Chapter 24 Despicable Zachary
Winona hesitated for a few seconds and stopped in her tracks.
Matthew had been drinking quite a bit, and one could clearly see his drunkenness in his eyes. His shirt was also a bit wrinkled.
His voice was hoarse as he softly said, "I'm sorry about what happened back then..."
Winona's gaze became distant for a moment, understanding what he was referring to.
It was about the audio of her proposing to him...
At the time, she was burdened with debts and desperately raising money. The sudden exposure of that audio had directly pushed her into an unrecoverable situation!
The most common words people said about her back then were, "Since Mrs. Sullivan can take such risks, why not sleep with a few more men to pay off a few billion in debt?"
Even though three years had passed, Winona still vividly recalled that period of time and couldn't forget it.
"We were discussing marriage back then, but ultimately, it was just a transaction that we both agreed to," Winona said calmly, but it didn't mean she didn't care anymore.
"You could have refused at the time, or even mock me with sarcasm if you thought it was ridiculous. But why did you expose the audio online? Even if you didn't like me, you shouldn't have done such a thing. It's not something a real man would do!"
Towards the end, Winona couldn't control her emotions.
Matthew waited for her to finish speaking and suddenly chuckled, "You think I exposed the audio?"
Winona didn't answer, but it was as good as admitting it.
The audio only contained their conversation, and the location was chosen by Matthew, a highly private restaurant.
The audio had a clear sound quality, clearly recorded from a close distance.
Besides him, there couldn't be anyone else.
The gentle smile on Matthew's face faded a bit, and after a moment of silence, he simply said, "It wasn't me."
Apart from this sentence, there was no other explanation.
Whether Winona believed it or not remained unknown.
The woman glanced at her watch, not wanting to say anything else, just wanting to leave this place. However, the air outside was cold and she couldn't bring herself to walk into it.
The atmosphere was lively, and it wouldn't disperse for a short while.
She had come in Zachary's car. Only River Garden was around, and it was impossible to get a taxi outside.
The terrace was spacious, and Winona chose a spot not too close nor far from Matthew as she casually brushed her phone.
The quiet atmosphere lasted for a while before Matthew broke the silence, "How have these past few years been for you?"
Winona paused her hand that was swiping the screen of her phone, knowing that he was asking about her marriage with Zachary. She smiled lightly and answered casually, "Not so great. I should have listened to you back then."
Indeed, friends understand each other best.
When the news of Winona and Zachary's engagement came out, Matthew had advised her, "You and Zachary aren't suitable for each other. He has always had someone else in his heart, and marrying like this won't bring you happiness."
At that time, Winona was desperate, and she didn't care about suitability. For her, Zachary was her lifeline. Looking back now, she did act hastily...
"Listen to him?" Winona was startled by the sudden chilly voice.
She turned around and saw Zachary walking in from outside. His noble aura couldn't suppress the dark look in his eyes. "Listen to him and go find those loan sharks, getting sold as a prostitute overseas?"
Seeing the newcomer, Matthew frowned, feeling a hint of...hostility?...from his good friend for the first time.
"Zachary, don't say such hurtful things and misinterpret what she meant."
Zachary glanced at him and asked indifferently, "Aren't you busy with your party as the host?"
Frustrated, Matthew touched his nose. It wasn't the right time for him to say anything, so he left the terrace with his glass of wine.
Winona also wanted to leave. Zachary looked like he was about to vent his anger on someone, and she would be crazy to stay and endure his sarcasm.
But just as she walked to his side, her arm was grabbed by him. His voice was icy and sharp, "Winona, don't forget who helped you pay off your debts when someone pressed you underwater. At that time, Matthew didn't know which woman to accompany!"
Winona didn't want to hear any more of the past. At this moment, she chose silence. In his infuriated state, Zachary pulled her wrist and directly left River Garden.
As soon as the car entered the main road, Winona said, "Pull over, I'll take a taxi myself."
Zachary continued driving without looking at her.
"Tonight, let's go back to Crest Manor. Mother has been nagging about you all day, asking if I bullied you again."
"Did the report card come out?" Upon hearing that they were going back to Crest Manor to see Lydia, Winona dismissed the idea of getting off the car. She was indeed worried about Lydia's health.
However, Zachary didn't want to talk much. "Few results are still pending."
It was already late when they returned, but Lydia knew that the two of them will come back, still sitting in the living room waiting, as soon as Winona appeared, he grabbed her hand and inquired with concern, "Are you hungry? Sarah made bird's nest soup and it's warming in the kitchen. I'll go get it for you."
"Mom," Winona quickly stopped her, "I'll go myself."
Afraid that Lydia might notice something, she also served Zachary a bowl.
Lydia looked at it and rolled her eyes, "What did you give him? You're wasting my good bird's nest soup!"
She still remembered the red mark on Zachary's neck, not sure if it was caused by another woman...
Zachary listened on the side and chuckled, "Mom, you're favoring one person over another."
"I'm considering our mother-son relationship!"
Lydia couldn't stay up late, so she watched Winona finish the bird's nest soup and go upstairs to sleep. Before leaving, she couldn't help but say, "Don't spoil him. Sometimes you have to use force to suppress men like him."
She wasn't worried about other women, but Fiona, that venomous snake... not easy to deal with. She had witnessed her methods in the past.
Hearing a biological mother describe her son like this, Winona couldn't help but laugh and cry, but she genuinely felt warm inside. Her mother had passed away early, and her father was a scum!
After marrying Zachary, Lydia had completely made up for the lack of family affection in her life.
If possible, Winona also wanted to fulfill her filial duty to Lydia forever, but after divorce, they would no longer be a family.
Returning to the room, Winona took a bath first. Then, taking advantage of Zachary's time in the bathroom, she grabbed a blanket from the closet and threw it on the sofa.
Zachary came out with steam all over his body and looked at the blanket on the sofa, raising an eyebrow before heading straight to the bed.
Winona, lying on the bed, furrowed her brows deeply, "You go sleep on the couch."
However, Zachary suddenly smiled as he looked at her, his eyes filled with a thick layer of mockery, "I'll sleep on the couch, and then you'll use it as a reason to divorce me, unsatisfied with desires?"
Hearing this, Winona corrected him firmly, "It's not that I'm unsatisfied, it's your sexual dysfunction that prevents us from having a normal married life. I will marry again in the future, don't misunderstand and make my future husband suspicious."
"Marry again?" Zachary sneered, "Marry whom? Matthew?"
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