Chapter 2: The Man Who Never Came
Dominic Ashford had always been good at looking like a hero.
That was the first thing I loved about him.
He knew exactly when to smile.
Exactly when to say the right words.
Exactly when to make someone believe they were special.
When we met, he was different from his family.
At least, I thought he was.
He wasn’t interested in expensive restaurants or designer clothes.
He took me to a small coffee shop on a rainy afternoon and spent three hours talking about his dreams.
“I don’t want to become like my father,” he told me.
I smiled.
“Why?””
“Because he thinks money is the same thing as power.””
I remember looking at him and thinking, Finally. Someone who understands.
I was wrong.
Years later, I sat alone in a hospital room, realizing Dominic had simply learned to hide his ambition better.
The nurse returned with paperwork.
“Your discharge has been approved.””
I nodded.
“Thank you.””
She looked uncomfortable.
“Mrs. Ashford?””
I looked up.
“Yes?””
She lowered her voice.
“Your husband’s family has been calling.””
My stomach tightened.
“What did they say?””
She hesitated.
“They said you left voluntarily.””
Of course they did.
Victoria was already rewriting the story.
She always did.
Growing up wealthy had taught her one skill above all others.
Control.
Control the room.
Control the conversation.
Control the people around her.
And for three years, she controlled me.
At least, she thought she did.
That evening, Sophia drove me to a private apartment owned by my company.
Not the mansion.
Not anywhere Dominic knew.
A place I had kept hidden for emergencies.
The apartment was quiet.
Too quiet.
I stood by the window and watched the city lights.
A few hours earlier, I had been a wife.
A daughter-in-law.
A woman trying desperately to save a marriage.
Now I was someone preparing to destroy the life that had almost destroyed me.
Sophia placed a cup of tea beside me.
“You don’t have to do this tonight.””
“Yes, I do.””
“Audrey…”
“I spent three years waiting for Dominic to choose me.””
I turned around.
“He made his choice.””
Sophia didn’t argue.
She knew I was right.
Across town, Dominic was making the same mistake he always made.
He believed silence meant victory.
The Ashford mansion was glowing with warm lights.
A bottle of champagne sat open on the dining table.
And sitting beside my husband was Paige Bennett.
His mistress.
The woman I had seen leaving his office two months earlier.
The woman he swore was “just a colleague.””
Paige smiled as Dominic poured another glass.
“I still can’t believe she actually left.””
Dominic leaned back.
“She always threatened to.””
“And you thought she wouldn’t?””
He laughed.
“Audrey doesn’t have anywhere to go.””
Those words reached me later through evidence Sophia collected.
But at that moment, Dominic continued.
“She depends on this family.””
Paige tilted her head.
“Does she?””
Dominic looked annoyed.
“What does that mean?””
“I don’t know,” Paige said.
“She never seemed as desperate as you claimed.””
Dominic ignored the comment.
“She’ll come back.””
Paige smiled.
“And if she doesn’t?””
He shrugged.
“She will.””
That was Dominic’s greatest mistake.
He never believed I could leave.
Because he never understood that my love was the only thing keeping me there.
Not money.
Not comfort.
Not fear.
Love.
And once love died, there was nothing left.
At 10:47 p.m., Dominic’s phone rang.
He almost ignored it.
Then he saw the caller ID.
Dr. Alexander Reed.
His expression changed.
Paige noticed.
“Who is it?””
“My wife’s doctor.””
The confidence disappeared from his face.
He answered.
“Hello?””
The doctor’s voice was calm.
“Mr. Ashford?””
“Yes.””
“I’m calling regarding Audrey.””
Dominic stood up.
“What happened?””
A pause.
Then:
“Your wife was pregnant.””
The champagne glass in Paige’s hand stopped moving.
Dominic said nothing.
The doctor continued.
“She was eight weeks along.””
His face went pale.
“No.””
“The fall caused complications.””
Dominic gripped the table.
“What are you saying?””
“I’m saying your wife lost the baby.””
The room went silent.
Paige looked away.
For the first time that night, Dominic looked afraid.
Then Dr. Reed spoke again.
“And there is something else you need to know.””
Dominic swallowed.
“What?””
“Your fertility test results have been finalized.””
His fingers tightened around the phone.
The doctor’s voice turned colder.
“The results confirm you are permanently infertile.””
The phone slipped from Dominic’s hand.
It hit the marble floor.
And at that exact moment, a notification appeared on the screen.
One final message.
May you like
From me.
Enjoy the family you chose.
