The apology post came with a shocking attachment—a fake depression report.
Asher had gone so far to protect Nora that he painted me as a deranged lunatic.
Terrified, I opened the comments. Each one stabbed deeper than the last:
[Terrible actress, 1st place for being a mistress. The entertainment industry is in a mess because of people like you.]
"Everyone can see how good Asher Monroe is to Nora. The whole network sees it in the eyes. And here’s Lily Rose, butting in and playing the victim. How shameless."
Panic overtook me as I tried to type explanations, but the more I replied, the crueler and more vicious the comments became.
Suddenly, Asher snatched my phone out of my hands. He sighed in exasperation.
"Stop reading this. Just apologize to Nora and I will release a statement clearing your name."
I reached for my phone, but he called for someone to hold me down.
They pressed down on my injured left hand and I screamed in pain.
"Ahh!"
Asher finally seemed shaken. He ordered them to let go and scolded them,
"Why were you so rough with her?"
He crouched beside me, gently helping me up. "If you were not so stubborn, you would not have gotten hurt."
Clutching my throbbing hand, I bit through the pain and glared at him. "And whose fault do you think these injuries are?"
He avoided my gaze, frowning. "I told you, if you just apologize, I would not let the online harassment worsen."
I shook off his hand and forced myself to stand. With a bitter smile, I said, "Fine. I will apologize—but only if you sign the divorce papers."
His face froze for a second before he chuckled coldly.
"Lily, do you really think anyone else will give you opportunities to act? Who would cast you as the lead in a major movie without me?"
He thought his usual manipulation would still work, that I’d obediently fall in line like I always did.
"I know you are upset, but I told you I would never hurt you."
But this time, I was done.
I thought back to the day we got married. He had suggested keeping our marriage a secret to protect my career and I had believed it was because he truly loved me.
I had even planned to have his child, but he shut me down, saying he didn’t want kids. He claimed he didn’t want me to be burdened by motherhood.
His thoughtfulness had so touched me. For two years, I put him first. Outside, I avoided anything that could cause suspicion; inside, I played the perfect housewife.
Then came our second wedding anniversary. I was not feeling well and could not reach Asher all day. When I went home to rest, I saw Nora sitting in his arms outside the bedroom door, embracing him in a passionate kiss.
He also whispered that he asked Nora to give him a child.
That was the moment it all clicked. It was not that he didn’t want children—he just didn’t want one with me.
His voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
"Come on, don’t be mad. Look, I got you this necklace."
The cold touch of pearls against my skin brought me back to reality. Asher fastened a pearl necklace around my neck, looking at me with an almost childlike hope as if expecting me to thank him.
I pulled it off without hesitation and spilled the beads all over the floor in front of him.
"A freebie from Nora's bag purchase? And you thought I’d wear this?"
His face darkened instantly. "Lily, I am talking to you nicely. Can we not do this? I picked this out for you—it has nothing to do with Nora. Don't talk nonsense."
I let out a cold laugh and showed him the picture that Nora had flaunted in her social media story:
[I love this bag, but what about the cheap freebie necklace it came with? Not my style. I told him to give it to someone else.]
Asher froze, at a loss for words. After a moment, he forced out a dry laugh and tried to hug me.
"You said you wanted to have a child with me, right? Let’s make that happen now."
His lips brushed my neck as he pulled me closer, but I shoved him off and slapped him hard across the face as I said, "Don’t touch me!"
He covered his cheek, his expression twisting with anger. "Lily, what the hell is wrong with you?"
