Chapter 42
Bang! A loud noise came from outside. I hastily locked the bathroom door and curled into myself. I knew that if Ashton wanted to come in, there was no stopping him.
Sure enough, it didn’t take long before he slammed open the door from outside. His voice was harsh and laced with anger. “What the hell are you doing, Scarlett?”
He was just beyond the bathroom door now.
I pressed against it, shutting my eyes tightly. “I don’t want to see you, Ashton. Please, just stay away from me!”
Disgust twisted my stomach. If I hadn’t heard those sounds, perhaps I could have continued deceiving myself. But now, it was impossible. No matter how hard I tried to block it out, I couldn’t unhear them. I couldn’t erase the images from my mind—him, naked in bed with Rebecca, their voices tangled in passion. It was torment.
“Scarlett, open the door. Whatever it is, we can talk about it!” His voice was ice, sharp and cutting.
“There’s nothing to talk about! Just stay away from me!” My hands trembled as I held the doorknob in a death grip, as if that could keep him out.
“Scarlett,” he growled through gritted teeth. “Don’t test my patience!”
On the verge of breaking down, I screamed, “I told you to stay away! Didn’t you hear me?”
Bang! A heavy impact rattled the door, making me jump back in fright.
It only took three strikes before the door burst open, and his towering figure loomed in the doorway. His dark eyes locked onto me, taking in my trembling form curled up beside the bathtub.
“Scarlett…” His voice softened slightly, the anger in his eyes dimming just a fraction.
He took a slow step forward, crouching as he reached out a hand toward me.
“Don’t touch me!” I recoiled instinctively, revulsion flashing through me.
His hand froze midair. The tension in the room was suffocating. “Tell me what happened.”
I clenched my fists, my voice breaking as I forced out the words. “Ashton, let’s get a divorce. Please. I don’t want anything—just sign the papers.”
His expression darkened instantly, his frosty gaze boring into me. “Do you even know what you’re saying, Scarlett?”
“Yes.” I did. Two years of pain, of humiliation, of waiting for something that would never come—I had finally reached my limit. Love couldn’t be forced, no matter how much warmth and devotion I poured into it.
He yanked me forward, lifting me from the floor and wrapping a towel around me before placing me on the bed. He crouched in front of me, gripping my shoulders tightly. “What exactly happened?”
He was calm. Even in the face of my breakdown, he remained composed.
Tears blurred my vision as I croaked out, “Ashton, do you love me?”
He stiffened, his eyes flickering with something unreadable. After a moment, he frowned. “Love isn’t a word you just throw around, Scarlett.”
But you said it to Rebecca. The words burned at the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed them back, my chest aching.
“Then what is it?” My voice trembled as I looked at him, my tears finally spilling over. “You don’t love me, do you?”
His jaw tightened. “Scarlett, tell me what happened. Why are you suddenly asking for a divorce?”
“I don’t love you,” I lied, my heart shattering with each word. “Not as much as I thought. I’m still young, Ashton. There are so many possibilities out there, so let’s just end this. Let’s set each other free.”
From the moment I met Ashton, I never imagined that I would one day beg to leave him. I had believed that if I worked hard enough—if I gave him my heart, my body, my soul—he would one day turn around and see me.
But I had forgotten one thing: love wasn’t something you earned through effort.
Love was either given freely, or not at all.
A long silence stretched between us. The temperature in the room felt like it had dropped to freezing. I lowered my gaze, unwilling to meet his eyes.
Finally, he exhaled a slow breath, his voice steady but firm. “Rest well. We’ll talk after you’ve calmed down.”
With that, he stood up and walked out of the bedroom, leaving me alone.
That night, Ashton left the villa.
I, however, lay awake until dawn, staring at the ceiling with hollow eyes.
Life wouldn’t stop moving, no matter how broken I felt.
Dragging my exhausted body to the company the next morning, I felt the weight of sleeplessness pressing down on me. Stacey, my assistant, noticed my pallor immediately and frowned in concern. “Ms. Stovall, did you stay up all night reading documents? The company audit isn’t that complicated—don’t push yourself too hard. You’ve just recovered; you need to take care of yourself.”
I gave her a faint smile, my heart heavy. If only she knew that my exhaustion had nothing to do with work.