Divorce

Chapter 1: Divorce

Six Years Later

Ashley's words escaped before she could stop them. "Let's get a divorce, Christian! I can't take this anymore!"

An oppressive silence followed.

Her legs trembled beneath her, exhaustion weighing her down. She'd endured Christian's harshness in private, but the spectacle with Kayla Beckett, his mistress the previous night had broken Ashley completely. Throwing a party, making her serve as one of the waitresses, and finally, announcing his engagement to Kayla.

Never in her life had she experienced such humiliation.

And now, instead of remorse, his response was anger.

The media frenzy surrounding their fight only worsened the situation. Adding to the insult, Kayla had fabricated an injury, claiming Ashley clawed her eyes, when all she had done was return a slap.

Out of shock, the glasses Ashley had carefully arranged on the tray as she went to serve Kayla had tumbled over, _ Kayla's designer gown. Kayla had slapped Ashley, referring to her as a "clumsy bitch"

Christian, of course, had spent the night at the hospital with Kayla, adding salt to the wound.

Now, he stood before Ashley, threatening to make her life a living hell. She flinched at the thought of anything worse than what she was already enduring—all for defending herself against the bitch who had openly disrespected her.

Or perhaps, she was the real bitch for marrying a man who had never loved her.

Her mind drifted back to how it all began. Ashley had been in her room that fateful when George entered, not doing the least as a knock. She was furious, but even more when she learned that charlotte had been planning to sell her off to him, as his damn wife. The old fool also almost raped her.

That night, Ashley had run away, straight into the bar where she'd only intended to drink away her sorrow...but she met Christian.

When he proposed marriage, she had agreed without hesitation, believing he was her savior. He was really sweet to her in the beginning, more reason she didn't think much about anything else.

But a month later, Ashley discovered she hadn't only been a fool, she'd traded one prison for another.

Christian's voice cut through her thoughts. "What did you just say?" He was surprised considering that he had lost count of how many divorce papers he'd thrown in Ashley's face in the past, but she only does as little as tear them in halves.

'I knew she was eventually going to break.' Kayla had advised christian to make their engagement public, and he was glad he took her advice.

A lump formed in Ashley's throat. A part of her wished Christian would refuse the divorce, at least like she always did whenever he brought home those damn papers.

"I was angry."

She reached out, but christian slapped her hand away. "That's the best thing you've ever said, Ashley!" His words twisted like a knife in her heart. "I'll send my lawyer once I reach my office."

He turned to leave, but Ashley blocked his path, eyes brimming with tears. "Please don't do this, Christian. I still love you."

His gaze darkened with disgust. She had grown accustomed to that look, but today, it stung differently.

"You humiliated the Harrington name yesterday when you put on that show, and you're hear talking about love?" he snapped. "I want you gone while I clean up your mess."

"Chris…"

"After the divorce, you'll get a house in Springstone if you're worried about being homeless." His cold fingers traced her jaw, void of emotion. "We both know I never loved you, Ashley. I married you to get my inheritance from Grandpa while you received shelter and other amenities. And that was only because Kayla wasn't ready back then. But now she is...and Grandpa is dead."

A lone tear slipped down Ashley's cheek.

A stand-in wife.

That's all she had ever been.

She'd known since Kayla returned a month after the wedding, and she caught them tangled in each other's skin–christian was fucking Kayla roughly, passionately. Took them five minutes at least, to realize she'd been standing there with hot tears in her eyes.

From that moment on, Ashley had been Christian's wife in name only, he slowly became hostile to her–no longer sweet.

Now even that title "wife" was about to be stripped off her.

Her heart felt like a stone sinking deeper with each passing moment.

Four years of marriage.

Four years of submission.

Four years of exhausting labor.

Did she really deserve this?

Christian attempted to leave again, but she grabbed his forearm. "Where did I go wrong, Chris? I was the perfect wife. I was always there for you."

She felt indebted to him for saving her that night, obligated to endure his emotional abuse.

"We won't fight again, I promise. Kayla can join us… as one big, happy family." The words felt foreign on her tongue, but she was desperate.

Christian's laughter was cold. "One big, happy what?" He shook his head. "You're unbelievable."

She knew how pathetic she sounded, but she didn't care. Despite everything, her foolish heart still sort him.

She'd always been taught that love was patient and enduring. Her mother had told her that if she fought hard enough for something, she would eventually win.

Why was she losing now? Hadn't she fought hard enough?

"I don't want you anymore, Ashley. It has always been Kayla, and you know it." he said, as if she was just supposed to understand.

"Kayla rejected your proposal the night you met me. How could you forget that?!" she screamed, but he ignored her.

Tears streamed down her face as she watched him walk away. Slowly, she sank to the cold tiles, surrendering to her grief.

She had been taught that love required patience and endurance, so she had given her all, believing that if she tried hard enough, christian would eventually love her back. Now, she realized love was a cruel, painful thing.

A moment later, her phone rang. Kate's name flashed on the screen. She hesitated, not ready for yet another confrontation.

Like her son, Kate had treated her harshly. perhaps even worse.

"Barren gold digger." That what she always referred her as. Never once had she revealed that Christian was the one who had refused to have children. She had never spoken of their rare, passionless intimate moments, which only occurred when he needed to forget his problems.

"You wretched child, bringing shame to the Harringtons," Kate's venomous tone sliced through the silence the moment Ashley answered.

She gripped the phone tighter, her silence fueling Kate's rage.

"I see your time with my family has made you forget how much of a nobody you are." Kate sneered.

When Ashley still didn't answer, Kate's voice dropped to a whisper. "But don't forget that your disappearance wouldn't raise eyebrows. No one would miss you, Ashley."

A chill ran down Ashley's spine. Rumors of Kate's ruthlessness resurfaced in her mind.

"I—I…," she started, but Kate's brief, humorless laugh cut her off.

"You'll forget every divorce privilege, including the house Christian promised. Do you understand?"

Ashley gulped in air. "Yes."

"You've done nothing to deserve it. Your life is compensation enough for your time with us. So leave now, while you still can."

The call ended.

Tears threatened to fall, but she fought them back, hating the weakness they represented.

Moments later, she finished packing. Christian's lawyer had already arrived, and she strode downstairs to meet him.

As she stared at the white paper with divorce agreement written in bold, she couldn't help think of how many times she'd seen the same paper–how many times she'd ripped it apart, refusing to allow a mere paper tear her and Christian apart.

"Sign the damn papers, Ashley! Stop making this difficult for both of us."

She had clutched them tightly, shaking her head. "No! We can still fix this, Christian. We made vows—"

He laughed coldly. "Vows? Don't make me laugh. The only vow I made was to get my inheritance, and now I don't need you anymore."

Ashley had torn the papers in half, only for Christian to present new ones, convinced she'd eventually surrender. And he was right. She'd only delayed the inevitable.

She blinked away the memory, realizing how foolish she'd been. Right there, Ashley weakly signed the document relinquishing her title as Christian's wife.

True to Kate's words, she was left with nothing. Not a single penny.

She had lost completely.

She had lost her marriage.

She had lost herself.

She had lost everything.

Christian's call came just as she was half way upstairs, eager to avoid breaking down in front of the lawyer.

"Hello?"

"Ashley, I need you out as soon as possible. Kayla's been discharged, and I'll be bringing her home soon."

A wave of nausea washed over her. She barely made it to the toilet before vomiting violently.

Everything she had eaten that morning came up, leaving her weak and trembling. Tears mixed with sweat on her flushed face.

As she emerged from the bathroom, a pounding headache forced her to stagger to the bed. Memories flooded her mind.

The same bed she had once shared with Christian.

The same bed that had witnessed their rare, empty intimacies.

After Kayla returned to Christian's life, he had never made love to Ashley willingly. Their moments together were nothing more than coping mechanisms—temporary distractions from his fights with Kayla.

Her sobs echoed in the empty room.

She remembered the time he had been so rough that she'd bled. His apology had been a week-long disappearance from home.

Looking back now, she realized—this was never a marriage.

It had been a suffocating cage.

Now, Ashley understood two of the worst things that could happen to any woman.

Being without a family to shield her from the world's cruelty.

And being utterly dependent on a man.

The wrong man.

She was a victim of both.