Rise from the Ashes: My Ex-Husband's Regret

I married the richest man in Los Angeles. He pursued me for four years and spoiled me for five. I was the woman every woman in Los Angeles envied. But the “good man” they talked about turned around and rolled around with his female assistant in my car, then even forged photos of me cheating so he could throw me out. Only later did I learn that I was the Foster family’s long-lost heiress. Using my identity as the Foster heiress, I personally acquired Ashford Group. On the day we signed the acquisition agreement, he begged me with red eyes to come home. I only said two words: too late. Me living well was the best revenge against him. Chapter 1 Evelyn Clark POV “Hello. I want a divorce.” I pushed a stack of documents and materials toward the lawyer. The lawyer across from me froze for a full half minute, looking at my ID, then at the letter of authorization, repeatedly confirming the client’s identity. The door to the reception room hadn’t been shut properly, and the staff’s whispers drifted in through the crack. “Oh my God, is that Mrs. Ashford?” “Did I hear that right? She wants a divorce?” “Did she have a fight with Mr. Ashford? No way. Everyone in Los Angeles knows how much Mr. Ashford dotes on his wife. What could possibly be serious enough for a divorce?” “Exactly. Their wedding of the century five years ago—champagne roses practically covered half of Los Angeles. No one in elite circles has topped that scale even now. That was a real-life fairy-tale romance. I was moved for the longest time. If those two get divorced, I’ll never believe in love again.” “If Mr. Ashford finds out Mrs. Ashford came here, he’ll tear this whole building down.” I lowered my eyes, bitterness spreading through my chest. Everything they said was true. Adrian Ashford and I were college classmates. One of us was a scholarship student from a poor background who grew up in an orphanage, relying entirely on scholarships to get through college. Other than good grades, I had nothing. The other was the sole heir of Ashford Group, the student council president, a campus celebrity everyone looked up to. At the University of California, there wasn’t a soul who didn’t know him. But Adrian Ashford just had to fall for me at first sight, launching a grand, public pursuit. Flowers piled up across the lawn beneath my dorm. The Ferris wheel kept its lights on for me all night. He set off fireworks for me, and every burst spelled out the same sentence: Evelyn Clark, be my girlfriend. Back then, it wasn’t that I wasn’t moved. I just knew all too well how worlds apart we were. Adrian Ashford was good in every way. So good he didn’t seem like someone who could ever belong to me. When I refused, he didn’t get angry. For four whole years, every night at ten, he stood outside the library waiting for me. On rainy days, he held an umbrella. On snowy days, he wrapped himself in an overcoat. More than a thousand nights, through wind and rain, he never missed a single one. How many four-year stretches does a person get in their youth? I didn’t want to keep failing his feelings, and I didn’t want to keep failing my own heart. In the final semester before graduation, I finally stood in front of him and said yes. After we got together, Grandpa Ashford, Malcolm Ashford, reacted exactly as expected. He turned against it. I came from an orphanage. I had no family, no background. I wasn’t worthy of marrying into a wealthy family like the Ashfords. So Adrian Ashford protested by going on a hunger strike. He didn’t eat for five days. He was the only child of three generations of the Ashford family. Malcolm Ashford couldn’t do anything to him, and in the end, he relented. Five years ago, Adrian Ashford married me in grand fashion, giving me a wedding of the century that shocked the entire United States and turning me into the Mrs. Ashford everyone envied. After we married, Adrian Ashford spoiled me even more, practically lifting me to the heavens. He had never once even raised his voice at me. If I casually mentioned liking an original painting by a famous artist, the next day, that painting would be hanging in my walk-in closet. Malcolm Ashford looked down on me, so Adrian Ashford protected me every second, never letting me be alone with Grandpa for even a moment. Adrian Ashford said that as long as he was alive, he would protect me to the very end. And he truly did. On that rainy night three years ago, Adrian Ashford drank too much at a business dinner. I was worried, so despite being four months pregnant, I drove myself to pick him up. On the way back, we were hit by a truck that ran a red light. Although Adrian Ashford instinctively shielded me, both of us were still rushed into the emergency room. I survived, but our child was gone. And I would never be able to have another one. Adrian Ashford stayed by my hospital bed for seven days and seven nights. He said to me, “It’s okay. I don’t need a child. I don’t need an heir. I only need you to be okay.” Malcolm Ashford was so furious he ended up hospitalized, but Adrian still didn’t back down. At that time, I thought this man was worth entrusting my entire life to. But this Adrian Ashford, who loved me so much, had an affair with his young assistant two months ago. Lily Sullivan posted every detail of the two of them on WeChat Moments, setting it to visible only to me. In the car, in the office, in the conference room, in hotel suites—everywhere had become a place for them to have sex. Those positions Adrian Ashford had never let me try, those sex toys he had never let me use, all appeared in Lily Sullivan’s WeChat Moments. At first, I only found it absurd. I thought they were maliciously photoshopped images. Until I saw the mole on the man in the photo. That mole was in a special place. Only I had ever seen it. It couldn’t be faked. The evidence was irrefutable. I had no choice but to believe it. On yet another night when Adrian Ashford and Lily Sullivan were making love, I stayed awake until dawn. After my tears had all dried up, I finally made my decision. Since he was the first to betray our relationship, then I didn’t want him anymore either. I had never cared about the position of Mrs. Ashford. The lawyer’s voice pulled me back to reality. “Ms. Clark, all the materials are complete. One month after the agreement is signed, you can obtain the final divorce decree, if the other party agrees.” I took the drafted divorce agreement, stood up, and thanked him. After leaving the law firm, I drove to Ashford Group. When I arrived at the CEO’s office, I didn’t knock. I pushed the door open and walked straight in. Adrian Ashford was sitting behind his desk, a thin layer of sweat on his cold, handsome face. Hearing the door open, anger flashed across his face. “Coming in without knocking—” When he saw it was Evelyn Clark, the anger turned into panic. “Evelyn, why are you here?” The man leaned forward slightly, but he didn’t stand. His posture was awkward in a way I couldn’t quite describe. I looked around the office and didn’t see Lily Sullivan anywhere. “It’s your company. Am I not allowed to come?” I asked back, my gaze fixed directly on his face. “Of course you are. It’s my company, and Evelyn can come whenever she wants.” Adrian Ashford quickly pulled both hands back under the desk, and his voice returned to its usual gentleness. “It’s just, why didn’t you let Uncle Jack drive you? Did you drive yourself? Didn’t we agree you wouldn’t drive on your own? I worry.” Ever since the car accident three years ago, Adrian Ashford had never let me touch a steering wheel again. Whenever I went out, a driver picked me up and dropped me off. I looked at the concern written all over the man’s face right now, and my heart ached even more. He clearly had me in his heart. He clearly remembered every detail of the hardships we had gone through together. Yet he could still have sex with another woman and sink so deeply into it. So his heart was this big after all. I alone could never fill it. “I came to have you sign something.” I didn’t linger on that topic and placed the divorce agreement in front of him. “I’ve got my eye on a villa in the mountains. I need your signature.” Adrian Ashford habitually started flipping through the documents. Sweat seeped into my palms. Suddenly, a suppressed groan rolled from Adrian Ashford’s throat. The man’s tall body went abruptly tense, as if he was enduring something incredibly difficult. I understood instantly. Lily Sullivan was under the desk. A strong wave of nausea surged in my stomach. I came today to get the agreement signed. Catching them in the act on the spot would feel satisfying, but it would also create complications. It took every ounce of strength I had to force the sourness rushing up my throat back down. “Just sign it. It’s only a house.” I pushed the documents a little closer to him. Adrian Ashford clearly had no attention to spare for reading anything carefully right now. The intense pleasure and the thrill of being almost discovered by me left him unable to handle it. He picked up the pen and hastily signed his name. I reached out and took the agreement back. The messy handwriting showed exactly how hard he was restraining himself right now. “You’re busy. I’ll go.” I didn’t want to spend one more second in this room. “Evelyn, wait.” Adrian Ashford called out to me. “Sit in the reception room for a bit. I’ll clean up and then drive you home.” Since the agreement had already been signed, at this moment, I deliberately made things difficult for him. “Then I’ll wait for you in your lounge.” In the past, whenever I came to the company to see Adrian Ashford, I would always wait in the lounge inside his office. “Don’t—” Adrian Ashford blurted out. “I mean, the lounge just had a deep clean. The disinfectant smell is too strong. It’s not good for your health. Wait in the reception room, okay? Be good.” I understood. Deep clean? More like the traces of the two of them having sex in the lounge hadn’t been cleaned up yet. Besides, if I stayed in the lounge, Lily Sullivan under the desk wouldn’t even have a chance to come out and get dressed. The situation would be impossible to resolve. I pulled up the corners of my mouth, revealing a smile with no warmth at all. “Okay.” I walked into the reception room next door. From just beyond the wall came the man’s panting and the woman’s sweet, coquettish pleas for mercy. I squeezed my eyes shut hard. I took out my phone, photographed the signed agreement, and sent it to the lawyer. “What’s the fastest this can be finalized?” The lawyer replied quickly. “If we expedite it, one week.” I didn’t hesitate. “Then expedite it.” Chapter 2 Evelyn Clark POV The door to the reception room was pushed open. Lily Sullivan walked in carrying two cups of coffee. She placed one in front of me and held the other herself. Her makeup was flawless, her collar slightly open, and the corners of her lips carried just the right amount of concern. “Ms. Clark, would you like something to eat? Mr. Ashford is still busy, so I’ll take care of you.” I lifted my eyes and studied her. Early twenties, delicate makeup, a tight suit skirt. Curves where she should have curves, perky where she should be perky. She was indeed a stunner. No wonder Adrian Ashford had fallen for her. “Shouldn’t Ms. Sullivan call me Mrs. Ashford?” Lily Sullivan covered her mouth and laughed softly. “Please forgive me, Ms. Clark. After all, I’m only twenty-three. I can’t possibly compare to the emotional intelligence of someone who’s nearly thirty.” I let out a cold laugh and was just about to speak. Footsteps sounded in the hallway, growing closer. Lily Sullivan clearly heard them too, because the contempt on her face vanished instantly. Without hesitation, she raised her hand and splashed the scalding coffee in her hand onto her own arm. Hot coffee ran down her forearm, and her skin quickly reddened. Lily Sullivan sucked in a sharp breath, and her eyes immediately filled with aggrieved tears. “Mrs. Ashford! Even if the coffee I made wasn’t to your taste, I could have made you another cup. Why did you have to throw it on me…” Her volume was just loud enough for the person outside the door to hear. I looked at Lily Sullivan’s reddened arm. Good move. Adrian Ashford strode in. His gaze first swept over Lily Sullivan’s arm, and his brows furrowed. “What happened?” Lily Sullivan bit her lip, tears swirling in her eyes, and was just about to speak. I spoke first. “Your assistant said I splashed her.” I stood up, picked up the cup of coffee on the table, and in front of Adrian Ashford, threw it straight at Lily Sullivan. The coffee splashed across Lily Sullivan’s shirt, the dark brown liquid spreading in a large stain. Lily Sullivan screamed and stumbled back two steps in a sorry state. “But I didn’t splash her just now.” I set down the empty cup and dusted off my hands. “Now I have. Are you going to demand justice for her?” I looked straight into Adrian Ashford’s eyes, refusing to back down in the slightest. Adrian Ashford’s expression was terrible. His gaze moved between the two women. Then he turned to Lily Sullivan. His brows twisted into a hard line, and his face sank to freezing point. “Low-class thing. Get out!” Lily Sullivan’s tears finally fell. This time, they were real. Clutching her arm, she stumbled out of the reception room. I watched the direction Lily Sullivan disappeared in, the corners of my lips moving slightly. So it ended with one scolding. If anyone else had dared slander Mrs. Ashford to her face, Adrian Ashford would have made that person disappear from Ashford Group that very day. But Lily Sullivan only got one sentence. How was that a reprimand? It was clearly him giving her an out. Adrian Ashford had already walked up to me. He reached out to wrap an arm around my shoulders and lowered his head to look at my expression. “She’s been under a lot of pressure lately. Her emotions are a little unstable. Don’t stoop to her level.” He gently patted my back to comfort me, his tone soft. “It’s not worth ruining your health over anger.” I only felt that the smell of women’s perfume on Adrian Ashford was unbearably sharp. I shifted slightly to the side and pushed his hand off my shoulder. “If you’re done, let’s go.” Adrian Ashford froze for a moment after being pushed away by me, but he didn’t think too much of it. “Okay. Let’s go home.” The two of us walked into the parking lot one after the other. Adrian Ashford opened the passenger door for me. The moment I sat down, I felt that the seat’s position was wrong. Someone had moved the passenger seat. I remembered back when we were dating, Adrian Ashford wouldn’t let anyone besides me sit in his passenger seat. Once, Adrian Ashford’s childhood friend sat there, and Adrian Ashford dragged him right out. I laughed at him for being childish. He said with perfect confidence that the passenger seat was my wife’s seat. If you’re not my wife, what right do you have to sit there? So in his heart, even the wife’s seat could hold two people. I reached out to adjust the seat. Before I could finish adjusting it, there was a knock on the car window. Lily Sullivan stood outside the car, staring straight at Adrian Ashford. She had deliberately left the burn on her arm exposed. It was so red it made people ache for her. Adrian Ashford lowered the window. “Mr. Ashford, my arm is burned. I really can’t hold a steering wheel, and I can’t get a rideshare… Could you drop me off at the hospital if it’s on your way?” I sat in the passenger seat without even lifting my eyelids. Since when did an assistant who couldn’t get a car have to ride in the boss’s car? Adrian Ashford frowned and was just about to speak. Lily Sullivan’s eyes reddened again, and her lips trembled lightly, like she was desperately holding back tears. Adrian Ashford’s refusal got stuck in his throat. “Get in.” He turned his head to look at me and lowered his voice to explain. “Don’t overthink it. After all, she got hurt at the company. I’ll drop her off at the hospital since it’s on the way, so people at the company won’t gossip about you.” I only found it ironic. Back then, when Adrian Ashford had just taken over the company, I stayed up with him and endured it all together. A poor student from an orphanage marrying him—I heard plenty of gossip behind my back. They said I was trying to marry up, that I wasn’t worthy of Mr. Ashford. Adrian Ashford’s way of handling it had been simple: whoever gossiped was gone. He wouldn’t let me suffer even the slightest grievance. But now, wonderful. He was using “so people at the company won’t gossip” to shut my mouth, openly and righteously letting Lily Sullivan into our car. For a moment, I was too angry to speak. Adrian Ashford immediately took my silence as agreement. “What are you waiting for? Get in.” But Lily Sullivan stood there without moving, twisting her fingers together. “I… I get a little carsick. If I sit in the back, I might throw up. Could I sit in the passenger seat?” I sat in the passenger seat without even changing my posture. When Lily Sullivan didn’t get a response, she continued on her own. “I’m being unreasonable. I shouldn’t bother Mr. Ashford and Mrs. Ashford, and I definitely shouldn’t make Mrs. Ashford sit in the back. I’m sorry. I’ll call a car myself.” After saying that, she let out a soft hiss, as if the injury on her arm hurt again. Her mouth said she was leaving, but her feet stayed nailed to the spot. She didn’t move a single step. Adrian Ashford glanced at the burn on her arm, his Adam’s apple shifting slightly. He was about to speak when my voice sounded first. “If you know you shouldn’t bother us, then what are you still standing here for?” Lily Sullivan went stiff. Adrian Ashford knew my next sentence would be to tell Lily Sullivan to leave, so he quickly spoke up. “Get in the car already.” Lily Sullivan didn’t dare say anything else and got into the back seat with an aggrieved look. The car had just pulled out of the parking lot when Lily Sullivan spoke again. “Mrs. Ashford, could you get my lip balm for me? I accidentally left it in Mr. Ashford’s car last time. It’s in the side storage compartment to your right.” Adrian Ashford’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. “Last time, we went to a business dinner. She drank a few glasses for me and got drunk, so I dropped her off at home since it was on the way. It was just that one time. Don’t overthink it.” I didn’t look at him. I opened the side storage compartment on the passenger side. Lip balm, women’s perfume, a comb, lipstick, hair ties, earrings. The storage compartment was stuffed full. It was practically Lily Sullivan’s personal makeup bag. Just that one time? I casually rummaged through the things in the compartment, then closed it. “I didn’t see any lip balm.” I turned to look at Adrian Ashford. “How long has it been since you cleaned out this compartment? There’s too much trash. Pull over. I’ll throw it away.” Adrian Ashford didn’t understand what I meant, but he still pulled the car over to the side of the road. I pushed open the car door, bent down, and threw everything in the storage compartment into the roadside trash can. In the back seat, Lily Sullivan’s face went pale, then red, then pale again. She seemed to want to say something. Her lips moved a few times, but in the end, she didn’t dare speak. I dusted off my hands, sat back in the passenger seat, and closed the door. “Let’s go. Isn’t Ms. Sullivan in a hurry to get to the hospital? The intersection up ahead is it.” Adrian Ashford glanced at Lily Sullivan’s expression in the rearview mirror, then at my perfectly calm profile. He seemed to realize something. But since I didn’t make a scene, he was more than happy to let it slide. The car drove in silence to the hospital entrance. Adrian Ashford stepped on the brake, stared straight ahead, and said coldly, “Get out.” Chapter 3 Evelyn Clark POV Lily Sullivan got out of the car, clearly unwilling. Adrian couldn’t bear it, but he couldn’t say anything. Without a word, he pressed the gas and drove away. I leaned back in the passenger seat, watching the streetlights flash past outside the window. I didn’t speak either. The car was as quiet as stagnant water. By the time we got back to the villa, the car had barely stopped before I pushed the door open and walked off. “Still mad?” Adrian caught up in a few quick strides and reached out to grab my wrist. I tried to shake him off, but I couldn’t. Adrian took the opportunity to hold my hand even tighter, his voice softening. “Come on. She’s just an assistant. She’s young and doesn’t know any better. She offended you today. I’ll punish her.” He gently squeezed my hand and lowered his head to look at my face. “Don’t ruin your health over something so small, okay?” Punish her? I sneered inwardly. How? Punish her in bed? Or punish her in exactly the way Lily Sullivan wanted most? When Adrian saw that I wasn’t speaking, he simply pulled me straight into his arms. “Evelyn looks so beautiful when she’s jealous.” His tone was light, tinged with amusement, as if he thought this whole thing was just a childish little tantrum. I stood in his arms. I didn’t hug him back, but I didn’t push him away either. “Adrian Ashford.” I called him by his full name. “If you ever betray me, I’ll make sure you never see me again.” Adrian’s arms tightened around me. “Of course I won’t. How could I ever betray Evelyn?” He lowered his head, resting his chin against the top of my head, his tone certain. “In this lifetime, I only love you.” “But a lifetime is so long.” I lowered my eyes and said, “People’s hearts change.” Adrian was silent for a moment, then the tip of his nose brushed over my hair. “People’s hearts change, but mine won’t.” He lifted my chin, forcing me to look straight into his eyes. There was no hesitation in them at all. “If I ever betray you, let me go bankrupt. Let me end up on the streets and die a miserable death.” I stared into his eyes. There was real conviction in them. Flawless confidence. My chest felt as if it had been struck by something blunt, aching and numb all at once. “You dare swear something that vicious? Aren’t you afraid it’ll actually come true?” Adrian let out a low laugh, bent down, and kissed my forehead. “I’m not afraid. No one knows better than I do how much I love you.” “I can’t live without you in this lifetime. How could I ever betray you?” He looked at me seriously, his gaze gentle. “Evelyn, without you, I wouldn’t be able to live at all.” I didn’t say anything else. I let him hold my hand. Then let’s wait until a week from now and see whether you really can’t live at all, just like you said. After we entered the house, Adrian went straight to the kitchen. He tied on an apron, opened the fridge, and moved through the motions smoothly. Ever since we got together, he had learned to cook and refused to let me do it. Even now. No one would imagine that the CEO of Ashford Group, worth over a hundred billion, would tie on an apron every night and cook dinner for his wife. I had once found it unbelievable too. I asked him, it wasn’t as if we couldn’t afford help at home, so why learn to cook? He said, I want you to eat the food I make for the rest of your life, until you can never leave me. After we got married, whenever we were home, Adrian was the one who cooked. That habit had never once been broken. When the dishes were brought out, they were all the flavors she liked. Scrambled eggs with tomatoes sweetened with caramelized onions, BBQ-style roasted chicken legs without scallions, and creamy beech mushroom soup on the side. I sat at the dining table and mechanically put food into my mouth, unable to taste anything at all. Adrian’s phone was sitting by the table, message notifications going off nonstop. He glanced at the screen, didn’t reply right away, and turned the phone face down on the table again. Two minutes later, the phone rang again. His brows furrowed. He picked up his fork, then set it back down. Then he flipped the phone over and placed it face down on the table. I saw everything, but said nothing. After a while, the messages were still coming. Adrian finally couldn’t sit still. He pushed back his chair and stood up. “There’s an urgent issue at the company. The people under me can’t handle it. I’ll be right back.” He moved quickly, picking up his coat and car keys as he walked toward the door. “Evelyn, take your time eating. Don’t wait for me.” The door closed. I set down my utensils and looked at the empty chair across from me. I was silent for a moment, then, as if torturing myself, got up and followed him out. Outside the villa. Adrian had stopped by a tree not far away. I hid behind a porch column and made no sound. A car stopped by the road outside the villa. Lily Sullivan got out and ran toward Adrian, throwing herself into his arms. “Adrian, it hurts so much.” Adrian didn’t push her away. He patted her back, his tone darkening slightly. “You deserve it.” “How many times have I warned you? You can make all the trouble you want in private, but when you’re in front of her, keep yourself under control.” “She is my wife. What the hell are you? What was that stunt today supposed to mean?” His words sounded harsh, but there wasn’t much real anger in his tone. Lily tilted her head up, her eyes red, her lower lip caught lightly between her teeth. “I’m sorry, Adrian. I just love you too much. I couldn’t help it.” She lifted her injured arm and brought it in front of Adrian. “And it really hurts. I went to the hospital alone, got the injection alone. I was so pitiful.” Her voice was soft and sweet, half coquettish, half pleading. “Blow on it for me.” As she spoke, she kept pressing and rubbing her chest against Adrian. Adrian lowered his eyes and looked at her injured arm, his gaze darkening. “If it hurts, then behave.” He scolded her, but still bent down, his thin lips gently covering the red mark. Standing in the darkness, I slowly clenched my fingers. The corners of Lily’s mouth lifted. Her hands began to wander restlessly, sliding down along his waist. “Don’t come to the office for the next few days. Stay home and recover.” Adrian lifted his head, held her arm in his palm, and carefully checked whether her wound had been treated properly. “It’s just a small injury.” His reprimand was gentle. “It won’t kill you.” Lily tilted her head, her lashes fluttering lightly, amusement flowing through her eyes. “But if I can’t see you, I’ll miss you. What should I do?” “Where will you miss me?” Lily took his hand and slowly guided it toward her body, her voice dropping lower. “Find it yourself. Everywhere misses you.” Adrian didn’t pull his hand away. His hand followed the direction she guided it. Lily let out a soft, coquettish moan. Her whole body melted into his arms, pressing against Adrian as she looked up at him with watery eyes. My nails dug into my palm. Only when damp heat seeped into my palm and pain spread all the way up from my hand did I forcibly suppress the urge to break down sobbing. I had known for a long time. But knowing was one thing. Seeing it with my own eyes was another. That man who was calm and self-possessed in front of outsiders, considerate and gentle in front of me. Facing Lily Sullivan now, he was wearing a completely unfamiliar face. That hungry, desperate look in his eyes—I had last seen it during the year we were newly married. Lily hooked one arm around his neck and whispered something by his ear. Adrian let out a muffled groan and cursed under his breath. “You little vixen.” He scooped Lily up in his arms and strode toward the car. Chapter 4 Evelyn Clark POV The car door slammed shut in urgent impatience. Soon, the car began to shake rhythmically. I stood in the darkness for a long time. I didn’t know how I walked back inside. It wasn’t until I stood in front of the dining table that I finally came back to myself. The entire table of food had gone cold. It looked greasy and disgusting. I sat down in the chair and stared blankly at that table of food. Tears fell without warning, more and more of them. But as I cried, I started laughing. The way Adrian looked now was honestly even more excited than when he first won me over. Then what was there left for me to miss? I picked up the dishes on the table and dumped them all into the trash without the slightest hesitation. The dining table was wiped clean. I took a deep breath, picked up my phone, and opened the car’s companion app. The dashcam’s live feed appeared on the screen. The car was still parked in the same place. In the footage, two figures tangled in the back seat, clothes in disarray. Lily Sullivan’s seductive voice came through. “Adrian, slower. It’s so deep…” The man didn’t slow down. Instead, he thrust harder. “What did you call me?” “Daddy… Daddy!” “Say it filthier.” His voice was low. “You’re so filthy.” Lily played along, crying out, her panting coming clearly through my phone. A moment later, Lily’s voice drifted over, coy and teasing. “You’ve been gone so long. Aren’t you afraid your wife will find out?” “Shut up!” The man’s voice suddenly sank, obviously impatient. “Just take it. Don’t mention her!” I stared at the screen as a violent wave of nausea surged up from my stomach. I rushed into the bathroom, bent over, and threw up. My stomach churned until there was nothing left, tears and snot smearing all over my face. I turned on the faucet and buried my face in the cold water. After a long while, I straightened, stared at my pale, wretched face in the mirror, and took a deep breath. I picked up my phone again and saved that video. Then I walked into the walk-in closet, dragged a suitcase down from the rack, and started packing. A few pieces of everyday clothing, toiletries, important documents. The suitcase was packed quickly. As for the remaining clothes, designer bags, and jewelry, I found several large cardboard boxes and packed them away one by one. Tomorrow, I would donate all of it. Anything Adrian had given me—I didn’t want to keep a single piece. As I was packing, the sound of the front door opening came from downstairs. I glanced at my phone. Four hours had passed. Adrian was finally back. He came upstairs and entered the bedroom. When he saw the packed boxes on the floor, his steps paused. “Why are you packing?” There was panic in his voice that he couldn’t hide. “The season’s changing.” I didn’t look up and kept folding clothes. “I’m putting away the things I don’t wear often.” Adrian stood there, his gaze lingering on my face, scrutinizing me carefully. He didn’t see anything unusual. He walked over, hugged me from behind, took the clothes from my hands, and put them back on the hanger. “Stop packing. Throw it all out. We’ll buy new ones.” I didn’t follow his strength. I gently pushed him. “Go take a shower.” I turned my head, avoiding his approaching face. “You smell like sweat.” Adrian’s body stiffened. He had indeed sweated all over in the car. Now it clung to his shirt, giving off a sour, fishy smell. He let go and walked toward the bathroom without saying another word. I sat on the edge of the bed, listening to the sound of running water from the bathroom. Adrian’s phone lit up. I glanced at the screen. It was a photo from Lily Sullivan. Along with a line of text: [Good night, baby. Make sure I’m in your dreams.] I withdrew my gaze and picked up my own phone. Sure enough, Lily Sullivan had updated her WeChat Moments. Still visible only to me. The latest post was a close-up photo of an astronomically expensive necklace. Limited edition, Tiffany’s main piece for the latest season, entirely rose gold, with a pear-shaped pink diamond as the main stone. That necklace—I had seen it in a magazine half a year ago, before it had officially launched. I’d said I liked it. Adrian had said at the time, once it’s released, I’ll be the first to buy it for you. The caption on the photo was: [Even though the old witch poured coffee on me, I got compensation from someone, so I’ll forgive him!] I took a screenshot of the post and saved it. Lily Sullivan probably thought making those WeChat Moments visible only to me was a form of torture, a silent display of bragging and provocation. She didn’t know that those posts had long since become solid evidence in my hands. When a mistress doesn’t know how to keep a low profile, it’s the stupidest thing in the world. The sound of the shower stopped. I put down my phone and lay back on the bed. Adrian came out of the bathroom and lay down beside me, his arm naturally reaching around my waist. Every hair on my body stood on end. Without showing it, I shifted slightly toward the edge of the bed, avoiding his hand. Adrian didn’t move closer. He had already eaten his fill earlier. This intimacy now was only out of habit. There was no other intention behind it. But that tiny movement of mine still made him sense that something was off. “Evelyn, what’s wrong?” “Nothing.” I closed my eyes, my tone calm. “Tomorrow is the day we go to your grandfather’s estate. Did you forget?” Adrian answered with a soft sound, and his panic faded a little. So I was unhappy because we had to go back to the estate. Then he could relax. His parents had passed away early, and only Malcolm Ashford was left at the estate. Malcolm Ashford was arrogant and looked down on me. Openly and secretly, he had given me who knew how many cold faces. Adrian had slammed the table in front of Malcolm Ashford several times before he finally restrained himself somewhat. But that restraint was only on the surface. His contempt for me had never truly disappeared. In order not to put Adrian in a difficult position between us, every time we went back to the estate, I forced myself to keep my spirits up. Afterward, I would come home depressed for days. Adrian leaned closer, his lips near my ear. “Don’t be scared. Tomorrow, I’ll stay by your side the whole time. I won’t let Grandpa make things hard for you.” I didn’t answer. I closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep. Adrian also closed his eyes in relief. Early the next morning, Adrian went to the company. I had a moving company haul away all the boxes of packed clothes. Not a single piece was left behind. Everything was donated to charity. After that, I called a secondhand luxury reseller to come over. The packed boxes in the walk-in closet were carried downstairs one after another. Those bags, that jewelry, the things I had once liked or the things Adrian had forced on me, were all turned into a long string of numbers on my phone screen. Before the reseller left, they sighed with emotion that Mrs. Ashford was truly generous. I looked at the number on my phone screen, a number I couldn’t spend in this lifetime, and the tightness in my chest loosened slightly. Then I booked a flight to Italy three days later. The booking platform’s callback came quickly. “Hello, please confirm the passenger information.” “Confirmed. I booked the ticket myself.” “What ticket?” At some point, Adrian had come back. He asked anxiously. “Where are you going?” Chapter 5 Evelyn Clark POV “Concert tickets.” I put my phone into my pocket as if nothing had happened. “They’re for next month. I booked two. Why are you panicking?” Adrian froze, then immediately let out a breath of relief and strode forward, pulling me into his arms. “You scared me to death.” His chin rested on the top of my head, and his arms tightened. “I thought you were leaving me.” “Why would I leave you?” I raised my head and looked at him calmly. “Did you do something to betray me?” Adrian’s arms tightened slightly. “Of course not.” He lowered his head and pressed his forehead against mine, his smile natural. “I’m just too nervous about you. I love you too much. I can’t help it.” After saying that, he had already let go of me and picked up his coat. “Let’s go. Grandpa is waiting at the estate.” In the estate dining room, Malcolm Ashford was sitting at the head of the table. The moment he saw me enter, his face darkened. During the meal. Malcolm Ashford stayed quiet for only a short while before he couldn’t help speaking. “Adrian, you’re not young anymore. With an estate as large as the Ashford family’s, there can’t be no heir.” Adrian didn’t even put down his fork. He didn’t lift his head. “I don’t need an heir. I only need Evelyn.” Malcolm Ashford let out a cold snort and said nothing else, lifting his water glass again. If it were before, I would have already stood up to pour water and ease the atmosphere. But this time, I sat firmly in my seat without saying a word. Malcolm Ashford had always looked down on me, thinking I was a poor girl clinging to the Ashford family. After the car accident three years ago, the doctor said I would very likely never be able to get pregnant again, and Malcolm Ashford’s attitude toward me dropped straight to freezing. In his eyes, I was now a sinner who had occupied a place that was never mine and cut off the Ashford family’s descendants. Adrian poured me a glass of red wine. I glanced at it, eating without tasting anything. From the corner of my eye, I saw the screen of Adrian’s phone, which was sitting by the table, light up. Lily Sullivan had sent a photo, with a line of text beneath it: [Are you coming or not? Offer expires soon.] I withdrew my gaze, looked back at my own plate, and silently started counting down in my heart. Half a minute later. Adrian stood up. “There’s a sudden urgent issue at the company. I’ll go handle it first. You and Grandpa keep eating.” He said to me, “It won’t take long. Wait for me.” Before I could answer, he was already gone. The dining room door closed. Malcolm Ashford slowly took a sip of soup, set the bowl back on the table, and let his gaze fall on my face. “Adrian is just too softhearted.” I didn’t respond. “Back then, he wouldn’t listen no matter what I said. He insisted on marrying you. Fine. I accepted it.” “But in all these years since you entered this family, what has the Ashford family gained? You couldn’t even keep a child. Do you know why that child died? Because your fate is too hard. You cursed it.” My fingers tightened. “The Ashford family has had only one heir for three generations. Adrian is our only grandson.” Every word from Malcolm Ashford was like a nail. “If your womb can’t produce anything, fine. But you even took that child’s life with you! Tell me yourself—should I swallow that anger?” “All these years, for Adrian’s sake, I’ve turned a blind eye. But you should have some self-awareness too.” “Look at yourself in the mirror. With your background, with what little ability you have, are you worthy of sitting in that chair? Leave while you still can. At least you’ll preserve a little dignity for yourself and give Adrian a way out.” In the past, I had always gritted my teeth and endured words like these. I didn’t want to make things hard for Adrian Ashford. I didn’t want him caught between Malcolm Ashford and me, torn and miserable. But today, I didn’t endure it anymore. “Grandpa, that child died because Adrian Ashford got drunk that night, and I went to pick him up and take him home. That was why the car accident happened.” I lifted my head and looked calmly at Malcolm Ashford. “That child wasn’t cursed to death by me. It was killed by the driver who hit us. I don’t owe the Ashford family anything. Not a single thing.” “If I leave, it’ll be because I choose to leave, not because you drove me out. When I, Evelyn Clark, leave and how I leave is not for you to decide.” Malcolm Ashford’s face turned livid. He slammed his palm down on the table. “How dare you!” “Disrespecting your elders! You’re out of control!” He pointed at me, then turned and shouted toward the door. “Someone, drag her to the basement. Make her kneel there and reflect on herself!” Two bodyguards walked in and, without another word, seized my arms and dragged me into the basement. The basement floor tiles had not seen sunlight all year round. They were damp and bitterly cold. I was forced to kneel. The chill seeped straight from my knees into my bones. After half an hour, the cold had climbed to my waist. After one hour, it had reached my chest. I stared at the thin strip of light seeping through the crack under the door and counted the time. He still hadn’t come back. Where was he now? On top of Lily Sullivan, or on his way back? Two hours passed. My legs had already gone numb, and my heart was ice cold. Three hours later, the door was kicked open. Adrian Ashford strode into the basement, his face dark as death. The moment he saw me kneeling on the floor, his eyes turned vicious. He raised his foot and kicked over the bodyguard guarding the door. “Get out!” After saying that coldly to the bodyguard, he bent down and lifted me into his arms. My legs had lost all feeling, and a sharp, tingling ache shot through my knees. “I’m sorry, Evelyn. This is my fault.” Adrian Ashford carried me out in long strides, genuine guilt in his voice. When we got back to the car, Adrian Ashford settled me into the passenger seat and immediately turned the heat to the highest setting. He took out a thermos, poured hot water, and handed it to me. “Drink something warm first.” I took it and wrapped both hands around it, but I didn’t drink. Adrian Ashford was already crouching by my feet. His large palms cupped my knees, rubbing them back and forth, helping me drive away that bone-deep chill. “This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have left you there alone. The company matter was too urgent, and in my panic, I forgot. It’s my fault, Evelyn. I’m sorry.” As he spoke, he pressed the seat-heating button to the highest level. “They’re still cold.” “Do your knees hurt? Should we go to the hospital and have them checked?” He frowned, lowered his head, and breathed warm air over my knees. “It’s my fault. All of it is my fault. Yell at me. I’ll take it.” I leaned back against the seat and watched him lower his head, seriously warming my knees. This man was good in every way. So good that I once thought as long as he was by my side, I would be afraid of nothing. Because the heat was turned up too high, a layer of fog slowly covered the car window. I unconsciously turned my head, and my gaze landed on the glass. The fog blurred the window, but instead made the marks on it clearer. Behind the mist, two overlapping handprints were clearly stamped on the glass. One large and one small, fingers interlocked, printed right in the center of the car window. So during those three hours I had been kneeling on the icy floor tiles in the Ashford estate’s basement, he had been right here. He had been in the car outside the estate, having sex with Lily Sullivan. I looked at those two sets of handprints, and a miserable laugh slipped out of me as tears fell. Chapter 6 Evelyn Clark’s POV When Adrian Ashford saw me crying, he panicked at once. “Evelyn, this is all my fault. I shouldn’t have left you alone at the old residence!” “I promise you, from now on, no matter what happens, I will never leave you halfway again.” His promise? He had made that same promise countless times before, and again last night. But today, the moment he saw Lily Sullivan’s message, his soul was gone. I raised my hand and wiped away my tears. “Drive.” Not long after the car left the old residence, Adrian Ashford’s phone lit up again. Lily Sullivan again. Adrian Ashford frowned and hung up at once. I leaned back in the passenger seat, closed my eyes, and said nothing. A few minutes later, the phone lit up again. This time, Adrian Ashford didn’t hang up or answer. He let it ring for a long time until it ended on its own. When it rang for the third time, he was already unable to sit still again. I tugged the corner of my mouth. “Answer it. Maybe there’s another emergency at the company.” “I just promised you. No matter how urgent something is, nothing is more important than you.” Adrian Ashford’s tone was firm. His eyes stayed on the road ahead, and he didn’t touch the phone. I sneered inwardly and said nothing. But I knew he would leave in the end. When the phone rang for the fourth time, Adrian Ashford finally answered. Lily Sullivan’s hoarse, crying voice came from the other end. Adrian Ashford’s expression changed abruptly. “Don’t be scared. I’m coming right now!” He hung up and turned toward me, his face full of conflict. “I’m sorry, Evelyn. Something really did happen at the company. I—” “Pull over.” I didn’t want to hear him finish, so I cut him off. “Evelyn…” Adrian Ashford sighed and pulled the car over to the side of the road. “I have no choice when it comes to the company. Once I get all the shares from Grandpa, nothing will ever be able to make me leave you again.” I had already unbuckled my seat belt. “I’ll have the driver come pick you up. Wait here—” Before he could finish, I pushed open the door and got out. The night wind was strong. There was nothing blocking it by the roadside, and the cold air poured straight into my collar. My knees ached sharply. I didn’t wait for any driver. I opened my phone and started calling a ride. This road was some distance from the city, and there usually weren’t many cars passing by. I waited for a long time, but no driver accepted the order. The driver Adrian Ashford said would come never appeared either. I pulled my coat tighter around myself and held my phone in my palm for warmth. Lily Sullivan updated her WeChat Moments again. It was a night view photo taken from the passenger seat. The caption read: [No matter when or where, you always show up by my side in time and make me feel safe.] I looked at the post and simply wrapped my coat tighter. But the cold wind still slipped in mercilessly, chilling me to the bone. An hour later, I finally got a car. I got into the taxi, gave the driver my destination, leaned back against the seat, and closed my eyes in exhaustion. I didn’t know how long it had been when the car suddenly jolted violently. A massive force threw my entire body forward. A sharp pain pierced my forehead, and warm liquid flowed down from my head. My consciousness began to scatter. In the chaos, by instinct, I opened my contacts and dialed the most familiar number. The call connected. But the voice on the other end was not Adrian Ashford’s. “Hello, Ms. Clark?” It was Lily Sullivan’s voice, arrogant, smug, and careless. “Mr. Ashford is taking a shower. If you need anything, I can pass along the message.” My consciousness plunged completely into darkness, and the phone slipped from my hand. When I opened my eyes again, I was in a hospital room. Outside the window, the sky was already bright. I glanced at my phone. Ten o’clock the next morning. The phone was perfectly quiet. Not a single unread message, not one missed call. Adrian Ashford hadn’t come home all night, nor had he called me once. The door to the hospital room was pushed open, and the doctor on duty walked in. “You’re awake? Where’s your family? Still not here?” When I was brought in last night, they had been unable to reach any family. “I don’t have any family.” I calmly shook my head. The doctor fell silent, then nodded. “You sustained a blow to the head and have a mild concussion. You’ll need to stay for observation for two to three days. Don’t do any strenuous activity these next two days. If you feel dizzy or nauseous, press the call button by the bed immediately.” I nodded in response. That morning, a nurse came to tell me to go for an examination. I walked alone down the hallway toward the examination room. When I reached the corner, I stopped. At the other end of the hallway, Adrian Ashford was carefully supporting Lily Sullivan. Lily Sullivan had one hand on her stomach, and her other hand gently hooked around Adrian Ashford’s arm. Her face was full of shy happiness. Adrian Ashford kept his head lowered, looking at her the entire time. Occasionally, he bent down to say something to her, his expression focused and gentle. I had seen that expression before. Three years ago, he had used that same expression when he accompanied me to my prenatal checkups, supporting me through every hospital hallway. I stood where I was and watched the scene, my heart oddly calm. Because I had known one thing for a long time. In that car accident three years ago, Adrian Ashford was injured even more severely than I was because he protected me. The doctor secretly told me that Adrian Ashford’s injuries had affected his fertility. He could no longer have children. I never told Adrian Ashford. I was afraid he would be devastated. I was afraid he would feel incomplete. So I kept it buried alone, covered it up for him, and told the outside world only that I was the one who couldn’t have children. But now, Lily Sullivan was pregnant. Then whose child was in Lily Sullivan’s belly? Things were getting interesting. I quietly watched the two people in the hallway. Adrian Ashford lifted his head, and his gaze happened to sweep over me. He visibly panicked. He immediately started running toward me, saying, “Evelyn, don’t misunderstand.” Lily Sullivan grabbed his sleeve at just the right moment, her hand covering her lower belly. “Adrian, my stomach hurts a little…” Adrian Ashford immediately stopped in his tracks. He turned back to support her and asked anxiously, “Where does it hurt? Is it serious? I’ll call the doctor over right now. Don’t be scared.” By the time Adrian Ashford looked back again, I was no longer there. I returned to the hospital room and lay back down on the bed. My phone started vibrating. It was Adrian Ashford calling. I didn’t answer. Messages popped up one after another. “Evelyn, where are you?” “Don’t misunderstand what happened just now. It’s not what you think!” “Why are you at the hospital? Are you sick?” I placed my phone on the bedside table and closed my eyes. Before long, the door to the hospital room was shoved open. Adrian Ashford rushed in. The moment he saw the gauze on my forehead, his expression changed drastically. He strode over and grabbed my arm. “What happened? You’re hurt? How did you get hurt?” “There was a car accident last night.” My tone was calm. Adrian Ashford froze. His hand loosened, then curled into a fist. Last night, when he heard the news that Lily Sullivan was pregnant, he was so excited that he forgot to send the driver to pick me up. “It’s all my fault. Last night, I told the driver to pick you up. He must have been delayed!” His voice was a little hoarse. “I’m the reason you got hurt. I’m sorry, Evelyn. Hit me. Yell at me. I’ll take it.” “It’s fine.” I pulled my arm back. “Your company is important. I understand.” Adrian Ashford lifted his head. There was no emotion on my face at all, and that made him even more uneasy. “Don’t misunderstand what happened earlier.” He sat down beside the bed, leaned down, and looked into my eyes, lowering his voice. “Lily Sullivan broke up with her ex-boyfriend, and that man has been harassing her. Last night, she was pushed down and got a little hurt.” “As her boss, I couldn’t just ignore it, so I came with her to get checked. It was on the way.” I looked at him. He said it so seriously, so matter-of-factly. There wasn’t the slightest flicker in his eyes. Had he told so many lies that even he believed them now? Had he forgotten that the department he was in was obstetrics and gynecology? Ex-boyfriend? Since he was so willing to be the father of someone else’s child, I wasn’t in a hurry to tell him. I would let him look forward to it more and more. When the day came that he learned the truth, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. “Mm. I understand.”