Part 2: The PastWhen Our Roads Part

"Besides, Deedee really needs a baby so the Shaws won't exile her. We're both victims of our circumstances. You're a kind woman. Even if you don't like it, you have to endure it."

Zack gave my cheek a perfunctory pat and went into the bathroom.

I did not move from my spot, and I was taken back to my first meeting with Zack. It was night, and the rain was heavy. He was beaten black and blue, and the Shaws' bodyguards chased him out.

Wendy was holding an umbrella, watching the beaten man like he was trash. "A stray trying to get back into the fold? Absurd."

She stepped on his hand until blood had spilled before she moved her foot. The scene shocked me, and my groceries fell from my hands.

She sneered at me. "Ah, the Shaws' nanny. The bastard child and a broke woman, a perfect match."

Not long afterward, Wendy had Zack sent to a hotel. And then she had me drugged and thrown onto his bed.

I did not touch Zack that night, and I stayed in a tub of cold water the whole night. Right after I slightly sobered up, I had to take care of the unconscious Zack. Wendy was not expecting me to resist the drug. Frustrated, she made me kneel.

I begged for her mercy. After all, I was just a helper who wanted nothing to do with their power struggle.

She dragged the tip of a knife across my face and laughed as she said I deserved it. She called me an orphan who was destined to have a worthless life.

Wendy locked me and Zack up in the Shaw Residence's underground chamber, humiliating us like we were mere beasts.

Even when the winter weather was freezing, she only gave us a thin blanket to warm ourselves with. I could not take the cold, and with shivering arms, I hugged Zack. "Do you hate her?" I asked.

Zack looked at the snow outside and said calmly, "I will make her pay eventually."

This humiliation lasted until Wendy married into the Shaws, and they made it a celebration. The whole city was praising this powerful alliance, while Zack and I were kicked out of their estate.

Zack did not leave. He stood outside the fence, staring at the beautifully dressed Wendy, and the look on his face was dark. I thought he was hating her for the humiliation she had inflicted.

After he was recognized by the Shaws, I realized that was not his true thought. He did not hate her for the humiliation. He was eyeing his brother's wife. The thing he hated was his status as a bastard son, and that stopped him from marrying Wendy.

I collected my thoughts and smiled bitterly. Now that I had seen his true colors, it was time to leave him.

The sound of running water stopped coming. Zack came out of the bathroom, holding his phone and looking worried. "It's alright. I'm coming."

There was still shampoo in his hair. He had not even bothered to rinse it out.

Zack grabbed his car keys and hurried away. Right before he was gone, he realized I had not moved from my spot.

"Sorry, but Wendy's dog acted up and bit her. I need to see her myself. She's living alone and has no one else to call for help." A pause later, he added, "And stop talking about the divorce. You'll tire me out."

Zack turned toward the door. Before he could leave, I spoke again. "Dora's starting school tomorrow, and the teacher wants her parents to be there."