Chapter 1There's a saying in our circle: "Mrs. Ashford catches him cheating faster than he can even do it."
Whenever someone's husband cheats, I'm the one they hold up as an example.
Behind my back though, they say: "She's just a shrew. No proper society wife would embarrass herself like that."
But what really shocked everyone?
This time, when paparazzi shoved photos of Evan in bed with another woman in my face, I just smiled.
Even Evan rushed home—still pulling up his pants—staring at me in disbelief.
I shrugged. "I'm tired."
He broke into a grin and lit a cigarette. "Finally giving up, Iris?"
My eyes fell on the photos scattered on the table. "Yeah. I'm done."
Because this time, the woman he's in love with is my bone marrow donor.
...
Evan froze. His grin died on his face.
"What are you playing at?"
I felt the leukemia report through my bag and laughed under my breath.
"Nothing."
I used to be the psycho wife who owned the tabloids.
I stripped mistresses naked and dragged them through the streets.
I kicked down hotel doors with a camera, climbed right onto their bed, and shot everything.
I thought if I kept fighting, he'd eventually get tired.
Turns out I'm the one who gave up first.
When I got the diagnosis, I didn't tell anyone.
The report's been sitting on our bedroom table for weeks.
He never even looked at it.
My silence clearly threw him off. He was about to snap when the doorbell rang.
Nina Harlow stood in the doorway. The panic on his face said everything.
He never brought women home—that was the one rule he kept.
Three years ago, the first affair went public. I lost it in front of the cameras. I clawed that woman's face until it bled.
All he said was:
"I thought you knew what you were signing up for. My wife shouldn't embarrass herself like this."
I stood there frozen. I wanted to cry but couldn't.
My love meant nothing to him.
After that, he kept things quieter.
Nina was the first one bold enough to walk through our front door.
She stood there in her pressed suit, all business:
"Mrs. Ashford, PR's been working overtime cleaning up your messes. I hope you can understand his position."
"At the very least, don't use his money to humiliate the company. Fair?"
My fingers trembled.
Nina was some charity case the company sponsored—a poor scholarship intern.
She was also my bone marrow match. The only donor I'd found.
I'm not fighting because I know the truth.
She'd never save me. Not when I'm the only thing standing between her and this money life.
For the first time in years, I just nodded. "Fine."
Evan looked at me like I'd lost it. He cleared his throat.
"Since Nina came all this way, go to the office tomorrow and apologize."
He knew I'd rather die than apologize in front of everyone. But he was asking anyway—for her.
I started to say something but stopped.
Nina saw my face and turned red. She bowed quick and ran out.
"Nina!"
Evan went after her, then paused:
"Tomorrow. I'm not asking twice."
"And Nina's taking over the money. Maybe without a card you'll stop acting crazy."
I kept my voice flat:
"Sure."
He frowned, then walked out without looking back.
Blood dripped from my nose. He didn't notice.
I looked at the treatment plan my doctor sent. Pages of medications I'd never be able to afford.
I deleted it all.
Then I called my lawyer:
"I need divorce papers."
Chapter 2
The next morning, my doctor called me in. He looked stunned:
"Mrs. Ashford, you need chemo before the transplant. Why'd you cancel everything?"
I kept it simple. "Can't afford it."
The nurses stared at me like I'd just said the earth was flat.
Everyone knew if Mrs. Ashford wanted the moon, Evan would find a way to buy it.
But they didn't know my accounts were frozen.
And finding another donor? That could take years.
Outside the hospital, Evan's driver opened the car door.
"Mr. Ashford said you need to come to the office right away. To apologize."
...
At the office, whispers followed me everywhere:
"She used to run wild. Now Nina's got her trained like a dog."
"Bet Nina's got something on her. Or CEO finally grew a spine."
"She used to be a psycho. Now she's just... sad."
...
I used to have pride. This hurt worse than dying.
Nina gathered a small crowd around me.
She put on this apologetic look, like what she was about to say pained her.
"Mrs. Ashford, everyone feels your past behavior really hurt the company's image. We need you to apologize. To each person."
I took a deep breath and bowed.
"I'm sorry for the trouble I caused."
Nina shook her head slowly.
"I don't think anyone feels your sincerity. You should kneel."
My nails dug into my palms. I was this close to losing it. "You—"
"Iris. Do what she says."
Evan's voice came from behind me.
I turned around—couldn't believe what I was hearing.
Years ago, I drove his college girlfriend out of school. Her parents showed up with baseball bats and demanded I get on my knees.
Back then, Evan—who used to worship that girl—picked my side:
"My wife's like this because I made her this way. I'll deal with her messes. She'll kneel when I'm dead."
He fought them barehanded. Got his head cracked open.
Blood everywhere.
Now he stood over me and told me to kneel for Nina Harlow.
I could barely get the words out. "No."
Nina's eyes welled up.
"I guess Mrs. Ashford doesn't think she did anything wrong. I shouldn't have asked anyway. Maybe... I'll be her next victim."
At that, Evan's face hardened. He looked at me like I was poison.
"So that's your game. I actually thought you'd changed. But you're just planning something worse for Nina."
"Let me make this clear—I can protect you. And I can protect someone else just as easily."
He grabbed my arm and kicked my legs out from under me.
In the struggle, he ripped out a chunk of my hair.
The whole room sucked in a breath.
He froze, staring at the hair in his hand.
"What..."
I stood there, numb.
Stopping treatment must've made things worse.
I opened my mouth to explain when Nina suddenly gasped.
"Mr. Ashford, I think I'm allergic to Mrs. Ashford's perfume. My head hurts so bad."
Next second, Evan shoved me backward. I stumbled. His face twisted with disgust.
"You planned this too?! Get out! Now!"
Under everyone's mocking stares, I bent down and picked up the hair.
I turned away. That's when the tears came.
The elevator doors closed. My phone buzzed.
Critical condition alert.
My mother.
Chapter 3
I made it to the hospital and dropped to my knees beside Mom's bed, clutching her hand.
Her voice barely made it through the oxygen mask.
"Iris... don't beg him for me."
When Mom first got sick, Evan gave her the best room in the hospital. Cleared his entire schedule to sit with her.
Meanwhile, I locked myself away for days—wouldn't eat, wouldn't move. He had to leave her side just to drag me back to life.
"I've got this. Your mom's going to be okay."
But that was before. Before our marriage turned into a battlefield. Before every promise became a lie.
At the billing desk, I got my answer.
Someone had stopped paying Mom's medical bills.
I turned around—and there they were. Evan and Nina.
My vision blurred. "Who cut off my mother's treatment? You or her?"
Evan's face went dark in an instant.
"So it was you. Bought a bunch of bots online to trash Nina—accused her of embezzling company funds and overstepping?"
I stared at him, confused. Nina stepped forward, voice breaking.
"Mrs. Ashford, the company's cutting costs right now. I wasn't targeting you. Please just... call off whoever you hired to attack me online."
The harder she cried, the more disgusted Evan looked when he turned to me.
"Iris, I've put up with your shit for years. But Nina works her ass off for this company. And you're trying to ruin her?"
"Apologize. Right now!"
I pressed my back against the wall just to stay standing.
"Then let's get divorced. We'll split everything today."
Evan went still. For a second, he couldn't speak.
Nina's voice cracked through the silence.
"Mrs. Ashford, please don't divorce him because of me."
"He's already exhausted. Watching him suffer breaks my heart. Please don't make this worse. I'm begging you."
People walking by heard her words and started staring at me like I was the villain.
Like I was the other woman.
Evan rushed to Nina's side, then looked back at me with pure contempt.
"You don't actually want a divorce. You just want money so you can keep destroying people. What sick plan do you have for Nina now?"
"You want money? Get on your knees and apologize to her!"
I stood there, frozen.
Evan used to swear he'd take care of me forever. That money would never be an issue.
That was a lifetime ago.
I bit down so hard I tasted copper.
I started to lower myself when Nina suddenly grabbed my arm—playing the saint.
"Mrs. Ashford's always had everything handed to her. She doesn't understand what it's like to struggle. Since she's hurt me and so many others, she should show real accountability. A livestream apology."
"Do that, and I'll approve the payment."
A few seconds of silence.
Evan's expression turned cold.
"Yeah. You should know what humiliation feels like. You loved stripping those women, didn't you? So strip. Apologize naked on camera."
I couldn't breathe.
"Evan—I'm your wife!"
Just then, my phone lit up. Critical condition alert.
My mind went blank.
Evan glanced at the screen. His voice was ice.
"Your mother needs the money, right? So hurry up and decide."
