He Only Believed Me After I Died

His pupils shrank to pinpoints.

"What are you doing?!"

In his hand was a pink bunny cake.

The mango on top had been carved into an adorable little cat's face.

One look told me it wasn't for me.

I'm allergic to mango.

And Sabina Fox loved mango.

Loved anything sweet.

He seized the hand gripping the baseball bat.

"Have you lost your mind?!"

"I've lost my mind?"

Blood was beaded on my face.

I stared him down.

"You pretended to sell our marital home, when really you moved another woman in to wipe out every trace of me.

"Zachary, tell me, who's the one who's lost their mind?"

Zachary let out a scornful laugh.

"What, you're the only one allowed to fake an illness and con me, but I'm not allowed to trick you back?"

I frowned.

His smile turned even more cutting.

"If I didn't make a whole production of it, how could I ever do justice to Ms. Joyce's exquisite acting?"

"You think I've been faking?"

"It's not that I think so. Someone already showed me your real diagnosis. Nothing but a touch of gastritis. Some medicine and you'd be fine."

"Who gave that to you?"

"Sis?"

A startled cry came from the doorway.

Sabina clapped a hand over her mouth. "You... you were discharged?"

She stepped forward and threw her arms around Zachary's, her eyes going red in an instant. "Sis, don't misunderstand. For three whole years you never came home, so I was just helping you look after Mr. Harding.

"After all, I'm his secretary. I understand what he likes better than anyone.

"I thought you'd be back soon. I never imagined..."

She glanced at me. "Sis, I can't believe you'd lie in a hospital for three whole years just to force my hand...

"If I hadn't discovered you were deceiving Mr. Harding, who knows how badly he might have fallen apart.

"And now, instead of reflecting on what you've done wrong, you come here and start smashing things. Sis, you've really gone too... ah!"

Slap!

My hand cracked across her face without a moment's hesitation.

The next second.

A tremendous force shoved me hard to the floor.

Zachary planted himself in front of her, shielding her with his body. "Enough, Naomi! When did you turn into such a vicious shrew?!

"First you faked an illness to deceive me, and now you're raising a hand against someone innocent!

"Look at yourself. Is there anything left of the person you used to be?!"

I lifted my head, unable to believe it.

Zachary's breathing came fast.

The corners of his eyes were rimmed red.

As if I really were the one who'd changed first in this marriage.

A laugh burst out of me.

"You're accusing me?"

Zachary went still.

"Zachary, what right do you have to accuse me!

"The one who changed beyond recognition first was you, not me!"

That boy who once ran with me through the open fields.

The teenager who used to knock on my head before the SATs and call me a slacker.

The man who swore at our college graduation that he'd marry me.

He was the one who'd turned into a stranger first.

He started ignoring how I felt.

Started pushing the girl he'd funded up the ranks, promoting her past everyone into the secretary's seat right beside him.

And when that girl cried,

he tore up our marriage certificate without a second thought.

My fists clenched tight. "Zachary, you're the one who changed, not me."

His throat bobbed. "But I never once used a terminal illness to lie to you."

"Lie to you?"

I laughed.

I laughed until the tears came. "Why on earth would you think I was lying to you?!"

"Sabina said, you..."

"Sabina said. Sabina said..."

I shoved him away and pointed at Sabina. "You'll always believe her. You've never once believed me!"