Came Like A Storm, Left Like The Dust

Yvonne Sunderland married Zach Frank, who had been with her for ten years. In the second year of their marriage, Zach passed away due to a plane accident. But when Yvonne turned forty-three, she met her supposedly dead husband! Before she could even ask any questions, disaster struck. An avalanche suddenly struck. During the critical moment, Zach was buried under the snow in order to protect her and that woman. His final words were, “I’ve repaid you all of your favors with my life. If I can redo my life, I don’t want to marry you and would rather meet her first…” When she opened her eyes again, Yvonne found herself back to the first year she married Zach. Chapter 1 Yvonne Sunderland wanted to see the aurora one last time before she died. However, she kept hearing violent shakes and the moans of a woman from the tent beside hers. As such, she could not sleep. She got out of her tent, only to suddenly hear a loud crash. It was from the tent beside hers; it had collapsed. The man who came out first held a blushing woman tightly in his arms. He was smiling gently. Right then, Yvonne’s feet seemed to be stuck to the ground. She could not take another step. When the man saw her, his smile vanished. He was Zach Frank, her husband who was supposed to have been dead for twenty years. At that moment, Yvonne figured everything out. Before she could even demand an answer, an avalanche suddenly struck. Everyone died after they were swept under it. The last thing Zach said was, “I’ve repaid all your favors with my life. If I could do it all over again, I wouldn’t marry you. I’d rather meet her first.” When Yvonne opened her eyes again, she found that she had returned to the past. She was back in the first year of her marriage with Zach. With dull eyes, she looked at the decorations around her as his final words echoed in her mind. She sat on the couch stiffly as a dull pain spread through her heart. It was as if a sharp knife was constantly twisting around it. The pain was so great that she could not breathe. Zach was not dead. Instead, he was living a life with another woman… Things had happened so quickly and suddenly that she never managed to ask for a reason. Just then, Yvonne’s phone rang, and she moved her numb body to answer it. “Honey, Robin asked us out for dinner. Get ready a little earlier. I’ll pick you up after work.” Zach was still calling her with that affectionate title, and for a second there, Yvonne thought she was hearing things. It was as if everything that had happened before was just a nightmare. Zach arrived on time and hugged Yvonne tightly right after he stepped into the house. “Are you cold? Why are you shivering?” She gave him a distressed look but found herself unable to ask for answers at present. He was not the forty-four-year-old Zach. He would not be able to give her the reason. In the front passenger seat were cakes Zach had bought beforehand. All of them were flavors that Yvonne loved. When he saw that she was not picking them up, he asked in puzzlement, “Why aren’t you eating them?” Yvonne lowered her head and quietly tied the bag up. “There’s too much sugar in these cakes. I don’t want to eat them.” Zach did not know this, but after he “died,” Yvonne cut off all sweets from her diet. Those sugary treats were sweet on the tongue, but once their flavor dissipated, all that was left was bitterness. The cakes before her dragged her back to the cold, harsh reality. She stared fixedly at the man before her as he brought her hand up to his lips. “What’re you staring at?” Yvonne did not answer. She was just wondering when Zach fell for another woman, even though he loved her so much. When did he start planning to fake his death and leave her side? Once they arrived at their dinner venue, he held her hand and headed to the room. As they passed by another room, they noticed the door was slightly ajar. From where Yvonne and Zach stood, they could see that the room was filled with cigarette smoke. Laughter from men and women mixed, and someone was cheering for another person to drink. She only took a quick glance, but Zach stopped. Caught off guard, she ran into his arm and looked at him with a frown. To her surprise, Zach’s expression was as dark as a thundercloud. “I left something in the car, honey. Head to the room first.” With that, Zach left and did not say another word to her. He did not even tell her what the room number was. As Yvonne watched him leave, all life was sucked out from her eyes. She had checked before getting out of the car; there was nothing inside. Zach was lying. It was also his first time lying to her after they had been together for so long. Chapter 2 Yvonne waited for a long time in the corridor, but Zach never returned. Instead, she saw Robin coming out of the washroom. He was surprised to see Yvonne standing alone, and he brought her to the room. Everyone was chatting happily inside, but the seat beside Yvonne’s remained empty. Even after a long time passed, Zach still didn't appear. Soon, Robin, their mutual friend, put on a mask of calmness and sat beside Yvonne. “Yv, Zach said that something came up at the company. I’ll send you back later.” She just wore a gentle smile. “You don’t need to. I have some work at the studio. I’ll grab a cab there. You guys have fun.” Shortly after Yvonne left, she spotted some familiar individuals out of the corner of her eye. She followed the two people to a secluded stairwell. Zach was arguing with the woman in front of him. “Mr. Frank, you’re no one to me. Who I drink with has nothing to do with you.” Furious, Zach punched the wall as if he did not know pain. In the next second, Yvonne saw the woman’s face clearly. Just as she thought, it was her. Yvonne clenched her fists tightly as she heard Zach’s cold but possessive words. “Bella Clark, I know you want this. Fine, I’ll give it to you!” Zach bent down and kissed Bella on the lips as he wrapped his arm tightly around her waist to pull her close. Bella’s eyes were wide open. However, her gaze was fixed on Yvonne, who knew that Bella had noticed her right from the start. That night, Zach did not go home. He just called her and told her not to forget to drink milk. Belatedly, Yvonne remembered that she had not attended the dinner gathering with Zach last time because her period had arrived. Last time, Zach did not come home either. When midnight arrived, her phone suddenly rang. She answered the call numbly. But before she could identify the caller, she heard sounds of passionate lovemaking coming through her speakers. Like a tyrant, the man wanted the woman to admit that he was the man she loved the most. Meanwhile, the woman’s moans grew more intense. Yvonne did not know how long she listened to it, but the whole thing lasted until the woman crooned at Zach. “Zach, I don’t want to be a homewrecker.” He paused his movements. After a moment, he sighed and said, “You’re not, silly. I just regret the fact that you appeared in my life too late.” Yvonne clutched her collar tightly. Even though she already knew the truth, the sudden declaration still shattered her heart into pieces. Zach joined the Frank family with his mother when he was thirteen. Since he was a stepson, most of the people in the family looked down on him and often bullied him. But Yvonne always helped him. When others bullied him, she would run to the bullies’ families to snitch on them. Then, she would bring Zach over as they watched the parents teach the bullies a lesson. After that, those bullies shut Yvonne in an equipment room one day. However, Zach found her and held her tightly in his arms. He knew that she was terrified of the dark and had claustrophobia as well. At that moment, he promised her that no matter what happened next, he would not let go of her again, much less lose sight of her. Following their SATs, Yvonne learned that her parents had actually been divorced for a long time but kept it a secret from her. Dejected, she ran away from home. But Zach found her again and brought her to the house he was renting outside school. Even to this day, Yvonne still remembered the promise Zach made. “If no one wants you, I will. If no one wants to take care of you, I will.” He asked her to believe in him and said that he would never lie to her. She believed in him, but he broke his promise. That was not all. He even faked his death! Yvonne sat in numb silence until the sun rose. When the first ray of sunlight shone on her, she rubbed her dried eyes. Then, she took her phone out and called her mother. “I’d like to leave Zach’s side. Could you help me?” “What do you need?” “Help me create a plane crash.” It was how Zach had chosen to betray her, and she wanted him to have a taste of the pain she felt! Chapter 3 Zach returned home. When he saw that Yvonne was still sleeping, he leaned over to kiss her. But right as he drew closer, she sneezed violently and consecutively because of the pungent scent of perfume on him. Yvonne covered her nose and gasped for air. Zach scowled and hurriedly got up to open the window. “Sorry. I forgot that you were allergic. I’ll take a shower.” By the time he came out, Yvonne had already gone to the living room. The sight of the empty dining table puzzled Zach. “You didn’t cook breakfast today?” Yvonne looked down with an expressionless face. “Haven’t you eaten already?” Zach stared at her in shock. With extraordinary calmness, she said, “You posted on Instagram and even changed your profile pic.” Scowling, he took his phone out to take a look. Bella was the one who had used his phone to post on his Instagram. She even made their profile pics match. An awkward expression appeared on Zach’s face as he put his phone back in his pocket and smiled. “My secretary’s son was in the company yesterday. He might have changed my profile pic for fun.” Yvonne’s heart sank, and she felt a chill run down her spine. Nevertheless, she stood unmoving. This was the second time Zach had lied to her. While her mind wandered, he returned downstairs with a luggage bag in hand. “Honey, I’m going on a business trip to a branch company for a few days. Your birthday’s around the corner, so wait for me. I’ll give you a surprise once I’m back!” Yvonne did not answer and just hung her head. When her eyes landed on the luggage bag, there was only mockery in them. Zach’s heart clenched when he saw this. But before he could say anything, his phone vibrated. When he saw the caller ID, he cast Yvonne a subconscious glance. Once he realized that she was not looking at him, he returned to the room to answer his phone. The sound of the door’s lock clicking shut made Yvonne bend down to open the luggage bag. Soon, she found two boxes of unopened condoms in one of the bag’s layers. With stiff movements, she put the luggage bag back in its place as she broke into a self-deprecating smile. In the previous cycle, Zach started going on frequent business trips after the gathering. At that time, she was worried that he would overwork himself. So, she would make various nourishing soups for him. By the looks of it, she had been a fool! After Zach left, Yvonne left as well. She wanted to send all of the things in her studio to her mother’s place before she left the country. By the time she was done, the sun had already set. She dragged her exhausted body back. After she locked the door, the police called. The moment Yvonne arrived at the place, she saw Zach swinging his fist at a man. A woman was hugging him tightly to stop him. She was crying so much that her makeup was ruined. “Don’t, Zach!” Zach’s eyes were bloodshot with rage. He was like an enraged lion who wanted to rip the man apart. “Heh. I was wondering why you’ve become so bold. So, it’s because you’ve gotten yourself attached to someone rich,” the man said haughtily while he hid behind the police. “Mr. Frank, you’re making things hard for us.” However, Zach refused to listen to anyone and just wanted to punch the man. The scene stunned Yvonne. She had seen Zach being this wild and violent before. At that time, he had wanted to build a company through his own efforts, so he spent all his time at the company. Yvonne had pitied him back then. She could not bear the thought of him having take-out and instant noodles all the time. As such, she would always cook for him and deliver the food to him. One day, it poured, and two drunkards dragged Yvonne to a back alley. Fortunately, a passerby saved her. Zach learned of this later and located the drunkards’ houses. When Yvonne arrived, she was shocked. Blood was flowing down Zach’s hands nonstop while those two people lay twitching on the ground. The bloodshot look in his eyes was the same as the one he had in the present. Cracks filled Yvonne’s heart, and her legs felt like they were made of lead with each step she took. As she stared at the enraged man, she called out to him, “Zach.” Chapter 4 Once Zach heard Yvonne’s voice, he was stunned. But before he could turn around, Bella suddenly cradled her chest. “Zach, it hurts.” She collapsed in front of him, and panic filled his face. “Bella! Bella!” Yvonne soon arrived before Zach, but he just picked Bella up and shoved her away. Before he left, he said, “Take care of the rest.” Yvonne was forced to stay at the police station with the lawyer to handle the mess Zach had left behind. It lasted until nighttime, and Yvonne did not eat a single thing. Her face was turning increasingly pale. Once the lawyer finished taking care of everything, he saw Yvonne’s eyes roll back, and she fainted. She lay in a hospital bed as her head spun. She wanted to open her eyes, but she could not find the strength to do so. In her daze, she felt as if she could see herself after Zach “died.” She turned gray overnight as she sat listlessly in their room. She refused to eat or drink and just let herself waste away until her friends found her unconscious at home. They sent her to the hospital. When the doctor told her she was pregnant, Yvonne felt like she finally had the will to live. Sadly, when she was six months along, she got into an accident. This led to her losing the last thing that connected her to Zach. She would never forget the driver who crashed into her. That woman shared the exact same face as Bella’s. After Yvonne woke up, she found only Jacob York, the lawyer, beside her. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Frank, I can’t get into contact with Mr. Frank. I bought you some soup, though. Have it while it’s warm.” Yvonne forced herself up through great effort. As she recalled how Zach had left with Bella, she sneered. “Thanks for the trouble, Mr. York. Please go home.” Once Jacob left, Yvonne pulled the IV needle out and wanted to leave. However, the nurse who came in to change her IV drip saw this and stopped her. “Why did you pull out the needle? Where’s your family?” Yvonne looked down. “I have no family.” The nurse’s words died in her throat. After a sigh, she put the IV needle back in the back of Yvonne’s hand again. The door opened once more, and another nurse came in to register Yvonne under the hospital. While she wrote, she lamented, “Seriously, people’s lives are so different from each other. Look at Mrs. Frank. She just got a scare, and Mr. Frank got all the specialists to check on her. It’s already midnight, and he still got them back to the hospital. His wife sure is the luckiest woman alive!” Yvonne wanted to laugh when she heard this, but her eyes shone with tears. After Zach received confirmation from a few specialists that Bella was fine, he finally felt relieved. Slowly, rationality returned to him, and he suddenly remembered Yvonne. Scowling, he gave her a call. He dialed her number more than ten times, but no one picked up. Casting a glance at Bella and finding her resting, he quietly grabbed his jacket and left. Yvonne had gotten herself an agent to be in charge of selling her studio. “Miss Sunderland, these things look expensive. Why are you burning them?” The agent was shocked to find Yvonne throwing her belongings into the brazier. With a stony face, Yvonne picked up an unassuming diary from the side and threw it into the brazier without hesitation. The fire shot up and burned her hand. This led the agent to step forward and pull her back. “What’re you doing?!” Chapter 5 Zach pulled Yvonne to his side with a glare, but she broke free from his grasp. The sight of his tense face made the agent say, “You’ve misunderstood, sir. I’m a real estate agent.” Zach frowned and looked at Yvonne. “You’re selling the house?” She said nothing in reply. Instead, she asked the agent to leave and said she would contact him later if anything came up. The sight of Yvonne ignoring him made Zach grab her hand in displeasure. “Which house are you selling, honey?” “You’ve misunderstood. I just think this place isn’t big enough and want a larger studio,” Yvonne said coolly. He immediately felt relieved but thought of Bella. So, he looked at Yvonne and decided to test the waters. “Aren’t you going to ask about that day?” When she gave no reply, Zach said in a seemingly relaxed fashion, “That woman is Robin’s sister. He’s on a business trip, so he called me. You know that I’m good friends with him, so I can’t just ignore it when his sister’s in trouble. I—” Yvonne simply grabbed her handbag. “I have some business to take care of. Let’s talk tonight.” She did not continue listening and left. Zach found himself a little out of sorts. Yvonne trusted him fully, and this was the result he wanted. Yet, the whole thing just made him uneasy, even though he could not quite describe it. Zach stopped talking about going on business trips. After Bella was discharged, she returned to the house she shared with him. When she saw that Zach was going to leave, she immediately ran to his side and hugged him. “Behave, Bella. I already told you that I can’t stay outside overnight.” However, she refused to listen. Instead, she held Zach’s hand and placed it over her undergarments. With delight in her eyes, she stood on her tiptoes and breathed into his ear. “Zach, I bought new drugs. Do you want to try them?” His pupils dilated. He could not reject Bella when she was this seductive. Both of them started frantically leaving traces of their love in their place. It felt like every spot was covered in their sweat. Satisfied, Bella watched as Zach moved above her. While he was asleep, she recorded videos and sent them all to Yvonne. After Zach woke up, he realized that he had stayed over overnight. He grabbed his hair in frustration and thought of a few excuses. Then, he picked the most reasonable one before he called Yvonne. However, after he gave his excuse, this was all Yvonne said, “Got it.” A second ago, Zach could imagine her disappointed expression. He even thought of a lot of things to say to get her back into a good mood. But to think that Yvonne would be so calm! With a dark expression, he picked up his phone and typed a message. When Yvonne was done with her shower, she saw Zach’s long message. She just deleted it after a glance. She no longer had any interest in Zach’s carefully crafted lies. On Yvonne’s birthday, Zach imported plenty of Ecuador roses and filled up the venue for her birthday party. Their mutual friends asked her about it. “Yvonne, Zach’s so good to you. Look at the decorations and the color of the tablecloth. They were all picked based on your preferences!” “Naturally. Yvonne has a firm hold over Zach’s heart. In the past, whenever someone flirted with her, Zach would stew in jealousy for a week.” “Yes! I remember an upperclassman asking Yvonne for her contact number once, and Zach saw it. He threw a basketball at that guy so hard that it gave him a concussion. He only recovered after being on bedrest for a week!” To that, all Yvonne did was smile. Chapter 6 If their mutual friends could remember these things, Yvonne would remember them too. In the past, after Zach “died”, she relied on those memories to get her through another day. But whenever she remembered those past events at present, they were like glass shards that stabbed into her heart. Every time she breathed, it would hurt. “Are you girls talking about me again?” A familiar hand found its way around Yvonne’s waist, and Zach’s voice traveled into her ears. Their friends exchanged glances before they teased her, “Look. It’s just been a moment since he last saw you, and he’s already worried about you leaving!” Zach chuckled, and he was about to speak when the door suddenly flung open. Someone spotted him and immediately ran toward him like a hurricane. She hugged him tightly. “Zach, I thought that I’d never see you again!” Zach was stunned, but he noticed that Bella had shown up barefoot with scratches on her face. Right then, his amusement faded away, and he instinctively tightened his grip around her. “Who is she?” “I don’t know. What’s Zach’s relationship with her?” Suddenly, there were murmurs all around. Zach narrowed his eyes and quickly turned to Yvonne. The moment Bella showed up, Yvonne had instinctively clenched her fists. It was her birthday, and she just wanted to meet her friends one last time before she left. Even so, Bella still had to ruin it. All of her dignity crumbled like dirt at the moment. The sight of Yvonne swaying on her feet alarmed Zach for a moment. But before he could say anything, Bella threw her tear-stained face into his arms again. Zach looked at Bella’s neck. The red handprints and red marks there made him burn with anger. Rage surged through him as he demanded, “Who did this?!” His question made Bella tremble as she looked at him. Then, with a whisper only the three of them could hear, she said, “It was… my uncle. He said that… you just wanted to toy with me, and he wanted—” “He has a death wish, huh?!” Zach quickly removed his jacket and covered Bella before he picked her up. As for Yvonne, she instinctively grabbed Zach, even though he was oozing ruthlessness. Just some time ago, Zach was brought to the police station because he had hurt someone. She had to work herself down to the bone to make sure the news never went out. He could not afford to be so rash again. Yvonne wanted to say something, but her words died in her throat when Zach glared at her. “Yvonne, I’ll make it up to you for your birthday. You’re a woman too. Can’t you feel some empathy?” Soon, Yvonne smiled bitterly. “Is that how you see me?” Zach tensed up, while Bella grabbed his shirt. “Isn’t it true?” he growled. Then, he shoved Yvonne away and left the hall. The moment he left, everyone burst into a ruckus and started talking about it. “Did you see that? Him? Loving? It’s all just an act!” “What’s the point of him being a loving husband? Good times fade away quickly, and he can have as many women as he wants. Yvonne won’t be able to get rid of all of them.” Their words stabbed Yvonne in the heart like knives. Even so, she maintained a numb smile as she sent her guests away. As her friends gazed at her with concern, she made sure to retain the last of her dignity. She needed to hide the humiliation Zach had dealt to her with her own power. Eventually, everyone left, and she was alone in the room full of the fragrance of roses. Like a kite with a broken string, she collapsed to the floor. After this fatal blow, her heart was shattered into pieces. All of her sadness burst forth like water from a broken dam, and she bawled on the floor. She no longer cared about her image. The man who claimed that he would protect her for life had lied to her! Chapter 7 When Zach came back, he held a gift and the cake Yvonne loved. As if he was trying to get into her good graces again, he opened the cake box for her. However, they found that someone had already taken a bite of the cake. With an awkward expression, he looked at Yvonne and tried to defend himself. “Bella didn’t have anything for breakfast and said she wanted to have some cake to fill her stomach first. That’s why I gave her some of your cake. You don’t mind, do you?” At this point, Yvonne’s heart was so numb that she could no longer feel any pain. Zach knew she was a bit of a germaphobe, but he still let Bella eat the cake he had bought for her. She scoffed and looked at Zach with an icy gaze. “What if I mind?” She picked up the cake and gift and threw them into the trash can. Half an hour ago, she had received a video from Bella. In the video, Bella “very considerately” took out the pearl necklace that Zach had bought her from an auction. She wanted him to give it to Yvonne. As for Zach, he actually listened to Bella and brought the necklace back to humiliate her! The sight of Yvonne being so unappreciative made him scowl. His tone turned frigid too. “Bella had a hard life growing up, and I saw myself in her. I just wanted to help her, nothing else. A rich lady like you who grew up pampered wouldn’t know how it feels like to live under someone else’s roof!” He stormed out of their bedroom and slammed the door shut. As Yvonne stared at his back, she chuckled, but her eyes were full of grief. So, she was just a spoiled, rich lady to him. He had forgotten that this “rich lady” had rolled up her sleeves to fight his bullies for him, copied reflection essays repeatedly for him, stood up for him when his mother scolded him, and protected him when those snakes in the Frank family abused their power to torment him. Zach had given her the cold shoulder before, but this time, she did not intend to compromise. Bella soon sent her a message. [Do you like the present, Mrs. Frank?] Yvonne looked at the cake box in the trash can with no emotion in her eyes. At the end of the day, trash had to return to where it belonged. Since Bella loved being Mrs. Frank so much, Yvonne would hand over the title. Yvonne’s studio was soon sold at a high price. As thanks, she took some time to treat the agent to a meal. As their meal reached its end, the people in the room next door ended theirs too. Following that, the corridor was filled with laughter. Once most of the group left, a few friends stood where they were and started talking about something private. It was as if no one else was around. “Have you thought this through, Zach? Sure, you can have fun, but are you serious about Bella? You left Yvonne alone at her birthday party last time for Bella, and you didn’t see how pale she looked! We’ve watched your entire relationship grow. Are you really going to be so heartless?” “And you’re faking your death? Isn’t that unfair to Yvonne?” Familiar voices suddenly traveled into Yvonne’s ears. Those people were waiting for Zach’s reply, just as she was. Then, Zach took a deep swig of his cigarette before he said hoarsely, “I’m going to give her the company and all of my real estate and cars. She’ll have a life of luxury. Isn’t that enough?” One of them hummed and hawed. “But Yvonne isn’t lacking money.” Zach’s silence seemed to be a confirmation of what that person said. But before long, he chuckled. “That just shows Bella needs me more.” Yvonne clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles turned white, and her ears rang. She did not even know when the people outside left. She sat in her chair quietly. The agent, on the other hand, was furious in her place. “There are seriously all sorts of monsters in this world nowadays! How can he fake his death to lie to his wife and run away with his mistress?! He’s heartless!” Upon regaining her composure, Yvonne took a sip of tea before she answered with a smile, “I know, right?” After she returned home, Yvonne received a call from her mother. “I’m done with the preparations. When are you coming?” Yvonne took a glance at her phone. “In three days.” “Alright. I’ll have someone pick you up later.” Right after she hung up, she heard a cold voice behind her. “What’re you doing in three days?” Chapter 8 When Yvonne saw that it was Zach, she suddenly felt fed up. “It’s nothing.” Her impatient tone made his heart plummet, and he started walking toward her. But before he could touch her, she had already stepped away. Displeased, he opened his mouth to speak, only to have his phone ring. He answered Robin’s call with a scowl. “Zach, check out the stuff I sent you!” Robin had sent him many videos and photos, so Zach just picked one. It was of Bella barging into Yvonne’s birthday party while barefoot, along with a photo of her throwing herself into his arms. The comments were horrible. All of them were insulting Bella. [This witch is running the show! Even though it’s the wife’s birthday party, she went to put on a pity act! To think there’s still a witch like this! The world is getting worse!] [Mr. Frank and Mrs. Frank are childhood friends, and they have a good relationship, but he still cheated on her. Can men seriously not control their libido?] [That woman sure can pretend. Can anyone dox her and teach her a lesson?] As Zach continued scrolling, he discovered that someone had found all the details of Bella’s life. But to him, all of the slanderous remarks were lies. Angry and worried, he wanted to call Bella. However, she ended up calling him first. He answered eagerly, and Bella’s broken and miserable voice came through the phone. “Zach, I won’t fight for her anymore. Please ask her to spare me. My life’s already miserable enough. Let’s meet earlier next time.” With that, Bella hung up. Yvonne frowned and looked at him. “What’s wrong?” Suddenly, Zach strode forward and grabbed her neck with bloodshot eyes. “Yvonne, if anything happens to her, I won’t forgive you!” He then threw her on the bed like she was a rag doll. Yvonne gasped for breath and clenched her fists tightly to suppress her uncontrollable tremors. Just a little more, and Zach could have killed her! She called Robin. Apparently, Bella had cut her wrists. Fortunately, Zach showed up on time. As Zach stayed and cared for her in the hospital, he never relaxed for a second. His expression remained tense all the time. After learning about this, Yvonne called him, but he hung up on her. However, she could not accept Zach’s baseless accusation. Doing whatever it took to destroy a person and resorting to such dirty tricks was not her style; she was not that stupid. Yet, Zach refused to believe her. He only came back at dawn and gave off a bone-chilling aura. He did not turn on the lights and showed up in front of Yvonne’s bed, which terrified her. The sight only made him give her a mocking sneer. “Bella’s plagued by nightmares, while you’re sleeping well, you culprit. “I want you to take a video and apologize to Bella! She’s innocent, but your jealousy made you hire people to release photos and videos about her meeting me during your birthday!” Yvonne’s eyes flew wide open in disbelief. “You don’t trust me?!” Zach looked away. For some reason, he did not want to look her in the eye. He just clenched his fists. “You owe her this. If you still haven’t uploaded the video by 9 a.m. tomorrow…” At this point, Yvonne’s heart was dead. Her blood turned cold, and not a shred of emotion could be detected on her pale, fragile face. “What will you do?” Zach gritted his teeth and made his decision. “I told you: as long as you apologize, nothing will happen. But if you don’t, I’ll make you pay.” Then, he left the room. Yvonne looked weakly at the moon outside. The most foolish thing she ever did was decide to grow up with this man. In the end, she did not apologize, and Zach made her pay. Everyone watched as some hooligans cornered her in an alley. They tore her clothes off, pinned her down on the ground, and touched her with their dirty hands. That was when Yvonne shed her final tear for Zach. Her phone buzzed, and she received a voice recording. “Zach, are you sure you want to send the video? It’ll ruin Yvonne!” “I’m teaching her a lesson so that she’ll stop being so haughty! I can’t keep protecting her! It’s time for her to grow up!” Yvonne sat on the floor and wore a self-deprecating smile. Zach only cared about exacting revenge on her. He had completely forgotten why she had been inappropriately touched in the first place. So, she wrapped up a gift for him. After that, she got dressed and left the house that had kept her imprisoned her entire life. “Goodbye, Zach.” Zach stayed beside Bella, but his mind kept wandering. He was not actually as merciless and heartless as he said he would be. He was waiting for Yvonne to cave in and beg for mercy. However, even after waiting until the sun set, he did not receive a call from her. During that time, a delivery company called him and told him that he had a package. When he asked who had sent it, they said that it was from a Sunderland. Zach finally smiled. He knew it. Yvonne still cared about him, just like before. When he finally put Bella to sleep and got ready to check out the package, his phone suddenly vibrated. Scowling, he checked the caller ID. It was his mother. Getting impatient, he answered the call. In the next second, his mother’s panicked voice rang out. “Zach, Yvonne got into an accident!”