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“Sir, Madam is not feeling well," the butler of the Gannon mansion reported on the phone. The man at the end of the line spoke in a nonchalant tone.

"So, take her to the hospital. I’m not a doctor." The line died immediately. The butler was so pale, beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

Zora relaxed her back against the sofa, feeling weak from abdominal pains. Trying to mask the pain, she asked hopefully. “What did he say?”

The butler instantly put on a calm smile when he turned in her direction. “Madam, sir said he will meet us at the hospital.”

Zora’s eyes lit up. Ezrah had not been home for almost three days, and she was missing him so much. This sickness seemed to be her lucky charm to get him to her side again. “Okay. Let’s go.”

Zora’s heart warmed at the fact that Ezrah at least cared about his child. Both of them were caught in a scandal two years ago, so getting married was the only way to curb the situation.

Ezrah’s stance was clear through it all. “When everything calms down, we are getting a divorce.”

Zora hoped that by that time, she would have been able to melt his cold heart and make him fully hers, so her hopes were high. However, over time, she found him slowly drawing away from her, even when they worked together in the same company and shared the same bedroom.

Two months ago, Ezrah returned and asked Zora for a divorce but chanced upon the test results. His expression was dark.

“Let’s hold off on the divorce until after the child is born, but don’t expect to remain Mrs. Gannon. That title belongs to somebody else, but it’s definitely not you.”

The marriage after those words had been terrible. Ezrah barely returned home, barely got intimate with her. The only reason she still bore Mrs. Gannon was because of the child in her womb.

Zora thought that his reason for being away was because of work since he was the CEO of the Gannon Group, a multibillion-dollar company where Zora also worked as an assistant manager.

Unknown to Ezrah, Zora had been secretly in love with him for five years, but that drunk night at her best friend Coco’s birthday party, Zora woke up in bed with Ezrah.

She decided to keep it a secret and a memory she would forever cherish when the media picked up the news. Ezrah could not allow the scandal to ruin his well-kept reputation and cause him losses, so he announced that he and Zora were already dating secretly and were soon getting married.

Zora, who had been madly in love with him, was excited about the news of getting married to Ezrah.

Zora hoped that with time, his heart would warm up towards her, but that did not happen. Even in her state, Ezrah hardly spent the night at home.

On the way to the hospital, Zora’s phone beeped, and looking at the content, her heart dropped.

Ezrah was holding the delicate hand of a beautiful woman, a proud smile on his face. The caption read,

‘Mr. Ezra Gannon admits to reigniting his love for his old flame, Miss Piper Henshaw.’

Zora’s eyes were swollen with tears. As they dropped down her cheeks, she refused to believe it. Maybe it was photoshopped.

There was never any news about Ezrah dating any woman before she had a baby for him. He never even warmed up to women. The man had long been secretive and kept his face from the media.

Also, the butler Rudolph had said that Ezrah promised to meet them at the hospital, so the media must be spreading this false news to gain popularity.

Even after everything, she still could not help the unease in her heart, instantly dialing his number.

Despite him warning her to only communicate with him through the butler, Zora took the bull by the horn this time.

Her call went through, but there was no answer. Her old self would have given up, but due to the unease in her heart because of the news, she couldn’t bring herself to do so. On the fourth ring, a woman answered the call.

Her melodious voice made Zora feel less of a woman. “Ezrah is in the bathroom.”

Zora’s hands holding the phone shook, her heart in tatters. Ezrah never allowed her to touch his phone, but this woman casually answered his call, and was he really in the bathroom? Zora felt the pain in her chest worse than that of her abdomen.

“Who are you?” The words forced themselves out of her mouth. The woman responded casually,

“Piper, his fiancée. And you are?”

“Whatever he saved my name with,” Zora responded calmly. The pain of the news was more than she could bear.

Though knowing that Ezrah never loved her, she thought they could live in peace for the sake of the baby in her womb, but Ezrah never meant to make her dreams come true.

The woman at the end of the line moved the phone from her ear to have a better view of the caller ID.

“Oh, Zora. If it’s urgent, I could drop a message for you when he comes out.”

The nights Ezrah spent away when Zora thought he was busy at work, it was a great disappointment that he was with the woman he loved, leaving her to suffer with her unborn child.

She was still in her first trimester, and due to all the morning sickness and other health issues, Zora had taken a break from working at the company to recover first.

Her mind lacked clarity, and she was beginning to doubt all the responses she got from Rudolph when she asked him to get in touch with Ezrah.

“Just tell him to call me.” Zora ended the call.

At the hotel room, Ezrah returned from the meeting in the conference room. Since he never allowed anyone to answer their calls during meetings, he equally left his phone in the presidential suite meant for his relaxation.

“What are you doing with my phone?” He asked as soon as he entered the bedroom. Before Piper spoke, he asked again, “and I made it clear that you should wait for me at the lounge. How did you have access?”

The pout on Piper’s lips only made her cuter as she faked anger. “Is it wrong for me to come? We would have gotten married if Zora had not appeared.”

Ezrah was a man who loved to keep his love life private. He and Piper had been in a secret long-distance relationship.

The night they arranged to meet at the birthday party of one of his business partner’s sister, Piper had an emergency and could not attend as planned.

That night, he mysteriously ended up in bed with Zora, an incident that should have been brushed under the carpet until the media took hold of it.

Not wanting his well-maintained reputation to crack, he apologetically married Zora, promising Piper to divorce Zora secretly after two years when the news dies down.

Things took a different turn when he found the test result after promising Piper that he was ending things with Zora.

“I told you I was working on it. You should keep yourself hidden away from the press. We shouldn’t be seen together.” Ezrah’s voice was stern. It was business for him first, and he didn’t want Piper’s presence to ruin it for him.

Piper was uneasy at the reminder. Forcing a smile, she relayed, “I could be your confidential secretary. Please Ezrah, I don’t want to be away from you anymore.”

Ezrah did not give a response. His actions were always well thought out. It wasn’t easy for him to be the CEO of the legendary Gannon Group as the youngest of three sons.

Any wrong move and his elder brothers would begin to fight for the position. “Did anyone call?”

He was scrolling through his phone when he caught sight of Zora’s name.

“Yeah. Zora. She said you should call her,” Piper responded with a smile, her fingers sliding over her exposed thighs as she lay seductively on the luxurious king-size bed.

“What did you tell her?” Ezrah frowned a little. He wanted to keep Piper a secret until after the divorce.

“I pretended not to know about her existence.” Piper lifted herself to a sitting position, and due to the long slit of the dress, her full thighs were exposed, but Ezrah’s attention was on the phone in his hand.

“Do me a favor and don’t answer my calls again.” His voice had lost its warmth.

Piper faked remorse. “I’m sorry. I thought it was urgent.”

Ezrah finally held her gaze as he spoke roughly, “Nothing about Zora is ever urgent.”

Chapter 2
Piper was very happy with his remark, but Zora was still Misses Gannon, the title Piper had long coveted.

How she wished that night had not happened. If only that useless man had not appeared when she was about to leave for the airport to board the private jet, she would have been the one waking up in bed with Ezrah.

It pained her that it had to be that woman, Zora. “Ezrah, are you sure you will divorce her?”

Ezrah hated to be doubted. “You don’t believe me? I’m only with her because she’s carrying my child. As soon as he’s born, I will divorce her.”

Piper smiled with satisfaction, and since she had mentally stored Zora's number after answering the call, she sent the recording to her.

Remembering that the butler had called Ezrah informing him that Zora was sick, she asked after deleting the audio from her phone.

“Can you go shopping with me? I didn’t bring enough clothes.”

Even if Zora showed the audio to Ezrah, Piper would deny it as she had used a number Ezrah didn’t know to send it.
“I have another meeting in two hours, so you have an hour and a half to finish shopping,” Ezrah said softly.

Zora’s heart tightened in her chest when she played the audio. The butler who was driving the car felt helpless, equally disappointed in his boss. Zora asked from the back seat of the luxurious car she was seated in.

“Did he really tell you he was coming to the hospital?”

The butler’s throat went dry. He always succeeded in making up excuses for his boss, but this time, everything backfired. That audio destroyed everything.
“I’m sorry, ma’am. I just didn’t want to see you sad.”

Zora’s heart twitched, a bitter smile curled the corner of her lips, feeling like a fool as tears welled up in her eyes. She was nothing to Ezrah. The little surprises sent to ignite her hope were merely prepared by the butler.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t recover from the pain as she felt a force hit the car from the side, causing it to swerve off the road and somersault thrice.

The butler was instantly unconscious. Zora felt unbearable pain, blood sputtered from her mouth and nose, then in between her thighs.

No words could describe the agony as she watched the life draining out of her with intense pain settled in her abdomen.

She managed to pick up her phone, which had fallen to the side from the impact, dialing her husband’s number.

Unable to lift the phone to her ear, she activated the speaker. “Zora. I’m busy.”

That was what Ezrah said as soon as he answered the phone, not waiting to hear what she had to say. After all, nothing about Zora was ever urgent to him.

Before she lost consciousness, she heard the laughter of a woman with the words, “Ezrah, I want these shoes.”

“Try them on. If they fit, you can have them.”

‘So, shopping with a woman is what you call busy.’ That was what Zora thought before losing consciousness.

Zora woke up at the hospital after hours of surgery. Her face was as pale as a ghost, her countenance pitiful. Her butler, Rudolph, sat at her hospital bed, a smile on his face. He had sustained a few injuries, but they were not serious, and he was already discharged.

“Madam, you are awake. Thank God.”

Zora was glad to see that Rudolph was fine. There were just bruises on his face. He quickly rushed out to call a doctor.

“Mrs. Gannon, how are you feeling?” The doctor asked as he examined Zora, writing a few things on a writing pad he carried along. Zora was only concerned about one thing.

“How is my baby?” Zora asked.

The doctor’s eyes dulled. “I’m very sorry, but your baby couldn’t survive the impact.”

Tears brimmed in the back of Zora’s eyes, but she fought them back. She lost everything. She left her father’s company to work for her husband, nurturing his business and enduring all the taunts of his arrogant family.

At twenty-three, she had nothing to show for the man she had secretly loved for five good years. “It’s alright. She would have just suffered anyway.” Her heart had turned cold due to the loss of the child.

“Excuse me?” The doctor was shocked. He expected her to cry like any woman in her situation would, but Zora bottled it in. She could endure all of Ezrah’s indifference towards her, but she would never forgive him for the loss of her child.

That woman appeared, and Zora suddenly got involved in an accident. The case had to be investigated, but as for Ezrah, he no longer had a place in her heart.

“Sorry, that was not directed at you.” There was no warmth in Zora’s apologetic voice. The doctor forced a smile, finished his examination, and left. Zora stared at the butler at the doorway. He stood there since the doctor arrived. Zora was about to tear down but couldn’t do so.

She had been weak for too long, leading to the death of her child. If she had left the first time Ezrah asked her for a divorce, this would not have happened.

When she discovered this baby, she decided to consent to the divorce and leave. At least, she would have his child to remind her of the relationship they once shared.

Unfortunately, the test result fell from her handbag, Ezrah saw it. Even when he decided for them to wait until after she gave birth, his treatment of her was no better.

“Where is Ezrah?” Zora asked. Butler Rudolph was scared. He could feel the cold in Zora’s voice, and even with the distance, he could feel the chills.

“Madam, the man who hit us was drunk, and he died on the spot. The police are not able to contact his family either,” Rudolph reported, trying to avoid answering her question. He was a middle-aged man. Zora did not believe the report but kept it to herself.

The moment she discovered that the man she respected so much was lying to her, her trust in him dwindled. She will find ways to investigate the matter by herself.

“That isn’t my question.”

“Boss left here a few minutes ago,” Rudolph answered. Zora was enraged this time. Not only Ezrah but Rudolph, the butler Ezrah assigned to her, was equally taking her for a fool.

“Don’t lie to my face again.” Her voice was stern and full of contempt. Rudolph pursed his lips, his head lowered.

“Boss said, and I quote. ‘It’s rather unfortunate. Let the doctors take care of her. I’m very busy at the moment.”

Zora knew what he was busy with. It was the woman whose voice she heard in the audio. She thought she was strong enough to take it, but a tear fell from her eyes before she could stop it. Ashamed of showing her weak side in front of Rudolph, she discharged him.

“Thank you, and please excuse me.”

Rudolph was never supposed to leave Zora's side, so he was reluctant. “Ma…”

“I said, excuse me, Rudolph,” Zora’s voice raised, Rudolph decided to wait in front of the door.

“Okay.”

As soon as he left the ward, Zora dialed a number. “Soph…”

“Dad, I’m sorry. I made a mistake, and now, I lost everything.” Zora didn’t hold back her tears as she spoke to her father on the phone. He was against the marriage the moment he realized that Ezrah did not feel the same way Zora felt about him, but she was optimistic, insisting that Ezrah would change.

Expecting her father to scold her an, ‘I told you so’ lecture, his voice was rather soft as he asked her.

“What happened, Zora?”

“I had an accident and lost the baby. I’m coming home.”

The silence at the end of the line was deafening. She knew her father was saddened about the loss of his grandchild. When she was about to end the call, he suddenly said,

“Oh Zora. I’m coming to get you. Just send me your location.”

Zora refused. She couldn’t leave until she was legally separated from Ezrah. “No dad, I have a few things to do first.”

“What is that? Let me help you with it?” Her father eagerly said, but she was in no mood to burden the middle-aged man. The loss had caused Zora to mature so fast as the reality of life hit her.

No more would she depend on anyone. It was time to do something worthwhile with her life, but first of all, she will still have to face Ezrah for the last time. “Don’t worry. It’s nothing I can’t handle.

“Okay. We shall prepare your welcome party. I will inform your mom.”

Zora smiled and didn’t refuse her father’s kindness. Three days later, she was discharged from the hospital. As she waited for Ezrah’s return, she got the divorce papers ready.

It was three days later in the dead of the night when Ezrah returned, tired-looking but his attractive features remained untouched by his fatigue. Zora had lost sleep, waiting for Ezrah during most of the days.

As soon as she heard the sound of the car, she quickly rushed downstairs but paused on top of the stairs when Ezrah walked through the door of the living room.

Arriving home, Ezrah no longer met the woman who always met him with a smile. She stood on top of the stairs and yelled with a cold expression,

“Good news Ezrah! Our baby died in a car accident. There is nothing between us, so let’s get a divorce.”

The man who was always cold to her instantly panicked. He stood momentarily frozen.

Chapter 3

Ezrah was baffled by the news. Twice, he had asked her for a divorce and saw how gloomy she turned at the subject.

This was what he wanted but he couldn’t help the unease filling his heart. Was it because Zora was the one asking? Was she trying to mess up his reputation with the loss of the child? Ezrah was confused.

Zora descended the stairs, walking to the dining table. Ezrah did not utter an acceptance or rejection of her request for a divorce and went up the stairs, returning after ten minutes in loungewear.

Seemed he wasn’t going out or was it the shock from the news? Seeing the dinner table hosting different delicacies, excitement filled his heart as he took a seat. If she really wanted a divorce, then she wouldn’t have cooked for him.

At this moment, Piper was momentarily forgotten. Ezrah avoided Zora’s gaze as this was the first time she was so cold to him. Without alerting her of his arrival, she still ensured that his supper was ready.

As he uncovered one of the dishes, his eyes darkened as he glared at her. It was not the food he was expecting but rather, the cold divorce papers, with a pen beside them, waiting to be signed.

“What is this?” Ezrah was furious, being famished from not having time to eat. In times past, Zora would have been worried and tried to appease him but that Zora was gone.

After crying her eyes out for days, she waited to serve Ezrah these cold documents, she had no more tears to shed but her eyes were dangerously red.

“Do I need to get you a pair of glasses?” Her voice was taunting, as she saw the shocked expression on his face. He must have taken her request as a joke the first time but the documents exposed the reality. “Why? Were you expecting me to cook when I had no idea when you will be home?”

Ezrah’s expression was blank. She could have made the maids do it. It burned Zora that she could not read his emotions but she didn’t care anymore. “Please sign the papers. In case the prints are too tiny, I got you a magnifying glass,” she dropped the item in front of him.

Ezrah was not irrational. When he asked for a divorce, he ensured that there would be nothing for the media to feed on but now that they just lost a child? What will people think? His parents liked Zora, except his two elder brothers who always saw her as a threat.

The situation was complicated now. Ezrah never thought she would stand on it to ask for a divorce because of how she always claimed to love him, not caring if he was just cold to her. He needed time to think.

“We shall talk about it later,” he finally said and was about to stand up when Zora played an audio from her phone. With her mind made up, she wanted the divorce here and now.

The woman in front of Ezrah was different from the one he always came home to. She always wore attractive clothes with a little makeup to seduce him which sometimes worked but after his release, Ezrah would return to being cold.

Today, Zora did not have on any makeup. Her hair was not even combed. All she wore was pajamas, her long dark hair looking lifeless, in contrast to Ezrah who was looking so attractive.

He had the looks and physique Zora used to die for but not anymore. All she felt for him now was resentment. She suddenly matured past looks or smartness in a man. What was there in being hot and a genius in business when there is no conscience or empathy?

Zora was just seeing that the man she has always been obsessed with was a selfish monster, caring only about his own image, money, and passion. Whatever blinded her eyes before was removed the moment she woke up on that hospital bed.

The voice from the audio was as clear as daylight. A female and a male but the male voice was indeed that of Ezrah.

Female: I’m sorry. I thought it was urgent.

Male: Nothing about Zora is ever urgent.

Female: Ezrah, are you sure you will divorce her?

Male: You don’t believe me? I’m only with her because she’s carrying my child. As soon as he’s born, I will divorce her.

Zora caught an expression of guilt on his face but there was no remorse. His voice was hard. “Where did you get that?” He demanded. Piper could not have done this, right? She had no contact with Zora.

But it was just the two of them in the room. Were there secret cameras? Though confused, his expression returned to being blank. “You have to destroy that audio before I sign this paper,” he threatened her.

Zora could not tell how she managed to pretend that she was fine. Up until now, he didn’t even care to apologize for sharing their private information with whatever name he calls the woman in his life.

What on earth could have made her fall in love with such a man? He was different from that man from a long time ago who saved her from the pool when she was bullied by some jealous friends.

Ezrah did not remember that day but that was when Zora fell in love with him. She calmly showed him another caption on her phone. ‘Mr. Ezra Gannon admits to reigniting his love for his old flame, Miss Piper Henshaw.’

This time, Ezrah paled but his eyes were dark and he picked up his phone instantly. He couldn’t find the person who took those pictures and how they went viral but had to get someone to take them down. The hacker would also be able to find out who sent that information to the press.

Zora had grown thorns after listening over and over to the audio and reading that news on her phone. Ezrah had already told her the same thing so this shouldn’t hurt.

“It doesn’t matter. The hindrance has already been removed and you already have a woman waiting for you. Just sign the freaking papers.”
Chapter 4
Ezrah paced back and forth elegantly, his mind filled with confusion and fear after ending the call.

“You want to blackmail me? How much do you want?” He was enraged and disdained that Zora would resort to such means, but he was willing to pay to prevent the audio from going viral.

His parents would not hesitate to demote him despite his hard work in the company, while his lazy elder brothers would benefit without putting in the effort.

“What I want, you already gave, but since the accident took it away, there is nothing you can give me.” She did not disclose her suspicions, as she had someone investigating the matter.

Ezrah suddenly laughed mockingly. “Your father’s company is not as strong as you think. He has been seeking an alliance with me. You want fifty percent of my hard work.”

This could be the reason Zora was pushing for the divorce. Fifty percent from the Gannon Group would elevate her family business to new heights. She felt bitter that he would think so poorly of her.

Despite her feelings, she kept her composure. “No. You were the one who proposed the divorce, so were you planning to leave me with nothing?” Her question left him speechless, and she reminded him of the prenup agreement.

“Did you forget that I signed a prenup before marrying you? I just refreshed your memory so you are free to sign.”

Ezrah recalled that Zora had willingly proposed and prepared the prenup when they announced their marriage after the scandal. She did it all to prove to him that she wasn’t ‘interested in his wealth. He suddenly felt uneasy.

This was not the scenario he had anticipated when he entered the room. Besides, he was hungry and not in the right state to make such a decision. What if Zora was being supported by one of his brothers or both?

“You may have dismissed it, but it's only a matter of time before you reveal that you left with nothing.”

Zora struggled to suppress the pain that came with realizing that Ezrah's delay in finalizing the divorce was not due to developing feelings for her or guilt, but rather to protect his image in front of the media and family. She felt a bitter smile form on her lips.

“Trust me, nothing about our divorce will be leaked to the media.”

“I don’t believe you,” Ezrah responded bluntly. Zora had worked closely with him, and despite her absence from the office in recent weeks, she was privy to confidential information.

Ezrah had never seen her as a threat due to her infatuation with him, but now he feared she might make his life difficult.

“As soon as the papers are signed, you won’t hear from me again. You can have a happy life with the woman you love,” Zora proposed.

Ezrah was already contemplating how he could benefit from her disappearance after the divorce. It seemed like she wanted to start fresh somewhere far away.

“Alright. I’m not heartless. I will still give you 50 million,” he said as he signed the document, only to find that Zora had already signed her part.

After signing the divorce agreement, Ezrah’s phone rang. Seeing it was Piper, he answered it and began to climb the stairs in long strides. Piper keeps breaking the agreement. She wasn’t supposed to call him when she was home.

Zora overheard him on the phone, “Are you the one who recorded our conversation at the hotel?” She couldn’t hear Piper’s response but had the conviction that it was her.

Deciding it was best to spend the night on the sofa, Zora couldn't fathom sharing a room with him after their divorce. She was too exhausted to move to another room.

Her sleep was restless, prompting her to wake up before Ezrah. She had already packed her bags, so she dressed and approached him. “Ezrah, it’s time to finalize our divorce in court.”

Ezrah woke up and looked at her glumly. She was still in a somber mood, her eyes red despite the makeup. He sighed, “just a few minutes.”

An hour later, they arrived at the divorce court. With Zora having made prior arrangements, the process was swift, and they soon had their divorce certificates. Without hesitation, they signed their respective portions.

“You should keep your word and leave New York for good, or else you won’t like what I will do,” Ezrah warned solemnly.

Zora had a faint smile on her face. “I have a gift waiting for you at home.”

Ezrah frowned, wondering what kind of gift she arranged for him after their divorce. Zora has always been generous, buying him gifts and anything she knew he would like. He would neither accept nor refuse them.

Whereas, he never used any of the gifts she bought for him. They left together, but Zora departed in a cab against his wishes to drop her at the airport. She reiterated that he would never see her again. Ezrah felt conflicted but remembered his promise to Piper.

Despite his desire to head straight to the office for a meeting, curiosity got the best of him. He rescheduled the meeting and drove home to see the gift Zora had left for him.

Upon arriving, he found a letter on the dining table addressed to him. ‘EZRAH.’ He couldn't recall seeing it earlier that morning, and a sense of unease crept over him as he approached and opened the letter.

It was written in Zora’s handwriting, unmistakable to him. As he read the words, fear, panic, and regret flooded his heart. The letter slipped from his trembling fingers as he cried out, “ZORA, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?”

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