Chapter 40

Zachary’s condition was apparent as Serenity guided him into the house, steadying his unsteady steps. She couldn’t help but scold him, “Why did you drink so much? You reek of alcohol.”

Zachary remained silent, but internally he grumbled, Whose fault is this anyway? Yours!

After tossing the car keys onto the coffee table, Serenity assisted Zachary to his bedroom door before releasing him. “The contract states that your bedroom is off-limits. This is as far as I can take you. You’re on your own now. You can wait until tomorrow to shower; I worry you might drown in the bathroom like this.”

Zachary opened his bedroom door, staggered inside, and after a few steps, he turned back to ask, “… Why are you wearing such a thick jacket on a hot day?”

He thought to himself that perhaps the alcohol was playing tricks on him.

“I didn’t have time to change, so I just threw on a jacket to answer the door for you,” Serenity explained before shutting the door behind her.

With a loud bang, the door sealed off any further conversation between the couple. Back in her room, Serenity eagerly shed the jacket, murmuring, “The heat’s unbearable.”

Once she left, Zachary lingered in silence for a moment before slowly making his way to bed, diving headfirst into the soft sheets. He craved the comfort of his bedroom to rest his weary head, and soon, drowsiness enveloped him.

The next day, he awoke in the afternoon. Having slept through the night without the air conditioner running, he was greeted by an unpleasant mix of alcohol and sweat. His neat-freak tendencies kicked in, prompting him to rush to the bathroom to throw up.

Afterward, he quickly took a bath. Emerging from the bathroom, he felt refreshed and, for the first time in a while, like himself again.

With memories of his wild night still fresh in his mind, Zachary made a firm resolution to avoid alcohol in the future. Thankfully, he had entered into an agreement with Serenity prior to their night out, and she had honored her promise by not taking advantage of him during his vulnerable state. However, Zachary couldn’t help but question whether he had made the right decision in drafting that contract.

Despite his doubts, it seemed they would need to stick to their agreement since both of them had already consented to it. Now, feeling a bit more at ease, Zachary realized that he was quite hungry. He stepped out of his room, anticipating a delicious breakfast waiting for him on the table. To his disappointment, he found only a note from Serenity. It informed him that she had gone to work and that he was on his own when it came to meals. Frustrated, Zachary crumpled the note in his hand. “…”