Chapter 15

Perhaps I dreamed of something like that because what happened last night was still fresh in my mind. And that boy with green eyes... I shook my head and sat in bed, remaining motionless.

And because of how I met him, the image of that guy manifested in my dream. The stranger... Rizzo, which I believe is his surname rather than his real name because he always called Zach by his surname as well. They had a habit of calling each other by their surnames, which I'm not sure is the norm in their world.

Wait, my thoughts were cut short, and realization struck me once more. Memories of what happened the night before surface like a flood in my mind. It's real, and everything really happened.

It's my new reality. My husband is a part of that dangerous world, which means I will be as well from now on. I sighed and gathered my thoughts. Since it's here already, I can just accept it. There are many more things I need to think about than Zach being a mafia boss or something like that, if that is what he is called.

I got out of bed and started to get myself ready. This somehow dull everyday life is what I used to do, and I never anticipated that only one night would change that.

Still, I don't even know what Zach will do. To begin with, he never willingly revealed his identity to me. Perhaps I'll just pretend to be ignorant, similar to how I'm acting to have amnesia.

With that, I pushed the strange dream to the back of my mind and resolved to face the most significant change in my life, if such a change even existed.

Just as I thought this day would be like any other, I am frozen in surprise as I see Zach sitting at the dinner table, about to eat.

What surprised me even more, was that when he noticed me and our gazes met, he didn't frown. This is new. I don't know how to feel about this sudden change in him. It's small and even unimportant, but given how he's been treating me lately, this can only be seen as good.

"Why aren't you joining me?" He said this because he noticed I wasn't moving from where I was. He raised his brows and fixed his gaze on me.

I snapped out of my daze immediately because I didn't want to mess this up alone. I'll stop giving it too much thought because this is good—a rare development for us.

I tried to think positively and gave him a nod before walking over to the table to sit with him.

"Here," I stopped my hand, looked at Zach and the food he was putting on my plate, and then went back to him. "You need to eat more to get better," he put some more food on my plate. His voice isn't very soft, but it's not harsh, either.

I only watch him while he's doing it, so maybe he notices. He stops and gazes at me.

“Don’t you want to?” This time, he said, his lips gradually turning down into a frown.

“No... I mean, yes. "I like it," I almost instinctively exclaimed as I noticed his expression changing and gradually becoming annoyed.

What the heck, Addalynn! Can you stop spacing out and wake up! Zach is in a rare good mood right now. I need to make the best of it. Who knows when he will be this way again? It's a little tragic that I'm only walking on a tightrope these days when it comes to him.

I took a bite of what he had put on my plate and swallowed it in front of him.

"It's good," I said with a smile as if it were one of the best dishes out there. Even though it might seem silly to him, I'm glad to be with him.

He just looks at me and then goes back to eating. That little episode ended there. We eat again in silence, and I'm again uneasy. I just can't figure him out.

I'm scared to talk to him, even more so now that I'm pretending to have amnesia in front of him. What if I say something else to him that I shouldn't? My cover will be blown, and he'll be mad again.

"Last night," his voice rang after a few moments, and I lifted my head to look at him. Our gazes locked almost immediately.

“What about last night?” I asked, feigning ignorance. I honestly don't know how to respond. I know that a part of me isn't scared of that word for some unknown reason, but the other, more rational part of me is scared that if I think about it again, the suspicions that have already sprouted in my mind will blossom again.

I have many questions for him that are already lodged in my throat, but I can't seem to get them out.

However, my response did not appear to be to his liking, as his jaw tightened visibly, prompting me to grip my fork almost immediately to control my emotions. How unfortunate that this side of his had become the easiest for me to read.

I can't even remember when he was nice to me. It's strange, but everything is hazy to me right now; all I can see is this side of him. Being harsh and eager to inflict pain on my feelings. I'm left wondering, when did we become this way?

He didn't lash out at me as quickly as I expected. Although he came off cold again, it wasn't as intense as I expected.

"Forget everything you saw; you're not supposed to be there," he said, his gaze fixed on mine.

Although, his tone is not too domineering in my ears. It still left a bitter taste in my mouth. How can he expect me to forget what happened? Yes, I said I’d feign ignorance, but deep inside, I want him to tell me everything about him. I want Zach to... trust me more.

"Why?" rather than agreeing, a question came out of my mouth; I didn't want to argue with him. The last thing I want to do is ruin the atmosphere around us, especially since I rarely eat with Zach these days.

Despite that, I still want to know why. Why am I not allowed to see this side of him while the other is fine? My heart hurts because he never bothered to tell me before, and now that I've found out, he still wants me to forget. This isn't fair; I'm still his wife.

His brows immediately connected, perhaps surprised that I asked a question instead of immediately agreeing, as I usually did. Honestly, I'm also surprised by myself. It seems like since last night, I've learned to talk back to him more.

I don't know if this is good or not, but I want to be able to say something, even if it's just for a moment.

"You're not supposed to get involved," he simply answered, without adding anything else. My insides twisted once more; he's always going in circles and never seems to want to tell me anything.

“I’m asking why? Why am I not going to be involved? I’m your wife.” I repeat my question, gripping the fork in my hand. My words are coming out of my mouth on their own because my heart is beating so fast, but my voice didn't break even once.

In an instant, his face turned dark as he finally snapped. “Just do what I fucking say!” he exclaimed, putting the utensils in his hands loudly and roaring, even as I am sure his voice can be heard outside the dining room.

It's funny how, despite how loud this shout was, I didn't even flinch, only tightening my grip on the fork as I bit my lower lip. None of us looked away from the other. It's gotten to the point where I can't go back even though I want to.

"Do you know the other reason I want a divorce?" he asked in a low voice, emphasizing every word.

This time my expression changed, and the courage I had vanished as my pupils constricted, looking at him in the eyes. I'm pretty sure he witnessed everything, yet his expression never changed. Instead, he enjoyed looking at my miserable state.

My fingers tremble as my chest tightens; my emotions will be even more erratic. I don’t know why he will always bring this up every time we are in an argument just to mess up my mind knowing how I hate that word.

Zach... truly loves to make me miserable.