Chapter 2 Take Responsibility

When I got off work in the evening, Zachary didn't come to pick me up as he promised. He called to say he was busy with a case and told me to go home by myself. I stood in front of the cafe, staring up at the night sky. Before I could help it, my eyes reddened. Back then, when Zachary confessed his feelings to me, he had said that he couldn't accept living without me. He had vowed that he loved me and that his feelings wouldn't change for all of eternity. It had only been five years since then. Just as I was about to hail a taxi, I spotted that intern assistant of his getting out of the taxi. She headed straight toward me. Gone was the pitiful air around her when she was in the office. Instead, her face was filled with arrogance. I turned my head to wipe away the tear stains on my face before gazing calmly at her. "Tatiana, when it comes to love, there's no such thing as who came first," the young woman declared, her chin tilted up challengingly. I hadn't even sought her out to seek trouble, yet here she was already, acting all cocky. When I remained silent, she became even more audacious. "With how busy Mr. Pallonski is, he needs someone who's thoughtful and considerate. Someone who can take good care of him and make him happy. "You? The best idea you could come up with was suddenly ambushing him at work. You thought he would be surprised and delighted at you abruptly bringing him lunch this once, don't you? "Tatiana, Mr. Pallonski doesn't love you anymore. Why insist on humiliating yourself by clinging to him relentlessly?" She sure was daring to challenge my limits like this. Did she really think I was a pushover? My hand flew forward to land a slap on her cheek. "Since you think of yourself as a despicable toy that only knows how to please others, this slap is all I can give you and the only thing you deserve," I said. The young woman cradled her cheek, where a bright red handprint was forming. She glared at me in disbelief. "You dare hit me?" Taking out a wet tissue, I slowly cleaned the hand I had slapped her with. "Have you ever heard of the phrase 'having a sense of shame'?" How dare such a filthy thing seek me out to trouble me? "You're nothing but a cripple! You don't deserve Mr. Pallonski!" the young woman shrieked. My fingers tightened briefly on the wet tissue before I tossed it into a trash bin. Then, I shot her a cold glance. "I dare you to say that to Zachary's face." I was sure she wouldn't have the guts to do that, as Zachary had never allowed anyone to make fun of my leg before. That night, Zachary returned late. By then, I was already asleep, but he roughly shook me awake. The moment I opened my eyes, I saw Zachary's furious expression. "Why did you hit Kristina?" So, her name was Kristina. I thought the name matched her perfectly. I sat up and looked at him calmly. "What did she tell you?" Zachary self-righteously said, "What else? The whole truth, of course! I was worried about you going home alone late, so I specifically sent her to keep you company. Not only are you not grateful, but you even hit her! Tatiana, I'm truly disappointed in you!" Just what was Zachary thinking? Had he forgotten the unhappy incident in his office earlier that day? How could he have sent Kristina to keep me company? My eyes dimmed as I asked him softly, "Then, did she tell you about what she said to me? That you don't love me anymore and that I shouldn't humiliate myself by clinging to you persistently? That I, as a cripple, don't deserve you? "Since she told you the whole truth, does that mean you agree with her words?" Zachary's eyes widened, a look of disbelief flashed through them. "Krissie wouldn't say that. Tatiana, you don't need to debase yourself to gain my sympathy. I've already told you: your leg got hurt because of me, so I'll definitely take responsibility for you." So, it seemed like all that remained between Zachary and me was responsibility. Sorrow and grief welled in me. Through his eyes, I saw a reflection of my own heartbroken expression. We were childhood friends and only confirmed our relationship after we graduated from university. After that, we dated for five years. We had a long history between us, having known each other for many, many years; he had only just met that assistant. Yet, the person he believed wasn't me. Lowering my gaze, I allowed the tears to drip silently onto the back of my hands. "Zachary," I called out in a choked voice. "You don't need to take responsibility for me anymore. I'm setting you free."