The Unveiled Rose
Chapter 182

The more Zachary cried, the more devastated he felt.

"I miss Mommy."

Chloe wrapped her arms around him. "Why don't you call her? Maybe she'll come back to see you."

Zachary sobbed and said, "She doesn't want me anymore."

Chloe's face darkened with frustration. "No matter what, you're her biological son. How could she be so heartless?"

Zachary winced at her words. It was because he had done things to disappoint Annalise. In the past, he didn't realize the consequences of doing such things. But now, seeing how Annalise treated Willow so well and how she treated him indifferently... It stung deeply.

He couldn't help but feel guilty. How much had Annalise suffered when he had hurt her?

Chloe was so angry that she started to curse Annalise.

Zachary gently tugged on Chloe's sleeve. "Grandma, it's not Mommy's fault."

Chloe tapped Zachary's forehead. "Things are already at this point, yet you're still defending her?"

"I'm not," Zachary mumbled, but he knew Chloe wouldn't believe him. So, he shifted the topic quickly. "Grandma, I want to study. Could you hire me a tutor?"

It would be best if he could learn to read and write. That way, Zachary could write down all his thoughts, feelings, and guilt about Annalise. If he didn't do that, he feared he might go crazy. Chloe smiled at the suggestion, feeling overjoyed. "I'll arrange it tomorrow."

Zachary nodded, then excused himself to head upstairs. In his room, he flicked on the light and got ready for a shower. Just as he was about to step into the bathroom, his phone buzzed. It was a call from Steven.

Steven asked, "Are you coming home tonight?"

Zachary didn't hesitate to answer, "No, I'm not."

He knew if he went back, all he would hear was Jessica's scolding. He wasn't an idiot.

Steven knew what Zachary was thinking, and he explained without being prompted, "I just bought them a new house and had them move out."

Zachary was as sharp as ever, and he grasped the key point. "You bought them a house? Did you just give it to them?"

Steven didn't understand why Zachary would ask such a question, but he still answered, "Yes."

Zachary didn't know how to respond. It was only now that he truly realized his father loved Jessica, not Annalise.

His parents had been married for six years, and in all that time, Steven never once thought to give Annalise anything. But now, Steven had bought Jessica an expensive house and lavish jewelry. Zachary felt a pang of unfairness for Annalise. "Daddy, could you also buy me a house?"

Without hesitation, Steven replied, "Sure. Do you have a house in mind?"

Zachary's voice was calm but resolute. "The house that I lived in with Mommy."

...

Willow must have been exhausted today. She didn't even wait for me to finish the story before she collapsed into bed, fast asleep.

I tucked her in gently, making sure the blanket covered her snugly, and then tiptoed out of her room, quietly shutting the door behind me.

Zane was waiting just outside the door. When he saw me, he took a step forward. "Do you want some coffee?"

I followed behind him and smiled as I turned him down. "Not tonight. I won't be able to sleep if I have coffee this late."

"Well, how about some milk, then?" Zane offered. "It'll help you sleep."

As he spoke, he made his way downstairs. He warmed two glasses of milk and handed one to me.

"Thank you," I said as I accepted the cup.

Zane sat down across from me with a thoughtful expression. "Before, I always felt so tired. It was as if no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't change the status quo. But since you came into our lives, everything started turning around." I took a sip of milk and said, "Before I came here, I was at rock bottom. It felt like nothing would ever get better. But now, everything is falling into place."

I looked at him. "I guess we've helped each other, right?"

Zane nodded. "Yeah. I'd say so."