Chapter 68: It hurts, Zack.

The cold breeze greeted Zack as he sat in the garden at the back of the house, deep in thought. He held a picture of Amy and their twins, Josh and Aliah, taken on a happy day at the park. He remembered Amy's sweet smile and the cheerful laughter of their children. But now, the memory seemed like

a shadow of his mistake.

He needed to take action. He wouldn’t let Amy and their family slip away.

Meanwhile, Amy sat quietly beside the twins' bed. As she watched the innocent faces of Josh and Aliah peacefully sleeping, she felt a heavy weight on her chest.

"What if I’m right? What if I can’t trust Zack anymore?" she whispered to herself. But despite the pain, she knew she loved him.

The next morning, Zack woke up early and went to the kitchen. He prepared breakfast for Amy and their children.

It was a simple way to show his love, but would it be enough?

"Good morning," he greeted Amy as she came out of the room, looking tired and like she hadn’t slept well.

Amy didn’t respond. She went straight to the dining table and sat down.

"Love, I know you’re still angry," Zack said, carefully placing a cup of coffee in front of Amy. "But I want to show you that I’m changing. I know it’s hard to believe, but please let me prove it to you."

Amy looked at him, her eyes filled with doubt. "Zack, this isn’t something you can fix with breakfast or promises. Trust needs to be rebuilt, and I don’t know if you can still do that."

"I won’t let you down, Amy. I’ll give you a reason to believe in me again," Zack replied seriously.

Before Amy could respond, the twins suddenly ran into the dining area. "Mama! Papa! Look, I made a drawing!" Josh shouted, holding a piece of paper.

He showed them a picture of a happy family—Zack, Amy, and the two of them with Aliah. On the side of the paper, it said, "Happy Family Forever."

Amy couldn’t stop her tears as she looked at the drawing. How could she say she could no longer fight for their family when this was what their children wanted?

Zack knelt in front of Amy. "Amy, I love you so much. I love you and our children more than anything. I’ll do everything, no matter how difficult, to earn your trust back. Just give me a chance."

Amy took a deep breath, gazing into Zack’s determined eyes.

"Zack, I love you too. But love alone isn’t enough. You need to prove yourself—not just with words, but with actions."

Zack nodded. "I understand. And I will do it, Amy. Just trust me, even just a little, for us. For our family."

Slowly, it felt as if a faint light was shining in Amy’s heart.

She knew the road ahead would be tough, but a part of her hoped Zack could truly prove himself.

In the following days, Zack showed his sincerity. He took care of the kids, helped Amy with household chores, and spent time working on their relationship. Little by little, Amy could feel the change.

But despite their efforts, Vanessa’s presence remained a looming threat. One evening, while Amy sat in the living room, an unexpected call came.

"Hello, Amy," said a familiar voice on the other line. It was Vanessa.

"What do you want, Vanessa?" Amy asked coldly.

"I just thought you should know. This isn’t over. Zack might act like he’s over me, but deep down, you know the truth."

Amy was speechless. After the call ended, the fear and doubt crept back into her heart. But this time, she was determined not to let Vanessa destroy her family.

Zack came out of the bedroom and saw Amy looking troubled. "Amy, are you okay?" he asked, moving closer.

Amy looked at him, her eyes filled with resolve. "Zack, we need to face Vanessa together. She can’t keep messing with our family."

Zack nodded, holding Amy’s hand tightly. "I’m with you, Amy. I won’t let her tear us apart again."

That night, their fight began, not only for their love but also for the family they had built.

5tr zQtq1 r5 next day, while the family was having breakfast, a call from the front gate was received by Zack. Vanessa came back.

"Zack, Vanessa is at the gate. She wants to talk to you," said the guard.

Zack looked at Amy, visibly worried. "Amy, I’ll handle this. I won’t let her bother us again."

Amy nodded but couldn’t stop the unease in her chest. "Zack, make sure you show her that you’re done. No more ambiguity."

Zack went out to face Vanessa. She was standing in front of the gate, smiling but with a determined look on her face.

"Vanessa, what do you want this time?" Zack asked coldly.

"Zack, we need to talk. I know you still love me. Let’s stop pretending," Vanessa replied, seemingly indifferent to the situation.

"Vanessa, I can’t do this again. I’m done. We’re over, a long time ago. I don’t love you anymore, and I don’t want to see you," Zack answered firmly.

But Vanessa just smiled. "Really? You can say that now, but I know your heart says otherwise. Remember New York? You know I haven’t left your thoughts, Zack."

Zack stared at Vanessa, full of determination. "You’re wrong. I was wrong back then to let you talk to me. But now, you have no place in my life. I love Amy, and my family is my priority."

Vanessa was shocked by Zack’s resolute answer. "So that’s it? You’re choosing her over me?"

"I didn’t choose her because I had to choose. I chose her because she is my world now. She and our children," Zack answered without hesitation.

The surroundings fell into silence. Vanessa clearly didn’t expect Zack’s answer to be so definitive. At that moment,

Amy came out, holding the hands of Josh and Aliah.

"Mama, why is there a lady outside?" Josh asked innocently.

"Vanessa, you will leave now and never come back. You won’t drag us into your mess anymore."

Vanessa looked at Amy and the kids. A moment of silence passed before she spoke again. "Fine. I’ll leave. But don’t think this is over, Zack. Amy, you may have won for now, but don’t forget—once a cheater, always a cheater."

Amy ignored those last words. Instead, she held Zack’s hand tightly and said, "I know there’s no room for the past in our relationship. From now on, Zack and our family will be my priority. So if you think you can still cause us trouble, you’re wrong."

It was clear Vanessa had lost. She turned around and left, but the threatening smile remained on her face.

When the family went back inside the house, Zack hugged Amy. "Amy, thank you for trusting me. I won’t let you down anymore."

"I love you, Zack. But we need to keep working together to maintain the trust. I know we can do this," Amy replied as she hugged Josh and Aliah with Zack.

That day, Zack and Amy started anew, not as adversaries trying to fix things but as partners ready to face any challenge for their family. They knew it wouldn’t be easy, but with each step, they learned to strengthen their relationship and deepen their love for each other and their children.