Evadne thought her unwavering love could melt Thaddeus's heart, but after three years, he handed her divorce papers and embraced another woman. Crushed and disillusioned, Evadne chose to divorce him and underwent a remarkable transformation, becoming the wealthy heiress of the Ashbourne dynasty. From that point forward, she soared as the ruler of a trillion-dollar empire, a masterful healer, an unmatched hacker, and even a champion fencer! Her remorseful ex-husband pleaded, "Darling, I was wrong. Let's reconcile!" Evadne's lips curled into a sly smile as she replied, "I don't need love, money, or men. What I need is a loyal servant."
Ilana Waverley stared at the signed divorce papers on the table, the man's name already inked.
She looked out the window again, tears welling up in her eyes.
Thaddeus Abernathy's figure was especially elegant in the afternoon sun, his aloofness and dominance making him incredibly attractive. Even his silhouette seemed indifferent.
"I've signed; you should too. I hope we can get through all the legal stuff before Acacia gets back." Thaddeus stood with his hands behind his back, not turning around. "Since we signed a prenuptial agreement, there won't be any property disputes in the divorce. I'll give you two million dollars and a villa in Wye as compensation. I need to explain to Grandpa that you're not leaving empty-handed."
Ilana felt like she was struck by lightning, a sudden sense of loss washing over her. "Grandpa... does he know we're getting a divorce?"
"Does it matter if he knows? Will it affect my decision to divorce you?"
Her frail body nearly collapsed, but she held onto the table, her eyes brimming with tears as she whispered, "Thaddeus, can we... not get divorced?"
Finally, Thaddeus turned to look at her with a strange gaze.
His deep eyes and thin lips were incredibly sexy, and his clear facial features still made her heart race.
"Why?"
"Because... I love you." Ilana's eyes turned red as she held back tears. "I love you, Thaddeus. I still want to be your wife... even if you don't have any feelings for me..."
"I'm sick of it, Ilana. A marriage without love is endless torture for me."
Thaddeus waved dismissively, not even having the patience to hear her speak. "Marrying you was a mistake; you knew it was a rebellion against Grandpa, and you knew I had someone else in my heart. I just couldn't be with her for some reasons. Now that the agreed three years are up, and Acacia is back in the country, I'm going to marry her, so you need to leave this house."
Ilana lowered her head, her tear drops falling onto the table, which she secretly wiped away.
Thaddeus saw this, his gaze deep and calm.
Then his phone rang, and as soon as he saw the name on the screen, he answered right away.
"Acacia, are you on the plane yet?"
His tone suddenly became so gentle. Was this the same cold, indifferent man from before?
"Thad, I'm already at Elmsworth Airport." Acacia Stirling's cheerful voice came from the other end.
"What? Weren't you supposed to..."
"I wanted to surprise you."
"Wait for me, Acacia, I'll be right there!"
With that, Thaddeus hurriedly left Ilana's side.
The door to the study was closed, and the air was filled with a sense of sadness.
Her ten years of unrequited love for him, their three-year marriage... Ilana had given her all to this home. Her deep affection for him, however, was nothing more than torture to him.
Now, Thaddeus was like a prisoner who had finally been set free; he ruthlessly left her behind to go marry the woman he had always held in his heart.
She felt so much pain, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't touch his cold heart.
Ilana took a deep breath, shaking her head with a bitter smile, her eyes filled with tears as they stared at Thaddeus' name on the divorce papers.
That night, Thaddeus brought Acacia back to Windermere Estate.
The frail Acacia was carried in the arms of the young Abernathy heir, their brazen entrance attracting everyone's attention.
"Thaddeus, you and Ms. Ilana aren't divorced yet; we shouldn't be too intimate. She might have an issue with me if she sees us like this." Acacia whispered, her hand stroking the man's chest.
"She won't."
Thaddeus stated without hesitation, his gaze cold. "Besides, I don't love her; our marriage was just a contractual agreement. She should know her place."
The Abernathys warmly greeted Acacia, leaving only Ilana alone in the kitchen preparing dinner.
Thaddeus noticed his desolate wife in the crowd, a smile tugging at his lips.
She was still trying to curry favor with the Abernathys in such a submissive manner. Did she really think that would make him change his mind?
Ridiculous.
"My lord! My lord!"
Soon after, the butler rushed over in a panic. "Mrs. Abernathy's gone! She's left!"
"Gone? When?"
"Just now! She didn't take anything, just took off her apron and left through the backyard! A black car came to pick her up!"
Thaddeus quickly returned to their bedroom, which was neat and tidy. He saw the signed divorce papers quietly resting on the nightstand, tear stains evident on them.
He frowned, walking over to the window to look outside.
A Rolls Royce sped away from Windermere Estate at a breakneck speed, soon disappearing from sight.
She couldn't bear to leave the Abernathys in the afternoon, yet now she was running away so fast!
Thaddeus felt played, taking out his phone to call his secretary in annoyance.
"License plate EWA 9999, find out who owns that car!"
"Right away, Mr. Thaddeus."
Five minutes later.
"Mr. Thaddeus. I've found it; it's the CEO of the K Group!"
The K Group... the Ashbourne family's young master?!
Ilana, a girl from a small village with no money or background, who had no friends in the three years she was with him, was somehow with the Ashbourne's young master?
How surprising!
"But Mr. Thaddeus, did you really propose the divorce to Mrs. Abernathy today?" The secretary asked tentatively.
"Why? When should I propose divorce?" Thaddeus was seething.
"But today... It's her birthday."
Thaddeus froze.
Sitting in the backseat of a black Rolls-Royce, the eldest son of the Ashbourne family, Cassius Ashbourne, gently held her hand, his demeanor kind.
"*Heard you were coming back; we've got a whole bunch of fireworks ready to light up for you tonight."
'I'm really not in the mood for fireworks."
Having left the Abernathy family and reclaimed her status as the Ashbourne family heiress, she leaned on her brother's shoulder, her nose stinging, her eyes swollen and red. She sighed, her eyes brimming with tears.
She glanced at her old phone; the last message wasn't from her ex-husband, but Acacia.
The message read: [I told you, you stole my spot, and I'll make you give it back one day. Thaddeus is my man, stop daydreaming!]
She gave a bitter smile, the last tear making everything clear to her.
"What? You still can't let go even now?" Cassius tenderly pulled his sister into his arms.
"Cass, it's my birthday today."
"I know, Thaddeus deliberately chose today to bring that woman home; he's such a shameless jerk!"
"So, there's nothing I can't let go of because my heart-Ilana's heart-has been shattered by Thaddeus."
When Ilana opened her eyes again, there was no trace of any lingering affection for that man in her determined eyes. She would use her former identity, Evadne Ashbourne, to live a good life from now on!
"I struggled hard to get to where I am now; if I look back, I'll regret it."
By night, Estelle was Jonathanās wife, lounging in his villa, cuddling his pet dog, reclining on a sofa he had designed and custom-made. But come daylight, she morphed into his private tutor, on his payroll, subject to his whims, his servant. However, while he had the right to give her a hard time, nobody else did. Anyone who insulted her faced his wrath, anyone who hurt her bore the brunt of his brutal punishment. Little by little, everyone began to notice Jonathanās unusual behavior towards Estelle, it was like the fondness of a senior for a junior, yet something seemed different. He was excessively indulgent with her. Ordinarily, he was not one to be particularly harsh to others, but for her sake, he showed himself to be decisive, ruthless, and pitiless!
In their three years of marriage, Chelsea had been a dutiful wife to Edmund. She used to think that her love and care would someday melt Edmund's cold heart, but she was wrong. Finally, she couldn't take the disappointment any longer and chose to end the marriage. Edmund had always thought that his wife was just boring and dull. So it was shocking when Chelsea suddenly threw divorce papers at his face in front of everyone at the Nelson Group's anniversary party. How humiliating! After that, everyone thought that the formerly-married couple would never see each other again, even Chelsea. Once again, she thought wrong. Sometime later, at an award ceremony, Chelsea went onstage to accept the award for best screenplay. Her ex-husband, Edmund, was the one presenting the award to her. As he handed her the trophy, he suddenly reached for her hand and pleaded humbly in front of the audience, "Chelsea, I'm sorry I didn't cherish you before. Could you please give me another chance?" Chelsea looked at him indifferently. "I'm sorry, Mr. Nelson. My only concern now is my business." Edmund's heart was shattered into a million pieces. "Chelsea, I really can't live without you." But his ex-wife just walked away. Wasn't it better for her to just concentrate on her career? Men would only distract herāespecially her ex-husband.
Rena got into an entanglement with a big shot when she was drunk one night. She needed Waylen's help while he was drawn to her youthful beauty. As such, what was supposed to be a one-night stand progressed into something serious. All was well until Rena discovered that Waylen's heart belonged to another woman. When his first love returned, he stopped coming home, leaving Rena all alone for many nights. She put up with it until she received a check and farewell note one day. Contrary to how Waylen expected her to react, Rena had a smile on her face as she bid him farewell. "It was fun while it lasted, Waylen. May our paths never cross. Have a nice life." But as fate would have it, their paths crossed again. This time, Rena had another man by her side. Waylen's eyes burned with jealousy. He spat, "How the hell did you move on? I thought you loved only me!" "Keyword, loved!" Rena flipped her hair back and retorted, "There are plenty of fish in the sea, Waylen. Besides, you were the one who asked for a breakup. Now, if you want to date me, you have to wait in line." The next day, Rena received a credit alert of billions and a diamond ring. Waylen appeared again, got down on one knee, and uttered, "May I cut in line, Rena? I still want you."
When they were kids, Derek saved Norah's life. Years later, after Derek ended up in a vegetative state from a car crash, Norah married him without a second thought and even used her medical knowledge to heal him. For two years, Norah was devoted, seeking his affection and looking to settle her life-saving debt. But when Derek's first love returned, Norah, faced with divorce, didn't hesitate to sign. Despite being labeled as forsaken, few knew of her true talents. She was a race car driver, a famed designer, a genius hacker, and a renowned doctor. Regretting his decision, Derek begged for her forgiveness. Just then, a charming CEO intervened, embracing Norah and declaring, "Back off! She's my wife!" Taken aback, Norah blurted out, "What did you say?"
"Love is blind!" Lucinda abandoned her beautiful and comfortable life because of a man. She married him and slaved off for him for three long years. One day, the scales finally fell off her eyes. She realized that all her efforts were in vain. Her husband, Nathaniel still treated her like shit. All he cared about was his lover. "Enough is enough! I quit wasting my years with an ungrateful man!" Lucinda's heart was shattered into many pieces, but she summoned up the courage to ask for a divorce. The news caused a stir online! A filthy rich young woman recently got divorced? She was a good catch! Countless CEOs and handsome young men immediately swarmed to her like bees to honey! Nathaniel couldn't take it anymore. He held a press conference and begged with teary eyes, "I love you, Lucinda. I can't live without you. Please come back to me." Would Lucinda give him a second chance? Read to find out!
Two years ago, Ricky found himself coerced into marrying Emma to protect the woman he cherished. From Ricky's perspective, Emma was despicable, resorting to underhanded schemes to ensure their marriage. He maintained a distant and cold attitude toward her, reserving his warmth for another. Yet, Emma remained wholeheartedly dedicated to Ricky for more than ten years. As she grew weary and considered relinquishing her efforts, Ricky was seized by a sudden fear. Only when Emma's life teetered on the edge, pregnant with Ricky's child, did he recognize-the love of his life had always been Emma.
On the day of their wedding anniversary, Joshua's mistress drugged Alicia, and she ended up in a stranger's bed. In one night, Alicia lost her innocence, while Joshua's mistress carried his child in her womb. Heartbroken and humiliated, Alicia demanded a divorce, but Joshua saw it as yet another tantrum. When they finally parted ways, she went on to become a renowned artist, sought out and admired by everyone. Consumed by regret, Joshua darkened her doorstep in hopes of reconciliation, only to find her in the arms of a powerful tycoon. "Say hello to your sister-in-law."