Chapter 3

Maybe Asher noticed how pale I looked, because he finally stepped in, stopping the kids.

"Watch your mouth," Asher barked at the kids. "Let Chloe get some rest. Let her go back to her room."

Both kids scrambled to escort Chloe back to her room, clinging to her like she might disappear any second.

"Don't take it personally. They're just kids. They don't know any better. It's normal for them to like Chloe," Asher said.

"And what about you? Are you a kid too? Is it normal for you to like Chloe as well?" I shot back.

Asher's face darkened, as if I'd hit a nerve.

"I told you, there's nothing going on between us. Stop being unreasonable," he snapped.

So I was the one being unreasonable?

I was the one to blame.

"That's it. This ends here. You're wasting your time dragging this out. I've already told the cops to close the case," Asher said.

I stared at Asher in disbelief. He dismissed something that nearly cost me my life, like it was nothing.

Just then, my phone rang. It was the police.

"Mrs. Cameron, I'm sorry, but we can't move forward with your case. Mr. Cameron has made it clear, and we..." the officer said.

"I see," I replied, my voice flat.

Swallowing the sting in my eyes, I hung up.

"Dad, Chloe's head hurts again. Hurry up and go check on her," Alex called out.

Alex dashed over, grabbed Asher's hand, and started pulling him toward the door.

"Wait, sign this before you leave," I said.

Asher barely listened. Once he heard Chloe wasn't feeling well, his mind was already with her. He didn't even glance at the paperwork and scrawled his signature across it without a second thought.

He shoved the papers into my hands and hurried off after Alex, not even looking back.

Staring at his bold signature, I froze for a moment.

Our ten-year relationship was gone just like that.

I'd already prepared the divorce papers while I was in the hospital.

I didn't hand them over right away, not because I still had feelings for Asher, but because I couldn't bear to leave the kids behind.

I knew that if we divorced, Asher would never give up custody of the kids.

But now, it was clear the kids wouldn't choose me either. They were the ones severing our family ties.

So there was nothing left for me to hope for.

I reached out to my lawyer and handed him the divorce papers.

"Mrs. Cameron, it will take about one month to go through the process, and your marriage with Mr. Cameron will be over. I'll send you the divorce decree when it's done," he assured me.

A weight finally lifted off my chest after hearing that.

Just one more month, and I'd finally be free.

I'd been with Asher for ten years.

The day of the college opening ceremony, I saw Asher up on stage giving a speech, and I fell head over heels for him.

But I knew he was aloof and almost regal, totally out of my league.

So I buried all my feelings deep inside, never daring to say a word, just quietly watching him from a distance.

I'd heard some rumors about Asher.

Rumor said that his first love came from a family just as rich as his, and the two were crazy about each other. Everyone assumed they'd tie the knot right after graduation.

Hearing my roommates gossip about it, I felt a sour ache in my chest.

Even if that was just how things were, it still stung.

But fate had other plans. Disaster struck out of nowhere.

The Cameron family's business collapsed and went bankrupt, and Asher, once the golden boy, fell straight from the top to rock bottom.