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Novel Catalog
Chapter 57
Zachary’s fury didn’t subside easily as he glared at Serenity, still nursing his wounded pride. Her words stung, but the accusation she hurled at him about being jealous made him bristle even more. “I’m not jealous!” he snapped, though his clenched jaw and the flush creeping up his neck betrayed him.
Serenity stood her ground, unbothered by his outburst. “Right, sure. You’re not jealous,” she mocked lightly. “It just seemed a bit like jealousy to me, what with all the assumptions and the attitude you’ve been giving me tonight.”
Zachary, still feeling the sting of her purse to the face, was barely holding onto his composure. His pride was bruised, his words sharp as he defended himself. “I’m not the one out here looking for a new man while we’re still married,” he shot back, trying to regain control of the conversation.
Serenity was unfazed. “If you really had an issue with this marriage, you could’ve told me before we signed anything. You didn’t have to drag me into this,” she said, her tone flat but with an undercurrent of irritation. “You’re the one who wanted this divorce contract. Not me. I never asked you for any of this.”
Her words left Zachary silent for a moment, his anger simmering down as he took in what she said. “You think I’m the one who wanted this divorce?” he muttered, mostly to himself. But Serenity’s response came quickly.
“I wasn’t asking for the house or car either,” she continued, her voice more even now. “You were the one who offered those things. Not me. I never planned on taking them.” She paused, letting her words sink in. “Honestly, I only went along with this marriage to help my sister. If you think I’m after your money or anything else, that’s your issue, not mine.”
Zachary’s mind raced as he processed her words. There was a brief moment of silence, where all the harsh words between them hung in the air. He stared at her, unsure of how to respond.
Serenity wasn’t finished, though. She saw the confusion in his eyes and couldn’t help but tease him. “You saw me and Mr. Bill sitting together, didn’t you?” she asked, a playful smile tugging at her lips. “That must have really gotten to you.”
Zachary’s eyes flashed, and he hissed through his teeth, the tension tightening around him once more. “I don’t get jealous,” he repeated, though his voice now had a touch of uncertainty.
“Well, it sure seemed like you were,” Serenity pressed, still smiling, though it was more of a challenge than anything else. “I could practically smell the jealousy from a mile away, Zachary.”
Her words left him without a proper response, and the tension in the room began to dissipate. The sharpness of the argument faded into something quieter, something almost amusing. Zachary stood there, feeling a mix of emotions he couldn’t quite place, his pride wounded but his defenses slowly crumbling.
“Okay, okay. Maybe I was a bit… irritated,” he muttered reluctantly. “But don’t go throwing accusations at me. This is still my house.”
Serenity didn’t let him off the hook so easily. “Yeah, it’s your house, your rules,” she retorted, her eyes glinting with mischief. “But it’s not like I’m trying to ruin your life, Zachary. I just don’t want to deal with all the drama.”
The conversation hung in the air, neither of them quite willing to back down fully, but with the tension between them finally starting to ease. For now, at least, they were at a standstill, their respective pride taking center stage in this strange dance of words.
