THE UNFORSEEN DOMINANCE OF ZACH MARLOW

~ 1 ~

The morgue was oppressively silent, the air heavy with the sterile sting of disinfectant. Zach’s body lay still on the cold steel table, shrouded in a white sheet that clung to the lifeless contours beneath it.

 “Skip the autopsy and send the body for cremation immediately,” a sharp, impatient voice echoed.

 Maya stood near the doorway, arms crossed, her expression devoid of grief. Instead, there was a flicker of irritation, as if Zach’s death was merely an inconvenient chore to finalize. 

The nurse hesitated, her brow furrowed. “Ma’am, are you certain? Protocol requires confirmation—”

 Before the sentence was complete, Zach’s chest heaved. A ragged gasp shattered the stillness, and his eyes flew open, darting frantically as he inhaled like a man drowning in air. 

The nurse screamed, staggering backward. “He’s alive!”

Maya stumbled back a step, her face pale with shock before her lips curled into a sneer. “Why couldn’t he just stay dead?” she muttered under her breath, her tone laced with irritation rather than relief. 

Zach’s mind reeled as the harsh lights overhead blurred into view. His thoughts were fragmented, and he struggled to make sense of where he was. 

Memories of the attack rushed back—a brutal scene at his home, his adoptive sister being dragged away, his mother desperately trying to protect her.

The sickening thud to the back of his head. Darkness.

 But now, he was awake. Alive.

 “My family…” he rasped, forcing himself upright. “I need to find them—”

 “Don’t waste your breath,” Maya interrupted, her voice dripping with disdain. “Your mother’s already dead. And your precious little sister? Probably dragged off to God knows where.” 

Her words hit Zach like a sledgehammer. He froze, his hands gripping the edge of the table. “No… No! It’s all my fault. I couldn’t save them.” His voice broke, and his fists clenched as he slammed them against the cold steel table. 

In that moment of despair, his eyes burned with a fiery red glint. “I swear,” he growled, his voice low and venomous, “I’ll make them pay for what they’ve done.” 

Maya rolled her eyes, her lips twisting into a mocking smirk. “Oh, spare me the theatrics,” she snapped. “This is actually perfect timing. I was going to file for divorce anyway.”

Zach’s head snapped toward her, disbelief etching deep lines into his face. “Divorce? Now? After everything—”

“Don’t make this harder than it needs to be,” she interrupted, a cruel smile curling her lips. “I’ve landed a multimillion-dollar deal for my company, Zach. I’ve outgrown you. You’re nothing but a penniless loser with no future.”

Zach’s throat tightened, the sting of her words cutting deeper than he expected. He had no memory of his life before the accident five years ago.

 He’d been found barely alive, taken in by a kind-hearted woman who took care of him until he fully recovered, and he had seen her as his own mother. 

Since then, he had worked tirelessly to support his small family and Maya, giving her everything he could. 

And now, she was discarding him like trash. 

“You can’t mean this,” he said quietly, his voice trembling. 

“Can’t I?” Maya shot back, her voice rising. “My father forced me to marry you out of gratitude because you saved my life once. But he’s dead now. I’m free to live my life the way I want—and that doesn’t include being shackled to a worthless excuse for a husband.”

Zach stared at her, his mind reeling. He thought of the endless shifts, the sacrifices he made to give her a semblance of the life she wanted. 

All those nights when he came home utterly drained, only to face her constant demands and ungratefulness. 

“After all these years,” he said, his voice thick with emotion, “I gave you everything I had.”

 Maya let out a harsh laugh, her tone dripping with mockery. “Everything? Don’t make me laugh, Zach. What did you ever give me? A meager paycheck? A run-down apartment? Your so-called love didn’t buy me the life I deserve.”

Zach’s chest tightened, her words hammering into him. Before he could respond, another voice cut through the air.

“Babe, have you sorted out his cremation yet? I’m starving. Let’s go celebrate your freedom.”

Zach turned toward the sound, his stomach churning as recognition dawned. 

Luke Harrington. 

The heir to one of the city’s wealthiest families strolled into the room, his arm casually draped over Maya’s shoulders.

 Luke’s eyes landed on Zach, and his smirk widened. “Oh, you’re alive?” he said with mock surprise. “How inconvenient. But it doesn’t change anything.”

 Zach’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the table, fury bubbling beneath the surface. 

Maya pulled out a stack of papers, tossing them onto the table in front of Zach. “Sign the divorce papers,” she commanded, her tone icy.

 Luke leaned in closer, his voice low and taunting. “Face it, Zach. You’ve always been nothing. A nobody. A stray dog who got lucky enough to stumble into a decent home. But let’s not kid ourselves—you never belonged. So do yourself a favor and sign those papers. Maybe you can scrounge up enough dignity to crawl back into whatever filthy gutter you came from.”

Zach’s silence seemed to fuel Luke’s growing malice. His smirk turned predatory as he stepped closer. “What’s the matter, pauper? Too stupid to understand simple instructions? Or do you think you still have some kind of leverage here?” 

He leaned in, his voice dropping to a venomous whisper. “Let me spell it out for you. That house your family lived in? It’s on my family’s property. One word from me, and your precious sister will be tossed out onto the streets.” 

Zach’s jaw clenched, his body trembling with barely contained rage. 

Luke’s eyes gleamed with cruel amusement as he pressed on, his voice softening into a mockery of concern. 

“And the streets, Zach… Well, you know how dangerous they are. Remember those thugs who dragged her away? Imagine her back out there, helpless, with no one to protect her. How long do you think it’ll take before they find her again? Only this time…” He trailed off, his smirk widening as his meaning became unmistakably clear. 

“Those men won’t just stop at dragging her away,” Luke continued, his tone cold and deliberate. “Do you have any idea what they’d do to a young, defenseless girl like her? Or do you need me to paint you a picture?”

Zach’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the edge of the table, his body rigid with rage and anguish.

Maya stood beside Luke, her arms folded, her expression indifferent.

“Now,” Luke said,sneering, straightening up and brushing imaginary dust off his suit, “be a good dog and kneel, sign the papers. And remember, save your sister—or don’t, either way, you’re nothing but a speck beneath my shoes!”