The words were too cruel for Zachary to bear. Every time he thought about it, his heart hurt so much that he felt like he could die.

He couldn’t bear to speak it into existence. It was at that moment that Zachary realized how deep his feelings for Tessa ran and how possessive he was over her.

In the last two decades, Zachary had never felt as hopeless as he did now. A tear rolled down his cheek. Zachary was so upset that he thought he would shatter at the slightest touch.

The winter draft carried a chilling cold that seeped deep into the bone. Zachary stood amidst the cold breeze, eyes filled with despair as he gazed at Tessa. He looked like he was going to be blown away by the wind in the next second.

Tessa tightened her jaw and steeled her expression. The anger in her eyes was clear to see. “Zachary, we broke up on amicable terms. It was the best thing I could have done for you. If you continue to harass me, don’t blame me for not showing you any mercy.”

Tears glistened in Zachary’s eyes. The spot where he got punched by Stephen was beginning to bruise, the skin there turning an angry red.

“No,” Zachary said hoarsely. “Tessy, it was my fault. I’m begging you. Please come back to me. I’m begging you. Tessy, please…”

Zachary had completely discarded his pride. He didn’t need it anymore. His voice was pitched low as he begged Tessa while sobbing like a child.

Tessa could only sigh at the pitiful sight. She rubbed her temples, sounding exhausted as she said, “Zachary, what’s the point in doing all this? I’m tired. You have to let me go.”

“I’m sorry, Tessy. I can’t do that,” Zachary choked out with bloodshot eyes.

Tessa frowned but didn’t say anything else. She threw one last cold glance at him before getting ready to close the door. Panic gripped Zachary. He reached his hand out to block the door, getting his hand stuck in the gap between the door and the doorframe.

Tessa didn’t react quickly enough. When she closed the door, she had used more strength than necessary. Pain erupted at the spot where Zachary’s hand was stuck, making him suck in a quick breath.

Shock flickered in Tessa’s eyes for a moment before she recovered. “Zachary, leave.”

She tried to close the door again. This time, Stephen reached out and shoved Zachary far away, stopping him from jamming the door again with his hand. The door clicked shut, restoring silence to the hallway.

Outside the door, Zachary could only squeeze his eyes shut. The tears flowed freely from his eyes.

The night had turned out to be a frightening nightmare for Zachary. He would be forever haunted by what had transpired, never finding peaceful rest again.

Zachary stood in the same spot for a long time-long enough for the lights in the apartment to be extinguished and long enough for the noises of the night to quiet down until only silence was left.

Zachary dragged his numb body toward the elevator, shuffling along the hallway like a walking corpse. He pressed a button and waited for the elevator to descend to the ground floor.

It was a cold night. The snow and

wind were caught in a chaotic

dance. He had turned on the heater

in his apartment, so Zachary only

had a thin shirt on. Like a lonely ghost, Zachary lowered his head and walked quietly amidst the falling snow. He walked without direction or destination.

It was like there was a gaping hole in his heart, allowing the wind to rush in and rattle it around.

The stinging cold he felt on his physical body could not compare to the glacial frost creeping into his heart. Zachary felt like all the snow that drifted down that night had piled on his heart.