Chapter 9: No Going Back
722 Words
The next week was full of tension. I tried to focus on work, but my mind kept going back to the park day with Ethan and the kids. They had laughed so much. For the first time, they had a father playing with them. It made me happy and scared at the same time.
Marcus noticed I was distracted. “You’re falling for his words again,” he warned me one afternoon. “Remember how he threw you out like trash. Don’t forget that night.”
“I haven’t forgotten,” I said. But the anger was getting mixed with other feelings. Regret. Hope. Confusion.
Ethan kept calling and sending messages. Small things — good morning texts, photos of toys he thought the kids would like, and always “I’m sorry.”
One evening, he asked to come over again. I said yes, but only for the kids.
He brought ice cream and played with Alex, Leo, and Mia for almost two hours. Watching them together made my chest tight. Mia even called him “Daddy” once by mistake. Ethan’s eyes filled with tears.
After the kids went to bed, we sat in the living room.
“I want to be better,” he said. “For them. For you. I’ve cut my mother off from most of my business. I’m trying to fix the damage she caused.”
I wanted to believe him so badly. “Why should I trust you now?”
“Because I lost everything that mattered when I lost you,” he answered. “Money and power mean nothing if I don’t have my family.”
He moved closer. Too close. For a second, I remembered how it felt when he used to hold me. My heart beat faster.
I stood up quickly. “I need time, Ethan. This is not easy for me.”
He nodded sadly. “I’ll wait.”
After he left, I cried in my room. The strong woman who planned revenge for five years was cracking. The love I thought was dead was still alive.
But the next morning, everything changed again.
I got a call from my lawyer. “Ethan’s mother has filed official papers for custody. She’s claiming you’re unfit and that you hid the children to hurt Ethan. The case is moving fast.”
I felt cold all over. “Fight it. Use everything we have.”
Marcus came to the office angry. “This is war now. We need to hit Vance Enterprises hard. No more slowing down.”
I agreed. But my heart hurt.
That night, Ethan called me in panic.
“I just found out what my mother did. I’m trying to stop the custody case. Zara, please don’t shut me out. Let me prove I’m on your side.”
I didn’t know what to say. Part of me wanted to trust him. The other part remembered the rain and the divorce papers.
“I don’t know anymore,” I whispered.
The call ended, but my mind was racing.
The next day, TechEdge made a big move. We publicly announced interest in buying Vance Enterprises. The news was everywhere. Stock prices dropped more.
But Ethan’s mother struck back harder.
She released a statement to the media saying I was a gold-digger who trapped Ethan with children for money. Some blogs picked it up.
I was shaking with anger when Ethan came to my apartment unannounced that evening.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m fixing this. I’ve hired the best lawyers to fight my mother. Let me help protect our family.”
He looked tired but determined.
For the first time, I let him hug me. Just for a moment. It felt safe. Familiar. Dangerous.
When he pulled back, his eyes were full of hope. “We can fix this together. Please.”
I stepped away. “I need to think.”
As he left, my phone buzzed with another threat from his mother.
“You’re playing with fire. Those children will be taken from you soon.”
The war was getting uglier.
And my heart was getting more confused than ever.
I didn’t know if I still wanted full revenge… or if I wanted to try trusting Ethan again.
But one thing was sure — I would protect my children no matter what.
- Writer
