When His Perfect Mask Shattered I Awoke (Anneliese) novel Chapter 2

Chapter 2 Divorce And Goodbye

Chapter 2 Divorce And Goodbye

“What are you all standing around for?”

Her voice rang out from the terrace. Soft. Clear. Familiar.

Anneliese stepped through the glass doors with her phone in her hand.

Her eyes were calm. Her face gave nothing away.

Zacharias and Christopher exchanged a quick glance. Their shoulders relaxed. They knew how much Anneliese valued her family.

If she had heard what they said, she wouldn’t be this quiet. She would have been sobbing. shouting, falling apart.

Zacharias smiled faintly and walked over to take her bag. “It’s nothing. Why didn’t you come in right away?”

He looked sharp and effortlessly put–together, dressed in a dark gray bespoke suit that hugged his tall frame just right. His presence commanded attention, not because he tried, but because success had settled into his every move.

and Clauderias Tech had skyrocketed in just a few years. Its value had passed ten billion, Zacharias, not even twenty–seven, had already made a name for himself as one of the rising stars in Oceaton’s tech scene..

There was something magnetic about him. That quiet confidence. That polished charm. He didn’t need to chase anyone.

A little warmth, a soft smile, and most women folded casily.

Anneliese’s hands were trembling. Her skin felt cold to the touch, but Zacharias didn’t seem to notice at all when his hand brushed past hers.

What are you doing here, Anneliese? Why keep chasing something that’s fake? Anneliese thought.

She forced a smile.

“I got a call. Thought I’d take it outside so I wouldn’t interrupt you.”

Zacharias relaxed instantly.

Christopher, still stiff with impatience, didn’t hold back

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Fri, Sep

Chapter 2 Divorce And Goodbye

“If you’re going to be a stay–at–home wife, then stay at home. Don’t just show up here without notice. If you really have to come, book ahead. You’re always careless. Your sister never acts like this.”

If it had been Selina, they would’ve welcomed her with open arms. No matter what she did, it was seen as thoughtful, graceful, perfect.

Anneliese kept her voice even. “You’re right.”

Christopher frowned. She used to talk back. She used to get defensive or do something dramatic just to prove she wasn’t any less than Selina.

But now she didn’t argue. She didn’t say much at all.

That silence stung more than anything else. It made him feel like she didn’t even see him.

He decided she was just being her usual pitiful self–dull and forgettable.

“You two haven’t been home in a while,” he added. “Come back for dinner tomorrow. Mom and Dad need to talk to you both.”

Zacharias nodded. “Alright. I’ll bring Anne.”

Christopher turned and left without another glance.

Zacharias guided her into his office and closed the door behind them. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

“What’s

the occasion? Did my sweet wife miss me?” he said with a soft laugh.

That familiar cedar scent clung to his skin. Anneliese pressed her hand lightly to his chest, her eyes falling on the bag he held.

Inside was the test result she’d picked up that morning. It showed she was finally healthy enough to try for a baby. But now, there was no point in bringing it up.

She leaned away without meaning to. Her body didn’t lie.

Zacharias frowned slightly. “What’s going on with you?”

She lifted her head. Part of her wanted to slap him. She wanted to rip away the lies, to break the pretty mask he wore.

But violence wouldn’t fix anything.

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11:26 Fri, Sep 5

Chapter 2 Divorce And Goodbye

Free Coind

She needed to walk away, to leave the Whites behind, the truth about what Selina had done to her, and most of all, justice.

“Will I always be less than Selina?” she asked.

Zacharias paused. So that was what she’d been holding in. He reached out and tapped her forehead. “You don’t need to compare yourself to her.”

The words sounded gentle, but they split down the middle. He might have meant that she was. incomparable or that she didn’t even come close.

Anneliese used to believe the first. Now, she knew better.

She saw clearly now. Zacharias was an expert at making emptiness sound sweet.

A knock echoed at the door. Coral stepped inside with two cups of coffee.

Anneliese moved away from Zacharias and sat on the couch.

Coral placed a cup on the table in front of her, then walked across the room and handed the second one to Zacharias.

“Here’s your coffee, Mr. Shaw,” she said softly.

As he reached for the cup, her fingers skimmed his palm. The gesture looked casual, but it wasn’t. Her nails grazed lightly across his skin.

“Ms. Slenderidge, right?” Anneliese said suddenly.

Coral froze. The room felt like it dropped in temperature. Zacharias‘ jaw tightened. His fingers gripped the coffee cup harder than before.

He looked at Anneliese, who gave him a slow, relaxed smile.

“I just want juice. The medicine I’m taking isn’t great with caffeine. That’s all. Why do you both look so nervous?”

Zacharias didn’t hesitate. “Go get her some juice.”

His voice was calm, but the warning behind it was clear. He didn’t even need to raise his tone. The look in his eyes said enough.

Coral’s face turned pale. She bit down on her lip and spoke quickly. “I’m sorry, Madam. I’ll bring you juice right away.”

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11:26 Fri, Sep 5

Chapter 2 Divorce And Goodbye

She grabbed the coffee and rushed out, heels tapping across the marble floor as she disappeared through the door.

Anneliese watched her go, her eyes steady and unreadable. She didn’t look away until Zacharias stepped into her line of sight and blocked it with his broad frame.

She gave a small you

Mile. “She can’t even handle a simple drink order. Since when did become so patient with interns?”

Zacharias‘ face relaxed.

A moment ago, he thought something was off. Now, hearing her talk like this, he decided she was just being petty. Just jealousy, nothing more.

He leaned over, one hand pressed against the couch’s backrest. His voice turned playful.

“Getting jealous? She’s a sponsored poor girl. She’s still young and doesn’t know any better. Why are you even bothered?”

Young? Anneliese thought.

Zacharias must have forgotten–Anneliese was only twenty–two herself. At eighteen, she was already standing beside him, helping him build everything from the ground up.

Back then, Clauderias Tech was nothing more than a tiny team of fewer than ten people.

his

She started as assistant, worked long hours, solved endless problems, and by the time she

resigned, she was heading the PR department on her own.

She remembered one time when a client humiliated her during a pitch. She had run off to cry alone in a stairwell. Zacharias had found her and told her something without a flicker of sympathy.

“Anneliese, you chose to step into the real world carly. That means you better get used to being hit hard. No one’s going to coddle your mistakes or moods.”

She used to think he was pushing her to grow. She thought maybe he cared in his own way.

Now she knew the truth. He had always known how to be kind–he just never chose to be kind to her.

When Anneliese stepped outside the building, the strength drained from her all at once. Her knees buckled, and she sank onto a bench near the curb.

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11:26 Fri, Sep 5

Chapter 2 Divorce And Goodbye

She dropped her head into her hands, breath caught in her throat.

Her calm began to fall apart. Bit by bit, the hurt and anger took over, sinking into her chest like cold steel. Her heart, already cracked, felt like it was caving in.

The sun slipped lower. Faded light scattered through the gray sky. A chill breeze swept through the street, carrying fine raindrops that clung to her skin.

Dry leaves drifted down and scattered across the road. Cars rolled over them, grinding them into the wet pavement. They looked like everything she had clung to–love, family, pride–all crushed and dirty.

She didn’t know how long she sat there, shaking. Her body trembled until it began to still.

She lifted her head and pulled out her phone,

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