Left for Dead Came Back for Everything novel Chapter 3

Eliza stopped struggling, a mocking smirk tugging at her lips.

"No wonder you kept insisting we aren't officially divorced. You're getting remarried."-

Zander's brow furrowed heavily. "It's not what you think."

Just as he spoke, the car door was yanked open from the outside.

Yvonne's smile instantly froze. She paused for a moment before stretching it into an even wider grin. "Eliza, why didn't you tell us you were back? Zander and I have missed you so much."

Eliza had no patience for either of them. Taking advantage of the open door, she stepped out and walked away briskly.

"Eliza!"

Yvonne suddenly called after her. "Zander and I are going to pick out a wedding dress. You've always had great taste. Do you want to come with us?"

"We can grab dinner afterward. We've really missed you, and it would be great to catch up."

Eliza's heart plummeted, her breath catching in her throat.

She quietly clenched her fists, quickly forcing her features back into a mask of indifference. "No thanks. I have plans."

A suffocating wave of despair washed over her. She didn't dare look back, terrified of seeing them being affectionate.

Once upon a time, she genuinely believed she would be happy forever.

But a single earthquake had permanently destroyed everything they had.

Back then, when she wanted a divorce, her parents refused. They claimed it was too humiliating and that a divorced woman would ruin her siblings' marriage prospects.

They even told her that since her leg was ruined and couldn't be fixed, she shouldn't bother with treatment. They drained her bank accounts to pay for her brother's tuition instead.

That period was the darkest time of Eliza's life. She sought out countless doctors, refusing to give up even a sliver of hope. She eventually moved abroad for long-term physical therapy, though the results were disappointing.

She only returned to the country when her father was diagnosed with cancer.

Even though she had a massive falling out with her parents, he was still her biological father. She couldn't just leave him to die.

After Eliza had been discharged from the hospital three years ago, Yvonne's adoptive parents were killed in a sudden car crash. Their family was left in shambles, and the weight of the world had fallen on Zander's shoulders.

They had found him by a river when he was a boy. He had been too young to remember anything except his last name.

They had called the police, but they couldn't locate his real family.

After much consideration, they officially adopted him.

Over the years, Zander had come to view them as his real parents.

Because of the tragedy, he didn't have the time to look for Eliza back then. He assumed there would always be time later, but the days just kept slipping away.

He just hadn't expected that it would be three years before he saw her again.

Yvonne leaned against him, sobbing quietly. "I'm sorry, Zander, I didn't mean to. Please don't abandon me. They asked you to take care of me before they died, remember?"

Tears welled in her eyes. "You're all I have left. I'm sorry. They were so worried about me. I just wanted to take a wedding photo to show them I'm doing okay. I knew they wouldn't approve if I asked some random guy. You were the only one I could turn to. You have to help me, Zander..."