bones on the window!
After returning to bed, she still couldn't sleep. To entertain herself, she decided to play some mobile
games. This helped her in keeping her thoughts away from him.
A lightning flashed through the sky.
Due to the rainstorm, there were few cars on the street. But Zac seemed unperturbed by the horrible
weather. With a group of men, he searched all the bars.
He was drenched from head to toe. His face was overcast with rage which was more frightening than
the storm. Every time he dialed her number, he waited expectantly for an answer. But when he realized
it was still switched off, a gloom would befall his face and he would smash his phone into pieces in
anger.
After Zac got out of the bar, he stretched out his hand for another phone. William quickly handed the
phone to him.
At last, there was a ring! It wasn't switched off anymore. His ice cold eyes gleamed with hope.
"It's late at night. What are you doing?" Essie barked from the other side of the phone.
She was shocked when she saw the caller ID. A part of her wanted to reject the call, but her curiosity
compelled her to pick it up.
"Where are you?" He tried his best to keep his voice steady. If it was possible, he would have crawled
out of the phone and reached her.
"Where can I be at this hour? I am home. I was sleeping but your call woke me up," she lied and hung
up the phone.
'At home?' thought Zac.
His heart finally relaxed. The anxiety he was feeling had been dispelled.
"Take me back home!" Zac ordered and William started the engine without any objection.
This was the first time that William had seen his boss lose his calm. Normally, he was like a cheetah,
powerful and always in control. Nobody ever got to see his vulnerable side. Today, he was akin to an
angry dragon who wanted to kill and tear everyone.
It was true that men conquered the world while women conquered the men!
However, his boss's true emotions still remained a mystery to William. Even though his actions seemed
to indicate he loved Essie, he never confessed it in plain words.
After all, his boss had always been indifferent and cold. One could never tell what was going on in his
mind and heart.
In the apartment, Essie heard the sound of doorknob being twisted upon.
She was surprised to such an extent that her phone slipped from her hand, thudding against the floor.
'Zac is back?'
Retrieving back her phone, she realized it was almost 4 am.
She couldn't understand what brought him back during this hour. Perhaps he had a fight with his
girlfriend, she guessed.
Essie, who had been sad for hours, now broke into a smile. Knowing she had no reason to be happy,
she controlled her emotions. Pulling the quilt, she pretended to sleep.
As soon as Zac came in, he opened the door of her room. He was relieved to see that she was really
there.
He walked quietly to the bedside, bent over, and smelt her. 'Fresh and pure, like always. Not tainted
with the smell of wine,' he thought happily.
He bent down to caress her hair.
While doing so, a drop of water fell from his damp head to her cheeks.
It sent shiver down her spine! She couldn't help but open her eyes. He was wet from head to toe and
the sight shocked her.
Frustrated, desperate, depressed! That was how he looked.
Well, now she was sure her suspicion was right. Indeed he had fought with his girlfriend!
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