Chapter 1

Everyone said that Mrs. Ashford from the elite circles was notorious for her vindictive nature.

When her husband cheated, she found lovers too.

Today a sweet young thing, tomorrow a college boy.

After breaking up with her thirty-sixth boy toy, I asked Asher for a divorce.

The man leaned lazily against the sofa, looking at me with a mocking smile.

"What? Didn't like last night's guy?"

"Then get a new one. Money is the one thing your husband has plenty of."

Looking at his indifferent expression, I suddenly smiled.

"I'm serious. Let's stop torturing each other."

"Once we're divorced, you can make room for her, right?"

Hearing my words, the amusement in his eyes faded, and his tone turned cold.

"You went to see her?"

In all the years since our marriage, countless starlets and models had been linked to Asher in tabloid rumors.

But only I knew the truth.

I knew those women were just a smokescreen to protect that girl.

Her name was pretty—Lily.

She hadn't even graduated from college yet.

Asher kept her hidden away, protected so well that the paparazzi hadn't caught a single photo of her to this day.

I had seen her before.

Once, when I went to his company to find Asher.

The girl had a round doll-like face and eyes like black grapes.

When she smiled, her eyes curved into crescents.

For a moment, I was transported back to seeing my eighteen-year-old self at the debate competition.

An angelic appearance, but a domineering and willful personality.

Outside rumors said Asher's new favorite, whom he doted on endlessly these days, was kneeling on the floor putting on her shoes and socks, even cupping her hands to receive the chewing gum Lily had already chewed.

The girl had a butler drive her to and from class back to the estate.

When she wanted to go shopping, one phone call was all it took.

Asher would pause meetings to accompany her.

Even if he truly couldn't get away, he'd keep a video call running—more clingy than college sweethearts.

Whatever she wanted to eat, she just told the private chef.

She even had a personal doctor and bodyguards by her side.

Back when Asher wanted to marry me, he knelt all night in the Ashford family shrine. Even when threatened with being disowned, he didn't back down.

Later, under the full pressure of the Ashford family, he relied on ruthless methods and talent to rapidly build his own network in the business world, establishing his foothold.

He also made quite a few enemies in the process.

I was kidnapped.

That experience was truly agonizing.

There wasn't a single patch of skin on my body that wasn't bruised or bleeding.

It hurt so much.

Our first child was also lost during that incident.

But when I saw the man's bloodshot eyes, I comforted him:

"Hey, maybe God just wants us to enjoy a few more years as a couple!"

After that incident, he became even more vigilant.

How ridiculous—using the lesson learned from my suffering to protect someone else.

He couldn't bear to let the girl suffer even a little.

Everything had to be the very best for her.

All the things I had or didn't have over the years, Lily now had them all.

Seeing my silence, his brow furrowed deeper.

"She's timid. She can't handle being frightened."

I didn't answer.

I just calmly gestured toward the divorce agreement already signed on the table.

"The cooling-off period is over. Come with me to the courthouse, and I'll tell you where she is."

Over all these years, I had signed a thick stack of divorce agreements with him.

But they always ended up going nowhere.

Either he suddenly had a meeting, or he had to accompany Lily.

But I didn't want to keep dragging this out with him anymore.

This marriage—I was cutting my losses.

I couldn't be like him.

Watching him nervously make phone calls, I dug my nails into my palms.

Good. No one answered on the other end.

I was about to urge him on when my breath was suddenly stolen away.

He pinned me to the floor, his hand around my throat.

"Jade, she hasn't bothered you at all. Why can't you tolerate her?"

We were so engrossed in our struggle that we didn't notice the sound of someone entering the passcode at the door.

"Are you deaf? Didn't I say I want to make room for her?"

He inexplicably grew angrier.

"What right do you have to make room? Who do you think you are?"

Psycho.

In the chaos, my hand found a chair leg.

I struggled to lift it and brought it down hard on his head.

Blood trickled down the man's black hair onto my neck.

The blow made him stagger back a few steps before he steadied himself.

I collapsed to the floor, exhausted, gasping for breath.

"Try choking me one more time."