Chapter 7: Lines Are Blurring
601 Words
The next few days were a storm of emotions and business moves.
I sat in my office staring at the latest report. TechEdge had bought even more shares in Vance Enterprises. The company was weakening fast. My team was excited, but I felt heavy.
Marcus came in with more papers. “We can make the full takeover offer next week. This is what we worked for, Zara. Don’t get soft now.”
“I’m not soft,” I said. But I wasn’t sure.
That evening I let Ethan see the kids again. This time at home, with me watching the whole time. The triplets were shy at first, but Ethan was patient. He played with them on the floor, asking simple questions about their favorite colors and toys. Mia even gave him one of her drawings.
Watching them together made my chest hurt in a different way. They looked happy. Like a real family.
When the kids went to bed, Ethan stayed a little longer.
“Thank you for this,” he said quietly. “I know I don’t deserve it.”
I crossed my arms. “You don’t. But they deserve to know their father.”
He stepped closer. Too close. “Zara… I still love you. I never stopped. Even when I was stupid. Even when I hurt you.”
My heart raced. I remembered how safe I used to feel in his arms. How I used to cook for him and wait for his smile. For a moment, the old feelings came back strong.
I stepped back. “Don’t say that. You lost that right.”
But my voice wasn’t as strong as I wanted.
Ethan looked sad. “I know. I’ll wait. As long as it takes. Just… don’t shut me out completely.”
He left after that.
I stood in the living room alone, shaking. Revenge was supposed to feel good. Why did it feel so complicated now?
The next morning, bad news came.
Marcus called me early. “Ethan’s mother is fighting dirty. She’s trying to freeze some of your company accounts using old connections. And she’s spreading rumors that you’re unstable because of the ‘secret kids.’”
I slammed my hand on the table. “Fight back. Hard.”
But later that day, Ethan called me himself.
“Zara, I heard what my mother is doing. I’m trying to stop her. Please believe me. I don’t want war with you anymore. I want to fix this.”
I wanted to believe him. But trust was hard.
That night, while the kids were sleeping, I received a big envelope. Inside were old photos — me and Ethan from our early marriage days. Happy pictures. There was also a letter from Ethan.
“I kept these because I couldn’t throw away the best part of my life. I’m sorry. Let me prove I’ve changed.”
I cried while reading it. The wall around my heart was cracking more.
Marcus texted me late: “Be careful. He’s getting to you. Remember the rain.”
I knew he was right. But my heart and my head were fighting each other.
The next day, I made a big decision. I told my team to slow down the takeover for now. I needed time to think.
But Ethan’s mother wasn’t waiting.
She sent another message: “Stay away from my son or I’ll make sure you lose everything — including those children.”
The war was getting more dangerous.
And I was starting to wonder if revenge was still what I really wanted… or if I wanted something else.
- Writer
