From Ashes to Sunrise

When Shirley Elliot returned to the country, Colton Walton asked me for a divorce.

"If it weren't for that accident eight years ago, you would never have had the chance to marry into the Walton family. Since you have taken Shirley's happiness for eight years, you should be content by now. I will give you time to sort everything out, but there is no room for discussion about the divorce."

His neat signature on the divorce agreement stabbed at my heart, but what hurt more was the unwillingness.

Eight years had passed. Even raising a cat would develop some attachment, let alone a husband and wife who had lived under the same roof.

I held back the tears in my eyes and hurried after Colton, wanting to ask for an explanation. But outside the study, I heard his mother, Claire Walton's voice. "Colton, I respect your decision, but I also don't want to see you regret it later, so let me ask you this. Mira is a good girl. After so many years of marriage, do you really have no feelings for her at all?"

My hand that was about to push the door froze in mid-air. I held my breath unconsciously, a tiny spark of hope flickering in my chest.

"Mom, I understand what you mean." Colton's tone carried no trace of reluctance. "I have thought about it seriously. Toward Mira, I feel gratitude, and I feel pity, but I absolutely do not have romantic feelings. I have always been waiting for Shirley to come back."

Whatever was said after that, I could no longer hear clearly. All that remained was my heart, shattered completely.

In the end, I had hoped for too much.

During these eight years, the occasional gentleness Colton showed me was perhaps all directed at another person through me.

Even the nights he stayed up with me when I had a high fever were probably because, in the darkness, my face resembled Shirley's.

The divorce papers slipped from my hand together with my tears. At that moment, the people inside opened the door and saw me standing there in a daze. His face instantly filled with disgust. "Mira, you're supposed to be the Elliott family's daughter, yet you stoop to eavesdropping like someone with no manners! No wonder your parents never liked you!"

The words struck right at my deepest wound. My body swayed, nearly losing balance.

Claire reached out to steady me, her lips moving for a long time before she finally chose to defend her son. "Mira, don't take it to heart. Colton... he didn't mean it that way..."

I gave a self-mocking smile and was about to explain when my phone suddenly rang urgently.

It was the caregiver in charge of my mother's daily care. "Miss Elliott, your mother's condition suddenly worsened. Please come quickly."

Without caring about anything else, I wiped my tears and immediately drove to the nursing home.

Along the way, my mind was in turmoil, memories flooding back uncontrollably.

Not long after my mother gave birth to me, my father got involved with his secretary and had Shirley.

From then on, loving the house and its crow, Shirley became the daughter he cherished most. Under constant instigation and targeting from Shirley and her mother, my father grew increasingly cold toward me and my mother.

I never had a complete family, never experienced a father's love. Even a mother's love became a luxury.

After my father repeatedly proposed divorce and emphasized that his marriage to my mother was merely a business alliance without real affection, my mother blamed everything on me.

In my memory, after every fierce argument, my mother would cry hysterically and curse me. "It's all because of you! Everything is your fault! Before you were born, we clearly still loved each other so much! You jinx! Why don't you just die!"

To avoid stimulating her, I silently endured it all.

Until eight years ago, when the marriage between the Walton and Elliott families was imminent, Shirley willfully ran away from the wedding.

Both families desperately needed the marriage to strengthen their businesses. Left with no choice, I took her place, only to be thoroughly hated by my father. "You really are your mother's daughter. Just like her, always fighting and grabbing. You won't even let Shirley have her happiness! She was forced away by you!"

In his fury, my relationship with my father was completely ruined.

Not long after, I met Colton for the first time.

With cool detachment he said to me plainly, "Shirley is the love of my life. My heart will always belong to her. As for you, you're only needed for the family alliance. So I hope you behave yourself and simply play the role of Mrs. Walton in public."

Remembering my parents' marriage, I was filled with fear and tried to cancel the substitute marriage. But my mother threatened me with her life. "I already lost to that whore, but you cannot! You must marry Colton. Hold on to him. Don't give that woman's daughter any chance! Otherwise I'll die right in front of you!"

Marriage became my grave.

In these eight years, I once held hope for Colton, thinking perhaps he could redeem me. But at this moment, I was utterly disappointed.

A man who did not love me was not worth holding on to.

However, my mother probably would not accept it easily, so I decided to keep the divorce from her for now.

Thinking of my mother, I sighed. Her health had never been good, and now her condition had suddenly worsened. Medical expenses would be another huge burden.

So at a red light, I called my friend. "Jonathan, I want to ask you to help me auction off that jewelry set I designed before. As soon as possible."

The person on the other end sounded very surprised. "Many people offered high prices before, but you refused to sell, saying it had special meaning. Why the sudden urgency now?"

The car behind honked urgently. I instinctively stepped on the gas.

The next second, my car violently crashed into the luxury car in front.

I had no time to think too much. I got out of the car first and hurried to the window of the car in front.

In the back seat, Edmund was on the phone, arranging work details. His sharp, cold facial lines made me instinctively pause my hand that was about to knock on the window.

Sensing my presence, he did not even lift his head. He only slightly raised his chin toward the driver's seat to signal.

A person who looked like an assistant got out and walked over to me. "Miss, based on what just happened, this is entirely your responsibility."

I was about to respond when my phone rang again. "Miss Elliott, your mother has been rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. Please come as quickly as you can!"

Hearing this, my heart jolted. Even though my mother had never treated me well, I still hoped she could stay in this world with me for one more day.

In a rush, I pulled out paper and a pen from my bag, wrote down my number, and handed it to the assistant. "All repair costs, please confirm and call me afterward. I will take full responsibility and never shirk it. But I really have to leave right now. My mother is in emergency surgery at the hospital. Please make an exception."

The assistant hesitated for a moment. Seeing the unmistakable anxiety on my face, he finally nodded in agreement.

I thanked him quickly and turned to leave.

At that moment, Edmund had also finished handling his work inside the car.

He looked up and, through the window, caught sight of my departing figure. For an instant, he froze.

Eight years ago, that long-buried memory suddenly came alive in his mind.

The girl's silhouette overlapped for a split second with the woman hurrying away in front of him.

"Mr. Holt, we've already discussed it. She takes full responsibility. But she was in a hurry to get to the hospital, so she left her contact information and asked us to reach out after assessing the damage."

After the assistant finished his respectful report, he noticed Edmund's grave expression. A moment later, he asked again. "Or should we call the police to handle..."

"No need." Edmund came back to his senses and interrupted the assistant. "You don't need to handle it anymore. Give me the contact information. I will deal with it myself."

The assistant was puzzled but still agreed.

I rushed to Central Hospital at the fastest speed possible. The light above the operating room was already on. I sat alone on the bench outside, filled with anxiety and unease.

It was not until the surgery was nearly over that my father and Colton finally hurried in.

My father passed by me with a cold face, as if I were nothing more than air. He did not ask a single question about my mother's condition.

I had long grown used to his indifference. I only found it strange. Since he did not care about my mother or me, why had he come at all?

Colton stood beside me. Seeing my worried expression, he spoke in a flat tone. "Don't worry."

Remembering how he had described his feelings toward me back at home, those words now felt even more laden with pity.

I tugged at the corner of my mouth. I had no desire to accept his pity.

The three of us waited in silence like that, separated by the widest distance in the world.

Finally, the light above the emergency room went out.

Colton and my father immediately rushed over.

I thought they still held some concern for my mother. But before any relief could show on my face, their concerned words interrupted everything.

"Shirley, how are you? Are you tired?"

"Shirley, why is your face so pale? Did you not have time to eat anything today?"

Hearing those familiar terms of endearment, my heart skipped.

Then the doctor slowly removed his mask. A face that resembled mine by seventy percent, yet softer and more delicate, appeared.

It was Shirley!

Eight years apart, and she shone even more brilliantly than before. Even in a white coat, her graceful figure could not be hidden.

My father gently stroked Shirley's head, his tone full of indulgence. "Look at how exhausted you are. I had someone stew soup. It's being kept warm in the car. I'll have it brought to you right away."

Colton's gaze never left her for a moment. In his eyes was the deep affection I had once longed for.

I watched the three of them together in perfect harmony and gave a self-mocking laugh.

In the end, my mother and I had never been worth mentioning in front of Shirley.

They had only come for her.

I abruptly interrupted their eager conversation. "Doctor, how is my mother?"

At that, Shirley's gaze finally fell on me, carrying the pity and superiority of someone looking down from above. "I'm sorry. I did my best. She has already passed away."

Before I could shed a tear, my father had already stepped forward to hold Shirley's hand. "It's not your fault, Shirley. You did wonderfully. She simply wasn't fortunate enough."

Colton also spoke softly in agreement from the side. "Derek is right, Shirley. You must not feel guilty over this."

Big tears fell one after another. Suddenly, a surge of courage rose in me. I coldly questioned my father. "Dad, have you ever cared about my mother in your heart? Even just a little?"

My father snorted coldly. He could not even be bothered to glance at me. Instead, he turned to Colton and said, "Colton, take Shirley back to rest. And about the divorce, hurry it up. I don't want to wrong Shirley. As her father, I want to give her the grandest wedding, so she can marry in splendor."

Colton smiled brightly. "Of course. Shirley is the love of my life. I would never let her suffer."

In the vast corridor, only I grieved for my mother's death.

I saw through my father's heartless indifference and no longer held any expectations toward him.

The Elliot house felt even quieter than before.

My father had long since built another family outside. Not long after I got married, my mother drank too much one night and fell down the stairs. She ended up bedridden for years and later developed heart disease.

At first he would send token amounts for her care. Later he claimed the company was struggling and stopped sending anything at all.

My mother used to be one of the most admired beauties in the capital. But marriage wore her down. For the sake of a man who never loved her, she forced herself into becoming the bitter, jealous woman people whispered about.

I refused to become a second version of her.

With that thought I quickly finished sorting through my mother's belongings, then went to retrieve the jewelry locked inside the safe in my old room.

"Jonathan, my mother passed away. I'm also about to finalize the divorce from Colton. I need money for the funeral arrangements, and I need these pieces to restart my career. Please help me arrange the auction as soon as possible."

Jonathan expressed his condolences about my mother's death, then promised with confidence that he would get me top prices and bring my name back into the spotlight.

After hanging up, I returned to the Walton villa and began packing again, determined to leave as quickly as possible.

Colton saw me dragging the suitcase downstairs and his brows furrowed slightly. "I know your mother just passed away. You're in a bad state right now."

His tone carried a condescending generosity. "I can delay the paperwork a few more days. You can keep staying in the..."

"No need." I cut him off, walked up to him, took out my identification, and slapped it onto the coffee table. "We're doing it now."

Colton looked completely stunned. He clearly hadn't expected me to be so resolute.

He stared into my eyes, searching for any sign of pettiness or bluff. When he realized I was serious, an inexplicable irritation rose in his chest. "Fine. Whatever you want."

When we walked out of the city hall, Colton actually spoke first for once. "Where are you going? I'll drive you."

"No thanks." I ignored the dark look on his face after being rejected, turned, and flagged down a taxi by the roadside.

Right then my phone rang. An unfamiliar number.

I answered. A deep, magnetic male voice came through. "Miss Elliott, this is Edmund Holt. The owner of the car you rear-ended last time."

I suddenly remembered the matter still hadn't been settled and hurried to apologize. "Mr. Holt, I'm really sorry about last time, I..."

"You don't need to apologize. I don't blame you at all. I just wanted to ask if you're free right now. We could discuss the damage assessment for the car."

He interrupted me gently. His voice carried a soothing quality that made me feel strangely steady.

"I'm free. Just tell me the repair cost, then give me your account number and I'll transfer the money."

There were two seconds of silence on the other end before he spoke again, still in that warm tone. "I think, to be fair, the assessment should be done together in person. It's the proper way."

His firm tone left no room for refusal.

When I arrived at the agreed-upon auto shop, I immediately saw the two people I least wanted to encounter.

Shirley was holding Colton's arm. The two of them stood beside a Porsche, discussing interior color options.

I felt a wave of disgust and intended to pretend I hadn't seen them, but Colton spotted me first. "Mira Elliott, are you following me?"

His opening words were an accusation. Shirley chimed in right away. "Mira, I know it's hard for you to accept right now, but Colton has already divorced you. Please stop clinging to him, okay? I suggest you don't copy your mother's obsessive tactics. Otherwise Colton will only end up despising you the way Dad does."

The mention of my mother ignited fury inside me instantly.

If it hadn't been for Shirley and her mother back then, how could my gentle, dignified mother have been forced into becoming a paranoid, resentful woman!

I rushed forward and slapped Shirley hard across the face.

Shirley stumbled from the force and delicately fell into Colton's arms.

Colton was distressed. He wrapped her protectively in his embrace and shouted at me. "Mira, that's enough! Apologize!"

I ignored him and stared straight at Shirley, enunciating every word. "You want to steal Derek and Colton? Go ahead. But if you ever disrespect my mother again, it won't be just a slap."

Colton froze for a moment. Looking at my stubborn, pale face, his anger gradually subsided and a trace of guilt crept in. "Fine. You've made your scene and hit her. Isn't that enough? Don't you still have your mother's funeral to arrange? Go back already. Stop following me."

I gave a cold laugh and was about to speak when a mocking voice sounded from behind. "Your mother-in-law just passed away, and you're already out shopping for cars with your lover. I've truly never seen anyone so shameless."

I turned around in shock. It was Edmund Holt.

He strode over, his tall frame completely shielding me behind him. "Besides, Miss Elliott is here to meet me. Sir, you should not flatter yourself."

Being mocked so bluntly made Colton's face burn. Seeing Edmund standing protectively beside me only made the sight more grating.

He looked at me, malice practically spilling from his eyes. "I misjudged you completely. The moment you're divorced you're already throwing yourself at another man. Utterly shameless."

I met his gaze and returned the mockery coldly. "Right back at you."

Colton choked on my words, his expression growing even uglier.

When Edmund heard the word "divorced," a subtle change flickered through his lowered eyes.

Eight years ago, a near-fatal accident abroad had nearly taken his life.

After barely returning from the brink of death, the first news he received was that Mira had married into the Walton family.

The Waltons held considerable power, and Colton wasn't a terrible person, so Edmund had always believed Mira lived a happy life.

He could only bury those feelings from their youth deep in his heart and silently wish her well.

But now, he suddenly had the chance to start over.

"Mr. Holt? Mr. Holt!" I felt uncomfortable under his intense gaze and called out loudly. Only then did Edmund snap back, realizing he had lost composure.

"Sorry. Let's go." Edmund took my hand and led me away. Colton watched us leave, practically shaking with rage.

Shirley squeezed his hand to comfort him. "Colton, don't get yourself upset. My sister has always been this unruly. Otherwise why would no one ever like her?"

Colton looked at Shirley and finally calmed down.

Still, he couldn't shake the strange feeling. Why on earth was he so angry over an ex-wife who he never loved?