"I must have been out of my mind to marry you, let alone agree to stay in a hidden marriage for two years!" I shouted back, refusing to back down. "You have already destroyed me—what more do you want?"
My voice cracked as I stared at him, my anger fueled by years of suppression.
"Do you want to see me on my knees, begging for mercy? Is that what will satisfy you?"
I had never raised my voice like this in our two years of marriage. Asher was visibly a bit stunned.
We had fought before, but it was always me who apologized first, placating him while he played the part of a calm, rational man. In truth, he twisted every argument to make me feel like I was the one at fault.
I used to believe him, thinking I must have been wrong. But now I saw the truth—he never loved me. His so-called "love" was just a thinly veiled need for control.
Even if he once felt like a beacon of light, pulling me from the depths of despair, that didn’t erase the harm he had inflicted on me now.
I took a deep breath and stared him in the eyes.
"If we get divorced, you’ll finally be free to flaunt your relationship with Nora without restraint."
His brows furrowed, his patience wearing thin.
"Lily Rose," he sneered, "I have seen you grovel before. Why are you yelling now?"
I looked at him in shock, unable to believe that these words came from Asher.
When he saw me freeze, he didn’t stop there. He leaned closer, his voice laced with mockery.
"Remember when your parents were sent to prison? I saw you on your knees, begging for help. Even the media caught it on camera..."
"Stop it!" I screamed, shoving him away with all the strength I had left. Tears streamed down my face as I yelled hoarsely, "Get out! Just get out!"
Asher looked startled momentarily, unsure how to react to my outburst. But then anger flared in his eyes. He kicked at the pearls scattered on the floor and muttered through gritted teeth, "Emily Wilson, let’s see how long you can keep up this stubborn act."
And then, he slammed the door behind him, leaving me rooted to the spot.
Emily Wilson—that was my real name. He hadn’t called me that in years. It was not just a name; it was a warning. He was threatening to expose my past if I didn’t comply with him.
I thought of the promises he used to make.
‘Don’t worry, Emily,’ he had once said while holding me close. ‘I will protect you. I would not let anyone hurt you.’
Now, all he did was reopen old wounds, salting them for good measure.
***
That evening, Nora posted a photo on her social media—a romantic candlelit dinner.
[It feels so nice to have someone peel shrimp for me,] she wrote.
The finger that peeled the shrimp in the photo was still wearing our wedding ring.
Asher liked the post and left a comment: [If you like it, I will peel them for you forever.]
I stared at the screen, the bitterness in my chest threatening to spill over.
I loved shrimp, too. But every time I asked Asher to peel them for me, he’d brush me off, saying he was not good at it and would ask the housekeeper to do it instead.
Now, he peeled shrimp for Nora with his own hands—so many of them and so effortlessly.
If it had been the old me, I would have called him immediately, demanding an explanation. But now, even as the ache in my heart grew unbearable, I will not ask.
***
I thought back to the past, to when my parents were imprisoned. The whole internet had turned against me, dragging my name through the mud.
Back then, it was Asher who stood up for me.
At that time, he insisted that the Rose family help the Wilson Family, which has a very good relationship with him, to accept me as an adopted daughter.
As a result, he was locked up and beaten a few times by his father and when he was lying in the hospital for treatment, he touched my head and held my hand, smiling weakly, ‘It is okay now Emily. No one will bully you anymore’, he said.
Because of him, the Rose family took me in as their foster daughter. I changed my name to Lily Rose and became Asher’s fiancée. He even helped me step into the entertainment industry, where I finally began living out my dreams.
For a time, He had pulled me out of hell and had given me genuine happiness.
But after his betrayal, I swallowed my pride, enduring it silently, hoping in vain that the man I loved would come back to me.
Now, I no longer wanted anything from him—his love, his promises, or the life we built together. I just want to make a clean break with him completely, move out of here and discard the things he gave me.
When Asher saw that I didn't show up at the theater set the next day, he called to ask, "Why didn’t you come to the set today? Still sulking?"
I kept my voice calm. "I am not sulking. I have thought it through."
He chuckled softly, his tone carrying a smug edge.
"Lily, if you had been this obedient from the start, we would not have all these problems."
