Chapter 5: A promise
"You!" Gracie barked, her voice rising.
But Zara didn’t flinch. "I’ve already made up my mind," she cut in resolutely, not giving her a chance to speak further. "I’m leaving him."
Gracie’s expression darkened with anger. "Then why are you even here?" she snapped. "Don’t pretend like you are unaffected. I’ve seen how hard you tried, day after day, just to win Nathaniel over. Don’t lie to me—this marriage meant everything to you. So why give up?"
Zara stood her ground, though her heart ached and a lump swelled in her throat. Her emotions churned inside her, but she held them back with a fierce determination not to let them show.
"Because I’m tired," she said, her lips curving into a weary, bitter smile. "I’ve tried everything to make him love me. But it’s hopeless. I don’t want to keep fighting for something that will never happen. I want a life of my own, someone who chooses me, loves me back. I want to build my own family, not just linger as a caretaker."
Gracie looked stunned, thrown off by the steel in Zara’s words. "This is your family, too. Zane is your sister’s son. You promised to care for him."
"I did," Zara answered calmly. "And I’ll keep that promise whether I divorce or not. But I won’t let that promise cost me my future, my entire life. I deserve love, too."
Gracie sat frozen, stunned into silence. Zara’s words echoed in her mind, stripping away any justification she thought she had to stop her. As much as she wanted to protest, deep down she knew she had no right to keep Zara from chasing the love and life she deserved.
"I’ll go see Zane now."
Without waiting for a response, Zara turned and walked away.
The older woman shrugged in dismay, her face hardening as reality settled in. "Fine," she muttered bitterly. "If you both are so determined to ruin this marriage, then so be it. Who am I to stop you?"