THE BILLIONAIRE'S REGRET, CHASING AFTER ME

"I am coming home."

Zelda Liamson received a message from her husband, James Ferguson. Her husband had been away on a work trip for three months, and he was finally coming back.

Zelda was so happy she couldn't hide the happiness and the smile on her face. Her relationship with her husband had been strained because they had gotten married under different circumstances, circumstances that did not involve love. When James left, staying away for so long, for those three whole months, Zelda thought that he was going to ask her for a divorce.

She thought he took those three months away from her to give her space to get used to the idea of getting divorced.

Although this message from her husband didn't specifically mean that he was not going to ask her for a divorce, she thought this was a great thing. If he was going to ask for a divorce, he would have just sent her the divorce papers. She would have dealt with lawyers, but he specifically wrote 'home' in his message.

He was coming home to her. This was a prized offering. He was finally coming back. She couldn't help herself but squeak in excitement.

Today was her birthday, and it was also their fifth wedding anniversary. She wasn't expecting him to be here today. She had organized a small birthday dinner with her close family and friends, but she never expected that James would be here. This was turning out to be the best day of her life.

She immediately went home, making sure to pay extra attention to herself. She took a long bath, and wore a beautiful sexy dress, hoping it would get her husband's attention and keep it. As she was anxiously waiting for her husband to come in, he finally did.

James opened the door, got in, and stood in front of it, watching her. Zelda was struck again by her husband's charisma, how handsome he was, the power he had to suck all the attention in the room and make her feel like Jell-O.

She smiled brightly at him, but her husband only looked at her, didn't even greet her, and went straight into the bathroom.

A few minutes later, Zelda heard the shower running. She had stood up, but now she sat down again. She went towards the bedside table and poured glasses of wine, anxiously waiting for her husband to come back.

When James finally emerged from the bathroom, his face expressionless, he walked straight to the wardrobe, ignoring the glass of wine she had poured for him. Zelda felt her heart sink a little but tried to stay optimistic. She smiled nervously and approached him as he changed into fresh clothes.

"James, I didn't expect you home today," she said softly, hoping to get a word out of him and build a connection. "I thought you had forgotten it was my birthday.and our anniversary."

James barely acknowledged her or graced her with a response, focusing instead on fastening his shirt. Zelda felt her nerves grow and her confidence deteriorating.

'Why wasn't he saying anything? Why did it feel like they were strangers instead of husband and wife? Like they hadn't known each other for years?

When he finished getting dressed, he grabbed his phone and began heading toward the door. Panic shot through Zelda. She rushed to block his path, her hand trembling as she placed it on his arm.

"Where are you going? Can't you stay, just for tonight?" she pleaded, her voice weak and desperate. "Please, James. I need you. I'm your wife."

James finally stopped and looked down at her, his expression cold.

"I have something important to take care of," he said, his tone devoid of any warmth or affection.

Zelda's heart broke. Tears welled in her eyes as she held onto him more tightly.

"I need your attention, James. I need your love. You're never here. I thought that today.."

Before she could finish her sentence, James roughly pulled her into his arms and carried her to the bed. Her breath caught in her throat, confused by the sudden shift in him as he threw her on the bed and climbed on top of her.

He kissed her with a hunger that left her confused and her body betraying her instantly as it responded to his kisses and attention. Then James reached for a condom in the bedside drawer. Zelda, caught between her desire and hurt, let herself be taken by him and enjoyed it too.

When it was over, she lay still, staring at the ceiling, confused by both James's reaction and her body's Betrayal when it came to him.

James, meanwhile, got up and as he took off the condom. His face changed immediately and he began inspecting the condom. His face darkened as he noticed it was torn.

"What the hell, Zelda?" he snapped, his voice sharp. "Did you do this?"

Zelda sat up, startled by his accusation. "What? What are you talking about?" she asked him confused.

James stormed over to the bedside drawer, ripping it open and finding the rest of the condoms. He inspected one after the other and found all of them were damaged. His face twisted in anger as he glared at her.

"You've been planning this, haven't you? Trying to trap me with a baby? Trying to steal my sperm!" he accused, his voice dripping with contempt.

"No, of course not!" she protested, her eyes wide with confusion.

"Then what is this?!" James shouted throwing the torn condoms towards her on the bed.

Zelda shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks.

"James, I swear I didn't do it. I would never..."

"Then who did? Who tore these condoms? Do you think it's me? You think I am the one desperate to have a baby with you to do this?" He asked mockingly.

"No! I know you don't want to have a baby James. But I swear I didn't do this. Maybe..maybe someone..." Zelda said trying to defend herself.

"Who? You're the only one who uses this room. You know I hate people in my space. Who did you let in here?" James asked with displeasure.

"No one. I know this room is prohibited but maybe when..." Zelda said, continuing to defend herself.

But James didn't listen. He grabbed his phone, sent a quick message, and stormed back to the bathroom, leaving her sobbing on the bed.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Zelda wiped her tears and opened it, only to find the maid standing there with a glass of water and a packet of pills.

"Mr. Ferguson asked for these," the maid said, handing them over and avoiding eye contact.

Zelda's heart sank as she realized what they were, birth control pills.

She took them silently, her hands shaking as she returned towards the room.

When James emerged from the bathroom, dressed and ready to leave, he found Zelda standing in front of the door with the glass of water and the birth control pills. The two of them locked eyes in a wordless standoff, their eyes doing the conversation between them.

Zelda backed into a corner and feeling defeated, downed the pills, her throat tight with humiliation.

James smirked, satisfied, and reached for his phone as it rang. Zelda listened as a familiar female voice filled the room, her heart sinking further with each passing second. It sounded a lot like Susan Wenger, James's ex-fiancée, the woman he was in love with.

Zelda's worst fears were confirmed as James made arrangements with Susan over the phone, promising her he was on his way.

"Don't worry, Just had to get home for a second. I am on my way." He said and hung up the phone.

"Are you going to see her?" Zelda whispered, her voice filled with dread.

James didn't answer. He simply grabbed his coat and walked toward the door.

"If you walk out that door, I'll divorce you!" Zelda cried out, her voice filled with desperation.

But James didn't stop. He didn't even turn around to look at her. He walked out, leaving Zelda alone crying for someone who was no longer there.

Zelda thought back to the night four years ago, when she'd been found lying in James' bed.

It was supposed to be James and Susan's engagement party. But there she was, inexplicably in his bed. Everyone said she'd set him up.

The way James looked at her-like she was some filthy, worthless parasite.

No one believed her when she tried to explain.

In everyone's eyes, Susan was the pure, noble daughter of a wealthy family.

And Zelda? Just a poor, gold-digging bitch consumed by jealousy of Susan.

After all, they were sisters swapped at birth.

When Zelda was six, she'd found out her parents weren't her biological ones. The two girls were sent back to their real families shortly after.

That's how Zelda ended up in a home filled with violence and abuse.

Susan took everything that mattered to her. And whenever there were people around, Susan would put on this sickening act of fake concern and sisterly love-it made Zelda's skin crawl.

Zelda shook her head hard, trying to shake off those suffocating memories.

Her phone suddenly rang. It was Jian, his voice tight with urgency. "Zelda, get to the hospital-now! Xander passed out!"

By the time she arrived, Xander had already been wheeled into the emergency room. She'd just sat down in the waiting area when she looked up-and locked eyes with someone she knew all too well.

James was sitting on a bench nearby, Susan curled up right beside him.

Today was her birthday. Their wedding anniversary. And Susan's birthday, too.

Zelda's blood rushed to her head, then turned ice-cold in an instant.

James clearly hadn't expected to run into her here either. His eyebrows shot up, and he stood up, walking straight toward her. He smelled of Susan's signature gardenia perfume-the scent pricked at Zelda's heart like a needle.

"What are you doing here?" His voice held a faint, unnoticeable hint of fluster.

Zelda twitched the corner of her mouth, a bitter laugh escaping her. "I brought your brother here because he collapsed. Shouldn't you be off handling that 'important business' you mentioned?"

Her gaze drifted past him, landing on Susan.

Susan's face immediately crumpled into a frightened expression. She hurried over, reaching out like she wanted to grab Zelda's arm. "Sister! What are you doing here? Is Xander okay? I'm so worried about him."

"Don't touch me." Zelda stepped sideways, dodging her hand. Her voice was cold as ice. "If I remember correctly, today's our wedding anniversary. You're out here on a date-with my husband?"

Susan's eyes welled up with tears instantly. She turned to James, her voice trembling with grievance. "Sister, you've got it all wrong! I wasn't feeling well, so James just came with me to get checked out."

"Not feeling well?" Zelda raised an eyebrow, her eyes sweeping over Susan's flushed, perfectly healthy face. "Looks to me like you're doing just fine."

A well-dressed couple walked over. They were Susan's biological parents-or, technically speaking, Zelda's adoptive parents. They went straight to Susan, fussing over her, without sparing Zelda so much as a glance.

Zelda's heart sank completely.

A nurse's voice suddenly cut through the tension. "Xander's family? Please come with me to his room."

Zelda turned to leave-but James grabbed her wrist. His palm was burning hot, his tone sharp and commanding. "Go on ahead. I'll be there soon."

Zelda wrenched her hand out of his grip, her eyes glinting with bitter mockery. "Soon? Are you going to wait until you finish taking Susan to her doctor's appointment? Or until you've celebrated her birthday?"

James' face darkened. He opened his mouth to retort-but Susan suddenly clutched her stomach, letting out a soft whimper. "Oh. my stomach hurts."

His frown deepened instantly. Without thinking, he steadied Susan, his voice softening right away. "Where does it hurt? Let's get you checked out right now."

With that, he didn't even look back. He wrapped an arm around Susan's waist and led her down the hallway. As Susan passed Zelda, she slowed down deliberately, a triumphant smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

Zelda stood rooted to the spot, staring at their retreating backs. Her throat felt tight, like it was stuffed with cotton.

She took a deep breath and turned toward Xander's room. But just as she reached the door, she heard a familiar voice coming from inside-her mother-in-law, Helen Ferguson.

Helen was on the phone, her voice low and calculating, sharp as a poisoned blade. ".Xander's got Rh-negative blood. Regular transfusions won't work. The only way to save him is if Zelda gets pregnant and has a baby with the same blood type-then the baby can be his donor."

Zelda's footsteps froze. Her blood turned to ice in her veins.

"That girl actually thinks James is starting to have feelings for her again?" Helen let out a cold laugh, her voice dripping with contempt. "If I hadn't deliberately poked holes in all those condoms, she never would've gotten the chance to get pregnant. Once she has the baby, the Ferguson family won't need her anymore."

It was Helen who'd poked the condoms!

Zelda's fingers dug into her palms, hard enough to draw blood. The pain was sharp, but it was nothing compared to the ache in her chest. So that night had all been a setup. James' angry accusations, her futile attempts to defend herself-every bit of it had been a carefully orchestrated trap.

She'd been so stupid, thinking James had started coming home because he still cared about her.

".Once the baby's born, we'll kick her and that sickly brother of hers out of the house. The Ferguson family doesn't let just anyone in."

Helen's voice droned on, but Zelda couldn't listen anymore. She stumbled backward, hitting the wall with a soft thud.

The voice inside the room fell silent immediately.

Zelda didn't waste another second. She spun around and ran for the stairwell. She needed air. She needed to get away-away from this place, from all the lies and betrayal.

Eighteen years ago, Susan had walked into her life and taken everything from her-her family, her old life, everything she'd ever loved.

And now, Susan was back again.

Zelda couldn't help but wonder-was she going to lose everything all over again, just because of Susan?

She looked up and saw a group of women walking down the street, fresh from a fashion show.

She paused, her gaze fixing on a nearby fashion designer's studio.

She'd loved design. She'd loved fashion shows. Ever since she was a kid, she'd gone to fashion and modeling school. She used to joke that she wanted to be a model someday.

She'd always said, "Instead of modeling other people's clothes, I'd rather model my own designs."

But after she got married, she'd given up that dream.

Her brother had begged her to go back to school, but she'd refused-she'd wanted to focus on her marriage, on making it work.

But everything James had done had shattered her last shred of hope. Now she couldn't help but wonder-was this a sign? A sign that she should let go, and finally get her life back on track?

A sudden gust of wind blew, tangling her loose hair around her face. She raised a hand to brush it away-and her fingers brushed against the necklace around her neck. It was the one James had given her when she was eight years old. Her most prized possession.

She'd never taken it off, not once.

When she was eight, James had been her hero. Her savior. Her father had been beating her that day, and her brother had been forced to take her to the Ferguson estate for help.

It was James who'd carried her into the house, whispering softly to comfort her. "Don't worry, Zee. You'll be okay. I'll take care of you."

Turns out, it had all been a lie from the very start.

Zelda let out a bitter chuckle. She curled her fingers around the necklace, yanking hard, ready to tear it off.

"Miss, are you alright?"

The taxi driver's voice jolted her out of her thoughts. She looked up to find him staring at her, a hint of concern in his eyes.

Zelda shook her head. She pulled open the car door and climbed in. She gave him Jian's apartment address-then realized she'd rushed out of the hospital without her wallet or phone.

"I'm so sorry," she said, flustered. "I didn't bring any money with me."

The driver turned to look at her. His eyes fell on the necklace around her neck.

She removed the necklace and gave it to the driver,

" You can have this. It is worth a lot of money"

The taxi driver took the necklace as he watched her and took notice of her expensive clothes.

" How much can I get for this?" He asked her suspiciously.

"Two to four million dollars" she answered with a straight face. The driver gasped but Zelda tuned him out.

Giving a way the necklace marked as a symbol of her finally letting go.

As the driver continued on his way, he then noticed someone was following them. The person seemed to be signalling for them to stop.

"Miss do you know the person following us" he asked Zelda. Zelda turned around and immediately recognized the car. It happened to be James. She sighed heavily.

"It's my husband. Just pull over, he never gives up ." She told the driver who listened to her and stopped.

James got out of his car and stood outside waiting, but Zelda didn't make a move to get out. While gritting his teeth he came towards the taxi and opened it,

"Get out!" He commanded her with a sharp tone.

"No. I want a divorce."

James pulled Zelda from the taxi towards his car, without saying a word. The minute he put her inside, he noticed that she was not wearing her necklace.

"Where is it?" he asked, his tone firm.

"What?" she replied, pretending she didn't know what he meant.

"Where is the necklace? Where is your necklace?" James asked, getting more worked up

"I threw it away," Zelda said, her voice steady.

"You threw it away!? Why?" James asked, clearly caught off guard by the answer.

He knew how much Zelda loved that necklace. He had never seen her without it, ever since he put it on her neck himself

"I want a divorce," she said simply.

James's expression shifted from confusion to anger and disbelief.

"What are you talking about? What divorce? You're the one who wanted to marry me," he said, disbelief filling his voice. "You drugged me and climbed into my bed, making sure that everyone knew that we were together, tying me to you, forcing me to marry you, and now you want a divorce?" he laughed mockingly.

Zelda felt a familiar ache in her chest as memories of the past washed over her. It was clear that James didn't trust or believe her, and he never would. He would never believe a word she said again because of what happened four years ago.

Zelda didn't drug him, she hadn't planned for them to be found together or to force him to marry her. She had nothing but love and respect for him. She would never want to gain his love or attention that way.

This realization only further solidified her decision to divorce him.

Since he didn't understand or believe her anyway, she decided to remain silent, giving him the cold shoulder. She didn't respond when he asked about the necklace again or when he pressed her with other questions.

"Zelda, answer me, where is it? Where is the necklace?"

Quiet.

"Zelda, you're going to force me to do something that both of us are going to regret. Where did you put the necklace?"

Still, she remained silent.

"Why did you take it off in the first place?"

Quiet.

"Okay, do you want to go home or do you want to go back to the hospital?"

Nothing.

James grew furious. In his frustration, he pulled her onto his lap. She struggled against him, but he didn't let her go. He gave her two hard slaps on her bottom.

Whenever he used this method, she would give in, or beg for forgiveness. But this time, it didn't work for her.

He demanded, "Where is the necklace?'

' Where did you take it?'

' I saw it on you just a few minutes ago. Where is it?"

Nothing.

"Don't make me angry."

Still, nothing.

He continued with his punishment, delivering harder, heavier slaps. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but her mouth remained closed, biting on her bottom lip to keep from crying out.

James's anger shifted when he saw it wasn't having the desired effect. Suddenly, it dawned on him what Zelda truly wanted.

He lifted her off his lap and positioned her on top of him, her legs straddling his thighs.

"Fine," he said, his voice low and determined. "I'm going to give you what you want."

Tears streamed down Zelda's cheeks as she wiped them away, confusion clouding her eyes. What the hell did he mean?

James, however, interpreted her recent behaviour as a reaction to his refusal to have a baby. That evening, when she had tried to set him up to have a baby and he had denied her, he believed it had triggered this new behaviour in her. From the beginning of their marriage, he had been clear that he would never allow her to carry his child. But after finding the torn condoms that morning, he assumed she was upset because he had refused her desire to have his baby.

So, in a moment fueled by frustration and misguided intention, he began unbuckling his trousers and pulling on her dress. That's when Zelda realized what he was about to do.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice sharp and trembling.

"I'm giving you what you want. You want a baby, don't you? You want a baby so much that you would use divorce to threaten me? That you tore the condom in the bedroom? Okay, I'm giving you that baby right now, right here."

Zelda's heart raced, panicking.

"Please don't do this to me. What are you doing? We're in the middle of the road! Anyone could pass here and see us! There are cars here. If I'm found like this, where would I put my face? This would be the embarrassment of the century. I will be humiliated! I will.."

At first, James didn't listen to her. He tore at her dress, kissing her neck and getting to her breasts. He didn't care about her please, but only about fulfilling his mission.

But then, the desperation in Zelda's voice seemed to pierce through his anger.

"Please, James, I'm begging you not to do this. Please, do not act like my father."

Her words struck a nerve. Suddenly, he relented, letting her go abruptly. The last thing he wanted was to be compared to Zelda's biological violent father.

Feeling bad for what he almost did, he shoved her aside and buckled his belt. In a daze, he moved to the front seat and started driving the car, leaving Zelda alone in the back.

The drive home was silent, filled with tension and unspoken words. Both of them were left to deal with the emotions that had erupted between them, the distance growing ever wider between them.

When they arrived home, Zelda quickly tried to get out of the car, but James was quicker. He jumped out and stopped her, his expression hardening as he took in her dishevelled appearance. Even though nobody was supposed to be home, there were still security personnel around, and he didn't want anyone to see her that way. Her dress was torn into shreds, clinging to her as she held on to the pieces.

Without a word, he took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. As he did, his eyes caught the sight of her hand. It was bleeding. Concern flashed across his face as he took her hand to inspect it. He noticed a bandage that had been there was now gone, likely torn off during their struggle in the car, and the wound was fresh and angry.

"What happened?" he asked, genuine concern lacing his voice. "How did you hurt your hand?"

Zelda merely shook her head, refusing to answer. It wasn't like he truly cared about her well-being, so she kept her mouth shut.

James silently picked her up and carried her inside. He took her straight into their bathroom and placed her on the counter. He opened the medicine cabinet and took the first aid kit, the sterile smell of antiseptic filling the air as he began to clean her wounds.

As he applied the antiseptic to her wound, Zelda felt a wave of nausea wash over her. She pushed him aside and dashed to the kitchen sink, where she doubled over and started vomiting. James rushed to her side, holding her hair back slowly as she heaved.

Once she was done, he turned to her, searching her eyes.

"Are you pregnant?" he asked,