Chapter 79 - [Motive] [Friends]

"T-TWENTY MILLION?!"

Nicholas's eyes popped from its sockets, and his mouth fell wide open.

"Ten million for making me waste my time and love for you and another ten for cheating on me. I've already deducted the fun times we had. Considered it as my final parting gift for you," Zoe said as calm as the gentle river.

Nicholas was paralyzed for a moment as his face paled.

"Z-Zoe . . . , what are you talking about? When did I ever cheat on––"

Zoe cut him and played the recording Leanna gave to her.

Nicholas's face darkened, jaws clenching as angry veins bulged on his head.

It was a first that Zoe saw Nicholas lost his cool, and it was like enlightenment to her on what kind of man Nicholas Farrell was, which made her feel even more disgusted to have fallen for him.

"You don't have to worry," Zoe assured, "Leanna doesn't have any more copy of this. I have the last one here on my phone. If you transfer the money to my account now, I'll give you my phone, and you can erase it yourself." She didn't want Leanna to be implicated in her problems anymore. She didn't want to take advantage of her kindness. She already owed her too much.

"How do I even know you're telling the truth?" Nicholas's tone was skeptical as his eyes never left the phone in Zoe's hand.

"I may be ignorant of your high societies etiquettes and nobility ways, but you know full well that I'm no liar," Zoe said, not backing from Nicholas's stare.

Nicholas threw piercing glares at her before he reached for his phone.

It didn't take a minute after Nicholas ended his call and Zoe felt her phone vibrated. She checked her account and shot Nicholas a sweet smile. She then gave her phone to him, and the latter immediately erased the recording.

Zoe smirked when Nicholas let out a sigh of relief. She stood to his feet, but Nicholas stopped her.

"Zoe, is that all you're going to say? I know you still love me," he said, tone confidence as his bearing. "I've only broken our engagement because of that recording. What I said to Sophia was a lie to save her face. It was an accident what happened to Sophia and I. It was a moment of weakness."

As he spoke, the confidence in his tone gradually turned pleading as his expression changed to helplessness.

Nicholas didn't want to let Zoe go just yet without even having a taste of her. The reason he courted her was so he could have sex with her. A pure, untamed girl who was ignorant of how the world works was a tempting new experience for him. But he didn't expect that she would refuse him so many times until he was forced to propose to her to get what he wanted.

But never would he guess that Zoe was so stubborn she still refused him even after that.

He never really wanted to marry her. The moment when he got what he wanted, he would break the engagement. Unfortunately, he never expected a small blunder like that.

Zoe looked down at Nicholas, devoid of any emotion. If it was in the past, she could still forgive him. But now, all she felt was disgust.

Zoe beamed at him, and Nicholas sensed a ray of hope.

"Tripping and falling into a manhole is an accident, you just didn't trip and fall into a vagina." (As the saying goes)

Nicholas caught his tongue, and Zoe giggled.

"You thought me coming here was for the reason I wanted you to take me back?" She pinched Nicholas's cheek and chortled, "How cute!"

She then walked towards the door when Nicholas spoke.

"Zoe, I know I've done you wrong, but I'm not entirely at fault here. Men have to have sex to feel loved. Maybe if we can give ourselves a second chance under certain circumstances, we can still be friends?"

Nicholas was unwilling to let the years of his hard work to walk out on him like that. If he still had a connection with her, he was confident he could win her back.

Zoe looked at Nicholas, and after a long silence, she tilted her head and beamed.

"You lied to your partner, cheated on her, and then blamed her? You really must be the victim! I truly believe if we meet in a different place, in a different time, under different circumstances –– you'll still be a lying cheating asshole!"

She then sashayed out of the room, leaving Nicholas behind –– flabbergasted.

----

[Friends]

"Wow! What did you do with your hair?!" I exclaimed when I saw Zoe in the cafeteria.

"Hmm . . ." Estela skimmed her jaw, eyes observing Zoe. "Pink short unruly hair, piercings, punk dresses. Ohhh~ you have an aura of a pure, untamed, wild virgin!" she snickered.

. . .

. . .

"Ignore her." I rolled my eyes and sat in front of Zoe.

"You guys free later?" Zoe asked. "Let's go out. I'll treat you two to dinner. I'm feeling rich today!" She was all smiles, apparently in a good mood.

"Don't tell me you already extorted him?" I asked.

"Yep!" she said in high spirit.

"Heh, that was fast," I replied with a laugh.

"What's this?" Estela chimed in. "No fair! Why am I the only one who's left out!" Puffing her cheeks, she pouted and crossed her arms.

We laughed, and Zoe told her the whole story.

Estela's eyes sparkled like diamonds. "If you have given me that recording, I assure you that they won't be able to come out from their houses for the rest of their lives."

"I just wanted the money and get it done and over with. I don't want too much drama and headaches," Zoe answered without care and drank her soda.

Estela pursed her lips. Frowning at Zoe, she whined, "You're too nice! If it was me, I'm going to distort the recordings and add a lot of dirty talks and 'ooohhss' and 'ahhhss' until everyone's ears bleed with their shame."

. . .

. . .

Zoe gaped at Estela with mouth hanging open. "And I thought I'm the shameful one here. But clearly, you are a whole new level."

I shook my head a little, smiling. "Anyway, I'm game with the whole dinner thing, but do you mind if we eat at a restaurant that allows pets? I want to bring little Pluffy along."

Zoe's eyebrow rose. "Little Pluffy?"

I smiled a little embarrassed. "It's the name of our new pup." My temperature increased a few degrees, remembering the time when Cain gave me the gift.

Zoe's frown deepened as she looked at my love-stricken face.

Estela chuckled. "It's the Tibetan Mastiff my brother bought for her as a commemoration for her first day of school. You know, my brother flipped Mongolia inside out just to find a specific rare white Tibetan Mastiff for her, and in such a short day at that."

Estela beamed, sweeter than sugar as she looked at me. "I guess my brother must be on cloud nine, guessing from your expression," she teased.

My cheeks burned as I fought a smile with no such luck.

Zoe's eyes narrowed, squinting as she spoke, "I'm soooo jealous at you right now that I wanted to slap your face. But since we're friends, I'm just going to call you 'bitch' and be done and over with it."

Our laughter resonated in each other's ears.