The marriage between Kevan and her had never been based on love. Ashley knew it deep down, which was why ending things quickly felt like the only sensible choice.

She had spent two years secretly loving Kevan, followed by three years of marriage—five years in total chasing a man who never once truly looked her way. She finally realized she couldn't keep wasting her life on a hopeless pursuit.

She wasn't going to let herself fall any deeper.

Kevan reacted as if she had just told him the funniest joke he had heard all year. A mocking grin tugged at his lips. "Ashley, stop playing around. Without me, how would you even afford half the luxury things you flaunt? You think you can buy million-dollar jewelry on your own?"

Ashley lifted her chin, her voice steady. "Kevan, I'm your wife, not some woman you're sponsoring."

Wife?

His expression darkened, a warning hidden in his tone. "Don't push your luck. I'm not in the mood for your drama."

He slammed the door and stormed out.

Watching him leave, Ashley exhaled and murmured to herself, "I'm not being dramatic. I'll draw up the divorce papers, sign them, and send them straight to his office."

Right after she walked out, thunder cracked, and heavy rain followed. She opened her umbrella, grabbed her suitcase, and stepped into the storm without looking back. She hailed a taxi and headed for her best friend's place.

When Rosanna Mills heard the news, she cursed Kevan for several minutes straight before asking, "Why divorce him now? You swore you'd love him till the end."

Few people knew the depth of Ashley's feelings, but Rosanna knew every bit of it.

Ashley let out a weary sigh. "People change, Rosanna. I have too."

Rosanna wasn't satisfied with that. "Don't give me vague answers. Tell me, what really happened?"

Bitterness rose in Ashley's voice. "He cheated on me, on our third anniversary, with the woman he actually cares about."

It wasn't the first time Kevan and Lisette had been spotted together. Dinner here, a studio visit there—innocent enough. But this time, they went straight to a hotel.

Ashley played a video for Rosanna, and the audio alone was enough to reopen every wound.

Watching that, Rosanna nearly exploded. "That man must have dust in his eyes! Lisette looks plain next to you, and she doesn't have an ounce of your charm. By the way, how much did you take from him for cheating? You did get compensation, right?"

Ashley's shoulders drooped. "I won't take a thing."

Rosanna's jaw dropped. She shook Ashley's shoulders frantically. "Are you insane? He betrayed you... He should walk away empty-handed!"

Ashley shook her head. "Dragging out a property dispute will only slow the divorce. And it's not like I'm walking away with nothing. He's thrown plenty of business toward my father over the years."

Even the smallest Ford Group contract meant enormous profit.

Rosanna paused, realizing Ashley had a point. She squeezed her hand gently. "So, what now? What do you want to do after the divorce?"

Ashley already knew her answer. During the drive, she made up her mind to focus on her career again. "My heart might be shattered, but my future won't be. I'm going to chase the dream I gave up three years ago."

Before marriage, Ashley had been a highly sought-after talent manager. Several stars rose to fame under her care.

She once vowed to push her top two clients to win Best Actor and Best Actress. But that plan was derailed the night she got tangled up with Kevan.

One night of mistake turned into a headline storm. Cameras surrounded them, asking how long they had been together.

Kevan, who had just stepped into his role as head of the Ford Group and was still trying to steady himself, had no choice but to go along with it.

So, that very day, they signed the marriage papers, with no ceremony, no flowers, and not even rings.

Seeing Ashley trying to realign her life and throw herself back into work, Rosanna pulled up her phone and scrolled through the latest industry posts. "Hey, look. Preston Lloyd from Galaxy Entertainment is recruiting managers. You used to work with them all the time. Want me to call and get you an appointment?"

Ashley quickly declined, shaking her head. "No. I'm not planning to go back to my old company."

She had left that place on a sour note, the fallout messier than she liked to admit.

Rosanna immediately caught on to what Ashley was thinking. She lightly squeezed her hand and murmured mysteriously, "Get some proper rest first. Once you're up, I'll take you somewhere."

When Ashley woke again, the sun was already high. She wasted no time and contacted her lawyer, had a divorce agreement drafted, signed it, and sent it straight to the CEO's office at Ford Group.

Kevan received the envelope from his assistant. The moment he saw the document inside, the corner of his mouth curled into a cold sneer.

That strong, confident handwriting felt like a direct challenge.

He pinched the edge of the document between his slender fingers and slapped it onto the desk, the sound ringing sharply across the office. "Ashley, you're not getting what you want."

He doubted she intended to quietly walk away. To him, this was just another tactic—Ashley's way of taking a step back only to push forward harder.

The next time their paths crossed was at an industry summit. Ashley looked nothing like the woman he was used to. Her once long hair was now styled into soft, short curls that framed her face perfectly.

She wore a silver, body-hugging gown adorned with elegant tassels that shifted with each movement, the deep V-neck highlighting her delicate collarbones. The spotlight seemed to cling to her, making her appear radiant and almost unreal, like she belonged on the grandest stage.

Kevan had always known she was beautiful, but this version of her—confident, poised, breathtaking—left him momentarily stunned.

His stare burned so intensely that Ashley sensed it. When she turned, she found his deep gaze locked on hers. In his black suit, he looked distant, refined, and every bit the elite leader.

Next to him stood Lisette, hanging onto his arm like she belonged there, her expression practically glowing with self-satisfaction.

Ashley found her ridiculous and shifted her eyes away. While she was chatting with a senior industry figure, a young girl bumped into her and spilled juice all over the delicate tassels on her gown.

Ashley barely had time to react before the damage was done. She simply apologized politely, excused herself, and hurried to the restroom to clean up.

Just as she stepped inside, a sarcastic voice echoed behind her. "Ashley, what are you doing here? Do you honestly think an elite summit is suitable for a little housewife like you?"

The words pierced her sharply. She had once built a thriving career, and she had been respected and admired until she abandoned it all for love.

Well, that chapter was over. It wasn't too late to reclaim what was hers.

Ashley turned toward Lisette, arching a brow with a faint, mocking expression.

Lisette, emboldened by Ashley's silence, raised her voice. "Unbelievable. Have you no shame? You've seen the video, right? Or are you waiting for more evidence before you crawl out of the Ford family? You snatched something that never belonged to you in the first place. It's disgusting."

Ashley's eyes chilled instantly. "Shameless? Miss Harvey, you pursued a married man with full awareness, then strutted around showing it off to his wife. If shamelessness were a competition, you'd win without trying."

Lisette froze, stunned that Ashley had actually talked back. For years, Ashley had tolerated her taunts. This sudden resistance threw her off balance.

Lisette's face twisted in rage. She lifted her hand to slap her. "You forced your way between us! If you hadn't drugged Kevan that night, I would've been his wife already. He can't stand the sight of you!"

But Ashley reacted first, and her palm cracked sharply across Lisette's cheek. "If you spent half the time you waste trying to insult me on actually educating yourself, you wouldn't sound so foolish. And even if he hates me, I'm still his legal wife. That's a fact."

Lisette, wild with anger, lunged at her. "How dare you hit me? I'll ruin you! Kevan won't let this slide!"

Ashley sidestepped her and used the moment to trip her. "He won't let me go? Please. I'd love to see whether you two manage to drag me down first or I expose your little affair to the world. Even the mighty Ford Group can't silence a scandal that big. Keep pushing me, and I'll dedicate every waking moment to dragging this divorce out and splitting every cent of marital property."

"So that's what you've been plotting." Kevan's tone was frigid, and he strode toward them, every step colder than the last.

Ashley froze for a moment, completely thrown off by Kevan's presence.

In a voice weighed down by cold, Kevan asked, "Should I help you find a lawyer?"

Ashley shook her head right away. "There's no need for that."

She never cared about getting a single cent. She only brought it up to provoke Lisette and nothing more.

Kevan let out a quiet laugh that held nothing but scorn. "I really misjudged you, Ashley. What made you believe you had the right to demand a share of my wealth?"

Hadn't she already lived a life filled with everything luxury could offer?

Those words stung deep. Ashley pushed a smile onto her face. "I was messing around. I don't have time to scheme like that. If you're worried, I can put it in writing."

Fury crept across Kevan's features, darkening them by the second.

Lisette used that moment to tilt her head forward, exposing the red mark Ashley left on her cheek. "Kevan, did I do something wrong? Why else would she strike me?"

Once he took in the sight of Lisette's swollen face, a sharp glint cut through Kevan's eyes as he turned on Ashley. "You laid a hand on her? What gave you the right?!"

His words struck Ashley so hard that her breath hitched, leaving her chest tight and aching.

Three years of standing by his side, and her own husband chose to shield another woman while tearing her down.

Kevan really was unbearable.

Ashley met his glare without flinching. "It was just a slap. After everything you two have put me through, this doesn't even begin to measure up. You both should get far worse."

Kevan's eyes thinned into a chilling line. "What are you implying?!"

Ashley refused to drag herself through the filth of his betrayal. The memory alone was enough to turn her stomach. "Forget it. You should have the divorce papers by now. Sign them as soon as you can."

His brows jerked in anger. He hadn't imagined she would push him toward ending things so quickly, as if she could hardly wait to be done with him. Rage surged through him. "Be at my office tomorrow at ten. If you're late, I won't bother waiting!"

A quiet, cold laugh slipped from Ashley before she turned and strode off.

She had never been eligible to attend the summit on her own. Rosanna had passed her the invitation. She thought she could use the event to search for work, yet seeing Kevan and Lisette together ruined any desire to stay a second longer.

Much later that night, Kevan returned home. Out of habit, he slipped off his coat and held it out, expecting familiar hands to take it. No one came. The emptiness startled him, and it hit him only a moment later that Ashley had asked for a divorce.

His gaze drifted toward the vacant sofa, and a weight settled heavily in his chest, as though something irreplaceable had slipped away.

For three years, she had been there almost every night, sitting exactly in that spot while waiting for him.

Unable to shake the suffocating tightness in his ribs, he called out, "Jane, make me a bowl of chicken soup."

Half an hour later, Jane White set the steaming bowl on the dining table. "Mr. Ford, your soup is ready."

Kevan lifted the spoon for a single taste before pushing it aside, the flavor striking him as disappointingly plain. "Jane, your cooking needs work."

"Mr. Ford, even if I learned every recipe out there, I still wouldn't be able to match the way Mrs. Ford made this. You probably never noticed since you were always occupied with business, but she spent hours on your chicken soup. She cleaned everything piece by piece and watched the pot the entire time. Too much heat ruined the texture, and too little kept the aroma from coming out. She stayed right beside it until it was perfect."

A shadow crossed Kevan's eyes as he shifted the subject. "Jane, where is my light blue shirt?"

Confusion flickered across her face. She had no idea. Ashley had always taken care of his clothes, and she had never needed to step in.

Before she managed a reply, Kevan ordered, "Call Ashley."