Chapter 4

felt a wave of frustration wash over her as she stared at her phone, puzzled. “What’s going on?” she muttered to herself, feeling a mix of confusion and annoyance.

“He’s headed off on a business trip the very same day he tied the knot,” Serenity thought, shaking her head at Zachary’s apparent lack of consideration for her sister, Liberty.

“We’ve only managed to get our marriage license, not the wedding itself. In my opinion, he should focus on these trips to earn more money since the expenses are bound to accumulate. I should really get going, Liberty. It’s time to feed Sonny,” she called out, waving goodbye to her sister and her nephew before lugging her suitcase down the stairs.

Though Serenity had heard about Brynfield, she had never set foot in the neighborhood before. After hailing a cab, she headed straight to Brynfield. It was only upon arriving that she realized she had forgotten to ask Zachary which floor his apartment was on.

Serenity quickly pulled out her phone, contemplating whether to call Zachary. However, knowing he was likely busy at work, she opted to reach out via WhatsApp instead.

Meanwhile, Zachary was in a meeting. Everyone in the conference room had their phones on silent; personal calls were strictly off-limits during this time. He had also muted his own phone. As it rested on the table, he noticed Serenity’s incoming call but, without hesitation, he dismissed it. He hadn’t saved her contact after their brief exchange at City Hall, and seeing the name “Mermaid in the Deep Blue Sea” pop up did little to spark his interest.

With a swift motion, Zachary blacklisted Serenity’s number, completely unaware of the impact of his actions.

Unbeknownst to Zachary, Serenity was still trying to reach him, feeling increasingly distressed about not being able to get through. She decided to send him a message: “Mr. York, I’m at Brynfield now, but I don’t know which floor your place is on.”

After hitting send, Serenity’s heart sank when she realized the message couldn’t be delivered. She stared blankly at the screen, bewildered. “Why can’t I reach his number? We exchanged numbers at City Hall. Did I get it wrong?” she pondered, feeling a knot of anxiety tighten in her stomach.

mumbled to herself as she pondered deeply about a potential gap in her memory. After a thorough reflection, Serenity came to a conclusion—Zachary might have blacklisted her number.

Could he have forgotten that they had just tied the knot? Honestly, if Serenity had remained at her sister’s house, she wouldn’t have lasted two days before she drew a complete blank about her husband.

Later, Serenity decided to reach out to Grandma May. Once she connected with her, Serenity said, “Nana, I’ve moved out of my sister’s place and I’m now at Brynfield. But I have no idea what floor Zachary’s apartment is on. Do you know?”

Grandma May paused, seemingly at a loss for words.

“Just a moment, Serenity. I’ll give Zack a call right now,” she replied.

Unfortunately, Grandma May was also in the dark. Zachary had recently purchased a house and car as a way to evaluate Serenity, and Grandma May only discovered that he bought a property at Brynfield after the couple obtained their marriage license.

Without wasting any time, Grandma May ended the call and reached out to Zachary. Meanwhile, after blacklisting his wife’s number, Zachary had set his phone down and returned to his meeting. Less than three minutes later, his phone lit up with a call from Nana. He accepted it.

“I’m in a meeting, Nana,” he said in his deep voice. “Anything can wait until I get home.”

“Zack, what’s the unit number of the place you bought at Brynfield? Serenity is there now but she’s unsure of the location. Don’t you have her number? You should tell her,” Grandma May urged.

Zachary raised an eyebrow, suddenly recalling the situation. Today, he had married a woman he barely knew, but Nana held her in high regard. He believed her name was Serenity. Just moments ago, he had blacklisted her number.

“Nana, tell her it’s…

“Apartment 808 on the eighth floor of Block B,” came the brisk voice of the old lady on the phone.

“Sure. I’ll inform her. Please continue with your meeting,” she added before hanging up and relaying the message to Serenity.

Zachary sat quietly, staring at his phone for a moment. Finally, he removed Serenity from his list of banned contacts. He saved her number and promptly sent her a text to apologize. “I’m sorry. I forgot who you were earlier.”

Serenity, however, didn’t take offense. After all, Grandma May’s family had personally thanked her after she saved their mother’s life. By the time the grandchildren arrived at the hospital to visit, Serenity had already left, making it difficult for Zachary to remember someone he barely knew.

Despite Nana mentioning Serenity multiple times, Zachary hadn’t paid much attention and struggled to recall her name.

Serenity quickly replied, “It’s fine. Just focus on your work. I’m moving my stuff up the stairs.”

“Do you need any help?” Zachary inquired.

“I only have a suitcase. I can manage on my own. Besides, would you really come back to help if I needed it?” she answered.

Zachary replied honestly, “No.” He had a packed schedule and couldn’t find time to assist her with the move.

Serenity sent back a cry-laughing emoji and then went quiet. She didn’t want to intrude on his work.

Zachary also stopped messaging, recognizing there was little to discuss since they hardly knew each other. His primary desire was for a calm and compliant wife who wouldn’t bother him over trivial matters, leaving him little time for casual conversations.

As he placed his phone back on the table, Zachary glanced up and realized that everyone in the room was now looking at him.