Reclaimed By My Ex-husband
Chapter 17: A disappointment

Chapter 17: A disappointment

The next morning, Zara rose early. She prepared Zane for school and personally drove him there. The little boy beamed with joy, clearly delighted that his mother was dropping him off.

"Mommy, tomorrow is Saturday! Are we going to the amusement park?" he asked excitedly.

Zara replied warmly, "Of course. I haven’t forgotten. We’ll go."

She affectionately ruffled his hair.

"Yay!" Zane squealed. "I’ll tell Daddy too. All of us will go together."

Zara’s smile faltered at the mention of Nathaniel, but she quickly masked the pain behind a cheerful expression. "Daddy might be busy, sweetheart. But even if it’s just the two of us, we’ll still have a great time."

Zane nodded enthusiastically, but in his heart, he made a silent promise—he would somehow make sure his father joined them.

As they reached the school, Zara crouched in front of him and took his tiny hands in hers. "The driver will pick you up after school," she said softly. "I might not be back at the mansion tonight, but I’ll be there first thing tomorrow morning. Promise."

Zane nodded understandingly. "It’s okay, Mommy. I know you have work. I’ll be good."

Zara hugged him tightly, trying to hide the ache in her chest. His words only made her pain sharper, her throat tight with emotions.

Zane was the first to pull away from the embrace. "Okay, Mommy. I have to go now. See you tomorrow." He waved as he turned toward the school gate.

Zara stood there, watching his small figure disappear through the entrance. She blinked rapidly to hold back the tears that threatened to fall.

"I’ll make more time for you... I promise," she whispered.

After standing there for a minute, Zara slid into the driver’s seat and started the car, driving to the hospital. Today was her first prenatal check-up.

Upon arriving, she headed straight to the doctor’s office. Inside, the doctor welcomed her and began with the usual questions—when her last period was, when she had taken the pregnancy test, and if she had experienced any unusual symptoms.

Zara answered each question honestly.

The doctor jotted down notes, then gestured toward the examination bed. "Please lie down."

With a slight limp, Zara made her way to bed and lay down.

As the doctor examined her, her eyes caught sight of the roller bandage around Zara’s ankle. "You have injured your leg?"

"I twisted it. Just a sprain," Zara replied.

The doctor gave a nod. "You need to be extra cautious now. You are at a delicate stage."

Once the check-up was done, Zara slid off the bed and returned to the chair across from the doctor’s desk.

"I’ll prescribe an ointment for your ankle," the doctor said, scribbling on her pad. "Use it regularly. It should help with the swelling. And next week," she added, tearing off the prescription and handing it to her, "we’ll do a sonography to check the baby’s development."

"Thank you," Zara said, accepting the paper and slipping it into her handbag.

She stepped out of the office. But just as she took a few steps, she froze. All color drained from her face.

Standing directly in front of her was Gracie.

Zara’s stomach twisted into knots. Her fingers instinctively clutched the strap of her bag tightly as her eyes met Gracie’s.

She hadn’t prepared for this encounter, especially not here.

"Zara?" Gracie’s sharp eyes bore into her before drifting to the nameplate beside the doctor’s door.

"Obstetrician & Gynaecologist."

The words were enough to set off alarms in Gracie’s mind. Suspicion flickered across her face.

Zara tried to stay composed. "I—I came for a routine check-up. For my PCOS issue. I didn’t know you were visiting the hospital too. If I had, I’d have offered you a ride."

She tried to sound casual, but the slight tremor in her tone gave her away.

Gracie narrowed her eyes. Something didn’t sit right. Zara looked nervous. Her complexion was pale, and she looked restless. It all hinted that she was hiding something.

A chilling thought crossed Gracie’s mind: ’Is she pregnant?’

But she quickly brushed it off. No, it was not possible. For five long years, Zara had failed to conceive, and now, with Nathaniel filing for divorce, the idea seemed ridiculous.

But the thought of them ending the marriage unsettled her.

"Why would you know I was coming?" Her tone turned cold. "You were supposed to stay home with your injured leg. Instead, you made an excuse to drop Zane off and slipped away early, like you are the only person he has in this family."

Her gaze turned accusatory, her voice dripping with contempt. "Did you even check on Nathaniel? Do you know where he slept last night?"

Zara flinched slightly but said nothing.

"You are such a disappointment," Gracie continued, her words cruel and cutting. "Five years, and you still haven’t found a way into his heart. You parade around with that pretty face, but as a woman, you’ve failed to entice your husband. If you had tried hard enough to win him, this marriage wouldn’t be falling apart."

With one last disdainful glance from head to toe, Gracie turned and walked away.

Zara stood frozen, her heart quivering in pain. Tears stung her eyes.

She had done everything she could, tried every way possible to draw Nathaniel closer, to make him fall in love with her. But he remained distant, unmoved. Still, she hadn’t given up.

Pushing aside her pride and dignity, she had forced herself to approach him, boldly, desperately trying to seduce him.

Even now, the memory of that night from a couple of months ago remained vivid in her mind.

Flashback...

Zara stood silently by the window. The delicate fabric of her nightdress hugged her body like a second skin, the lace barely concealing the soft swell of her chest, the curves of her waist. The deep neckline dipped daringly, leaving little to the imagination.

She looked breathtaking. She had carefully chosen this dress to catch his eye, to make him pause and see her.

But Nathaniel still hadn’t come home.

This had become her nightly routine, waiting for him until midnight. Work had become his excuse, his escape. When he did come home, he looked drained, and the chill in his gaze made her feel like a stranger in her own marriage.

They barely had time to sit and talk.

But tonight, she had made up her mind. She would not let herself fade into the background. She had chosen this bold nightdress, hoping to draw him in, hoping he would desire her... maybe even feel something for her.

Still, she was trembling inside. Her heart thudded with a mix of anticipation and dread.

Her fingers twisted together nervously as she stood waiting in the silence.

What if he ignored her again? What if he didn’t care? What if he pushed her away... like always?

Yet a small part of her held onto hope. Hope that just this once, he would see her as more than a promise kept. Hope that maybe tonight would be different.

The sound of footsteps outside the door made Zara’s breath hitch. Her heart raced, pounding in her chest as the door creaked open and his tall, composed figure stepped in, loosening his tie.

Zara’s face lit up as she hurried toward him. "You are back," she purred softly, fluttering her lashes coquettishly.

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