Chapter 8
1220 Words
Ellie’s P.O.V.
My heart betrayed me again, like it always did.
The moment Zack called my name, something inside me stumbled, like it forgot how to function.
And seriously, I hated that.
Hated him for it even more!
I forced myself to breathe, to steady the rush in my chest, and turned toward him, ready to snap…
But those eyes!
His ember gaze held mine, like he was already watching something far more interesting than I was comfortable with.
For a split second, I faltered…
But then, I swiftly caught myself.
My expression hardened.
“I am allergic to rude jerks,” I shot back at him, my voice sharp despite the uneven rhythm of my heartbeat.
“Every time you open your mouth, you remind me why I should stay miles away from you.”
Zack’s lips curved in amusement. That infuriating smirk deepened, slow and deliberate, like he had expected nothing less.
“Good to know your preferences.”
He murmured, his warm, faintly minty breath brushing against my face.
I glared at him, refusing to react the way my body clearly wanted to.
“Move!”
Luckily, this time, he moved, slowly removing his hand from mine. His other hand slid away from the window, that barrier disappearing just as purposely as it had formed.
The second the lock clicked open, I didn't wait and pushed the door to step out, the fresh air hitting my face like a reset.
“Once I meet Mr. Walton,” I muttered under my breath, straightening my bag.“I will make sure he teaches his son some manners.
Shameless.
Atrocious.”
My gaze fell on Zack as I turned. He leaned against the seat, sitting calmly, his elbow resting against the seat, chin propped lackadaisically on his hand.
That same smirk toyed on his lips.
My fingers tightened around the door. I was about to slam it shut…
“Wait!”
His voice stopped me mid-motion. I didn’t wish to pause, but I looked back at him.
“What now?”
“Don’t go to the hospital.” Zack said casually. “He will be discharged tonight.”
I stared at him blankly, my mind trying its level best to process this news.
My brows drew together.
"And you are telling me this now?”
His shoulders lifted in a careless shrug.
“You didn’t ask.”
What?
Anger flared inside me again, sharp and instant.
“I did ask!” My voice raised an octave. “Yesterday, clearly.”
“And yesterday,” he replied smoothly, “that information wasn’t relevant.”
Unbelievable!
Balling my fists, I let out a short, incredulous laugh.
“Do you enjoy this?” I asked, my voice tightening. “Wasting my time? Playing games?”
Zack’s gaze didn’t even waver.
“Well, if I wanted to waste your time, you wouldn’t even realize it, Ellie.”
…
“Gosh, I will slap that smirk away!”
Seething in anger, I returned to my room and threw my bag on the bed.
“Zack clearly has some agenda against me.”
Shaking my head, I poured a glass of cold water and then gulped it down in one go. But that water failed to suppress the strange fire raging inside me.
Thankfully, my phone rang, diverting my attention.
A notification appeared on the screen. It was from my friend Maira, who couldn’t attend my wedding because of a family emergency.
“Ellie, I just saw everything. I am so sorry.”
I kept staring at the screen as another notification popped up.
“I didn’t know it would turn out like this. Are you okay?”
My fingers moved slowly over the keyboard. A lie was the easiest answer this time.
“I am fine, Maria.”
Her reply came almost instantly.
“That doesn’t look fine, Ellie.”
I exhaled softly. “It’s over now.”
There was a short pause before her next message.
“If you need anything, Ellie. Tell me, I’m here.”
Then another. “I am definitely on your side, Ellie. Jared wronged you.”
Maria was our mutual friend, our supporter. We met at a party she threw for her birthday celebrations.
I thanked her for her support and was about to lock my phone when something flicked in my mind.
The hospital visit.
Jared and Alice stood beside the doctor.
They hadn’t gone there randomly. The doctor had said something about the last visit.
A strange unease curled inside me as I opened the messages again and typed.
“Maria!”
The typing bubble appeared immediately.
“Yes, Ellie?”
Before I could even think, my fingers moved again.
“Do you know why Jared would visit a gynecologist?”
My phone buzzed in my hands.
“Jared and a gynecologist?”
Her second message followed.
“Last time I checked, Jared is still a man. He doesn’t have a uterus that needs checking.”
A light smile slipped onto my lips before I could stop it. Only Maria could say something like that.
I typed back quickly.
“I am not saying Jared needs medical attention.”
Then I added after a pause.
“I saw him with Alice. At the city hospital.”
The typing bubble… disappeared. Then it came back again.
So, I continued, my fingers moving faster this time as I explained everything—the corridor, the doctor, the file, and the part of their hushed conversation.
When I finished, there was silence.
A long one.
My grip tightened on my phone.
Maria texted me back after five minutes.
“See, Ellie. I don’t wish to accuse anyone without solid proof.”
Another pause…
“But I think something was going on between them even before their wedding.”
My breath stilled as Maria sent another message, each word landing heavier than usual.
“And if we consider this, Jared must have taken Alice to the gynecologist. Not just today.”
My mind went back to my wedding preparations as I stared at the screen, my thoughts aligning.
Jared was indeed frank with Alice, treating her like a good friend before.
He was a fun brother-in-law who loved to spoil my younger sister, although I didn’t have a close relationship with Alice.
As I thought more about it, that visit didn’t feel simple.
It couldn’t be just a report collection, as Alice claimed. Jared must have taken her to the hospital before.
But why?
My heart beat fractured. I leaned back, my mind racing through the possibilities I didn’t want to believe.
It was already too much to accept that the love of my life abandoned me at the altar for not losing sixty pounds in one month and used an old video as proof.
And if I considered that humiliation as a part of some bigger plan, that would be…
My breathing turned shallow as the pieces slowly aligned in my head.
Alice and Jared’s relationship.
The wedding.
The hospital visit.
And suddenly, the desperate need to replace me before I could even clarify anything.
Somehow, it all looked… planned!
My fingers trembled as I typed a final message to Maira.
“It’s a long shot…”
I swallowed hard.
“But do you think Alice might be… pregnant?”
- Writer
