Free Web NovelChapter 496: Let Me Go; I Don’t Want Anything Else
By the time Zen returned with the warmed-up dishes, Christian had cleared his plate of food.
Christian rose to his feet and walked towards the bathroom.
Zen knew that Christian was washing up to turn in for the night.
Hurriedly, she walked ahead of him, squeezed toothpaste onto his toothbrush, and handed it to him.
It seemed as though Christian was already used to this living arrangement as he remained wordless about it.
While Christian took a shower, Zen waited for him in the hall.
When he came out of the shower and looked at Zen, he continued to wear the icy expression in his eyes. There was no glimmer of happiness in his eyes.
"How are the design drafts coming along?" asked Christian robotically.
"I’m still working on it, but I don’t have much inspiration, so... " Zen responded meekly.
Although she had not finished her sentence, Christian looked at Zen and chided her in a frosty tone, "How could you be so useless!"
"I... " Zen was unable to find the words to respond to Christian’s criticism.
On a whim, she verbalized her suspicion, "Christian, you’ve never cared much about my work. Why do you frequently ask if I’m done with my design drafts these days?"
"Did you think that I asked you to sketch designs out of concern for you?" Christian studied Zen’s sullen face as he snickered.
Zen did have such a thought cross her mind once, no, more than once, because she knew how impossible it was for Christian to be concerned about her.
"No," Zen kept her eyes on the ground as she replied.
"Weren’t you and Wendy Stewart classmates? How could your standards be so different from hers?" Christian interrogated. "Within the few years she was in HG Enterprise, she increased HG’s market value twofold.
"In fact, 80 percent of the profits brought in by HG were all thanks to her designs.
"What about you, huh? In all the years you worked for DR, what have you earned DR?"
"In other words, you’re getting me to sketch designs so that I can produce clothes that are in-demand internationally like Wendy did?" Zen had just realized Christian’s true intentions.
"I know you lack the funds these days, but what you lack isn’t just a few million dollars; it amounts to billions," Zen reasoned. "To rely solely on clothing designs to earn profits of such amounts in a short period isn’t something many in Lake City or across the world can do.
"Did you think people like Wendy Stewart are common?"
"Precisely, why aren’t you Wendy Stewart?" Christian snapped upon hearing Zen’s words. His expression grew increasingly grim as he walked towards Zen and hissed, "Now, tell me, why aren’t you Wendy Stewart?"
In Christian’s mind, all he could think about was the scene he had witnessed of Wendy standing by Michael.
How they were full of smiles, how they linked arms in glee, as though spelling out to him in detail how blissful they were right now.
Christian had forced himself to avoid looking at Wendy at first. He tried not to speak to her.
Eventually, he had still found a reason to strike a conversation with her.
They were clearly enemies standing on opposite sides.
Still, he could not help feeling attracted to Wendy.
With Wendy standing on the polar opposite to himself, he found himself even more deeply drawn to her.
"Christian, did you... meet Wendy today?" Despite finding herself rooted to the spot by Christian’s threatening stance, Zen had found herself mustering up the courage to ask.
"Yes, I met with her," he responded without hesitation. "So what? What are you trying to say?"
Zen studied the lack of affection on Christian’s face and felt a pang of hurt in her chest.
Reaching over, Zen sank her nails into Christian’s hand.
...
Perhaps because of the pain, Christian stepped away from Zen.
Regaining her personal space, Zen inhaled deeply.
As she found herself more comfortable, she spoke with acidity, "What did I want to say? What can I even say?
"That you’re coveting another woman?
"Or should I pity you for your unrequited love? Hah... " Zen had not completed her comment when Christian’s palm landed heavily on the wall behind her.
Startled, Zen found her knees giving way as she sank to the ground.
It was a good thing that she had not fallen but merely slid down from the wall to the ground; otherwise, the child in her womb might have faced some danger.
Zen collected herself and articulated her thoughts clearly towards Christian.
"Christian, if you want me to stay just for the sake of producing designs that are of similar standards to Wendy’s, then I’d tell you right now that I won’t be able to do so.
"I knew you didn’t love me, so let me go."
"You? Are, now, thinking of leaving me?" He clarified as the mere thought of it seemed incredulous to Christian.
Zen had always trailed behind Christian.
Yet this same woman was saying that she wanted to leave?
She wanted to leave him?
Zen inhaled deeply once more and sneered, "I know you only have a place in your heart for Wendy.
"While I lie beside you at night, you’re always calling out for her in your dreams.
"I don’t think I’d ever been dear to you. So, rather than suffering from unrequited love as you do, I’d rather stay far away from you.
"Whether I can find someone else to love in the future doesn’t matter.
"At least, with time, I won’t turn out to be someone like you - a pervert!"
"Did you just call me a pervert?" Christian stepped in threateningly close to Zen and hissed with gritted teeth, "Say that again!"
"Is that not true?" Zen looked Christian straight in the eye as she retorted.
She picked herself up in a split second and waltzed right into a room.
That particular room was a place that Christian had instructed her not to step foot He had even locked the door.
However, curiosity got the better of Zen.
While Christian was out, she had found the keys and entered the room.
Only after she stepped into the room had she found out what a psychopath Christian was.
Zen flipped the light switch and pointed at the things scattered messily in the room.
These things did not look like anything out of the ordinary.
They were just some clothes, accessories, eyebrow pencils, lipsticks, and other typical items that were used daily.
However, these items had one thing in common - they had all been used.
Zen mocked as she lowered her gaze from the items in the room to Christian, "Christian, you had better keep it a secret that these items you’ve collected were all used by Wendy Stewart.
"I am quite curious, though, how did you get your hands on these items that have been tossed out?
"Have you been dedicating time to squat by Wendy’s garbage bin to pick these things up for your special collection?"
Naturally, the items were not labeled.
For Christian to save up on these feminine daily essentials that had been used, Zen, who wasn’t a fool, could guess that they had all been used by Wendy.
However, this guess made her feel both terrified and disgusted.
Christian was more of a maniac than she had imagined.
If not for Christian mentioning Wendy to her or comparing her to Wendy, Zen would not have revealed her knowledge of the room and its items to Christian.
She could have continued her meek act, pretending to be clueless about everything and that nothing had happened.
She could have stayed by Christian’s side that way.
But she was now too clear about it - no matter what she did, he was never going to shower her with his affection.
"Who let you come in here?" Now, Christian was livid.
He grabbed Zen forcefully by the hand and dragged her out of the room.
...
Clack.
The door was shut.
After being dragged out, Zen was left carelessly at the side.
Turning to Zen, Christian roared, "Did I not tell you to never enter this room?
"Did you ignore my command?" freewebnøvel.coɱ
"So, I see you do have a sense of shame, Christian.
"I had the impression that you had no clue how revolting and perverted your actions were," Zen glared straight into Christian’s eyes and smirked. She mocked him with every word that proceeded from her mouth.
Christian was provoked into intimidating Zen once more.
This time, Zen steeled herself and closed her eyes as she felt Christian’s breath against her.
She bit on her lip and waited for time to pass.
Meanwhile, she could feel a slight pain making its way through her belly.
Gritting her teeth, Zen held it in.
She knew that Christian cared close to nothing for her.
She could not show him any signs of weakness.
Taking a deep breath, she snarled, "Have you had enough? If you have, I’d like to leave."
"No!" Christian growled at Zen, "You dare think of leaving my side?
"Zen Tanner, you can dream on!"
"Christian, what else could you want from me? You don’t even love me; what good would it do for you to keep me by your side?" Zen screamed, "Didn’t you hate seeing me totter behind you?
"Didn’t you hate the very fact that I liked you? freewebnoveℓ.com
"Now that I don’t want to like you any longer, I’d like to leave. Why is that not allowed either?"
"Just because!" Christian hollered without hiding the threat in his voice, "Let me tell you, don’t you dare let such a thought cross your mind.
"Otherwise, don’t blame me for not accepting your child!"
"Hah!" Each time Zen heard Christian using the child to blackmail her, she found it hilarious.
It was clearly his own child.
How could he be so heartless?
By now, Zen was exhausted and had laid on the ground.
She no longer had the energy to argue with Christian.
The pain in her belly started to become unbearable.
Holding her pregnant belly with one hand, her forehead was covered in a cold sweat.
Weakly, she spoke, "Christian, I’m begging you. Let me go; I don’t want anything else. Will you?"
Zen now crawled to Christian’s leg and held onto the edge of his pants. Pitifully, she pleaded, "I’m begging you, Christian. Let me go."
Void of emotion, Christian flung Zen off and looked down at her in silence.
His stance was clear.
He refused.
Why did everyone want to leave him?
Even Zen wanted to leave now.
Leaving Zen behind, Christian went straight into the bedroom.
At the sound of the door slamming, Zen breathed with difficulty.
The sweat on her face was now mingled with her tears as both fell to her lips.
The salty and bitter taste lingered in her mouth and seeped into her heart.
By now, she noticed a stickiness between her legs.
Looking down, Zen realized it was blood.
She was bleeding.
Horrified, Zen’s mind was now clear from the adrenaline rush.
"Christian!" Zen yelled towards the bedroom. "Dial 911 for me, will you? Christian!"
Yet no matter how loudly Zen shouted, all that greeted her from the direction of the bedroom was silence.
Gathering her strength by inhaling deeply, a despondent Zen dragged herself towards the sofa in the hall.
She remembered that she had placed her cell phone on the sofa.
Finally reaching the sofa and rummaging for her phone, she dialed for emergency services.
"Hello, 911. What’s your emergency?"
"Help, I need an ambulance. My addres is..."
