I just wanted to disappear.
And, of course, Mark spotted me.
He grabbed my wheelchair, stomping toward
<
- me.
“Ashley, you never quit, do you? You think
you can play games with me?”
“I’m telling you, it’s not working. If you don’t
want to be here, crawl back home.”
“Or… there’s another way.”
Mark leaned close, whispering in my ear.
“You upset Jessica again today. Get on your
knees and beg her to forgive you, and I’ll let
you attend the company party.”
I was shaking, not from fear, but from sobs.
Someone shoved me from behind, and I fell
out of my chair.
く
I struggled to crawl forward, inch by inch.
The Mark I loved… was dead.
“Ashley, you never change!”
“Remember, this is your last chance!”
Mark was screaming, ignoring the media,
forgetting his own image.
I was crawling on the ground when a sharp
heel landed on my hand.
I cried out, pulling my hand away, and the
person fell.
Jessica, on the ground, clutching her arm.
“Ashley, even if you hate me, you didn’t have
<
to push me. You can hit me, yell at me,
anything, just don’t make things hard for
Mark.”
What sincere concern, what heartfelt emotion.
I saw Mark gather her in his arms, full of
tenderness.
He heard Jessica’s words, and immediately
turned on me.
“Ashley, have you become such a bitter,
vindictive woman? With all these reporters
here, you just push Jessica to the ground?
You’re a cripple, you can’t stand seeing
anyone else walk?”
I noticed the shoes they were wearing:
matching sneakers. And then I started to
<
laugh.
“Mark,” I said.
The last time I’d called him by his name, I’d
ended up with broken legs.
“You know I’m a cripple, how could I trip such
a big woman? There are security cameras
right there, you can see that Jessica stepped
on my hand on purpose.‘
I took off my wedding ring and threw it into
the sewer.
Mark gasped. “What are you doing?!”
Then he sneered. “Don’t think you can play
those games with me. I’m not going to fish it
out for you. In the end, you’ll be the one
く
crawling down there…”
I struggled back into my wheelchair.
“From now on, you don’t have to keep any of the promises you made me at our wedding. I
won’t hold you to them.”
“My only wish is to get far away from you and
Jessica.”
“Congratulations to you both. I hope you have
a long and happy life together.”
The cameras never stopped flashing.
This was big news.
Landis Group’s power couple divorcing at the
company summit.
Г
I could already see the headlines.
More cameras turned on Mark and Jessica.
Even though I was a mess, the question
everyone was asking was whether Mark and
Jessica could finally be together now that I
was gone.
I pulled out the divorce papers I’d been
carrying.
“With all these reporters here, let’s make it
official.”
“Mark Landis, I swear that after you sign
these, I will never bother you again, never ruin
your happiness, or the happiness of the
person you love.”
L
Under all those eyes, Mark finally signed the
papers.
Jessica couldn’t hide her delight, but still
feigned sadness.
“Ashley, you’ve got it all wrong. Mark and I
are just colleagues.”
“There’s nothing in these papers that could
hurt Mark, right?”
She was hinting at something. I gave a weary
smile and opened the papers so the reporters
could see.
Big, bold letters: “Ashley Walker will leave
with nothing.”
The reporters were shocked, and even Mark
<
looked surprised.
“You don’t want any money? How will you
survive?”
I didn’t answer, just pushed my wheelchair
away.
Mark, this is my last act of grace.
I hoped this would prove I wasn’t after his
money.
Mark chased after me, but it was too late.
The CEO, who never lost his cool, looked
panicked.
