Zoya’s P.O.V
I got up from the bed and stretched my delicate, sore muscles, a reminder of the wild, wild night I had.
Every experiment, every act of love with Ezra that seemed so daring yesterday, only served to make me blush like an overripe tomato right now as I clutched the covers to my bare chest, hoping that Ezra didn’t walk in and find me in this state of undress.
So I quickly got out of bed and headed to the bathroom to take a quick shower and dress in some proper clothes before I face Ezra.
As I stepped out of the bedroom after getting ready, Ezra greeted me with a mischievous smile as he lowered his head towards mine for a quick kiss. “I was about to call you.” He grinned. “Breakfast is ready.”
“Thank you.” I grinned back and accompanied him to the kitchen, where I found a large red envelop sitting on the counter.
I raised an eyebrow at him, silently asking him the same question, but he only shook his head.
He handed me the letter, as curiosity sparked within me. "What's this?" I asked, but he only shrugged in response.
"Beats me," he said. "Cam delivered it to the house this morning, saying that it was delivered to the Clinic and was written as an emergency. It's addressed to you, obviously. Thought it would be something nice. Open it."
Nodding, I opened the envelop carefully, unfolding the delicate paper, and my entire body froze in shock, the letter dropping from my hands as my eyes widened in astonishment.
“Zoya? What’s wrong?” I vaguely heard Ezra’s voice as he came rushing around the counter to pick up the letter from the floor, while I stood there frozen, trying to process everything.
It was an invitation to Ravi and Tania’s wedding!
His hand on her breast, her lips on his neck, his dick inside her…
In the same fucking apartment she and I shared, no less.
Memories of their betrayal flashed before my eyes as I tried to cope with the fact that those two bastards had actually dared to do this to me!
"Fuck!" I heard Ezra curse from beside me, clearly having read the contents of the letter by now. And then I felt his hands on my shoulders as he turned me towards him, Ezra's voice was filled with concern as he told me, "You don't have to go, Zoya. You have the choice to distance yourself from the people who caused you so much pain. Choose yourself!"
His words were laced with empathy, understanding the wounds that still lingered within me.
But something inside me stirred, a fire, a newfound strength and resilience that had blossomed through the love and support of Ezra.
I didn't need to cower from them anymore. I was stronger now, and they couldn't break me that easily. They had gone out of their way to taunt me, mock me, in a pitiful attempt to break me. But they couldn't do that anymore.
Because I was a phoenix, risen from the ashes.
If they had the audacity to mockingly reach out to me after betraying me in the worst way possible and I had basically shut them out of my life, then I, too, had the audacity to turn up at the wedding and face them in all my glory.
"No, Ezra," I said firmly, after the initial shock of their betrayal faded away. "I'm okay now. This invitation is just a reminder of their futile attempt to hurt me. But they can no longer touch me. I've grown stronger, and I won't let them have power over me anymore."
I met Ezra’s eyes without fear. The way he looked at me made me feel like I was the most important person in the world to him, and that kind of love was something I had never experienced before.
It was as if he saw through all my insecurities and flaws and still found me worthy of his love. It was a feeling of acceptance and belonging that I had longed for my whole life.
And that was exactly why I had the courage to show my face at that asshole Ravi and my snake of a cousin's wedding. A wedding that should’ve once been mine, but right at this moment, I couldn’t be happier at having dodged that bullet.
The past no longer defined me; I have moved forward and discovered my own worth. The hurt they inflicted upon me had transformed into a source of strength, propelling me to rise above their negativity.
Because every wrong thing that had happened in my life had led me to this day, to the path of self discovery I had walked and to the woman I have become. And most importantly, the man I had by my side at this very moment, whose love and devotion towards me reminded me every day that no one should settle for less.
I held the invitation in my hand, feeling a surge of confidence coursing through my veins.
With a determined smile, I reassured Ezra, "I can handle them all, even my mother. They would never expect me to show up, and that would only convince everyone that I’m the pitiful woman they believe me to be. I can’t let that happen, Ezra."
Ezra's eyes softened with pride and admiration. He took my hand in his, kissing the back of my palms softly.
With a gentle touch, he brushed a strand of hair away from my face, his smile matching the love in his eyes. "You are everything to me, Zoya," he said softly, reaffirming the depth of his feelings for me. "I am so, so proud of you."
I don’t know why but at that moment, I felt like crying. Not because of the letter or the upcoming wedding of two snakes.
But because this was the first time in my life that someone had told me that they were proud of me. And they had meant it.
"Thank you, Ezra," I told him sincerely. "You have helped me so much in ways that you don't understand."
But just as I was assuring myself and reestablishing my composure, the sound of my cell phone pierced through the tranquility of the moment. When I checked it however, I couldn’t help the sense of dread that settled it the pit of my stomach as my mother’s picture flashed on the screen.
I exchanged a look with Ezra before answering the call reluctantly, knowing that it will only bring more pain. True to my expectations, my mother's venomous words poured out, attacking my very existence.
"Don't you dare go to that wedding, you bitch!" she exclaimed as soon as I picked up, without even bothering for a greeting. "Don't show your ominous face and destroy your cousin's happiness, you understand me? I don't care if Ravi sent you an invitation. Don't you dare attend."
Though her words stung, I refused to let them consume me as they once did. After all, I was a newer Zoya now, wasn't I?
I wasn't going to let one short phone call ruin my week.
The resilience I had found within myself shielded me from the worst of her verbal assault.
Determined not to let her toxic influence penetrate my spirit, I mustered the courage to end the call abruptly. With a slightly trembling hand, I switched off my phone, effectively cutting off her ability to reach me at this moment.
And it felt good to do that. It felt like something I should have done a long time ago.
But just as I thought I had regained control, an overwhelming wave of nausea washed over me.
Crap.
Panic set in, and I instinctively rushed to the bathroom, barely making it in time before I empty the contents of my stomach into the toilet bowl.