The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

Chapter 266

We found ourselves in a café and sat at a table. Zachary's tutor and driver each ordered a slice of cake and some coffee.

The driver used a fork to cut a small chunk of his cake and put it in his mouth. After taking his time swallowing his food, he mustered the courage to tell me, "Don't you think you're too cruel to Zachary?"

He continued, "He's just five years old. He's a naive child. Do you know that he secretly cries when he sees you at the kindergarten gates, waiting to pick Willow up? He loves you so much. How could you not care about him at all just because you got a divorce?" The driver couldn't figure out why I did that to Zachary and must have been under the impression that all mothers had to love their children unconditionally.

My calmness was a stark difference to his frustration. I told him plainly, "Did you bother finding out what he's done to me before you asked me those questions?"

The driver shook his head. "I don't know what he's done, but surely, a young child like him couldn't do anything outrageous."

I once had the same thought, too. It was why I put up with Zachary over and over again.

With my teaspoon, I gently stirred my cup of coffee. I suppressed my emotions and put up with him until he worked together with Jessica to hurt me.

Who knew that a child could do that?

But it was precisely because of his naivety that he was manipulated by others to become a weapon to hurt me.

myself. However, I didn't do any of that, nor did I explain myself. After a moment of silence,

response, but I grabbed my bag and stood up.

then turned to Zane and asked, "She's so cruel to her own

husband, their son, and his mistress colluded to hurt her. I never thought she took things too

to happen to me,

his voice made him sound like he was devoid of emotion. He said, "Annalise is just too

a hand to me. He had my back when others criticized me,

With my hand

we got into the car, he asked,

he was afraid I'd be affected by

to defend myself if someone brought it up and confronted me about

happened, I felt calm"Sovel

they think. How they see

chuckled and said,

after giving up on those who hurt

seems to me that you're much more mature than I expected," Zane noted. "Thanks,"