I Walked Away And He Lost His Mind (Zephyra) novel Chapter 34

“Never mind kissing you, sleeping with you is my right. It’s perfectly legal.”

“We’re about to be divorced! I’m your ex-wife. It is not legal!”

“We’re not divorced yet.”

“Soon-to-be ex-wife, then!” I snapped. Not wanting to argue further, I turned to leave, but his voice, cold as ice, stopped me.

“Zephyra, are you in such a hurry to divorce me for Horace?”

Horace.

My feet froze, my heart skipping a beat. My face paled as I stared at him in shock. How did Steven know about Horace? In our year of marriage, I had never mentioned Horace, and neither had he. Horace had no connection to him, save for his name appearing once on the list of wedding gifts. I thought he hadn't cared, or had forgotten. But apparently not.

Seeing my stunned silence, Steven’s eyes filled with a cold, mocking fury. “Zephyra, you’ve been married to me for a year, but you’ve been hiding your love for another man in your heart the whole time. I never questioned you, never held it against you. So what’s with this divorce drama?”

Every word was like a physical weight, pressing down on me. His expression was even darker than it had been at the dinner table, his voice colder than ever.

“Zephyra, I’ve played along with this game of yours for a long time, and I’m tired of it. Everything has its limits. Be careful you don’t get burned.”

With that, he released me, opened the door, and strode away.

I remained in the room, my heart hammering in my chest. It took a long moment for me to recover before I finally stepped out into the hallway. I understood now. Steven still thought I was playing hard to get, and his patience was running out.

I didn't bother saying goodbye to Sean or Mary. In my past life, my respect had earned me nothing but their scorn. This time, I didn't care. I walked straight out the door and toward the car.

Larry was waiting inside. His face lit up when he saw me. “Ma’am, did Mr. Lancaster give you your gift?”

I was taken aback. “What gift?”

“Get out.”

I froze, staring at him, certain I had misheard. “What did you say?”

Steven’s dark eyes locked on mine as he repeated, his voice frigid, “Get out of the car.”

Larry shot a shocked look at Steven over his shoulder but said nothing. My gaze fell to the gift bag in his hand, and a bitter, self-mocking laugh died in my throat. What was I thinking, hoping he would ever get me a gift?

I met his eyes, my own burning with defiance. “Why? You were the one who asked me to come. Now you’re kicking me out? What is this?”

He had wanted me to come to appease his grandfather, but his grandfather wasn't even here. All I had done was embarrass him, which wasn't against the terms of our agreement. Why was he abandoning me?

Steven’s stare was sharp. “You said it yourself. Soon-to-be ex-wife. Given our current relationship, it’s inappropriate for you to be in my car. Unless, of course, you agree to move back home today. In that case, I will accompany you to pack your things.”