Chapter 34: Chapter 34

Zachary was sound asleep next to me as I stared silently up at the ceiling. He gave me a warm hug around the waist while his head sat on my neck. I glanced at him for a second, then sighed warily.

I asked him to fvck me, not because I wanted to, but because I needed him to do that in order to prove to myself that he and Eunice are still connected. But I admit, I was lost for a moment when we were busy doing that. It was as if my libido fully controlled my body, and I didn't feel any disgust.

I just let out a sigh and slowly left his hold. I pulled the comforter over our naked bodies and sat down, wrapping the blanket around me. I absent-mindedly combed my hair with my fingers and then looked back at him.

On a sinking ship with all of us on board, Zachary chose to abandon Eunice. Why? I am unaware of that. What is the strongest potential reason for him to break his previous commitment to her? He used to be there for her through good times and bad. Revenge? To what end? As far as I can recall, my sister didn't do anything wrong to him.

I just shook my head and massaged my temples. I don't know if I should be happy that he abandoned my sister or nervous, because I have no idea why he did that. Yeah, it might be true that he was planning something for me and my family, and I didn't care, but why? What did they do to him?

Maybe Daddy didn't treat Zachary well in the beginning because of our relationship before, but I know that won't go as far as revenge. Aunt Ayna—I never once saw her show a bad attitude towards him. I don't see any holes in Eunice; she wouldn't do shits to me if she didn't love Zachary.

Which part did I not see?

It's two o'clock in the morning, and I'm still wide awake. Unlike the way Zachary and I used to have sex, he seemed to be restraining himself from exhausting me too much. Even though I was surprised, I just shrugged it off. In the end, I just decided to get dressed and leave the room to go to the kitchen. I opened the fridge and got a beer out of there, hoping it could put me to sleep.

I sat on the high stool chair and opened the beer. I was about to drink it, but when the lip of the can hit my mouth, I ran to the sink and threw up. It stinks. I remained there for a short while, feeling weak because I thought I was going to pass out.

"Are you okay?" I felt Zachary's presence behind me as his arm wrapped around my waist.

I didn't answer him right away. I first cleaned my mouth with water, then weakly leaned against him. My legs were shaking, my eyes were spinning, and I was sweating profusely.

"The beer in the fridge has expired," I whispered, closing my eyes.

I felt the tightening of his hold on me as well as him turning around. "How much did you drink?" he asked, a mixture of worry and anger in his tone.

"Are you stupid?" I couldn't stop saying, and I slowly opened my eyes. "How can I drink the expired? Do you think I can drink it if it stinks like that?" I burst out.

Shaking his head, he closed his eyes. I'm not sure why he behaved that way; he seemed frustrated, and I was unable to figure out the cause. He then swiftly lifted both of my legs after heaving a sigh. I was now being carried by him.

"Let's go to sleep again," he said sweetly, then started walking.

I rolled my eyes at him. "You're the only one who fell asleep," I whispered, wrapping my hands around his neck.

A ghostly smirk appeared on his lips. He stopped for a moment when we went to the bar counter and picked up the beer I had taken earlier; his jaw tightened as if he looked at it as an enemy. He carelessly threw it in the trash.

"Fvck alcohols," I heard him murmur through his gritted teeth as he continued walking to our room.

He carefully laid me on the bed and sat next to me. I thought he was going to be right next to me, but I was stunned when his hand came up and gently caressed my cheek. His eyes were wide as he stared at me. It was like a dream come true with the way he acted.

"I love you . . ."

I felt like my heart had stopped beating. It's the second time I've heard it since I came back. I ignored it the first time, but I can't do it now. My throat went dry, and my mind was going blank; the only thing that was going around was what he said. I don't know, but he seems to absorb all my strength. Even if I'm lying down now, I still feel like I'm going to fall.

I couldn't help but close my eyes when he brought his face closer to mine and placed a kiss on my forehead. He didn't stop there. He also planted a kiss on my nose until I felt his lips on mine. He kissed me softly. Every movement of his lips felt like I was falling into quicksand. Locked up and buried, with no hope at all of escaping.

I couldn't follow what happened. I only found our bare selves as he moved on top of me. Gentle, passionate, and full of care. Each of my hands was on either side of my head, locked in his fingers. Every thrust of his shaft inside me was a tightening of his hold on me.

I felt treasured, loved, and cared for. Something I shouldn't feel from him. My back arched along with my accented moan as I finally exploded. I started to feel sleepy, so even though I felt him follow my release, I was completely taken to nothingness.

The sunlight was hitting my face when I woke up. Pancakes were prepared on the mini table set on the side of the bed, and just like yesterday, Zachary also left a note there. I frowned slightly when I noticed that he had prepared milk for me today and not juice.

Good morning, gorgeous.

I hope you like the breakfast I prepared. Sorry if I didn't wait for you to wake up; I was just going to the mall to buy some stuff. I will be back soon. I love you.

I stared at it for a few minutes. Instead of being happy or excited, I felt fear and anger towards myself. I cannot be deceived; I cannot fall into his traps. I should be the one fooling him, not the other way around.

I carefully crumpled his note and then threw it somewhere. I washed my face and mentally chastised myself. I shouldn't be like this; it's like I'm betraying my unborn child with what's happening. I got out of bed and looked for Angel. I had to leave. It wouldn't be good for me to stay at Zachary's place; after all, I got the confirmation I needed.

When I found the kitten, I slung my bag over my shoulder. I didn't bother to get dressed or pack clothes because I could afford to buy new ones. I was about to walk out of the room when the door opened. It spat out Zachary, who was coldly looking in my direction.

He smirked—a dangerous one. Nervousness engulfed my chest for some unknown reason. He slowly walked in. My jaw tightened when I saw the person next to him, Eunice. She grinned mischievously at me when our eyes met.

"Seems like you're going somewhere, sister?" she said mockingly.

I just looked at her without emotion.

"I thought you would stay here longer since you believed you won last night," continued Eunice, who artfully crossed her arms.

So, it was all planned all along?

I secretly clenched my palms and shifted my gaze to Zachary. He's like a different person now. No, it's really him. I can clearly see how Zachary doesn't care about me.

I'm disappointed, but not surprised. Maybe this is my chance to confirm everything. I have to finish this game, not them. I removed all emotions from my face and walked towards the bed. I sat there and looked back at them.

"You finally took off your mask," I said coldly to Zachary.

You even bothered to prepare breakfast.

He just scoffed and looked at my half-sister. "You really thought I would abandon her for you?" he said, turning his gaze back at me.

Aireen's deduction was wrong. It seemed that he really meant for me to think that he was planning something with my family to screw me over in the end. He acted like an ally when the truth is that he's a traitor. He tried to deceive me because he didn't really know I wasn't pregnant; he believed me all along. Now that he knows the truth, he has no reason to pretend.

I let out a mocking laugh and shrugged my shoulders. "Well, I admit, I almost did. It's a good thing I'm not as stupid as my sister."

"What did you say?" Eunice growled in a high tone.

I laughed again when I saw her face turn red with anger. "Oh, why? You're really stupid, right?

She was about to attack me when Zachary stopped her. He wrapped his hand around Eunice's waist and whispered sweetly in her ear, trying to calm her down. I averted my eyes and gritted my teeth at whatever space I felt in my chest.

I lost focus on them when Angel tried to get out of my grip. I thought she was going to run to Zachary to cuddle, but I frowned when she did the opposite. She scratched and bit Zachary on the leg.

"Fuck!" he shouted and kicked Angel.

I quickly stood up and rushed to Zachary. I slapped him hard, causing him to fall off his feet and hit the floor. My vision is getting dark. My chest was heaving because of the intense anger that was coursing through my system. As if Eunice was going to attack me when I got ahead of her, I firmly grabbed her hair from the back and forced her head up. I stared at her intently.

"Don't try me, Eunice. You don't want to make me angry," I threatened, and then I pushed her in Zachary's direction.

He caught Eunice. I turned my back on them and went to the kitten, who was purring on the side, obviously hurt by Zachary's kick. I carefully picked her up and placed her on my knee. I caressed her body to comfort her.

"Sorr—"

My words were cut off, and I groaned painfully when something broke and struck the back of my head, causing me to fall to the ground. There was a sharp ringing in my ears, and my vision suddenly became blurry. I could also feel something warm trickling down my nape and neck.

My back lifted off the floor when someone violently pulled me by my clothes and forced me to sit down. I opened my eyes weakly, and Zachary appeared in front of me on his knees while Eunice stood by his side with her fist clenched. I don't know which one of them hit me; all I know is that broken pieces of glass are scattered on the floor, and there are still milk stains on it.

"Do you want to know something interesting, Atasha?" said Eunice, who bent her knees like Zachary's so that we could see each other. "I came here to either make you leave this country again and never come back or get rid of you completely," she added with an evident threat in her tone.

Even though the back of my head was aching, I didn't mind it. I let out a laugh in front of them and shook my head in disbelief. Later, I returned my gaze to Eunice, and smiled mockingly.

"You're crazy," I said, and I quickly closed my eyes when Zachary pulled my hair back.

It was as if electricity ran through every part of my body because of the pain caused by what he did, but even so, I tried to ignore it and bravely faced them.

"Do you really think I'm afraid to die?" I said mockingly. "Come on. Scare me in such a way that I will really tremble," I added with a laugh.

A strong slap hit my cheek; it was from Eunice. Her eyes were looking at me intently, and the small veins in her neck almost burst from irritation. I smiled and ran my tongue over my lower lip, continuing to tease.

"Fvck you!" she spat and slapped me again.

I felt the edge of my lip crack when she did that. She slowly stood up and stared at me without emotion. Later, she smiled mischievously.

"You're not afraid of anything? Don't fool me, Atasha," she said, and she bent down to pick up a piece of broken glass. "I can kill your child for the second time."

Instead of being afraid, I frowned. I shifted my gaze to Zachary, staring at his emotionless face. He was still in front of me, holding my collar in case I wanted to fight back.

I scoffed. "So, this bastard didn't inform you about the truth?"

I smirked when Eunice didn't say a word. She seems to have no idea what I'm talking about. Countless times I let out a laugh and glared at Zachary mockingly.

"Don't tell me you still don't believe I'm not really pregnant, Zachary?" I mocked.

I felt it the moment he loosened his hold on me. He turned to Eunice. They stared at each other for a few seconds before he returned his gaze to me.

"Are you trying to escape, Atasha?" he said coldly.

I was stunned. Not because of his question but because of what I noticed in his mouth. Using my remaining strength, I grabbed his jaw. My chest kept pounding as I stared at it.

"What the fvck are you doing?" he said, shaking his face from my grip.

My eyes went wide when I clarified something. My hands started shaking as I remembered the scene between my kitten and the man I was in front of earlier. I blinked a few times before focusing my attention on him again.

"Y-You don't have a tongue piercing," I mumbled.

I didn't even notice any wounds caused by the piercing on his tongue.

"Who are you? You're not Zachary," I added, making his jaw clench.

Eunice let go of the glass she was holding and pulled the man in front of me to her side. "You're hallucinating, Atasha," she said.

Even though she tried to strengthen her courage, the trembling in her tone did not escape me. I tried to stand up even though my vision started to swell again. I looked at them in turn.

"You..." I said to my sister. "What the hell did you do, Eunice?" My palms clenched tightly as I connected everything one by one.

Zachary's actions when I came back, the things he said, and the scenes between the three of us.

Oh my God.

"You . . . created an impostor," I said, stating the fact that I just learned.

I felt like I was going to fall off my feet when I saw Eunice's eyes widen. She just proved to me that what I said was true. The corners of my eyes watered. I want to scream and run away. I want to attack her and hurt her. I feel mixed emotions. Anger, frustration, and regret.

I closed my eyes tightly as my head throbbed. I involuntarily grabbed my nape and fell to my knees on the floor again as my eyes rolled. I also felt a pain in my belly, like it was twisting and stabbing.

When I opened my eyes, I almost gasped when I noticed my hand was full of blood. I tried to calm myself despite the scene unfolding in my mind. I'm going back to my hellish past.

I raised my head shakily as Eunice applauded. Even though my eyes were spinning, I could clearly see the anger in her eyes. She picked up the broken piece of glass again and then walked towards me. Just like before, she knelt down to face me and stared at me intently.

"You haven't really done anything right, Atasha. You've always ruined my life," she said angrily.

"I didn't do anything bad to you, Eunice. I let everything go! Out of the two of us, I should be angry with you; you played with me. Me and Zachary!" I answered bravely.

I coughed when she firmly strangled me. "That's it, Atasha! You made me feel like I should be the one to thank you! Fvck you, you're just no one in our family, but you acted like I owe you when Daddy and I get together!"

"Y-You're crazy. Even... I never thought of that," I said between my breaths.

I screamed and closed my eyes tightly when I felt the broken piece of glass buried in my shoulder.

"Crazy? Yes, maybe I'm crazy and it's because of you! You've acted like a star. You claim everything! Daddy, Zachary! They're all mine!" she shouted and pulled the broken piece of glass from my shoulder. "We are happy without you. Zachary and I are getting married. Everything is fine, but you still come back to mess us all up. You are a beast, Atasha. Fuck you!"

Despite the pain in my whole body, I tried to look at her and smile. Even if I die now, I will make sure that she will never see me lose to her.

"Whether I come back or not, you will still remain in the illusion you created in your mind, Eunice. Even if Zachary marries you, he still loves me. Only me and no one else. You will remain an option, something to endure and play with," I said in front of her, making sure that every line I uttered would be forever imprinted on her brain.

She gritted her teeth, and her eyes were red with great anger. Her chest rose and fell constantly with the emotions she was harboring. This is what she wants to see in me—me giving her what she should be grateful for? I will slap her that.

Eunice's grip tightened so much that her hand almost bled because of it. I tried to ignore her and just focus my eyes on hers to avoid the developing panic attack in my system. I was stunned when the man with her knelt down and emotionlessly snatched the broken piece of glass from Eunice.

"Let me kill her. Pregnant or not, I will make sure that she will never come back into your life," he said, and then he faced me.

I gasped when he carelessly laid me down. I was about to fight back, but I was stunned when I saw his hand raised in the air, aiming at my stomach for the stabbing he was about to do. I could do nothing but close my eyes and prepare myself for the pain I would receive from there.

Angelei, we will meet at last.

I was startled, and my eyes widened, when I heard two consecutive gunshots. At the same time, a man who looked like Zachary fell to my side; he closed his eyes and slowly bathed in his own blood. I was out of breath; my whole body was shaking, and I knew I was going to pass out at any moment.

"Z-Zachary," I heard Eunice say.

Using my undulating eyes, I shifted my attention to her. There was a trace of fear on her face while her mouth was hanging open, and Zachary was standing in front of her. The gun he was holding was aimed at my sister while his eyes darkened. I noticed some scratches on his face, and his clothes were also dirty, as if he had been through something bad before arriving here.

I closed my eyes as an intense shock surged through my system. I don't know if it was because of my attack or because of the blood I was losing. Either of the two, I can't tell because I feel like I've been punched in the stomach again. I immediately got nervous for some unknown reason. I had panic attacks several times, but I never felt the pain in my stomach.

"Fvck you, Eunice," Zachary said darkly, and another gunshot echoed in the room.

I tried to look at them. I saw Eunice writhing on the floor while holding her stomach. She also begged Zachary several times while her tears flowed nonstop.

"Don't worry, it's not fatal. You still have to pay for everything you did to our baby," he promised coldly.

"Z-Zach...." I called weakly and closed my eyes again from the pain in my stomach.

I heard his quick steps towards me. "Atasha," he called sweetly, and then I felt him carefully lift me.

"I'm here, baby. I'm sorry...." I heard him murmur, and then he planted a kiss on my forehead.

"It hurts." I moaned and clutched my stomach.

I heard him cursing as he walked quickly. "Hold on, baby. You'll get through this. We'll get through this," he encouraged.

I just keep silent and let myself be eaten by the darkness little by little.

"Fvck. I swear, I'm going to kill her too if something bad happens to the baby . . ."