Chapter 1 Don't Ever Bring Her Name Up

"Kevan, stop. You're hurting me. Please be gentle," Ashley Ford cried as she pushed against the edge of the dining table, struggling to breathe.

Kevan Ford, her husband, ignored her and drove into her even harder, his grip tightening when she clawed at his wrist and tried to force him back.

Her frantic resistance only sharpened his temper, and he leaned over her with a wild fire in his eyes while he said, "Isn't this what you chased after, Ashley? You fought your way into this marriage with every trick you could think of."

Tears welled up as her dignity shattered beneath his accusation. She shook her head and responded, "I didn't do those things. I swear I didn't."

A cold grin curled on his handsome face, and his thrusts grew harsher when he snapped, "You're still lying. You planned everything from the start. Tell me why you're playing innocent now. You got the life you wanted. What about me? I'm stuck in this marriage."

He had risen to the top of the Ford Group as its youngest CEO. People treated him with fear and respect, yet he had landed in the hands of a woman who trapped him.

Ashley pressed her teeth against her lip and tried to pull away from him. Kevan dragged her back into his arms and held her tighter.

The dining room had fallen into ruin. The candles, dishes, and decorations she spent the entire day preparing for their anniversary dinner now lay scattered across the floor.

This night marked their third year of marriage. It also marked 1, 095 days of Kevan refusing to understand her.

Kevan chose to punish her tonight. Ashley tried to argue, but she could barely stay steady on her feet, and her thoughts spun in all directions. She pushed at his chest and responded, "I don't want this tonight, Kevan. Our anniversary isn't supposed to be like this."

Kevan lifted his hand and pressed his fingers over her trembling lips while he said, "Why would tonight matter? You're my wife. That means you sleep with me, whether you want to or not."

Ashley's chest tightened at his words, and she let out a bitter laugh. "So you do remember that I'm your wife? I could have sworn you'd handed that title to Lisette by now."

Kevan's expression snapped into something cold as he jerked away from her. "Don't ever bring her name up. You're not even close to her."

Her knees gave out, and she dropped onto the couch, feeling hollow. She never meant to speak about Lisette Harvey on the night of their anniversary, but that video Lisette sent a few hours earlier had ruined her resolve.

Lisette's message showed her pressed up against Kevan's shoulder, both of them watching fireworks burst in the night. When the lights faded, they checked into an expensive hotel downtown.

There was no mistaking what happened between a man and a woman alone behind those doors.

"Maybe if you hadn't spent our anniversary with her, I wouldn't have brought her up," Ashley said.

Kevan dragged her back into his arms, his stare cold and sharp. "Did you follow me?"

She managed a dry smile and shook her head. Ever since she married him three years ago, her world had revolved around him. She gave up her career to play the role of a dutiful wife. She had no way, and no will, to chase him around the city.

"I never followed you. But you went running to the woman you love on the night we should have celebrated. What do you expect me to think of myself?"

Kevan's rage snapped loose as he tightened his grip around her neck and yanked her closer. His stare carried a threat that felt sharp enough to cut. "What else would you be except a toy for me to use?"

Ashley trembled while a cold heaviness spread through her chest. This was the same man she had cherished for so long.

She had fallen for him back when he protected her from the thugs who cornered her on the street during their younger years, and her feelings had only grown stronger.

Before she found the courage to confess her love to him, Kevan, fogged by whatever he had been given that night, dragged her into a room and forced himself on her. She tried to fight him, yet everything shifted once she realized who he was, and she let herself give in.

When everything was done, Kevan lashed out and accused her of being a schemer desperate to cling to him.

She had nothing to say in return.

He never paused to look into what happened before throwing those accusations at her.

Memories of that night tangled with the cruelty she faced now, and something inside her broke apart. She no longer wished to carry it all.

Ashley lifted her gaze and cried out, "Kevan, if you don't care about me, and if our marriage means nothing to you, then we should end it. I want a divorce!"