"Madam, madam…" a faint voice called out. "Mr. Roberto is here. He wants to see you. Madam…"
Zara slowly stirred, her eyelids fluttering open. She found herself lying comfortably in her bedroom on the warm bed. There was no pain anywhere in her body.
'Wait, didn't I die?' she wondered.
"Madam…"
She turned her head to see the housekeeper, Mrs. Jules, standing nearby. Stunned, Zara recalled the accident and Riya strangling her to death.
Had she been saved? Or was it all just a terrifying nightmare?
"Mr. Roberto is waiting for you," Mrs. Jules said gently.
Roberto?
Zara frowned, puzzled why Nathaniel's assistant would come to see her. Then she remembered Roberto delivering the divorce papers just a few days ago.
Was this happening again?
She quickly grabbed her phone and checked the time. A chill ran down her spine — the date and time had somehow reset.
'Is this real? Did I travel back in time? Or have I been given a second chance?'
Confused, Zara stared at her phone while flashes of the crash and Riya's deadly glare haunted her mind. Those images felt too real, the horror still vivid in her mind. The pain of betrayal and losing her life seemed to etch into her bones.
This couldn't be a nightmare. She was reborn.
"Madam, are you alright?" Mrs. Jules asked, concern in her voice. "You don't usually fall asleep at this hour. Should I call the doctor?"
The doctor...
That reminded Zara of the baby. She had gone to the doctor to test her irregular periods. When the reports came, she unexpectedly learned she was pregnant.
Her hand instinctively moved to her belly. If this wasn't just a nightmare, if she truly had been given a second chance, then she was carrying a child. And this time, she vowed to protect her baby at all costs.
"I'm fine, Mrs. Jules," Zara replied at last. "Just a headache." She swung her legs off the bed and stood up, walking out of the room.
In the hall, Roberto waited, his face unreadable. "Madam," he greeted, rising as she approached.
Zara met his gaze with icy detachment and sank onto the sofa.
"Mr. Grant has sent the divorce agreement," Roberto said, handing her a file.
'So it's starting all over again,' Zara thought, opening the document.
"The villa on South Avenue, two luxury cars, fifty million, and five percent shares will be yours," he stated flatly.
In the past, she had hesitated, unwilling to let go of the marriage or break the promise she made on her sister's deathbed. She clung to the hope that Nathaniel's heart might one day soften.
But that fantasy was shattered. His cruel words still echoed in her mind: 'Is she not dead yet? Don't call me before she dies.'
Now she understood—he never cared, and no matter how much she tried, he would never love her.
"If you want to add anything, let me know. I'll update the agreement," Roberto offered.
Zara studied the terms carefully—fifty million, five percent shares... She let out a bitter chuckle. 'Does he think I want his money?'
She snapped the file shut and tossed it on the table. "Yes, have it redrafted," she said coldly. "I don't want a thing from him—no money, no shares, nothing. I just want to end this meaningless marriage."
Roberto stared at her in disbelief. He had expected tears, pleas to speak with Nathaniel, but instead, she was determined to end the marriage.
He was used to seeing her try to please Nathaniel, always polite and gentle. But this cold, hardened version of her was completely new, as if she had changed overnight.
"Is there a problem?" Zara asked sharply.
"No, not at all…" Roberto hesitated, then added, "Are you sure you don't want anything? Mr. Grant is willing to give you whatever you want."
"Really?" Zara scoffed.
She hadn't wanted a divorce before. She only wanted him to keep the promise he made to her sister. She wanted him to love her. But would he actually do that?
"Yes, he said he'd compensate you as much as you ask," Roberto replied.
"I don't need his compensation," Zara shot back. "I didn't marry him for money or property. I married him because it was my sister's dying wish—to look after her and Nathaniel's one-year-old child once she was gone. I kept that promise. Now, Zane is six, old enough to manage on his own. Besides, he has his father, his grandmother, and plenty of servants from the Grant family to care for him. He'll be fine without me."
She stood tall and squared her shoulders. "This marriage was a mistake from the start. It was bound to end eventually. That time is now."
With that, she turned and walked into the room.
Once inside, Zara collapsed onto the bed, her shoulders heavy as her mind replayed the terrifying memories of that rainy night. She was certain now she had been given a second chance, a chance to rewrite her fate.
Her chest tightened as she let out a long sigh. "Five years wasted, hoping I could make him love me. But not anymore. From now on, I'll focus on myself."
She gently touched her belly. "First, I'll find out if I'm really pregnant. Then, I'll leave quietly. He doesn't deserve to be the father of my child."
She strode over to the closet and pulled out her finest dress, slipping into it. She removed the rubber band from her hair, letting it cascade freely over her shoulders. After applying makeup, mascara on her lashes, and deep red lipstick on her lips, she looked at herself carefully in the mirror.
The old Zara, the modest housewife who had given so much of herself, was gone. She looked different now, almost like the Zara from five years ago.
A faint smile touched her lips, though the ache in her heart remained.
"I'll live life on my own terms."
Knock-Knock…
Knocks at the door interrupted her thoughts.
"Madam, the driver is here," the housekeeper's voice called.
Zara slid the lipstick back into the drawer and turned toward the door.
The middle-aged housekeeper stood there with her hands folded in front of her.
"Tell him to take Zane to the Grant family mansion," Zara instructed. "Pack his bag. He'll be staying with his grandmother."
Mrs. Jules looked puzzled. "Aren't you picking him up from school?"
"No," Zara replied coolly. "I'm going out." She grabbed her bag and left the room.
Mrs. Jules pivoted and watched her go, stunned by the sudden change in Zara's demeanor.
Her body language was different, her tone cold and distant, not the gentle, warm voice Mrs. Jules was used to. Most surprising of all, Zara was letting someone else handle Zane's school pickup for the first time.
"What's gotten into her?" Mrs. Jules whispered. "Madam never liked leaving Zane's care to others. Why let the driver pick him up today?"