Chapter 58
Zachary might have had a serious expression on his face, but there was a rush of blood to his ears. He was blushing because he had misinterpreted Serenity’s intentions, not because he was shy.
Shyness was not something he could claim! “It was about a man’s pride!” he exclaimed.
“Ha!” Serenity replied with a scoff.
Zachary’s strikingly handsome face flushed a deeper shade of red. “I don’t like or love you, so why would I be jealous? Honestly, I couldn’t care less about who you’re with unless it’s an affair.”
“You really don’t need to emphasize that you don’t like or love me repeatedly, as if I’m chasing after you. We’re just roommates pretending to be married,” she retorted.
“To be honest, I was eager to move out because I didn’t want my sister and her husband to argue over me. I agreed to your nana’s suggestion to get a marriage license with you so I could have a place to stay. If we’re talking about ulterior motives, yours is probably your house. I get free lodging and save on rent while keeping my sister comfortable.” Zachary was left speechless. It seemed his house was more attractive to her than he was as a person.
Zachary had no problem admitting his lack of feelings for Serenity. However, hearing her say the same thing was a bit hard to swallow. “I stand by my marriage vows,” he declared.
“Wouldn’t it make more sense for me to stay in the house and drive the car you’d leave me after a divorce to find another man? Why would I put myself in a situation where I end up with nothing?” Zachary was left momentarily speechless. After a while, he finally swallowed his pride and apologized to Serenity. “I’m sorry, Serenity. I misjudged you.”
He realized he had no ground to stand on. His actions clearly warranted an apology. “Next time, just come to me if you have a problem. Don’t shut me out like you did earlier. I foresee trouble in your future marriage if you continue this way. It could become even more complicated if your…”
“Your wife has the same personality as you,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “That relationship is bound to end with silent treatments before it completely falls apart.”
After a moment of quiet, Zachary replied, “I’m already married, and we don’t have the same personality.” Tonight, he found himself acting petty, a stark contrast to Serenity, who had consistently been thoughtful. She shot back, “I’m referring to your future marriage, not me.”
Zachary had plans to seek a divorce in six months. However, the contract stipulated that the divorce would only occur if their relationship lost all its sparks. Serenity noted that his distrustful and arrogant nature was far from appealing. Yet, she had to acknowledge that he was attentive and considerate in many other respects. “I don’t have feelings for anyone,” he asserted.
“That sounds about right. Perhaps if you stepped down from your high horse and stopped assuming everyone is out to get you, you might meet someone worth your time. You really struck gold when you married me,” she retorted. Zachary thought to himself, ‘Gold? More like coal.’ He had never encountered someone so self-absorbed.
“Alright then. Now that we’re clear, you should get some sleep,” she advised. Although Zachary found her tone irritating, he held his tongue and retreated to his room, slamming the door behind him. Serenity muttered under her breath, “I won’t feel bad if you break the door. It’s your house anyway!”
