Chapter 12 Juanita's smile faltered, but she quickly recovered. After letting out a dramatic sigh, she raised her voice just enough for Zachary to overhear. "Emma? She took off to study abroad, chasing her big dreams and leaving Zack in the dust." The neighbors froze. Kaley dropped the streamer in her hand and asked, "She's studying abroad? So, is the wedding still happening?" "Of course it is!" Juanita chirped, striding over. "Keep going, everyone-add more streamers, like we planned." How- ever, the women exchanged uneasy glances, their hands still. Their eyes collectively darted toward Zachary. Zachary's nerves were already frayed. Hearing Juanita's voice twisting the truth sent fury flooding through him. He suddenly slammed open the door, his expression cold as stone. "Get out! Who told you to start decorating?" The neighbors jumped in fright, ribbons and tape scattering to the floor. Realizing he wasn't joking, they scrambled to col- lect their things and hurried out of the house. Juanita's smile vanished. Tears welled up in her eyes as she stammered, "Zack, what's gotten into you? We agreed we're getting married! You're embarrassing me in front of everyone!" Zachary started to comfort her out of habit, but a wave of whispers from the departing neighbors stopped him cold. "Zachary's shameless, isn't he? Emma just left, and he's already with that Juanita girl." "Right? And that Juanita was Emma's intern! What a snake." "She couldn't even wait for the breakup to be official. Disgusting." The words pierced Zachary like needles. Already on edge from Emmaline's departure, the public humiliation was un- bearable. Ignoring Juanita's tearful pleas, he stormed into the study, slamming the door behind him to block out the world. Juanita froze, trembling. The tears streaming down her face were real now, but she didn't dare go after him. She told herself he was just in a mood. Inside the study, Zachary slumped against the door, pulling out the annulment letter and reading it over and over. He was still tormented by the uncertainty of why Emmaline had left. He couldn't help but wonder if it was really for her studies or if she had discovered his affair with Juanita. Just then, the phone on his desk shrilled, jarring him. It was the hospital. He took a deep breath, forcing his voice to stay steady. "Hello?" "Mr. Hinchcliffe, there's been a report of a major medical error involving Juanita. She needs to come in person, or she may not pass her evaluation." Zachary's heart lurched. "Who filed the report?" "I'm sorry, sir, that information is confidential. Please pass the message along to her." After hanging up, Zachary's face was darker than ever. He had indeed pulled strings to ensure Juanita passed her eval- 0.0 % 10:01 Chapter 12 288 IVouchers uation. Now, with a complaint filed, the situation was precarious. If it traced back to Juanita, he'd be dragged down too. A flicker of doubt crept in as he recalled her tearful theatrics. He stood abruptly, grabbed his jacket, and headed for the door. Hearing the noise, Juanita rushed from the living room. "Zack, where are you going? I thought we were discussing the wedding!" "Something came up at the base. Don't wait up," he said, his voice cold as ice. Without pausing, he strode out of the door and drove straight to the hospital, demanding to see the original report again. The hospital staff immediately re- trieved the operating room records from that day. The documents clearly detailed that Juanita was the one who had made the critical error. Zachary's heart sank. Now, he knew-Juanita had lied through her teeth. 76.7 % 10:01