Chapter 1 - Nothing about Zora is ever urgent.

"Sir, Madam is not feeling well," the butler of the Gannon mansion reported on the phone.

The man at the end of the line spoke in a nonchalant tone.

"So, take her to the hospital. I'm not a doctor." The line died immediately.

The butler was so pale, beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

Zora relaxed her back against the sofa, feeling weak from abdominal pains. Trying to mask the pain, she asked hopefully. "What did he say?"

The butler instantly put on a calm smile when he turned in her direction. "Madam, sir said he will meet us at the hospital."

Zora's eyes lit up. Ezrah had not been home for almost three days, and she was missing him so much. This sickness seemed to be her lucky charm to get him to her side again. "Okay. Let's go."

Zora's heart warmed at the fact that Ezrah at least cared about his child.

Both of them were caught in a scandal two years ago, so getting married was the only way to curb the situation.

Ezrah's stance was clear through it all. "When everything calms down, we are getting a divorce."

Zora hoped that by that time, she would have been able to melt his cold heart and make him fully hers, so her hopes were high.

However, over time, she found him slowly drawing away from her, even when they worked together in the same company and shared the same bedroom.

Two months ago, Ezrah returned and asked Zora for a divorce but chanced upon the pregnancy test results. His expression was dark.

"Let's hold off on the divorce until after the child is born, but don't expect to remain Mrs. Gannon. That title belongs to somebody else, but it's definitely not you."

The marriage after those words had been terrible. Ezrah barely returned home, barely got intimate with her. The only reason she still bore Mrs. Gannon was because of the child in her womb.

Zora thought that his reason for being away was because of work since he was the CEO of the Gannon Group, a multibillion-dollar company where Zora also worked as an assistant manager.

Unknown to Ezrah, Zora had been secretly in love with him for five years, but that drunk night at her best friend Coco's birthday party, Zora woke up in bed with Ezrah.

She decided to keep it a secret and a memory she would forever cherish when the media picked up the news.

Ezrah could not allow the scandal to ruin his well-kept reputation and cause him losses, so he announced that he and Zora were already dating secretly and were soon getting married.

Zora, who had been madly in love with him, was excited about the news of getting married to Ezrah.

Zora hoped that with time, his heart would warm up towards her, but that did not happen. Even in her state, Ezrah hardly spent the night at home.

On the way to the hospital, Zora's phone beeped, and looking at the content, her heart dropped.

Ezrah was holding the delicate hand of a beautiful woman, a proud smile on his face. The caption read,

'Mr. Ezra Gannon admits to reigniting his love for his old flame, Miss Piper Henshaw.'

Zora's eyes were swollen with tears. As they dropped down her cheeks, she refused to believe it. Maybe it was photoshopped.

There was never any news about Ezrah dating any woman before she got pregnant for him. He never even warmed up to women. The man had long been secretive and kept his face from the media.

Also, the butler Rudolph had said that Ezrah promised to meet them at the hospital, so the media must be spreading this false news to gain popularity.

Even after everything, she still could not help the unease in her heart, instantly dialing his number.

Despite him warning her to only communicate with him through the butler, Zora took the bull by the horn this time.

Her call went through, but there was no answer. Her old self would have given up, but due to the unease in her heart because of the news, she couldn't bring herself to do so.

On the fourth ring, a woman answered the call.

Her melodious voice made Zora feel less of a woman. "Ezrah is in the bathroom."

Zora's hands holding the phone shook, her heart in tatters. Ezrah never allowed her to touch his phone, but this woman casually answered his call, and was he really in the bathroom? Zora felt the pain in her chest worse than that of her abdomen.

"Who are you?" The words forced themselves out of her mouth.

The woman responded casually,

"Piper, his fiancée. And you are?"

"Whatever he saved my name with," Zora responded calmly. The pain of the news was more than she could bear.

Though knowing that Ezrah never loved her, she thought they could live in peace for the sake of the baby in her womb, but Ezrah never meant to make her dreams come true.

The woman at the end of the line moved the phone from her ear to have a better view of the caller ID.

"Oh, Zora. If it's urgent, I could drop a message for you when he comes out."

The nights Ezrah spent away when Zora thought he was busy at work, it was a great disappointment that he was with the woman he loved, leaving her to suffer with her unborn child.

She was still in her first trimester, and due to all the morning sickness and other health issues, Zora had taken a break from working at the company to recover first.

Her mind lacked clarity, and she was beginning to doubt all the responses she got from Rudolph when she asked him to get in touch with Ezrah.

"Just tell him to call me." Zora ended the call.

At the hotel room, Ezrah returned from the meeting in the conference room. Since he never allowed anyone to answer their calls during meetings, he equally left his phone in the presidential suite meant for his relaxation.

"What are you doing with my phone?" He asked as soon as he entered the bedroom. Before Piper spoke, he asked again, "and I made it clear that you should wait for me at the lounge. How did you have access?"

The pout on Piper's lips only made her cuter as she faked anger. "Is it wrong for me to come? We would have gotten married if Zora had not appeared."

Ezrah was a man who loved to keep his love life private. He and Piper had been in a secret long-distance relationship.

The night they arranged to meet at the birthday party of one of his business partner's sister, Piper had an emergency and could not attend as planned.

That night, he mysteriously ended up in bed with Zora, an incident that should have been brushed under the carpet until the media took hold of it.

Not wanting his well-maintained reputation to crack, he apologetically married Zora, promising Piper to divorce Zora secretly after two years when the news dies down.

Things took a different turn when he found the pregnancy test result after promising Piper that he was ending things with Zora.

"I told you I was working on it. You should keep yourself hidden away from the press. We shouldn't be seen together." Ezrah's voice was stern. It was business for him first, and he didn't want Piper's presence to ruin it for him.

Piper was uneasy at the reminder. Forcing a smile, she relayed, "I could be your confidential secretary. Please Ezrah, I don't want to be away from you anymore."

Ezrah did not give a response. His actions were always well thought out. It wasn't easy for him to be the CEO of the legendary Gannon Group as the youngest of three sons.

Any wrong move and his elder brothers would begin to fight for the position. "Did anyone call?"

He was scrolling through his phone when he caught sight of Zora's name.

"Yeah. Zora. She said you should call her," Piper responded with a smile, her fingers sliding over her exposed thighs as she lay seductively on the luxurious king-size bed.

"What did you tell her?" Ezrah frowned a little. He wanted to keep Piper a secret until after the divorce.

"I pretended not to know about her existence." Piper lifted herself to a sitting position, and due to the long slit of the dress, her full thighs were exposed, but Ezrah's attention was on the phone in his hand.

"Do me a favor and don't answer my calls again." His voice had lost its warmth.

Piper faked remorse. "I'm sorry. I thought it was urgent."

Ezrah finally held her gaze as he spoke roughly, "Nothing about Zora is ever urgent."

Chapter 2 - I will divorce her.

Piper was very happy with his remark, but Zora was still Misses Gannon, the title Piper had long coveted.

How she wished that night had not happened. If only that useless man had not appeared when she was about to leave for the airport to board the private jet, she would have been the one waking up in bed with Ezrah.

It pained her that it had to be the whore, Zora. "Ezrah, are you sure you will divorce her?"

Ezrah hated to be doubted. "You don't believe me? I'm only with her because she's carrying my child. As soon as he's born, I will divorce her."

Piper smiled with satisfaction, and since she had mentally stored Zora's number after answering the call, she sent the recording to her.

Remembering that the butler had called Ezrah informing him that Zora was sick, she asked after deleting the audio from her phone.

"Can you go shopping with me? I didn't bring enough clothes."

Even if Zora showed the audio to Ezrah, Piper would deny it as she had used a number Ezrah didn't know to send it.

"I have another meeting in two hours, so you have an hour and a half to finish shopping," Ezrah said softly.

Zora's heart tightened in her chest when she played the audio. The butler who was driving the car felt helpless, equally disappointed in his boss.

Zora asked from the back seat of the luxurious car she was seated in.

"Did he really tell you he was coming to the hospital?"

The butler's throat went dry. He always succeeded in making up excuses for his boss, but this time, everything backfired. That audio destroyed everything.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. I just didn't want to see you sad."

Zora's heart twitched, a bitter smile curled the corner of her lips, feeling like a fool as tears welled up in her eyes. She was nothing to Ezrah. The little surprises sent to ignite her hope were merely prepared by the butler.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't recover from the pain as she felt a force hit the car from the side, causing it to swerve off the road and somersault thrice.

The butler was instantly unconscious. Zora felt unbearable pain, blood sputtered from her mouth and nose, then in between her thighs.

No words could describe the agony as she watched the life draining out of her with intense pain settled in her abdomen.

She managed to pick up her phone, which had fallen to the side from the impact, dialing her husband's number.

Unable to lift the phone to her ear, she activated the speaker. "Zora. I'm busy."

That was what Ezrah said as soon as he answered the phone, not waiting to hear what she had to say. After all, nothing about Zora was ever urgent to him.

Before she lost consciousness, she heard the laughter of a woman with the words, "Ezrah, I want these shoes."

"Try them on. If they fit, you can have them."

'So, shopping with a woman is what you call busy.' That was what Zora thought before losing consciousness.

Zora woke up at the hospital after hours of surgery. Her face was as pale as a ghost, her countenance pitiful. Her butler, Rudolph, sat at her hospital bed, a smile on his face. He had sustained a few injuries, but they were not serious, and he was already discharged.

"Madam, you are awake. Thank God."

Zora was glad to see that Rudolph was fine. There were just bruises on his face. He quickly rushed out to call a doctor.

"Mrs. Gannon, how are you feeling?" The doctor asked as he examined Zora, writing a few things on a writing pad he carried along.

Zora was only concerned about one thing.

"How is my baby?" Zora asked.

The doctor's eyes dulled. "I'm very sorry, but your baby couldn't survive the impact."

Tears brimmed in the back of Zora's eyes, but she fought them back. She lost everything. She left her father's company to work for her husband, nurturing his business and enduring all the taunts of his arrogant family.

At twenty-three, she had nothing to show for the man she had secretly loved for five good years. "It's alright. She would have just suffered anyway." Her heart had turned cold due to the loss of the child.

"Excuse me?" The doctor was shocked. He expected her to cry like any woman in her situation would, but Zora bottled it in. She could endure all of Ezrah's indifference towards her, but she would never forgive him for the loss of her child.

That woman appeared, and Zora suddenly got involved in an accident. The case had to be investigated, but as for Ezrah, he no longer had a place in her heart.

"Sorry, that was not directed at you." There was no warmth in Zora's apologetic voice. The doctor forced a smile, finished his examination, and left.

Zora stared at the butler at the doorway. He stood there since the doctor arrived. Zora was about to tear down but couldn't do so.

She had been weak for too long, leading to the death of her child. If she had left the first time Ezrah asked her for a divorce, this would not have happened.

Back then, she had begged him before finding out that she was pregnant for him. When she discovered she was pregnant, she decided to consent to the divorce and leave. At least, she would have his child to remind her of the relationship they once shared.

Unfortunately, the test result fell from her handbag, Ezrah saw it. Even when he decided for them to wait until after she gave birth, his treatment of her was no better.

"Where is Ezrah?" Zora asked. Butler Rudolph was scared. He could feel the cold in Zora's voice, and even with the distance, he could feel the chills.

"Madam, the man who hit us was drunk, and he died on the spot. The police are not able to contact his family either," Rudolph reported, trying to avoid answering her question. He was a middle-aged man.

Zora did not believe the report but kept it to herself.

The moment she discovered that the man she respected so much was lying to her, her trust in him dwindled. She will find ways to investigate the matter by herself.

"That isn't my question."

"Boss left here a few minutes ago," Rudolph answered. Zora was enraged this time. Not only Ezrah but Rudolph, the butler Ezrah assigned to her, was equally taking her for a fool.

"Don't lie to my face again." Her voice was stern and full of contempt. Rudolph pursed his lips, his head lowered.

"Boss said, and I quote. 'It's rather unfortunate. Let the doctors take care of her. I'm very busy at the moment."

Zora knew what he was busy with. It was the woman whose voice she heard in the audio. She thought she was strong enough to take it, but a tear fell from her eyes before she could stop it.

Ashamed of showing her weak side in front of Rudolph, she discharged him.

"Thank you, and please excuse me."

Rudolph was never supposed to leave Zora's side, so he was reluctant. "Ma…"

"I said, excuse me, Rudolph," Zora's voice raised, Rudolph decided to wait in front of the door.

"Okay."

As soon as he left the ward, Zora dialed a number. "Soph…"

"Dad, I'm sorry. I made a mistake, and now, I lost everything." Zora didn't hold back her tears as she spoke to her father on the phone. He was against the marriage the moment he realized that Ezrah did not feel the same way Zora felt about him, but she was optimistic, insisting that Ezrah would change.

Expecting her father to scold her an, 'I told you so' lecture, his voice was rather soft as he asked her.

"What happened, Zora?"

"I had an accident and lost the baby. I'm coming home."

The silence at the end of the line was deafening. She knew her father was saddened about the loss of his grandchild. When she was about to end the call, he suddenly said,

"Oh Zora. I'm coming to get you. Just send me your location."

Zora refused. She couldn't leave until she was legally separated from Ezrah. "No dad, I have a few things to do first."

"What is that? Let me help you with it?" Her father eagerly said, but she was in no mood to burden the middle-aged man. The loss had caused Zora to mature so fast as the reality of life hit her.

No more would she depend on anyone. It was time to do something worthwhile with her life, but first of all, she will still have to face Ezrah for the last time. "Don't worry. It's nothing I can't handle."

"Okay. We shall prepare your welcome party. I will inform your mom."

Zora smiled and didn't refuse her father's kindness. Three days later, she was discharged from the hospital. As she waited for Ezrah's return, she got the divorce papers ready.

It was three days later in the dead of the night when Ezrah returned, tired-looking but his attractive features remained untouched by his fatigue.

Zora had lost sleep, waiting for Ezrah during most of the days.

As soon as she heard the sound of the car, she quickly rushed downstairs but paused on top of the stairs when Ezrah walked through the door of the living room.

Arriving home, Ezrah no longer met the woman who always met him with a smile. She stood on top of the stairs and yelled with a cold expression,

"Good news Ezrah! Our baby died in a car accident. There is nothing between us, so let's get a divorce."

The man who was always cold to her instantly panicked. He stood momentarily frozen.

Chapter 3 – Just sign the damn papers

Ezrah was baffled by the news. Twice, he had asked her for a divorce and saw how gloomy she turned at the subject.

This was what he wanted but he couldn't help the unease filling his heart. Was it because Zora was the one asking? Was she trying to mess up his reputation with the loss of the child? Ezrah was confused.

Zora descended the stairs, walking to the dining table. Ezrah did not utter an acceptance or rejection of her request for a divorce and went up the stairs, returning after ten minutes in loungewear.

Seemed he wasn't going out or was it the shock from the news? Seeing the dinner table hosting different delicacies, excitement filled his heart as he took a seat. If she really wanted a divorce, then she wouldn't have cooked for him.

At this moment, Piper was momentarily forgotten. Ezrah avoided Zora's gaze as this was the first time she was so cold to him. Without alerting her of his arrival, she still ensured that his supper was ready.

As he uncovered one of the dishes, his eyes darkened as he glared at her. It was not the food he was expecting but rather, the cold divorce papers, with a pen beside them, waiting to be signed.

"What is this?" Ezrah was furious, being famished from not having time to eat. In times past, Zora would have been worried and tried to appease him but that Zora was gone with the miscarriage.

After crying her eyes out for days, she waited to serve Ezrah these cold documents, she had no more tears to shed but her eyes were dangerously red.

"Do I need to get you a pair of glasses?" Her voice was taunting, as she saw the shocked expression on his face. He must have taken her request as a joke the first time but the documents exposed the reality. "Why? Were you expecting me to cook when I had no idea when you will be home?"

Ezrah's expression was blank. She could have made the maids do it. It burned Zora that she could not read his emotions but she didn't care anymore. "Please sign the papers. In case the prints are too tiny, I got you a magnifying glass," she dropped the item in front of him.

Ezrah was not irrational. When he asked for a divorce, he ensured that there would be nothing for the media to feed on but now that they just lost a child? What will people think? His parents liked Zora, except his two elder brothers who always saw her as a threat.

The miscarriage has complicated the situation. Ezrah never thought she would stand on it to ask for a divorce because of how she always claimed to love him, not caring if he was just cold to her. He needed time to think.

"We shall talk about it later," he finally said and was about to stand up when Zora played an audio from her phone. With her mind made up, she wanted the divorce here and now.

The woman in front of Ezrah was different from the one he always came home to. She always wore attractive clothes with a little makeup to seduce him which sometimes worked but after his release, Ezrah would return to being cold.

Today, Zora did not have on any makeup. Her hair was not even combed. All she wore was pajamas, her long dark hair looking lifeless, in contrast to Ezrah who was looking so attractive.

He had the looks and physique Zora used to die for but not anymore. All she felt for him now was resentment. She suddenly matured past looks or smartness in a man. What was there in being as hot as hell and a genius in business when there is no conscience or empathy?

Zora was just seeing that the man she has always been obsessed with was a selfish monster, caring only about his own image, money, and passion. Whatever blinded her eyes before was removed the moment she woke up on that hospital bed.

The voice from the audio was as clear as daylight. A female and a male but the male voice was indeed that of Ezrah.

Female: I'm sorry. I thought it was urgent.

Male: Nothing about Zora is ever urgent.

Female: Ezrah, are you sure you will divorce her?

Male: You don't believe me? I'm only with her because she's carrying my child. As soon as he's born, I will divorce her.

Zora caught an expression of guilt on his face but there was no remorse. His voice was hard. "Where did you get that?" He demanded. Piper could not have done this, right? She had no contact with Zora.

But it was just the two of them in the room. Were there secret cameras? Though confused, his expression returned to being blank. "You have to destroy that audio before I sign this paper," he threatened her.

Zora could not tell how she managed to pretend that she was fine. Up until now, he didn't even care to apologize for sharing their private information with whatever name he calls the woman in his life.

What on earth could have made her fall in love with such a man? He was different from that man from a long time ago who saved her from the pool when she was bullied by some jealous friends.

Ezrah did not remember that day but that was when Zora fell in love with him. She calmly showed him another caption on her phone. 'Mr. Ez ra Gannon admits to reigniting his love for his old flame, Miss Piper Henshaw.'

This time, Ezrah paled but his eyes were dark and he picked up his phone instantly. He couldn't find the person who took those pictures and how they went viral but had to get someone to take them down. The hacker would also be able to find out who sent that information to the press.

Zora had grown thorns after listening over and over to the audio and reading that news on her phone. Ezrah had already told her the same thing so this shouldn't hurt.

"It doesn't matter. The hindrance has already been removed and you already have a woman waiting for you. Just sign the damn papers."

Chapter 4 – Zora, what have you done?

Ezrah paced back and forth elegantly, his mind filled with confusion and fear after ending the call.

"You want to blackmail me? How much do you want?" He was enraged and disdained that Zora would resort to such means, but he was willing to pay to prevent the audio from going viral.

His parents would not hesitate to demote him despite his hard work in the company, while his lazy elder brothers would benefit without putting in the effort.

"What I want, you already gave, but since the accident took it away, there is nothing you can give me." She did not disclose her suspicions, as she had someone investigating the matter.

Ezrah suddenly laughed mockingly. "Your father's company is not as strong as you think. He has been seeking an alliance with me. You want fifty percent of my hard work."

This could be the reason Zora was pushing for the divorce. Fifty percent from the Gannon Group would elevate her family business to new heights. She felt bitter that he would think so poorly of her.

Despite her feelings, she kept her composure. "No. You were the one who proposed the divorce, so were you planning to leave me with nothing?" Her question left him speechless, and she reminded him of the prenup agreement.

"Did you forget that I signed a prenup before marrying you? I just refreshed your memory so you are free to sign."

Ezrah recalled that Zora had willingly proposed and prepared the prenup when they announced their marriage after the scandal. She did it all to prove to him that she wasn't interested in his wealth. He suddenly felt uneasy.

This was not the scenario he had anticipated when he entered the room. Besides, he was hungry and not in the right state to make such a decision. What if Zora was being supported by one of his brothers or both?

"You may have dismissed it, but it's only a matter of time before you reveal that you left with nothing."

Zora struggled to suppress the pain that came with realizing that Ezrah's delay in finalizing the divorce was not due to developing feelings for her or guilt, but rather to protect his image in front of the media and family. She felt a bitter smile form on her lips.

"Trust me, nothing about our divorce will be leaked to the media."

"I don't believe you," Ezrah responded bluntly. Zora had worked closely with him, and despite her absence from the office in recent weeks, she was privy to confidential information.

Ezrah had never seen her as a threat due to her infatuation with him, but now he feared she might make his life difficult.

"As soon as the papers are signed, you won't hear from me again. You can have a happy life with the woman you love," Zora proposed.

Ezrah was already contemplating how he could benefit from her disappearance after the divorce. It seemed like she wanted to start fresh somewhere far away.

"Alright. I'm not heartless. I will still give you 50 million," he said as he signed the document, only to find that Zora had already signed her part.

After signing the divorce agreement, Ezrah's phone rang. Seeing it was Piper, he answered it and began to climb the stairs in long strides. Piper keeps breaking the agreement. She wasn't supposed to call him when she was home.

Zora overheard him on the phone, "Are you the one who recorded our conversation at the hotel?" She couldn't hear Piper's response but had the conviction that it was her.

Deciding it was best to spend the night on the sofa, Zora couldn't fathom sharing a room with him after their divorce. She was too exhausted to move to another room.

Her sleep was restless, prompting her to wake up before Ezrah. She had already packed her bags, so she dressed and approached him. "Ezrah, it's time to finalize our divorce in court."

Ezrah woke up and looked at her glumly. She was still in a somber mood, her eyes red despite the makeup. He sighed, "just a few minutes."

An hour later, they arrived at the divorce court. With Zora having made prior arrangements, the process was swift, and they soon had their divorce certificates. Without hesitation, they signed their respective portions.

"You should keep your word and leave New York for good, or else you won't like what I will do," Ezrah warned solemnly.

Zora had a faint smile on her face. "I have a gift waiting for you at home."

Ezrah frowned, wondering what kind of gift she arranged for him after their divorce. Zora has always been generous, buying him gifts and anything she knew he would like. He would neither accept nor refuse them.

Whereas, he never used any of the gifts she bought for him. They left together, but Zora departed in a cab against his wishes to drop her at the airport. She reiterated that he would never see her again. Ezrah felt conflicted but remembered his promise to Piper.

Despite his desire to head straight to the office for a meeting, curiosity got the best of him. He rescheduled the meeting and drove home to see the gift Zora had left for him.

Upon arriving, he found a letter on the dining table addressed to him. 'EZRAH.' He couldn't recall seeing it earlier that morning, and a sense of unease crept over him as he approached and opened the letter.

It was written in Zora's handwriting, unmistakable to him. As he read the words, fear, panic, and regret flooded his heart. The letter slipped from his trembling fingers as he cried out, "ZORA, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?"

Chapter 5 – You are leaving because of her?

'Ezrah, if you are reading this note, then I'm dead. I wish you happiness with the woman you love,' the note read.

It was clear that Zora must have committed suicide through the accident. Ezra felt as if the ground he stood on was spinning. He thought she was going to relocate somewhere but not like this.

His phone rang instantly. Thinking it was Piper, he wanted to ignore it, but seeing a strange number and looking at the letter on the floor, he answered it.

"Mr. Gannon, your wife…"

"I'm her father. I will take care of everything," he heard a familiar voice cut through that of the female one, which he was beginning to suspect was the nurse.

Before he could ask about the hospital, the call ended, and even after ceaseless attempts, the woman at the end of the line did not answer the phone. Ezrah felt his eyes heavy, he began directing his anger to everything in the living room, kicking every piece of furniture in sight.

If Zora's father was already at the hospital, then could it be that the news had already gone viral? Was the divorce mentioned? He began to check for the trending news when it was interrupted by a phone call.

It was his mother, so he did not answer it. Suddenly, the landline in the mansion began to ring. One of the maids went to get it and said, "Sir, your father wants to speak to you."

As Ezrah strode towards the receiver, his mother's call had ended, and it was Piper calling this time. He ended the call without answering when another one came through. It was one of his brothers. He instantly switched off his phone.

Realizing he still had the receiver of the landline in hand, he dropped it before removing it from the hook. "Get me Rudolph and all the domestic workers in this house," he instructed, his mind in a haze.

As the maid went to do as told, he surfed the internet and instantly saw what he had been looking for. It happened exactly five minutes after she left the court in a cab.

However, according to the news, the accident occurred with a luxury car, and both the driver and the remains of a woman identified as Mrs. Zora Gannon died on the spot. It all made sense why she said nothing about their divorce would be in the news.

Ezrah had the conviction that this was not an accident but suicide, so why take an innocent driver along? Was Zora so heartless? The news about the divorce was also not mentioned, so to the press, no one would know that they had marital issues, and he was free to marry Piper and be happy, just as the note said.

The previous news about him and Piper had also been cleared, but why wasn't he as relieved as he should be?

Now accepting it to be a suicide note, he picked it up from the floor and wrapped his fingers so tightly around it, it crumpled, but he didn't throw it in the bin.

Six maids, one butler, and four drivers stood in the middle of the expansive luxury living room. Ezrah's eyes were red, and his suit was wet with sweat, even as the temperature in the room was chilly.

"I came to see a letter on this dining table," he pointed to the former position of the letter, his voice as cold as the winter breeze. "Who kept it there?"

There was silence as no one could guess what he was driving at. However, their silence vexed him greatly.

"If you don't start talking, you are all fired."

The maids and drivers panicked, but the butler had a deadpan look. "Madam told me to drop the letter, sir," the butler, Rudolph, revealed. The rest of the domestic workers sighed as Ezrah motioned for them to go.

Left with Ezrah and his butler, he snarled, "start talking."

The butler was more grieved than worried, as the rest of the domestic staff had not heard the news. "Sir, Madam told me to drop the letter after she leaves the house. Is there a problem?" He asked politely.

The intention was for Ezrah to see the letter, and it seemed to have worked perfectly. "Are you aware that she was involved in a car accident?" Ezrah asked, not adding that she had died as that was not confirmed in the news.

"I only saw it in the news earlier, and I hope she makes it out and lives a happy, fulfilling life. She has suffered so much at such a young age. Two accidents within a short time with the loss of a baby is just too much for anyone to bear."

The butler was upset and kept pouring out his heart, not knowing how sarcastic he was sounding and not knowing how it irked Ezrah from how much the middle-aged man had said. His fingers around the letter tightened even more.

It seemed that Zora had managed to turn his butler against him. That man used to be loyal and humble, but now, he was retaliating against his young boss.

"What has she been telling you?" Ezrah asked with a cocked brow, not showing any expressions on his handsome features.

A painful smile settled in the corner of Rudolph's lips. "Nothing. But if I'm irritating to you or you feel that I didn't do well in taking care of her when it was actually your responsibility to do so, then I must resign from my duty, but I still stand by the fact that you treated Madam so poorly."

Ezrah was fuming with rage, refusing to accept that he treated Zora poorly. No one knew how they ended up in bed three years ago, and they had agreed to divorce after the news dies down.

The fact remained that he didn't love Zora, and it was unlike him to fake it. His only worry now was due to how she committed suicide as he never wished that for her. He retorted bitterly. "What do you know?"

The butler was equally vexed, and as if the floodgates of heaven were opened, he began to pour out all the pain he hid inside.

"You never remembered any of your wedding anniversaries, but I bought gifts for her in your name. You should have seen how it made her happy, thinking they were from you and how she treated them like treasures."

"I always told her when you were with that woman that you were on a business trip. A lot of times, she would be tired from the office but still come to cook for you, saying that you were busy at a meeting. I guess those meetings never ended because you never came home, and we, the domestic workers, got to eat it. A good treat though," he smiled mockingly.

Being married for over twenty-five years, he knew how to take care of a woman, for which reason he always thought of the moments and did things to make Zora happy in his boss's stead.

Also, he had known Ezrah for the greater part of his years and was like a fatherly figure to him. It was the reason why Ezrah painfully swallowed his anger, holding back from using his fist against the old man.

"Enough! Out of my sight," he yelled at the old man, but somehow, the man had taken too much, he could not take it anymore.

He was even afraid that Zora might not survive this accident. The woman was not only emotionally troubled from being unloved by her husband but also from the miscarriage she suffered, then suffering another accident again. This was not a matter to take lightly.

"No, sir, I don't want to work for you anymore. I'm already fifty-nine, and I have grandchildren." Determination laced his voice, and this time, Ezrah was shocked. Rudolph loved his job so much that when they even mentioned his pending retirement, he always refused, saying that he would work until death took him away.

Now he was ready to resign because of Zora? "You are leaving because of her?" Disappointment laced Ezrah's tone.

"Yes. The fact that I faked an excuse for you when you showed indifference at her ailment. That woman was carrying your child. She believed the lie, and only then did she agree to go to the hospital. The next thing I knew, she received some audio message."

"It…It… showed you didn't even care about her." He was so upset that his voice began to break, just as his entire body trembled. "You were always the first in her life, and yet, you said that nothing about your wife is urgent to your mistress. Madam found out at the last moments that she was merely living with a stick."

A teardrop fell from his eyes, and unwavering pain echoed through his voice. "That everything I told her were lies, so she never trusted me again. I hope that makes you happy. Please get married to your mistress. You don't have to hide it anymore."

Rudolph was merely walking away when Ezrah raged behind him, "How dare you talk to me like that? Do you want to die?"

Chapter 6 – Denied in Public

"How dare you talk to me like that? Do you want to die?" Ezrah felt wronged to be misjudged like this.

Since he didn't love Zora, he assigned her a butler to take care of her. Therefore, he was not responsible for anything concerning her. If not for the baby, they would have divorced months ago.

The baby was the only thing keeping them together and giving her the title of Mrs. Gannon, which rightfully belonged to Piper. She was the reason why he went to that party, but she had explained to him that her mother had fallen ill, which was why she could not meet up as planned.

The butler's unclogged attitude aroused both anger and irritation in Ezrah's heart, yet this butler remained unremorseful.

Turning around, he daringly retorted, "Yes, sir. I will be very glad if you kill me. What is the world and this house without Madam Zora? It's nothing more than an empty shell."

Ezrah was enraged by the butler's mannerism, but he was almost twice his age. "If you want to leave, I won't stop you, but bear in mind that there is more to the story than you think."

He knew that everybody would blame him for this but could not accept that it was his fault. It was not easy to live with a woman he had no feelings for three years.

However, there was a silent question hidden in his heart. If he didn't love Zora, then why the passion between them, especially during the few nights they spent together making love?

It was such a shame that he could not even bring himself to touch the woman he claimed to love so much.

"If you will allow me a few days to stay with her at the hospital, then I might continue working for you, but if not, then I will resign," Rudolph stated his conditions.

Unaware of the divorce and waiting for Zora to get better and return to the mansion, he could not bring himself to leave as he wanted.

Ezra was glad that he chose to stay, being his most respected, wise, and hardworking domestic worker.

"You don't have to be at the hospital. I will be there myself," Ezrah said reassuringly, and the butler sighed with relief. It was great to know that his boss was not going to be with that woman when his wife was involved in another accident.

"Okay. Then I will stay and watch over the domestic affairs," the butler reluctantly agreed.

At the hospital, Ezrah was ambushed by the representatives of the media houses present upon his arrival.

"Mr. Gannon, are you just finding out that your wife was involved in an accident?" One of the media reps asked, but Ezrah gave her the cold shoulder, trying to maneuver his way through the crowd.

He almost made it to the hospital entrance due to the fact that he was feared, and most of them readily gave way, but a slender hand wrapped around his torso from the back, a familiar melodious voice rang,

"Ezrah, I'm glad I found you. I was so worried."

Piper had been waiting at the hospital as soon as she heard the news. Last night, Ezrah told her about the divorce and how they were going to finalize everything this morning.

When he asked about the audio, she denied it, blaming it on the hotel and making it look as if someone had secretly planted a recorder in the room before it was booked.

Ezrah believed her, and she awaited the news about the finalization of the divorce, only to be met with the news that Zora had been involved in a car accident. Fearing that Ezra might be stricken with guilt to stay by her side, Piper resorted to this.

This was her chance to make her appearance known to the media since someone had removed the previous news, she sent viral about herself and Ezrah's affairs.

On the other hand, Ezrah was upset by her unwanted appearance. His public image and position as CEO mattered to him than anything else.

"Piper, what did I tell you?" His eyes and voice were so cold, Piper shivered as tears brimmed in the back of her eyes.

Ezrah was always warm towards her; she never expected this from him. Also, his company and her father's had a business collaboration, so he dared not disrespect her as he might end up losing that business.

With the media reps gathered around them, she put on a pitiful expression, ensuring that they heard every detail that came out of her mouth. Soon, they were gathered around them as she shrieked,

"You promised we were going to get married after the divorce, so since it's over, what stops us from being together? You are no longer responsible for her. She is now your ex-wife."

The news was a stun and a butter on bread for the reps present. "Mr. Gannon divorced his wife?" They were murmuring among themselves, ensuring to record everything as one of them asked Piper,

"Excuse me, Miss, did you say that Mr. Gannon and his wife were divorced? Was that the reason for the accident?"

The event was being broadcasted live, Ezrah felt suffocated and greatly angered. If news about this surfaced, his brothers would just have another opportunity to take his hard work from him. Piper's immature behavior was beginning to get in on him.

Piper straightened herself to face the camera, brushing her hair elegantly with her fingers to look good in the video. "Yes, my name is Piper Henshaw, his…" she didn't finish speaking when Ezrah's painful voice rang as he tore her arms off him.

"I don't know who she is. I love my wife, and I need to take care of her."

Thus, he left Piper to face the shame she caused. He just denied her in public, declaring his love for Zora. Piper did not know how to feel about it.

Tears welled up in her eyes, rolling down she cheek as she ran after him. "Ezrah, how can you say that?" At the entrance, she was stopped by some bodyguards.

It was hard to tell if they worked for Ezrah, his father, or Zora's family. "Miss, only family members are allowed, and you are not one of them," one of the bodyguards said sternly to her.

With the media reps behind her and the bodyguards in the front, she turned to her right with shame that was too much to hold in, running through the crowd of onlookers, looking for a place to hide, but the media reps were equally chasing after her. They loved her courage and could make news and money of her since she was the first daughter of the Henshaw family.

Ezrah entered the emergency ward, met with a blinding slap that echoed through the waiting area. "You asshole, where have you been when your wife was rushed here over an hour ago? And who is that woman? Was she your reason for being late?" His father snarled.

It took Ezrah a few seconds to recover from the painful impact of the slap. Though he showed no sign of weakness, he was shocked by the people gathered in the hospital for the sake of Zora. It made him dizzy.

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The phone slips from my fingers, landing silently on the plush carpet. Blood trickles between my thighs, warm and relentless. I can’t move. Can’t scream. The car flipped three times—I remember the sky spinning, glass shattering, my unborn child slipping away.

Through cracked lips, I press redial. Speakerphone. Every breath burns.

"Zora. I'm busy," Ezrah answers instantly.

Behind him, laughter. Female. Light, melodic. "Ezrah, I want these shoes."

"Try them on. If they fit, you can have them."

My vision blurs. So that’s what ‘busy’ means. Shopping. Smiling. Choosing footwear while his wife bleeds out miles away.

Darkness pulls me under. One thought echoes: He let our baby die.

When I wake up, the doctor says it’s gone. No heartbeat. No future. Just emptiness.

Three days later, Ezrah walks through the front door. Exhausted. Confident. Unchanged.

I stand at the top of the stairs, voice ice-cold.

"Good news, Ezrah! Our baby died in a car accident. There is nothing between us anymore—let’s get a divorce."

He freezes. For the first time, panic flickers across his perfect face.

Now it’s my turn to decide: walk away… or make him suffer.