Zara stepped into the office, a place she hadn't visited much over the past five years.
The receptionist immediately stood and greeted her warmly with a bright smile. "Good morning, ma'am."
Zara offered a slight smile and nodded. "Good morning. How have you been, Abbie?"
"Doing well, thank you."
Zara headed straight to her office. She pushed open the heavy glass door and stepped inside.
The woman seated behind the desk looked up at the sound of the door opening. The moment she saw Zara, her face lit up with a big smile.
"Boss, you are here!" she exclaimed, jumping up and rushing over to her. "Oh my God, it's so good to see you." She pulled Zara into a hug.
Zara hugged her back, her lips stretching widely. "How have you been, Bree?"
Bree stepped back, a worried look crossing her face. "I can't say I'm doing well. The big fashion event is just a month away, and we are nowhere near ready." She gestured to the design sketches spread across the table. "I've been reviewing all the designers' submissions, but nothing stands out. They are all so… dull, ordinary. No 'wow' factor at all. I'm at a loss."
She sighed deeply and rolled her eyes in frustration. "I'm really stressed."
"Don't worry. I'll help," Zara said reassuringly.
Bree's eyes widened with a mix of surprise and excitement. "Are you sure?"
Zara gave a confident nod. "I'm back to work. From now on, I'll be coming to the office every day."
Bree's grin stretched wide, but it faltered quickly as she remembered how Zara had left her career behind to focus on her family.
"What about your son? And your husband?" she asked cautiously.
Zara's smile wavered briefly, a shadow of sadness flickering in her eyes before she quickly covered it up and smiled again. "I'm getting a divorce."
"Divorce?" Bree blurted out, surprised.
"Yes," Zara said curtly, her tone clipped. "Nathaniel was never really mine. He loved Nora, and he still does. This marriage has been a burden for both of us, and I've finally decided to end it."
She shrugged, trying to shake off the sadness weighing on her. "As for Zane… he has plenty of people to care for him. He doesn't need to rely on me."
Bree, who was friends with both Zara and Nora but closer to Zara, studied her carefully, searching her eyes. "You don't love Nathaniel?" she asked softly.
Zara immediately looked down, the pain in her heart growing sharper. She had liked Nathaniel since school, but before she could confess, Nora declared her love for him.
Zara kept her feelings to herself, never telling a soul. "Our marriage was just a promise I made to Nora. There were no feelings between us."
She blinked to hold back tears, then forced a smile as she looked back up. "Now, I just want to free myself from this burden and focus on my career."
Bree's smile returned warmly. "It's good you are ending that loveless marriage," she said, linking her arm with Zara's. "You can find someone who truly cares about you, loves you, and spoils you."
"Stop it," Zara said, waving her off. "I'm not interested in a relationship right now."
"That's fine. I'm not pushing you. But you can go for casual dating, one-night stands. What do you think?" Bree teased, raising her eyebrows mischievously.
Zara gave an exaggerated grimace. "Absolutely a terrible idea," she said through gritted teeth. "Now, let's focus on work, shall we?"
She moved to the worktable and sank into the leather chair.
"Let me show you the design drafts we have so far," Bree said as she sat across from her, spreading the sketches across the table.
~~~~~~~~~~~
At Nathaniel's office…
Roberto walked in with a serious expression.
Nathaniel didn't even look up, his eyes fixed on the computer screen. "Did she agree to sign the agreement?" he asked.
Roberto sighed before answering, "Yes, she is ready to sign the divorce papers. But she has one condition. She doesn't want anything from you."
Nathaniel immediately looked up, surprise crossing his face. "What did you say?"
"She is making no demands," Roberto confirmed. "She said she never married you for your money or property. She also called this marriage a mistake from the start and said it was always going to end."
"A mistake?" Nathaniel's face showed a flash of disbelief. "Did she actually say that?"
Roberto nodded. "She seems determined to end this marriage."
Nathaniel snorted, a faint smirk playing on his lips. He didn't buy it.
Over the years, Zara had spent lavishly on her demanding, greedy family and even pushed him to sign a business deal with her father's company. He had assumed she wanted money in return to marry him and had planned to offer a generous alimony to keep her satisfied. But she refused all his offers.
What kind of game was she playing?
"Just another trick to get my attention," he sneered.
Roberto hesitated before asking, "Should I prepare a new agreement?"
"No need," Nathaniel replied dismissively. "I'll speak to her myself. Have you contacted the client?" He changed the subject.
"Yes, the meeting is already scheduled," Roberto said. "I'll book the flight ticket soon and let you know."
"Good." Nathaniel planned to talk to Zara clearly once he returned from the business trip.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After hours of working, Zara and Bree finally decided to take a break.
Bree leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms overhead. "Let's grab something to eat first. I'm starving."
"Sure, let's go."
Zara grabbed her bag, ready to leave, when her phone rang. Seeing the caller ID made her hesitate.
It was Gracie, her mother-in-law.
She glanced at Bree. "You go ahead first. I need to take this call."
Bree nodded and quietly left, giving Zara some privacy.
Once the door closed, Zara answered the phone. "Hello..."
"Where are you?" Gracie snapped. "Why aren't you here yet? I thought you'd join us for dinner. Zane has been asking about you. Come quickly."
Zara took a moment before responding. "I'm not coming."
"What? What do you mean, you are not coming?"
"I'm at the office, and there's a lot of work I need to finish."
"You went to that small, shabby office of yours," Gracie sneered. "The Grant family doesn't lack money. Why do you need to work? Your job is to take care of Zane. Drop everything and come here now. Or I'll call Nathaniel."
Zara gripped the phone tightly, growing restless. She wanted to rush to Zane and make sure he was alright, but she forced herself to stay calm, reminding herself that this marriage was falling apart.
"We are getting a divorce. Zane is no longer my responsibility."
"What? Divorce?" Gracie exclaimed with disbelief
"I still have work to do. I'm hanging up now."
Zara ended the call without waiting for her reply, took a deep breath, and the tears she had been holding back slipped down her cheeks.