I Walked Away And He Lost His Mind (Zephyra) novel Chapter 8

The constant abuse eventually drove Rachel to a breaking point, and suffering from severe depression, she jumped from a building. At her funeral, I was consumed by a devastating mix of grief and regret, wishing I could turn back time and save her.

This time, I would.

I slid into the booth next to Rachel, throwing an arm around her shoulders with a confidence I didn't feel.

“Who cares about him? I can go out whenever I want.”

“More importantly,” I added, my eyes flicking to the man across from her, this thing sitting opposite you isn't even worth talking about.”

Ward’s expression immediately soured. “Excuse me, miss. What’s that supposed to mean? I don’t know you. Why are you attacking me out of nowhere?”

I dropped the pretense and scoffed. “You know exactly what you just did. Do you really think that makes you a decent human being?”

A flash of panic crossed Ward’s face, but he quickly tried to regain his composure.

“Rachel, who is this woman? She’s incredibly rude. If she doesn’t back off, I’m going to lose my temper.”

But Rachel’s expression had already changed. She glanced at Ward, and years of friendship made her trust her instincts.

“Zephyra, what just happened?”

I didn’t say a word. I simply held out my phone and played the video I had just recorded.

As Rachel watched, her brows drew together, and her face grew darker and darker.

Seeing the video, Ward knew he was caught. He scrambled to his feet, trying to flee, but before he could get away, Rachel slapped him hard across the face.

“You bastard, Ward! You tried to drug me!”

Stunned by the slap, Ward’s expression twisted into a snarl. He raised his hand to hit her back, but I was ready. I pulled out a can of pepper spray and aimed it directly at his face.

“You dare hurt Rachel? Go to hell!”

Rachel pulled me down onto the sofa and wiped a tear from my cheek. “Have you been okay this past year?”

I shook my head honestly.

She immediately grew alarmed. “What is it? Has Steven been treating you badly?”

Before I could answer, she set her jaw. “If you two just had a fight, I’m not letting you stay here. I’m not going to spend hours counseling you just for you to go running back to him. The war on lovesick fools starts with me.”

Her comment made me laugh. Rachel truly despised lovesick behavior, in this life and the last.

“My lovesick brain has finally woken up. Steven and I are getting a divorce.”

Rachel’s jaw dropped. She stared at me in disbelief.

“Are you serious? You’re really leaving him? I thought you said you could love him for a lifetime based on his face alone, no matter what he did.”