(Next Morning—)
A soft ray of sunlight touched Zoya's face, pulling her out of sleep. Her eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.
For a moment, she couldn't remember where she was. "Where… am I?" she whispered, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling.
She pushed herself up, but the moment she moved, a sharp ache rolled through her lower body. She hissed softly and instinctively placed a hand over her stomach, trying to steady herself and ease the lingering discomfort.
And then—
her gaze drifted to the other side of the bed.
A man lay there, half-covered by the sheets, his face still hidden behind the mask he had worn the night before.
The memories hit her all at once. Her breath caught.
"Zoya what have you done, you spent the night with a stranger," Her heart twisted painfully, but then another thought pushed itself forward—Jaffery's voice echoing in her mind.
"If this makes Jaffery happy… if this gives him the child he wants…"
Zoya lowered her eyes. "Then… so be it," she murmured quietly.
She forced herself out of bed, ignoring the dull ache in her legs, and gathered her clothes one by one. After dressing silently, she took a slow breath and walked toward the door.
Her fingers touched the handle, But something made her stop, She turned back one last time.
The man still asleep, still nameless, still a stranger lay peacefully on the bed.
A strange, fleeting sadness touched her chest. "Goodbye… stranger," she whispered softly. "And let's never meet again."
With that, Zoya stepped out of the room and gently closed the door behind her.
---
(Zoya's Home—)
Zoya returned home with slow, tired steps. The moment she entered, Jaffery was already waiting for her in the hall.
"Zoya, you're back," he said quickly, eyes shining with anxious excitement. "Tell me—did everything go according to the plan? You… you spent the night with my friend, right?"
Zoya lowered her eyes and nodded.
"Yes… I spent the night with him."
Relief washed over Jaffery's face. Without warning, he pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Thank you… thank you so much, my love," he murmured against her ear. "Now all I want is to hear that you're pregnant. That will make everything perfect."
"Mm," Zoya responded faintly.
She gently pushed him away and stepped out of his arms.
"I need to take bath," she said softly. "And I need some rest too. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
Jaffery nodded. "Alright. We'll talk tomorrow. I also have to leave the Town for 15 days because of work."
Zoya frowned, confusion mixing with frustration.
"Jaffery, you're leaving again? For so many days? What kind of work keeps you away from home for that many days?"
His expression darkened instantly.
"Zoya, what do you think?" he snapped. "That I use 'work' as an excuse to… enjoy myself somewhere else?"
"That's not what I meant—" Zoya began.
"Then what DID you mean?" His voice rose sharply. "Do you think you're smarter than me? Just because you handle business better? Is THAT it?"
"No, Jaffery… I never said anything like that."
"I've heard enough. I don't want to listen to your explanations," he barked. "Get out of my sight."
Zoya's words died in her throat. She turned away silently and walked toward her room, her footsteps heavy.
As soon as she disappeared behind the door, Jaffery's anger melted into a cold, satisfied smile.
"Just one more month," he whispered to himself. "Then the biggest obstacle in my path will be gone forever."
---
Zoya lay in the warm bath, her body half-submerged in the water as steam curled around her. One hand rested over her lower belly.
"Why… why does it hurt so much?" she whispered to herself.
"Maybe… maybe because it was my first time…"
Her chest tightened as an old memory surfaced—her wedding night with Jeffrey.
She could still hear his voice clearly.
"Zoya… I'm sorry, but I won't be able to give you a husband's love."
"What do you mean?" she had asked, confused.
"I… I'm impotent."
"…What?"
"It's the truth. I don't want to keep you in the dark, so I'm telling you everything now. Don't expect that kind of love from me—I can't give you."
She remembered how shocked she had been. How small his voice sounded.
Then he added, as if he was doing her a favor— "But if you want, you can fulfill your desires with someone else."
"Jeffrey, are you out of your mind?" she had snapped.
"Do you even hear what you're saying?"
"I'm only thinking of your happiness."
"And if you feel bound because of our families' agreement, don't be. I give you my permission. You can sleep with another man."
"That's enough," she had said sharply.
"It doesn't matter to me if you can't give me physical love. I only want to stay by your side. That's all I need."
She had wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly. "You know how much I love you right."
And Jeffrey had hugged her back, whispering, "Yes i know very well my love."
---
Zoya squeezed her eyes shut.
"I swore I would never be with another man," she whispered, voice cracking. "But last night… I broke everything. I feel sick… disgusted with myself."
She slowly stepped out of the tub, dried herself, and slipped into comfortable clothes. Her legs still felt weak as she walked to the bed and collapsed onto it.
"How long will this pain stay?" she murmured, lowering herself onto the mattress. "Maybe I should just sleep for a while."
She closed her eyes, forcing her breathing to steady. But just as sleep began to pull her under—
A sound brushed against her ear. A soft, breathless whisper. A moan.
"…Aysha…"
Zoya's eyes flew open, heart slamming against her ribs.
"No," she whispered harshly, sitting up.
"Zoya, what's wrong with you? Why are you even thinking about him? Forget it. Forget everything that happened last night."
She pressed a hand to her forehead, trying to drive away the memory of a stranger's voice, the heat of his breath, the way he had said that name. "Aysha…"
She forced herself to breathe slowly, pulled the blanket over herself, and tried again to sleep.
Eventually… exhaustion won. And she drifted into sleep.