When Love Becomes a Thing of the Past (Zoey) novel Chapter 4

Chapter 4 

Someone burst out la ughing. “Her? She probably never leaves her hometown!” 

Even Jackson smirked slightly, shaking his head. 

dra’s eyes narrowed with satisfaction. “My mistake! I should’ve asked which market has the cheapest vegetables or which toilet 

cleaner works best!” 

More laughter erupted. She turned away smugly, starting another story. 

I slowly clenched my fists. Something inside me burned. Must be the alcohol, I thought. Why else would such juvenile taunts get under my skin? 

“I’ve been there.” My voice cut through the noise, calm but firm. 

The laughter died instantly. Sara turned, momentarily startled, before sneering, “What?” 

“I’ve been to Azora.” 

Surprise flickered across her face before she recovered, voice dripping contempt. “No need to pretend. If you haven’t been, just admit it! Lying only makes you look nathetic.” 

“I’m not lying.” 

“Oh really?” She crossed her arms, chin lifted. “Then tell us, where exactly? The coastal cities? The tourist spots?” 

I met her gaze steadily. “The Nyara Republic.” 

The room went silent. 

“…Nyara?” someone echoed uncertainly. “She must be drunk,” another laughed nervously, *making up stories!” 

The fire inside me blazed hotter. I wasn’t alone there–there were countless others. 

Journalists, peacekeepers, aid workers… Were we all not “normal people“? 

When Love Becomes a Thing of the Past 

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hapter 4 

swept my gaze across the table, each word deliberate: “Not only have I been there, I lived 

there for a year. I’ve witnessed resource wars, worked in epidemic treatment centers, 

distributed aid with UN workers. I took a bullet.” 

Stunned silence fell. They stared at me, dumbfounded. 

I swirled my wine, fixing my gaze on Sara, voice turning glacial: “And one more thing. There are no yellowfin tuna in the Celestial Sea–wrong climate entirely. The ancient paths don’t start in Westland; they run through the Northern Kingdom. And the sacred rocks of 

the Southern Isles? Closed to climbers since 2019.” 

My lips curled into a slight smile. “Sara, lying is risky. It’s so easy to get caught.” 

Her face drained of color.