𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐒: 𝐌𝐫𝐬. 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐳𝐚𝐫

CHAPTER 8

Evangeline took a few days to get better. She stayed in her room, just eating, sleeping, and cleaning up. Trying to escape through the window wasn't an option – it was too high, and if Zach caught her, things could get even worse.

Zach hesitated to leave the house, afraid Evangeline might attempt to escape. He carried out his work, alternating between the room where Evangeline was confined and his study. His focus was solely on Evangeline during this time, and Monica was not liking any of it.

Monica was displeased with how Zach was solely focused on his wife, making her feel invisible. This fueled her anger, pushing her to start scheming ways to regain his attention.

That day, a sudden and piercing scream tore through the silence, accompanied by the sharp crash of glass from downstairs. Startled, both Zach and Evangeline shot up, their eyes locking in shared concern.

"Zachary! Help! I'm in pain!" Monica's desperate cry echoed from the kitchen. Zach, feeling a rush of adrenaline, instinctively moved towards the door, but Evangeline's eyes pleaded with him.

"Please, don't go. Don't leave me. I know her. She's... she's—"

"Oh my God! I'm bleeding!" Monica's anguished scream cut through Evangeline's plea, intensifying the urgency in the air.

Zach hesitated, torn between the two women,  before ultimately choosing to race to Monica's side. The unfolding drama left Evangeline standing alone in their room, her heart heavy with fear and betrayal once more.

Evangeline's hope for forgiveness crumbled as her husband turned away, choosing to rush to Monica's aid. The open door framed the heart-wrenching scene of Zach carrying Monica in his arms, a sight that stabbed through Evangeline's heart.

Tears streamed down her cheeks once more, her broken heart echoing the shattered pieces of her trust. The memory of Zach carrying her into their home on their wedding night was now replaced with the painful image of him cradling someone else.

Evangeline clutched her chest and sobbed, the depth of her anguish reflected in each heart-wrenching cry. The pain she couldn't bear manifested in those desperate sobs as she faced the harsh reality of a love she once treasured.

As the sound of the car engine faded into the distance, so did Evangeline's tears. She gathered her strength, wiping away the remaining traces of sorrow from her face. Determination replaced despair as she reached for her phone, concealed by Zach during her seclusion.

Dialing her brother's number, she waited patiently for him to answer.

Her brother's voice came through the phone, a familiar comfort in the midst of chaos. "Eva? What's up? Is everything okay?"

Evangeline hesitated for a moment, her voice slightly shaky but resolute. "No, Jeremy, everything's not okay. I need you. Can you come over?"

Without hesitation, Jeremy assured her, "I'm on my way. Just hold on."

She expressed gratitude, ended the call, and raised the phone above her head. With a forceful slam, she threw it to the floor, shattering it into pieces.

Evangeline began packing her belongings, including the framed pictures Zach had collected. Fueled by anger, she vented her frustration by breaking things in their bedroom, tossing pillows and shattering mirrors. As she descended the stairs and encountered their wedding photo, she stared at it with emotionless eyes.

"You love me? Of course, you do," she uttered, hurling a display vase towards the frame and destroying their wedding photo.

"Love your fucking mistress now." Evangeline mumbled, walking out of the house with her belongings, leaving nothing of hers behind.

Meanwhile, Zach was nervously pacing back and forth as he waited for the doctor to come out of the emergency room. His clothes stained with blood and his disheveled look somehow caught the attention of some hospital personnel and patients passing by. He was biting his own fingernails as his forehead was sweating. He couldn't wait no longer. That's when the emergency room's door opened and out came the doctor. He took his medical gloves off and smiled.

"The baby is fine and so is your wife. She's ready to go home anytime. You can relax now." The doctor advised tapping Zach's shoulder as he breathed a sigh of relief.

He didn't bother to correct the doctor that Monica wasn't his wife and just headed straight to the room to check on her.

As soon as he entered the room, relief washed over him as he saw Monica rubbing circles on her swollen belly.

Once she noticed him, she glanced at him and smiled ever so sweetly.

"Hi Zach. The baby just kicked! Want to feel it?" She excitedly suggested and motioned for him to come closer.

Zach hesitated for a moment but eventually approached her. As he placed his hand on her belly, he felt a gentle kick. Monica's eyes gleamed with joy.

"Isn't it amazing, Zach? Our little one is already making its presence known," she exclaimed, holding his hand against her belly. Zach forced a smile, his mind still unsettled with thoughts of Evangeline.

While Monica was still holding Zach's hand on her belly, she looked into the future with anticipation.

"I can't wait for our baby to arrive. We'll be a happy family, Zach. I've been thinking about nursery ideas and planning our future together," she said, her excitement evident.

Zach, however, couldn't fully share her enthusiasm, his mind lingering on the same thing but with Evangeline.

"Let's just go home. Come on." He carefully orders and help Monica up. She pursed her lips secretly out of disappointment. She always wanted that moment with him.

Zach guided Monica out of the hospital, his mind burdened with the realization that he actually left Evangeline behind. Unbeknownst to Monica, his thoughts were a storm. How could he not think about it when his life is now critically thinking between the family he was building with Monica and the pieces of the one he left behind?

The lengthy drive was filled with an unusual silence that hung heavily in the air of the car. Monica observed Zach attentively as he maneuvered the steering wheel. However, beneath her calm exterior, a sense of resentment brewed within her. She despised witnessing Zach's growing obsession with his wife. In her mind, she felt compelled to act, convinced that taking him away and enjoying his company for herself was the only solution to remedy the situation.

As Monica extended her hand, Zach unexpectedly spoke, his tone filled with urgency.

"No. No, no, no... That's Jeremy's car," he mumbled, his gaze fixed on the approaching black car from a different direction. Monica attentively observed the unfolding scene.

Ignoring Monica's presence beside him, Zach continued to tail Jeremy's car, determination etched on his face.

"You are not taking my wife." he mumbled, gritting his teeth.