Chapter 285 - Back With A Vengeance

Zoey remained silent the whole time after the dumpling left her. She stayed in her position for as long as she could remember and time passed by without her noticing it. 

Zoey only realized that she had been in her deep thoughts when she noticed a ray of sunshine on her feet. Slowly, Zoey looked up towards the window and assisted herself in sitting up. 

Walking towards the window, Zoey saw the old street of Z Image Group eight years ago in her mind's timeline. There was this inexplicable emotion circling in her heart. 

Indeed, Zoey had lived another year after Matthew Xi's unprecedented death. A year of a hell ride for her before she decided to blow her own head off. 

Whether it was the truth or the dumpling was also a part of her hallucination, Zoey didn't care anymore. She wanted to live this life once again, even if it was just a lie. She wanted to live in this lifetime where she could meet Matthew Xi again. 

Zoey opened the window, inhaling the morning air with her eyes closed that felt too real for her. When she opened her eyes once again, Zoey checked her phone and checked her contacts. 

The moment she saw the contact named: Brother Zeke, with a heart emoji in the end, Zoey's brows twitched in dismay. She almost puked as she felt a sudden knot in her stomach. 

"Yuck..." Zoey's face distorted, immediately deleting Ezekiel Tang's number without a second's hesitation. 

Right, the year 2012 was the year she had her 'first' heartbreak. And today marked her second anniversary of togetherness with Ezekiel Tang! 

Just as Zoey realized the date, she received a message from the number she just deleted. It said: 

[Let's meet later at XX restaurant. I won't be able to pick you up.] 

"Hah!" Zoey scoffed, realizing how much of an idiot she was in her previous lifetime to blush at such a cold message! 

In her previous life, Zoey was on cloud-nine as she expected a romantic date with Ezekiel Tang! To her dismay, she had caught Ezekiel Tang with Clara Wei enjoying their fancy dinner. She had come to confront that betrayal expecting an explanation, only to find out that she was the third party! 

"Jeez... how come I didn't notice it? I was an idiot to cry my heart out and then..." Zoey scoffed, recalling how she coped with the heartbreak that night. 

Her words trailed off as soon as she remembered what happened: one night stand with Matthew Xi! Upon that realization, her face brightened. 

Zoey just couldn't barge inside the XI Corporation if what Churu said was the truth. Heck, she hadn't even fully believed that whole ordeal. 

"Well..." Clearing her throat, Zoey ignored Ezekiel Tang's message as Clara Wei could have him all to himself. 

She didn't want to experience the same humiliation again. Therefore, Zoey scrolled through her contacts and her thumb stopped seeing Cora Ma's old contact number. 

"Sis..." Zoey's eyes softened, as she carefully pressed the call button to her dear sister-in-law. 

After five rings, the line was picked up. "Yes, Z?" Cheerful and innocent as always, Cora Ma's voice caused Zoey to feel the guilt in her heart. 

"Sis..." Biting her lower lip, Zoey could not help her eyes but sting as her voice cracked. 

"Z, are you crying? Are you alright?" Confused at the slightest difference in Zoey's usual voice, Cora Ma worriedly inquired. "I'll drop by your office now, okay? I don't have work this morning! Wait for me!" Cora Ma clicked her tongue, as always, her words were akin to a superhero saving the day. 

"Okay..." Nodding her head as she wiped her tears, Zoey ended the line. 

Aside from being close to believing Churu's words, Zoey was just happy to hear her sister-in-law's voice again. After all, Cora Ma wouldn't meet her tragic end if Zoey didn't push her towards Zion Kwan. 

If only Zoey had been more careful, she would have seen how far Zachery Kwan could go to get what he wanted. If only Zoey was vigilant, Cora Ma and Zion Kwan wouldn't have to experience such a horrible fate. 

Just like how it was narrated, Zoey had lived one year of hell without Matthew Xi. She had to witness everyone she cared about fall apart. 

Zoey could have protected them, but losing her child and Matthew Xi at the same time was hard for her to cope. Hence, as she shut herself from the outside world, she only realized what was happening to the people that were still alive in her previous life. 

"If this is real... if this is real..." Zoey whispered, repeating the same words multiple times as her grip on her phone tightened. 

"If this is real, I don't think he can still love me because..." Zoey pursed her lips into a thin line, her eyes emanated a killing intent as she recalled that pair of hateful hazel eyes; the eyes she last saw before she ended herself voluntarily. 

"... I need to get even. It will happen again if I keep running away from the past." Slowly, Zoey gazed at her hand, before a ridiculing scoff slipped past her lips. 

"An eye for an eye... I can't prioritize you for now, my love." A glint of pain flickered across Zoey's eyes as her words were directed towards the love of her life. 

She knew when Churu said make good choices, this was the choice she was talking about. Zoey had believed that she was free from her shackles, focusing on building Z Image Group, flirting and dumping love interests, and then meeting Matthew Xi years later. 

However, the freedom she knew was artificial. It would come to bite her in the back eventually. Therefore, instead of making the same decisions in the past, Zoey had to tweak a few things while building the Z Image Group. 

"I have a long list... whom should I start with?" Slowly, Zoey raised her gaze as the corner of her lips curled up into a smirk. 

What happened in her previous life, it would never happen again.. New life, new Zoey? No, the real Zoey was back with a vengeance.