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."

Jane let the call run almost to its final ring before Ashley finally answered.

Still half-asleep, Ashley asked, "Why are you calling me at this hour?"

Keeping her gaze on Kevan, Jane quickly asked, "Mrs. Ford, do you happen to know where Mr. Ford's light blue shirt ended up?"

The question pulled Ashley fully awake, and annoyance settled in as she assumed Kevan was doing this just to rile her up before sunrise. She replied, "We're getting divorced. I'm not dealing with his things anymore."

Kevan lifted his brows at her biting tone and remarked, "Ashley, I haven't agreed to any divorce. If you're unwilling to say it over the phone, then come back here and look for it yourself."

Ashley fought the urge to snap at him and said, "Third row. Left side. Section A."

Only after blurting it out did she remember buying that shirt for their second anniversary. He hated the gift so much that he never wore it.

Yet now, when everything between them was breaking apart, he suddenly cared enough to look for it.

Kevan spoke as calmly as ever. "And which tie am I supposed to wear with it?"

Ashley felt her irritation spike and retorted, "Last I checked, you hired someone to handle your wardrobe at home. Calling me at this hour makes me wonder if you're having trouble sleeping without my help."

Kevan let out a low chuckle and responded, "Don't flatter yourself. You were the one obsessed with picking out everything for me, even my underwear. Wasn't that the one thing you were ever committed to?"

Ashley pressed her phone so hard it nearly slipped from her grasp, her chest tightening with every word.

Though she had always known Kevan never really cared, hearing it out loud still cut deep.

How could he treat everything she did as worthless, brushing her aside without a second thought?

"Kevan, I don't want anything to do with your life anymore. Please stop calling me. I'll come by the office at ten tomorrow. After that, let's just disappear from each other's lives."

Kevan's patience snapped at her constant talk of separation. "I'm tired of this back and forth. What's it this time? Do you want money, luxury bags, or is your father having trouble again?"

Ashley stiffened and muttered, "All I want is a divorce."

There was a time when she had chased after Kevan's love, but that longing had faded. Someone else could take his place.

Kevan's hand clenched the phone, tendons showing white beneath his skin. "Ashley, this is your last chance. Come back home before ten tomorrow, and I'll pretend you never asked for a divorce."

Determined to put an end to everything, Ashley set alarm after alarm for the morning, ready to walk away for good. Life, though, had other plans. A car from the opposite lane veered straight into her path and crashed into the front of her car. In the split second before everything went black, only one thing mattered.

If she didn't leave Kevan for good, even dying wouldn't give her peace.

Ashley's next memory was waking up in a hospital bed, her head pounding and pain radiating through every inch of her body.

Blood stained the bandages wrapped around her shoulder, and the sharp tang of iron filled the room.

While adjusting the IV line, a nurse kept her from sitting up. "You suffered a concussion in the crash. The scans don't show anything serious, but you'll need to be monitored for a while. Please let your family know to come and help with the paperwork and expenses."

Often, the worst effects of a car accident took hours to show up.

A sudden realization crossed Ashley's face, and she asked urgently, "Can you tell me what time it is?"

"It's five in the afternoon. Is something wrong?"

Ignoring the pain that shot through her body, Ashley reached for her phone and quickly tried to call Kevan. He didn't pick up. She tried once more, but still got no response. After the second failed attempt, frustration bubbled up inside her.

After steadying herself, she turned to the nurse. "Would you mind letting me borrow your phone for a moment?"

She suspected Kevan was screening her calls on purpose—he had done it before.

The nurse agreed and handed her the phone.

Ashley punched in Kevan's number, and this time he picked up right away. "Who's calling?"

So it was true—he had been ignoring her all along. It stung that a stranger could get through, but she, his wife, could not.

She steadied her nerves and answered, "It's me."