The husband I’d buried seven years ago was standing in my living room. And he hadn't come alone. He’d brought a woman with him, and he expected me to step aside, to simply hand over my life as his wife. "Jade almost lost her eyesight saving me," he said, his voice laced with an infuriating mix of arrogance and impatience. "I've already promised to marry her. If you sign the divorce papers without a fuss, I'll… let you keep living here." I let the silence hang in the air for a beat before I spoke, my voice a calm, level thing. "Actually, I'm already married to someone else." Tony rolled his eyes. "Don't be stubborn, Nora. Everyone knows you're head-over-heels in love with me." 1 But I wasn't the Nora from seven years ago. I was no longer that girl who had worshipped the ground he walked on, the girl who had debased herself for even a scrap of his affection. "I have no reason to lie to you. I'm married," I repeated. Tony shot me a look of pure contempt, a sneer twisting his lips. "Nora, cut the act. I'm not here to ask for your permission. I'm telling you. Whether you like it or not, I'm marrying Jade." The woman, Jade, tugged at his arm, her voice dripping with a cloying, false innocence. "Tony, honey, please don't fight with… her. It's my fault, I'm just bad luck. You should just send me back." She made a show of turning to leave, but her hand remained firmly clamped on his arm. Her eyes, when they met mine, held a flash of triumphant possession. Just as she’d intended, Tony’s expression softened instantly. "Jade, don't say that. You promised we'd be together forever." He then shot a confident look back at me. "Don't worry. Nora is crazy about me. She does whatever I say. We’ll get married, no problem." Seven years, and his shamelessness had only grown more profound. Before I could even respond, he glared at me, his voice low and threatening. "You've enjoyed the title of Mrs. Ashworth for seven years. It's time to let Jade have her turn. She's suffered too much, and I won't let you bully her." A bitter, mocking smile touched my lips. "I haven't done a single thing. Don't you dare try to pin your drama on me." Tony's face darkened at my words. He studied me, his expression turning cold. "You think you're so important? If it weren't for the fact that you waited seven years for me, I would've kicked you out of this house without a second thought instead of wasting my breath on you." Kick me out? He wouldn't get the chance. And what on earth made him think I'd waited for him for seven years? The day he abandoned me at the altar was the day I gave up on him entirely. Seven years ago, I was sitting on my bed in a cloud of white tulle and silk, waiting for Tony to pick me up for our wedding. He never came. He ran. The car he was supposed to be in went off a cliff on the way. Only the driver survived. For seven long years, everyone thought he was dead. I picked out his gravesite myself. Marrying into the Ashworth family was a future my father had fought tooth and nail to secure for me. Tony could spit on the honor of my family, the Logans, but I could not. Besides, he wasn't the only man in the Ashworth dynasty. In these past seven years, I’ve been a wife and a mother. If he hadn't reappeared like a ghost, I would have forgotten he ever existed. So, seeing him now, my heart was a placid lake, without a single ripple of emotion. "Tony, let me be perfectly clear one more time. You and I are not husband and wife," I stated, enunciating each word. "Legally, you are a deceased person. Who you choose to marry is none of my concern." 2 Tony let out a dismissive snort. "Took you long enough to get the picture. If you hadn't been so obsessed with marrying me back then, I never would have had to run off to another country and hide out for seven years." So that was it. The driver had managed to jump from the car, and I’d always wondered how Tony, in the same vehicle, couldn't have. It wasn't a tragic accident. It was a disappearing act. He hadn't changed one bit—still selfish, arrogant, and utterly devoid of responsibility. When the news of his "death" had arrived, his mother had fainted on the spot, falling into a sickness so deep she nearly followed him to the grave. His cruel words were overheard by the family butler, Mr. Harrison, who had just rushed in. "Young Master Tony, you mustn't say such things." He turned to Tony, his face pale. "She is now the wife of the President of Ashworth Corporation." "The President's wife?" Beside him, Jade's eyes darted back and forth. "Tony, darling," she asked, feigning innocence, "didn't you say your grandfather would only ever pass the presidency to you?" Tony froze for a second, then stared at me blankly. "My father only has one son. Who else is qualified to inherit the company besides me?" I watched him, my expression unmoving. Did he leave his brain overseas? Did he have any idea how foolish he sounded? Mr. Harrison was sweating, wiping his brow with a trembling hand. "Young Master, what are you saying? The Madam is married to the Third Master. The Third Master is the President now. Don't you remember? Your uncle, Sebastian." After Tony had left me stranded, I had stood on the street in a daze, surrounded by the pointing fingers and pitying stares of strangers. That's when Sebastian Ashworth had appeared. He said he would marry me. At that moment, I was lost, helpless. Everyone knew it was my wedding day, and my groom had died on the way to the church. Jinx. Black widow. Bad luck. Those words were nails pinning me to a cross of public shame. And then, a man offered to marry me, to prove to the world I was none of those things. He would save my family from disgrace and pull me out of the mire. Why wouldn't I have said yes? Sebastian had never planned on attending his nephew’s wedding; he had only returned to the country at the behest of the old patriarch. Yet, fate had twisted our paths together. Tony looked at me with a mocking laugh. "Everyone in New York knows my uncle Sebastian is practically allergic to women. All he cares about is business. He wouldn't give a desperate fangirl like Nora the time of day." Sebastian was a legend in the business world, a true prodigy who had personally built half of the Ashworth empire. Within the family, he was treated with the reverence of a king. To this day, I still didn't fully understand why he'd chosen me. There were so many women more beautiful and gentle than I was. The butler was still trying to reason with him. "Young Master, it's the truth. You can check the news online, or ask anyone in the family if you don't believe me." Tony just scoffed. He pointed to a random gardener, then to a maid. They both gave him the same answer. His composure finally cracked. His face hardened as he glared at me. "Well, well, Nora. You work fast, don't you? I'm gone a few years, and you've already got the entire household wrapped around your little finger, all of them lying for you." I remained calm, refusing to get drawn into his delusions. My marriage to Sebastian was a fact, set in stone. Whether Tony believed it or not was irrelevant. He'd been spoiled rotten his entire life. Fearing he'd cause more trouble, the butler quickly had someone call Sebastian's office. "Get the Third Master's secretary on the phone, now! Tell him he needs to come home." Sebastian was supposed to be in a major meeting about an aerospace project. The family patriarch and Tony's mother were also out. Otherwise, Tony never would have had the chance to act so outrageously toward me. In the middle of the standoff, my son Leo suddenly ran into the room. "Mommy, why didn't you come back to play with me?" 3 The moment Tony saw Leo, his face twisted into a mask of pure fury. It was undeniable. Leo was a miniature, masculine version of me. Tony’s gaze shot back and forth between me and the child. Finally, he raised a trembling hand and pointed at me. "You… you dared to betray me? You even have a… a bastard." "Who is he?" he snarled. "Tell me whose bastard this is!" Leo, having inherited Sebastian’s temperament, didn't quite grasp the meaning of the word, but he knew it wasn't a compliment. He propped a hand on his hip, looking like a tiny, serious adult. "Who are you calling a bastard? My daddy says people with dirty mouths need a good spanking." Leo was six. Everyone in the family knew him, but he’d never met Tony. "You little bastard, you dare talk back to me?" Tony spat. That was it. I saw red. The precious child I had carried for nine months, and this man dared to call him that, over and over. "Tony, you watch your damn mouth," I said, my voice low and dangerous, "or you'll regret it." Jade, however, looked positively gleeful. "This child looks like he's in elementary school, doesn't he? Don't tell me you were pregnant before you and Tony were even supposed to get married?" The accusation was meant to be a dagger to the heart. Tony's eyes, when they locked on mine, were murderous. There is nothing a man despises more than his wife's infidelity. Especially from a woman who had once claimed to love him and only him. "He's six," I said calmly. "Nora, you tramp!" he exploded. "I'm gone for seven years, and you not only find another man but have his child? Have you no shame?" Only seven years? We had only known each other for a few years before he took off for seven. And he was the one who abandoned me. Mr. Harrison rushed to explain. "Young Master, that is the Third Master's son!" Tony's anger boiled over. "You shut up! You traitor! Where are my parents? Who let her get away with this? Cheating on me and acting like she's the one who's been wronged!" "The entire Ashworth family, from top to bottom, knows about this," the butler pleaded. At the time, Tony's parents, wracked with guilt over his disappearance, hadn't objected to Sebastian marrying me. This sent Tony into a full-blown rage. His eyes, like daggers, scanned the room. "Who's the bastard's father? Who dared to cuckold an Ashworth? Does he have a death wish?" No matter how hard he looked, he couldn't find a single plausible suspect among the staff. I let out a cold, ironic laugh. Jade put on a concerned facade. "Nora, you should just confess. If you push Tony too far, even I won't be able to help you." I shot her a withering look. "We're all vipers in this pit. Drop the act." Before I could react, the world tilted. A sharp sting exploded across my cheek. Tony had slapped me. "Shut your mouth," he hissed. "You have no right to talk to Jade like that, you shameless adulterer." I hadn't seen it coming. My cheek instantly began to throb and swell. Seeing me hit, Leo charged at Tony like a little bull. "You hit my mommy! I'll kill you!" "Leo!" 4 Tony snatched him up by the collar of his shirt, lifting him off the ground. My heart hammered against my ribs. "Tony, put him down! Put the child down!" The other servants rushed forward. "Young Master, please, put the boy down!" "The Third Master will not forgive this!" Everyone in the house knew Leo was the apple of Sebastian's eye, his absolute treasure. But Tony just sneered. "Get lost if you don't want to get fired. Today, I'm going to teach this pair a lesson they won't forget." My stomach clenched. "Tony, what are you doing?" His face was a mask of ice, his aura suddenly frigid and terrifying. "According to the law, you committed adultery during our marriage and even had a child. I can demand you leave with nothing and compensate me for my emotional damages." But we were never married. My hands began to shake with rage. "Tony, we were never married! How could I have cheated?" "Put my son down!" Leo’s little legs dangled and kicked in the air, but he wasn’t crying. He wasn't afraid. The surrounding staff, intimidated by Tony’s threats, hesitated, only offering weak, useless pleas. Tony ignored them all. He shot me a dark, meaningful glance. "After I'm done with this bastard, I'll deal with you personally." With that, he started walking toward the door, still holding Leo. The staff exchanged helpless looks, but no one dared to intervene. Finally, Mr. Harrison, the butler, threw himself in Tony's path. Tony's face went black. "What? You dare to block me?" The butler, sweating profusely, bowed his head respectfully. "Young Master, let's talk this through. Please, don't be rash. Put the young master down." Seizing the opportunity, I lunged for my son, but Jade grabbed me, holding me back. She was smiling, a look of pure triumph on her face. "Nora, what are you doing? Please don't do anything foolish." I spun around and slapped her so hard the sound echoed in the hall. "If anything happens to my son, I will make you both regret the day you were born." Jade stumbled back dramatically, crashing into a nearby vase and cutting her head. The sight of her blood sent Tony over the edge. He directed all his fury at Leo. "You dare touch Jade? I'll beat this little bastard to death!" He lifted Leo higher, poised to slam him onto the marble floor. For a split second, my heart stopped beating. I flew forward on pure instinct. "Leo!" Seeing his father’s madness, Leo, finally overwhelmed, burst into tears. "Get away from me!" Tony roared at me. "I'll deal with you later!" I wrapped my arms around my son, clinging to him for dear life, refusing to let go no matter how hard Tony tried to pull me away. Finally, his patience snapped. He drew back his foot and kicked me squarely in the chest. The air rushed out of my lungs. I couldn't breathe. Mr. Harrison and the others finally rushed in, trying to pull him off, but he threw them aside. "Young Master, stop! That's your uncle's wife!" one of them cried, clinging to his leg. Even with a man wrapped around his leg, Tony was trying to kick me again. And then, a voice from the doorway—cool, indifferent, and dripping with ice. "What, exactly, is going on here?" "You will all give me a reasonable explanation. Now."
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