Chapter 7 Fulfilling Duties

Zachary came out after showering, and Nina had already made the bed in the guest room. "Nina, I promise not to betray you during our marriage. Shouldn't you also fulfill your duties as a wife?" Zachary embraced her from behind and gently kissed her ear. It became apparent that this was the reason for his visit. Nina suddenly felt a pang of sadness. Was he seeking her out because Sophie was currently immobile? Did he only see her as a means of release? "I'm sorry. I'm not feeling well today." She declined. "What's wrong? Is it that time of the month?" Zachary inquired before placing a hand on her abdomen. Nina pushed him away, turned, and retreated into the guest room. Zachary followed, lifted her onto the bed, and leaned in to kiss her. "I recall your cycle is on the tenth. Today is the eighteenth." "Mr. Malone, do you think it's appropriate for us to do this now?" Nina resisted his advances while protecting her stomach and evading his kisses. Zachary's desire grew stronger as Nina resisted as he had not been intimate for a few days and was slightly inebriated. He pinned her hands above her head and kissed her forcefully. "Who have you been seeing while I was away?" Despite his absence, he was aware of her every move. Nina turned her head and felt uneasy. Zachary was typically gentle, but today, he was unusually forceful. She remained silent, further enraging him. "Have you already fallen for someone else? Is that why you're avoiding me?" Zachary, who was consumed by anger, caused her pain intentionally. "Zachary, I have nothing with Amos, as you suspect!" Nina bit his shoulder as she was in pain. Zachary grunted. "So, the man's name is Amos." "Mr. Malone, Amos means nothing to me. Please don't involve him." "Are you so afraid I'll confront him? It seems he holds significance to you." Upon feeling that explanations only worsened the situation, Nina chose to remain silent. Zachary interpreted her silence as agreement, which further fueled his anger. They hadn't divorced yet, and she had already moved on so swiftly! Initially contemplating divorce out of guilt and indebtedness, he now felt it was unnecessary. "Zachary, you're hurting me!" Nina, who was in pain, slapped him. The slap jolted Zachary, prompting him to release her. He pulled up his pants, and his expression was dark and inscrutable. She hastily dressed and curled up in bed while ignoring him. After a tense moment, Zachary's phone rang. Nina couldn't help but glance—it was Sophie calling. He ignored the call. After a while, the phone rang again. It was still from Sophie. He directly hung up. "Rest up. I'll pick you up tomorrow morning to go to the Malone Residence together." Nina remained silent. Eventually, she heard the door close as Zachary departed. Sophie held such importance to him that a single call prompted his immediate attention. Nina. Oh, Nina. Perhaps it's time to let go. After Zachary departed, Nina lay on the bed and was unsure of her thoughts. As she pondered, tears began to stream down her face.