Chapter 1
Chapter 1
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 se xy, 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…” Thaddeus was surprised.
“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.
1/2
11:25
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 back yard! 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 it.
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?!
llana, 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 Ashboume family, Cas sius 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?” Cas sius tenderly pulled his sister into his arms.
“Cas us, 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.”
