After Divorce I Became A Multi-Billlionaire

Chapter 0001

    "Come back here! Where is the dessert I asked for?! And how many times have I told you that mother doesn't like her kiwis cut this way?! Are you going to be dumb forever?" Audrey, the first daughter-in-law of the Meyer family, yelled at the beautiful young lady who was multitasking as she served different dishes in front of different people at the same time and pace. 

 The hardworking lady had woken up at 4:00 am to get started in the kitchen, while preparing the different dishes that were eaten by each member of the Meyer family. And she had to make sure she served it fast and got back to work, which included fixing Aaron's school uniform for the day and whatever errand they all wanted her to do. 

There were a variety of Fresh berries, Granola for crunch, Poached eggs on English muffins, Canadian bacon, smoked salmon, sautéed spinach and kale for general feeding, and on the other hand, for the saucy sisters, there were bagels with cream cheese, burrito, omelet, and baked buffalo wings. 

"She is too dumb to make corrections. Always wrong," Ivy spat with derision, as she took her time to take the first bite of food into her mouth, so that she would scream a complaint at the top of her voice if she sensed any displeasure while eating the food. However, there was always nothing to say. The food was always perfectly made. 

"I am so sorry. I will fix it right away," Zoe rushed to take the plate of kiwis immediately with the thought of making another one and replacing them. The irritated mother-in-law just held her lips without saying anything for the first time in a while, to also scold Zoe harshly. 

Ivy slapped her hand aggressively as she was about to pick the plate of kiwis up, "Just get out! Has our wealth rubbed on your impoverished self so much that you want to waste food at any slightest chance?!" She rolled her eyes irritably, as she passed taunting remarks to the poor lady.

 Without minding what Ivy had said to her since she was used to it, Zoe apologized instantly and quickly began to serve the final fruit toppings for breakfast as side dishes for everyone's plate. She paid extra attention to Irene's plate, who was her mother-in-law, so that she would not receive a deafening slap without warning for something she had no idea of.  

"Where are my clothes? I cannot find them!" Aaron, the fourteen-year-old grandson of the house whined grumpily from the stairs where he was standing, with a huge frown etched visibly upon his face.

"I hung them on the door of your dressing room after ironing them this morning. Your shoes are placed carefully beside the bed too," Zoe answered immediately when she heard him, and rushed over to his usual sitting spot in the dining room to begin serving his food instantly. 

"And my food?!" He demanded brusquely with a grumpy tone as he made his way down, and sauntered into the dining room where they were all sitting. The grand dining room of the opulent mansion stood as a piece of evidence of the great elegance and refined taste, and the perfect set of tables and chairs, blended in with the rustic vibe of the painting. 

"I served them alrea……."

"I asked for Avocado toast, not French!" Aaron yelled as he slapped his palm emphatically on the glass table as soon as he set eyes on the food that was served on the table for him, taking everyone by surprise at the outburst of the spoiled teenager.  

"You said you were tired of eating avocado toast yesterday, and that I should make French toast instead," Zoe tried to defend, wondering if she had heard him wrongfully the previous day after he complained bitterly and wasted his food. 

"Did what I say even matter?!" He shot in anger and cocked an eyebrow, only to meet the cold gaze of Isla, who was staring at him intently with every suppressed urge to lash out. More than anything, she loathed hearing noise whenever she was eating. 

 Aaron's lips froze immediately as he took his seat with a big grumble, knowing that things might not be easy for him if he got into his Aunt's bad side that morning. She didn't like him already anyway. 

"I am sorry for missing that. I will go buy some avocados now, and make another one for you," Zoe apologized, hoping that it would placate him a little bit because she was too tired already. 

"Whatever," he mouthed angrily and rolled his eyes as he put a piece of toast into his mouth instantly, before putting his headphones across his head and he began to play games on his phone immediately. It was one of the few times she didn't have to make breakfast again. 

  Zoe sighed tiredly as she finally made her way into the kitchen while pushing the food trolley, and slouched languorously upon the counter top with her arms. Her body was aching already. 

Because of her endless job, which included carrying out everyone's chores in the house, the maids in the mansion had reduced in number, with the few around having nothing much to do. 

The next thing she had to do after breakfast preparation was to clean the kitchen first, and then go purchase groceries next, while checking out rooms that needed to be cleaned again. Before she realized it, hours had passed already before she finished her job for the first half of the day.  

Zoe's eyes rolled to the silver watch that was wrapped around her wrist as soon as she completed her job for the day, and she let out a weary sigh again because she knew that she would be late if she didn't get out of the house to fetch Ivy's newly made custom dress at the fashion house. 

Sadly, she had to hire a cab because everyone in the house wanted to take different cars from the house that day. She was not allowed to drive the other cars except the assigned one meant for shopping because, according to them, a leech like her was not allowed into such limited-edition cars like them. To make things worse for her, she had to walk miles from the main mansion to the gate because of the long distance. 

"Good morning. I have come to collect the new clothes under the name Ivy Meyer," Zoe struggled to catch her breath as she made her way inside the deluxe clothes shop, with a cue of where to go straight to get the clothes. 

"Some minutes, please," Zara, who was the only shop attendant that usually answered to her, signaled for her to come inside and take a seat, while she went to check out the ordered piece for her. She came back quickly to offer Zoe a cup of coffee as customer service, and the poor lady was so grateful because she had not eaten anything since the day's break. 

"What is this filthy thing doing here?" A woman's loud voice raged as she made her way inside, with her eyes burning down heat straight to where Zoe was sitting, "Get me the manager. Why should I be in the same space with a person like this? Does this place have no standards anymore?!"

 The woman, spluttering with rage, donned an expensive, elegant dress, and wore the most recent edition shoes from an A- brand. Her body was well adorned with diamond pieces of jewelry and her face was baked to a beautiful perfection. She exuded luxury. 

"We are sorry, ma'am," the sycophant attendants ran up to her to see what she had as a problem, and they knew they had to kick Zoe out of the room immediately. 

She had forgotten herself after working for so long, and went out with her casual clothes and slippers. Her hair was tied in a rough bun, and her face was pale and bare. Her lips were chapped too because of how tired she was, since she had not been getting enough rest.

"I will leave now," Zoe stood up after she understood what was going on, and she scurried past the lady as fast as she could. 

However, things went wrong.

"You idiot! Do you know how much these heels cost?!" Zoe's cheeks thundered heavily at the slap that was plastered on her face by the obnoxious lady, on whose shoes she had mistakenly spilled coffee. 

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to," Zoe fell on her knees and apologized immediately, knowing well that it was an action that made pompous elites like Dafne Brown satisfied. It made them feel on top of the world when they saw others kneel before them.  

"You are sorry?!" Dafne demanded angrily, as her eyes shot out lasers that were enough to burn Zoe down, "I hate it when maids like you do not even know your place!"

"I didn't mean to spill the coffee. I apologize," Zoe begged again, as she tried to clean the shoes with the hem of her skirt. However, Dafne kicked her away in anger. 

"I will not buy anything from here if you do not make this lowlife bitch step outside right now!" She fumed so much as she with displeasure, and they all began to beg while ushering Zoe out aggressively. Dafne Brown was one of the most well-known CEOs of major coffee companies in the city, and she was a wonderful VIP client they could not afford to lose. 

"Please. Wait outside to receive your clothes," they told Zoe sternly and pushed her out. 

Zara ran after her after she witnessed what happened, and apologized to her for the mistreatment as she gave her the cloth package she went to fetch for her. Zoe thanked the assistant profusely for treating her better, as tears tried not to run down her cheeks the moment she turned away from the clothes store. She was tired of crying already. She had been trampled upon too much. 

  The skies suddenly became pregnant with water as it rained heavily everywhere, and everyone scampered for safety immediately to avoid getting beaten. 

The only person that could be seen running in the rain from the mansion gate to the main house was Zoe, because she had to get the clothes for Ivy as soon as possible. The brat had called her a million times to yell, and cursed her for wasting so much time on picking up her party dress. 

"The dress is here," Zoe finally heaved a sigh of relief as she pressed the bell to the front of the house, with every part of her body drenched terribly and dripping incessantly with water. The head maid came out of the house a few minutes later to take the package from her, and locked the door instantly without allowing Zoe to enter as instructed. 

 Zoe's heart skipped a beat the moment she realized what was going on. They had locked her out because she was minutes late from an errand, and because it was past curfew time according to one of the rules they gave her. So, she had to remain outside. 

The wind blew fiercely towards the west following the torrents of rain that poured relentlessly, carrying with it cold and all sorts of nonsense, as Zoe, who stood like a lone figure, shivered uncontrollably with gnashing teeth that were locked into her mouth. 

She stood tall with her neck hanging downwards, as her silhouette reflected brokenness on the wall of the mansion as the light in the corridor shone upon her. Her face pictured the wet tendrils of her black hair as raindrops cascaded down her cheeks, with her heart shattering a thousand times more as she thought of how pathetic her life was. Too saddening. 

After it had rained cats and dogs for hours, the door finally pushed open as her fragile self walked into the house through the back door, so that she would not drip water on the floor of the house. She could not create an extra job for herself when she was barely hanging on to life. 

Luckily for her, dinner must have been prepared by the usual chefs since she ran late on her errand, and just walked to her bedroom with heaviness in her heart. Sitting in the hot tub for minutes didn't help to make her feel better, and she was running a fever by the time she had changed into her casual clothes after bathing. 

 Zoe sat in front of the dresser as she dried her hair over and over again, while trying not to cry at her forlorn, and loneliness. She stared at the emptiness of her eyes through the mirror as she saw how broken and miserable she looked. How mentally tortured and unstable she had become. 

Suddenly, the door to her room pushed open, and her jaws dropped when she watched the tall, regal figure walk into the room, with his usual delicious cologne permeating the air as he trailed in. It was her supposed husband, Malcolm Meyer. She had barely seen him the entire month, and he had never come to her room before.

'Was she hallucinating?'

"Let's get a divorce," she heard. 

Chapter 0004

  It has been two weeks since Zoe left, and the difference in the ambiance around the Meyers mansion was evidently palpable. The maids had returned to their post as usual trying to catch up with everything they had left for so long, and things became difficult because there were barely enough hands to handle all the jobs at once. 

It had them all wondering endlessly, how Zoe had managed to juggle everything by herself at once. It was difficult. 

 The chefs had been unable to prepare meals to suit everyone's palate and taste buds, and they could not afford to set the table as early as Zoe cooked all meals because of the difference in everyone's preference. The maids that were hired hastily in a few days to cover up for the job, had broken almost all the precious glassware collections in the kitchen. 

There was always too much confusion in one morning, with vicious rages flying around from every member of the family, and the maids to be the receiving end of every complaint. They had no clue where Zoe purchased the groceries used in the kitchen, and the order in which she got everyone ready for work daily according to their schedules.

  Aaron had missed school four days in a row because they always forgot to set his alarm, and Irina, the matriarch of the family had not had her favorite desert in days because the chefs didn't get the perfect taste of what she wanted. There was too much anger to deal with from everyone since she left! 

 In the living room, Audrey and Ivy were comfortable as usual, with a maid swatting by the low, marble stools while peeling the apple that they both wanted to have for brunch that afternoon. 

"If I would admit, things have been so hard since Zoe left. Aaron barely knows how to wear his clothes properly because there is no one to place them in order for him, and I have bought two extravagantly expensive school uniforms in barely two weeks because those filthy maids used the wrong iron and burnt it!" Audrey gritted her teeth, as she narrated her forlorn to her closest person in the house even if they often bickered at one another. 

Her husband, who was the first son of the family was dead already three years ago, and she had been living comfortably with the family since she matched their standards perfectly. However, she had joined them to collectively put Zoe under the scrutiny of suffocation. 

"Does she even have a family to fall back to? I wonder where she went back to after leaving," Ivy rolled her eyes in anger, as she sat back comfortably, and watched the other maid in the room give her foot a soft massage with medicinal oils because of how tired she was. 

"That isn't good. I can see how weary everyone is looking in days just because they all have something they want, and only Zoe knows how to do it! I mean is she going to return to the countryside to her grandma and start another wretched life after refusing millions for alimony?" Audrey lamented bitterly under her teeth, and rolled her eyes because how how stressed she was at the thought of it. 

"In the past, she let us just trample over her, and then she suddenly rejected that huge amount for alimony and left so abruptly. I wonder what she's thinking," Ivy speculated with a frown, as she harshly told the fragile and timid maid to change the color for the paint she was using again, yet the third time. 

"What if she is ready to sell our family out to the media?" Audrey suddenly gasped at the thought that suddenly occurred to her, "What if she tells them everything she has seen here?"

"Malcolm wouldn't stay still. She knows him better than not to mess with him," Ivy retorted with pride in her voice as she spoke of her brother. 

"Anyways, why does Isla seem not saying anything about Zoe's absence? She seems to even hate her the………." 

"Shhhh."

Suddenly a cold chill blew across as the door to the living room parted slowly, and a daunting, but gorgeous lady sauntered into the room in gorgeous red blazers and black heels. They both tucked their lips in their mouths as soon as they saw Isla, whose cold gaze spoke nothing of a friendly demeanor as she walked past them. 

The sister-in-law and sister barely associated with her even if they ate together and saw one another often, because she was not so friendly with anyone in the mansion apart from her mother. She was just like her brother in terms of rigidness. 

"Isla. Have you gotten your dress for the party Malcolm invited us to?" Ivy turned to ask her sister, so that the awkwardness that settled into the room the moment she entered would not be palpable. 

"No," came Isla's curt reply.

 They both watched her climb the stairs and disappear from their sight before they heaved a sigh of relief.  

"Have you gotten yours? I totally just remembered that the limited edition dress I ordered is not in stock anymore," Audrey panicked. 

"Zoe is not around, so I obviously do not have a dress yet!" Ivy frowned instantly with an immediate switch in her capricious moods, as she stood up angrily and stormed away not minding that the maid was not yet done with her nails. She hated that everything sucked already without Zoe around. 

*•=•*…… --~`•`~--……*•=•*

 As the huge moon hung high in the night sky casting a glow over the chauffeur-driven luxurious cars rolled into the front of the gigantic structure carrying people of status and symbols that were invited to the grand ball of Sinclair's corporation. 

 A beautiful and sleek midnight black Rolls-Royce led the way for the Meyers family, as it purred into the driveway and halted. In her most gorgeous flowing gown of purple which exuded elegance and grace, Irina, the matriarch of the Meyers family, radiated an aura of sophistication as she stepped out of the car after the chauffeur opened it. Isla stepped out with her afterward in a dazzling dress of similar colour, as they twinned their way in, so elegantly. 

The second luxurious car pulled in after the first, and Ivy stepped out with a vibrant smile wearing a gorgeous burgundy dress that clung to her petite frame and accentuated her figure. Her hair which was in curls bounced according to the direction of the silently, swirling wind, framing her beautiful face which was similar to that of her brother.

 Beside her was the gorgeous daughter-in-law of the house, Audrey in her own minimal, fishtail, buttercup dress, which matched the custom-made suit her son was wearing, as they all made their way into the ball party, exuding great wealth and opulence. 

The last car pulled in ostentatiously, carrying Malcolm Meyer, the most important guest of the family. With his striking chiseled features and impeccably styled appearance, he exuded an air of confidence and intimidation as he stepped out of the car, sending shivers down the spines of those who saw him. 

As other guests arrive afterward in chauffeur-driven limousines they are greeted by a red-carpeted entrance in the same way as the others, lined with private photographers, and videographers that were stationed to capture the glamour of the evening.

Inside the luxurious ballroom, the atmosphere spoke of great enchantment and allure, as crystal and diamond chandeliers of ten, and twelve tiers, hung from the ceiling and shone brightly over the exquisitely decorated space. 

Every guest seamlessly blended into the midst of glamorous guests as they exchanged pleasantries and engaging conversations, which were mostly A-socialites, High-profile business-oriented celebrities, tycoons, and nobility. Their charm, elegance, and wealth were the embodiment of the extravagant lifestyle everyone in the room led. 

As the night progressed after an anniversary speech and appreciation, laughter echoed throughout the ballroom as it mingled with the melody of song played, the clicking of champagne flutes, and the preparations for Francis Sinclair, to introduce the heir to his trillion-dollar corporation before everyone since it was not known by anyone, who will take over as he had no family. 

There was anticipation in the air as everyone continued their hushed talks, waiting patiently in their hearts to know the person who would take over the trillion-dollar fortune of the Sinclairs. Plans on how to get acquitted with the person into winning favouritism would be the next thing on their minds. 

  Through the spotlight in the gathering of hundreds of elites, a lady emerged and sauntered through the crowd in elegance with her every step exuding confidence and allure. A hush fell over the room as a spotlight illuminated the figure gracefully making her way toward the centre stage, Heads turned collectively to catch the shock that first occurred to them. 

'The heir was a female?!' They all wondered. 

"I hereby announce Zoe Oliver, the only surviving granddaughter of Sinclair Francis, as the new heiress to the corporation." 

Draped in a flowing gown of shimmering black worth millions, she glided through the spotlight with her eyes sparkling with pride and glamour, and her lips painted in a deep shade of red curved to charm, as she was introduced as the Multi-Billionaire heiress of the Sinclair's. 

"Oh my goodness! Isn't that Zoe?!" Ivy lost her elegance in astonishment and uttered in a voice loud enough for the entire family that were all in one space to hear all they all turned to look. 

Everyone was shocked! 

Chapter 0003

  "She must have clearly lost her mind."

"Reject a hundred million? Can her family ever get a quarter of it till they all die?"

"But are you sure, Mrs. Meyer has not gone mad from the aftereffects of too much suffering? She suddenly looked prideful when she asked to eliminate the compensation part from the papers." 

"Is that not a foolish way to deal with things? Choosing her pride over millions?"

The maids around nudged themselves and whispered into each other's ears as low as they could, wondering what was going on in Zoe's head. It was clear to them that she would rather become a penniless, divorced outcast than take the Meyers money. 

Malcolm was still sitting in his comfortable position like a king's figure, inwardly shocked by Zoe's request not to receive a dime from him. Though his face was cold and etched with an expression as stoic as ever, he smirked maliciously and thought to himself that she was trying to pull silly tricks. 

 Edward met the eyes of his boss with uncertainty about what to do next, and he understood Malcolm's message without the need to move his lips. 

"The compensation amount has been increased to 500 million," Edward announced again, and everyone's eyes almost dropped out of their sockets at the price. 

'Let us see how far she can play hard to get,' Malcolm thought spitefully in his mind, without meeting the gaze of his family, as much as they wanted him to make eye contact with them. To tell them what was going on and what his plan was. 

"What is going on?! Why is she getting that outrageous amount?!" Ivy was forced to scream at what Edward said, not minding her manners as usual before everyone. She just could not wrap her head around the fact that her brother wanted to give Zoe hundreds of millions for divorce. 

Isla shifted uncontrollably from her position and straightened the wrinkles that formed on her gorgeous dress, while Mrs. Irene Meyer pinched her lips into her mouth with all her might to prevent her from spluttering in rage at Zoe's sudden arrogance. She wanted to smack her hard on the face, and dip her head into the water closet to teach her a lesson. 

The Meyer family held a high prestige, therefore they refused to be affected by such an amount given out to a random person, and portray an outburst of emotions. However, it wasn't just someone. It was the lady they hated with all their might. 

"I am very intentional about my words, Malcolm Meyer. I am not receiving a penny from you if I have to sign these papers that will annul our marriage," she repeated sternly this time around, amidst her mild cough which she got from flu the previous day.  

Shock fell into the room again, and everyone had their mouths agape. They were absolutely not expecting to hear such a consistent reply from her even after they increased the price of her alimony. They truly couldn't understand why she would reject the money when she was from a wretched family. 

Based on her background, not even her entire household could ever get a quarter of the amount if they put all of them for sale. She was dirt poor from a random countryside, and the worst of all, was that she was an orphan who was raised by her grandmother. It was still a wonder how she managed to get married to a man like Malcolm Meyer because of his grandfather's silly family promise.  

"So you do not wish to take half of a billion? And not even a company?" Malcolm proposed a tempting offer in a calm manner with an overbearing tone that sounded menacing, and emphasized how dangerous it was for her not to think about her decision before answering thoughtlessly. 

Everyone continued to watch what was going on between the couples about divorce. No one knew what he was thinking, and what he was planning to do. That was probably the longest conversation they had heard him have with her in their presence. It was hard to figure out why he was willing to give her that much. 

At least, a company of his was worth billions. 

Zoe smirked derisively at his question, and turned to look at every member of the family, as she gazed right through the cold murderous glazes, they all darted in her direction. The atmosphere crackled with an intensity that bore weight on the fear of what her answer would be. 

"I want……," she dragged, increasing the tension in them, "Nothing," she answered with clarity this time, and flashed a riveting smile at Malcolm, who appeared so pissed by her answer, "Now, if you will excuse me. I have some packing to do," she informed curtly, and turned to leave everyone's sight immediately.  

It felt like the tension in the air held everyone's breath the moment Malcolm mentioned giving her company, and they could only release it after she strutted nonchalantly away from their sight. A long moment of silence followed, as everyone was short of what to say or do next. However, Ivy did not have it. 

"What did I just witness?" She lamented under her breath and struggled to catch her breath, as she slumped to one of the surrounding chairs in relief that her brother's wife did not demand one of their company. 

'But wait. What is wrong with that woman? Has she gone mad?' Ivy wondered in her mind, 'What kind of woman wouldn't want an insane amount of compensation like that after being treated like trash?' 

"Maybe Aunty is finally ready to show her true colors? Like a revenge comeback in those action-packed movies?" Aaron thoughtlessly speculated, as he continued to viciously play a game on his phone. 

"Go to your room this instant! You have examinations next week," Audrey frowned at her son. She didn't like the thought of him mentioning revenge. However, he remained sitting anyway. 

'What is going on?' Ivy wondered. 

"Oh…. It is crazy. I feel like my heart is about to jump out of my chest," she whispered into Ivy's ears, "Why is Malcolm offering to give her that much?" Audrey asked Ivy thoughtlessly. 

"I don't know either!" She gritted her teeth in frustration at Audrey as she scratched her hair, trying not to cause a scene with the stifling air permeating everywhere. 

Her eyes looked across to where her sister was standing and where her mother was sitting to see a reaction from them, but they seemed to hold their lips even if they had a lot to say. The burning anger in them was slightly palpable. 

"Edit the papers as wished," Malcolm instructed Edward curtly from where he was sitting, and stood up with uprightness in an instant, as his left hand grazed slowly across his waxed hair for a retouch. 

  Still caught in the hubbub and confusion of what was going on and how Malcolm would react to the situation, the stride of heels gliding on the polished floor captured everyone's attention collectively as they all turned their heads to the direction of where the sound was coming from. 

Zoe appeared in front of them, donned in a gorgeous red gown, as she took elegant steps down the stairs while dragging alongside her two boxes. The room fell into a hushed silence as everyone tried to capture the sight of whom they were staring at, and they thought they had wrongly seen the woman that was standing before them. 

Her stunning short armless red dress accentuated her curves in all the right places, and the neckline of the dress adorned with intricate lace and pearls that cut down open to the fullness of her cleavage, drew attention to her graceful neck and collarbone. Her long, dark hair which was initially tied down had been let down and styled to simplicity, and her face glowed beautifully at the subtle touch of makeup that accentuated her striking features.

 Her hazel eyes shone brightly with striking blue flecks that cut through more prominently in her left heterochromia eye, and they held a glimmer of confidence and determination that was undeterred by the watchful eyes of her husband's family.

"Oh my goodness! Who knew Zoe could be this hot? I didn't even know she had curves and long legs," Audrey drooled compulsively, with her eyes filled with a mix of astonishment and admiration as she set her eyes on Zoe. 

"Where did she even get that dress from?" Ivy asked in surprise, as she tried to remember where she had seen the luxurious piece from. 

"Should you not come and pick this up?!" Zoe suddenly snapped at the maids who were assigned to help her pack her things, and they rushed up at her immediately to help her with the bags. They were all shocked by her manner of speaking. 

"Have you finally lost it?" Irene stepped in and demanded in anger, when she realized that her son was just letting his wife do whatever she wanted. She couldn't even believe the seductive dress Zoe was wearing. 

'The fact that she was to be given a huge amount of alimony does not mean that she could run her mouth. She was still in their house, and they would still treat her as the filthy human that she was as long as she had not signed the papers.'

"I do not think you have the right to talk to me in that way, Irene. I am no longer your son's wife," Zoe retorted immediately with a contemptuous look, and everyone thought they had lost their minds the moment they heard her say that. 

For the first time in her life, Zoe talked back to Mrs. Irene Meyer. And she did not only talk back. She replied to her sarcastically with a slap of disgrace. 

"What….." Irene stuttered incredulously with her jaws dropped in disbelief, to hear Zoe give a flippant reply to her question. 

"Has it been corrected?" Zoe turned to ask Edward as soon as she walked closer, and he nodded instantly, as he handed her the new copies that had been edited. Her eyes skimmed through the paper when he handed it over to her, and shoved it back to him after she signed it. 

"I am glad I can finally be free from this lunatic family," she mouthed loud enough for everyone to hear, as she directed the maids to take her boxes to the car that was waiting outside for her already. 

"Do not overstep the line," Malcolm warned icily, his voice commanding intense intimidation and his eyes dark with a layer of impenetrable frost.

"I am no longer your wife, so, you have no right to order me around, Mr. Meyer," she sneered at him, and he gritted his teeth angrily as he grabbed her arm tightly. He hated that she was still talking while he was talking. It was something she never did. 

Everyone watched with nervousness and curiosity from where they stood, what would happen to Zoe after messing with Malcolm Meyer. 

"I would advise you to watch the way you talk on these premises. You are still on the Meyers family property," he reminded her with a heavy gaze that burned with an intensity that could scorch her, and she stared directly into his eyes, waiting for him to burn her down. 

"Let me go!" she hissed and snatched her arm away from his grip when she realized that she was taking too long to leave already, "You can have your family and property to yourself," she hissed again. 

"Adios, everyone," she flashed a smile, and sauntered away from everyone's sight to their shock.

Chapter 0002

Gossip was flying around the mansion of the Meyers and transmitting with the speed of lightning, as soon as one of the maids saw Malcolm making his way into Zoe's room, which was stationed in a hallway, different from the members of the family. 

They all wondered what was going on as they tried to think and figure out reasons, Malcolm would suddenly come back from work and go straight into her room. 

It had never happened before. For him to enter her room ever since they had been married. 

Their voices rose in speculation. 

"Is he finally seeing her as his wife?" One whispered as she scrubbed the same spot in the kitchen over and over again. 

"Or does he have something important to tell her?" The younger maid insinuated. 

"Could he be mad at her for something she did, and have decided to scold her secretly, unlike the rest of the family?" Another one guessed. 

"What could it be? Or does he suddenly need sexual relief?" The tallest of them smirked with a seductive grin tugging her lips, as they all chuckled amorously and eyed one another at the lewd thoughts she had aroused in their minds. 

"Come on. Mr Malcolm isn't the type to…….."

They pretended to do something meaningful immediately when they heard the door open, and that was the end of the discussion for the moment. It was the head maid, Beulah, who had walked in, and she was the eyes and ears for Mrs. Meyer in the mansion. They were all wary of her. 

The maids all wondered as they moved in twos and threes, talking endlessly about it while doing their final cleaning for the day before retiring to their quarters. 

It remained a mystery they couldn't solve, because Malcolm had not come out of his supposed wife's room for almost twenty minutes since he entered. They couldn't wrap their head around it no matter how much they tried to understand. 

The very few ones that were present in the mansion when Zoe had moved into the family as the new daughter-in-law of the family, knew the entire story of what happened after and how miserable her life had been ever since. They all saw how hated she was by every member of the household, and the fact that her husband, Malcolm didn't love her either. She was the one to do all the loving and care.

….. 

 "What…..?" Zoe's voice trembled as she stared at the papers that were stretched to her by her husband, with a suffocating heaviness in her heart without collecting them. 

"Sign the papers, and our marriage will be annulled. Then, you will no longer be a daughter-in-law of this family," Malcolm said to her with a hoarse but calm voice, with his eyes holding no emotions in them as he spoke to her. However, he noticed how bad she was trembling because of the cold, and the bruises that were imprinted on her face. 

"Please, Malcolm. I cannot… I cannot divorce you. I will try harder and be a better wife. Please do not mention divorce. It is not an option for me now," she begged profusely and fell on her knees as hot tears welled down her cheeks at the mention of what she heard Malcolm say. She also struggled with the flu she had developed due to the cold amidst her begging. 

"Edward will come to take the signed papers tomorrow, and the alimony will be transferred to you as preferred. A chauffeur will be available to take you to the airport too. Be prepared," Malcolm informed her coldly without minding her opposition, as her pleas even made him more pissed than he already was. 

"Please, Malcolm. I am not ready to end this marriage now," Zoe begged even more as she crawled pathetically to his feet, sobbing endlessly, and he strutted out of the room after kicking free of her. 

What he wanted was final. It didn't matter whether she was willing or not. 

Zoe had been married to the Meyers family for almost three years through an arranged marriage, and had suffered endlessly because of how everyone in the family treated her. And the fact that Malcolm never loved her and had nothing to want to do with her, made it harder for her to find peace in the marriage. 

She did most of the chores around, cooked, and ran errands that were meant for maids, just so that they would be pleased with her and count her as part of the family. But all had gone into vain in the years of being married. All her efforts were wasted. They just could never love her. And now Malcolm was ready to end their marriage just like that. 

***********......••.....***********

The next morning….

"What are you still doing here?" The voice demanded coldly to the freezing of Zoe, as she turned, aghast, to meet the lasers shooting out of her husband's beautiful eyes. 

His chiseled jawline and captivating greyish-blue eyes hinted at anger, as he stood at the entrance of the huge space he rarely entered. Dressed in a tailored suit that accentuated every part of his muscle-toned body, he exuded an aura of sophistication and a subtle touch of elegance. His perfectly framed face radiated irritation like a halo. 

"I… I…." She stammered fearfully and timorously, as she tore her gaze away from his scary sight before his intense look would scorch her right on the spot. 

Zoe entered the kitchen the next morning at dawn to start her usual food preparations, because she spent the entire night crying and could not sleep at all. 

She knew it was impossible to go against the wishes of her ruthless and intimidating husband, but she had to do something to show him that she was up to the task of remaining as his wife. That she could try harder to please him and his family as long as they let her stay. 

"Get out of this kitchen now!" He ordered, and the maids that were waiting outside entered. They put their hands around her arms and escorted her out of the kitchen immediately as instructed. 

Zoe begged weakly and tiredly as she was moved to the living room while coughing in between, feeling so dejected and frustrated that all her attempts to beg fell on deaf ears. She just could not divorce him yet. 

Ivy was the first to hear what was going on in the mansion as she alerted her elder sister, Isla, who told their mother, Irene, as every one of them made their way down the stairs from their rooms in curiosity of what was going on. 

Everyone in the family had gathered in the living room already, conflicted about what was going on that early in the morning, which could have led to a ruckus between Malcolm and the wife whom he never looked at. The maids were lurking around the vicinity too to get a grasp of what was going on, following the spread of news that he had been in her room the previous night. 

"I will do better, please," she begged again with tears in her eyes, without minding that her group of nemesis was standing in the room with mean glares. He just had to listen to her and take his statement back. 

His family soon figured out what was going on, but it was a shock to them rather than the joy that they always imagined when such a day would come. 

Every member of the family always wished that Malcolm would get rid of her for good since he wasn't in love with her anyway, but months had turned into years without him doing anything about his arranged marriage. Like something was holding him back. 

Mrs. Meyer was inwardly joyful and impressed that his son was finally divorcing his poverty-stricken wife, as she took her seat comfortably on one of the couches with a devilish grin dancing around her lips. She had played the most role of making Zoe miserable, and had made the young lady a shadow of herself through her endless mistreatment. 

"Sign the fucking papers, and get out of our house for good!" Aaron, the spoiled grandson of the house yelled under his breath, as his mother, Audrey, pinched him to shut his mouth up. 

"Please sign the papers, Miss Oliver," Edward said to Zoe as he took out the newly prepared divorce papers from the folder on the table, and handed over a ball pen to sign the paperwork, "You can take your time to read it too. A hundred million will be transferred to your account as alimony and compensation for the marriage too," he added.  

There was a collective gasp immediately after everyone heard the amount Malcolm was going to give her as alimony, as they nudged one another and passed uncomfortable stares that had carried unspoken messages. They all wondered if Malcolm was crazy enough to want to give the wife he had never loved millions of dollars as alimony. 

"A hundred million?" Ivy and Audrey called out compulsively. 

'Had he gone mad already?' his mother wondered with a huge frown. 

'Miss Zoe must have bewitched the Boss to give her such an amount,' the maids thought in their minds, as they all pondered on how their entire lives would take a beautiful turn if they were given such an amount. 

Zoe's eyes roamed through the pages of the files that were placed before her and she struggled to hold her tears, as the memories of the horrible things she had gone through in everyone's hands came flooding into her head like a broken dam. She could not believe that he wanted to settle her with money after all his family had done to break her. Draining the life out of her. 

"You want me out of your life, right?" Zoe suddenly asked as she studied his signature that was neatly scribbled at the end of the divorce papers, and her gaze met Malcolm's gaze fearlessly for the first time in her life. Her eyes were cold. Everyone was shocked by the sudden switch in tone of her voice. 

Malcolm was taken aback by Zoe's fiery gaze that was suddenly fueled by some sudden unwavering confidence. He wondered if he had seen wrong, and had mistaken her look with the wrong interpretation, because he knew the kind of woman that she had been since they were married. She had never once met his gaze the very few times they had spoken. 

He wondered what was going on in her head, as she continued to look impassively straight into his eyes. Her beautiful partial heterochromia eyes felt like they were whispering rebellion into his soul. She looked like she didn't even care about what was going to happen anymore. 

 "Then I cannot take your money," she continued when she realized that he was too disoriented to answer her question, "I do not want anything from you either. Whether it is a hundred million dollars or a hundred billion dollars. You can keep it," she uttered maliciously with contempt. 

"What?!" Ivy let out subconsciously in shock, as her loud voice reverberated across the walls of the deluxe living room amidst everyone's silence and shock. 

They all thought that she had gone bonkers and was out of mind, enough to reject such a huge amount of money. They cursed at her inwardly in their minds, and gritted their teeth while wondering what was going wrong with Malcolm too. They just couldn't understand his choices. 

"I will sign the papers after the compensation part has been corrected and adjusted," she announced insolently to his face.