Love Turned to Ash: He Cheated Again, So I Took His Empire

On the third anniversary of our marriage, Adrian Griffin had a new face in his passenger seat.

This time, I, Audrey Lawson, didn't storm over to tear them apart. I didn't scream or demand explanations.

I simply went home and poured the dinner I had spent the entire afternoon preparing into the trash.

The housekeeper tried to stop me. "Mrs. Griffin, you worked all afternoon on those dishes..."

I wiped my hands, my voice flat. "It's cold. I don't want it anymore."

Not the food. Not the man I had once given up my career to marry.

I took out the divorce papers I had prepared long ago. Without hesitation, I signed my name-slowly, carefully, stroke by stroke.

Then I began packing my things. Clothes. Jewelry.

And the honors that were rightfully mine.

Adrian had no idea that every award-winning design Griffin Group had received in the past five years had come from my hand.

He had built his reputation in the industry on my work.

I dialed a number that had lain dormant for three years.

"Professor, I'm back."

From this day forward, I would reclaim everything that belonged to me.

......

The next day dawned bright and cloudless.

I had a follow-up appointment with my private dentist in Southridge Enclave, that discreet pocket of wealth in the southern district of Asterford.

As I stepped out of the clinic, I passed a bespoke jewelry boutique next door.

The emerald necklace in the display window looked familiar.

I had once casually admired that very design at an art exhibition last month.

The glass door opened, and a familiar figure stepped out.

It was Adrian.

He was wearing the charcoal-gray suit I had pressed for him. A young woman I didn't recognize clung to his arm.

She looked fresh out of college, dressed in a white sundress, her smile bright and sweet.

"Adrian, this is way too expensive. I can't accept it."

"Silly girl, if you like it, I'll buy the whole store."

His voice was gentle-laced with a tenderness I hadn't heard in a long time.

I stopped without meaning to.

Not because it hurt. Because it was absurd.

Just three days earlier, he had held me close and sworn I was the only woman he would ever love. The others, he said, had meant nothing-mere transactions in the world of business.

I had caught him cheating more times than I could count.

Each time, a different woman.

Models. Minor celebrities. Even a distant cousin of mine.

The first time I found out, I broke down and smashed everything in the house.

He had knelt outside in the rain all night, burning with a fever of 104 degrees, begging me not to leave.

Back then, my heart had softened.

I told myself a prodigal could come home. I told myself he loved me-he just lacked self-control.

But when it happened again and again, I grew numb.

He grew bolder. He believed that no matter what he did outside, a few sweet words at home would keep me waiting forever.

Just like now.

Adrian looked up-and our eyes met.

The smile on his face froze. The shock in his expression was almost comical, like he'd seen a ghost.

He yanked his arm free from the girl's grip and even shoved her aside.

She stumbled, nearly twisting her ankle, and looked at him with wounded eyes. "Mr. Griffin..."

Adrian rushed over to me, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

"Audrey, what are you doing here?"

His hand trembled as if he wanted to grab mine, yet he didn't dare touch me.

Watching him squirm like a guilty thief, I felt nothing.

No anger. No hurt. Not even the energy for sarcasm.

The girl also approached, timidly looking at me, yet her eyes held a hint of provocation.

Adrian stepped in front of the girl and began speaking rapidly.

"Audrey, don't get the wrong idea. She's Marcus's cousin. Her name's Jasmine Jensen. That idiot got drunk and can't even get out of bed. It's his mom's birthday, so he asked me to bring her to pick out a gift. You know Marcus. If I don't help him, no one will."

The excuse rolled off his tongue smoothly, almost rehearsed.

Marcus Chandler was his closest friend, and he did come from a large, influential family.

If this had happened before, I would have demanded to know why picking out a gift required linking arms, why she was calling him something so intimate.

I would have dug into Marcus's entire family tree. I would have turned the world upside down.

But now, I was simply tired.

Watching sweat bead across Adrian's forehead, I suddenly found him pitiful.

Living inside a web of lies like that-wasn't it exhausting?

I nodded, my tone even. "Oh. Marcus's cousin."

Adrian froze.

He clearly hadn't expected me to accept it so easily.

All the vows and explanations he had prepared clogged in his throat.

"Then... what are you doing here?" he asked, gesturing toward the dental clinic behind me.

"Toothache. I came to see the dentist."

I adjusted the collar of my coat, my gaze drifting to the girl named Jasmine.

She was looking at me like a victor surveying the defeated, a faint trace of mockery hidden in her eyes.

I gave a small smile and said to Adrian, "Since you're helping a friend, make sure you choose carefully. Marcus's mother likes jade. Don't get it wrong."

With that, I turned and walked away.

My steps were light, not a trace of hesitation in them.

Behind me, Adrian called out in disbelief, "Audrey? You're not mad?"

I wasn't.

The dead don't get mad.

Adrian hurried after me for a couple of steps, as if trying to decide whether I was being sarcastic.

But I was already inside a taxi.

In the rearview mirror, he stood frozen in place, his face clouded with confusion and unease.

He was used to my hysteria. Used to my tears and accusations.

My calm unsettled him far more than any outburst ever had.

But he didn't know this was only the calm before the storm.

When I returned to the Griffin Estate, the house felt hollow and silent.

Adrian hadn't come back yet. He was probably busy comforting that "frightened" cousin of Marcus's.

I walked straight into the study on the second floor.

Along the southern wall stood a floor-to-ceiling glass display case.

Inside were not antiques or paintings, but meticulously crafted architectural models.

They were miniature replicas of every landmark project Griffin Group had completed over the past five years.

They were also the product of my countless sleepless nights.

Adrian was the CEO of Griffin Group, but he didn't understand design.

Whenever a difficult client pushed back, or a bid reached a critical stage, he would come home and ask for my help.

"Sweetheart, help me. This project means everything to me. Only your design can win them over."

I was Audrey Lawson.

But I was also "L."

The elusive architect who had collected international awards without ever revealing her face.

For Adrian's pride, I chose to remain the woman behind him.

Every blueprint bore his name-or that of the Griffin Group design team.

He basked in titles like "business prodigy" and "visionary entrepreneur."

My eyes settled on the model at the very center of the display-Aether City.

I had given it to him during our first year of marriage.

Every brick, every tile, had been glued into place by my own hands.

Back then, the glue had blistered my fingers and exhaustion had left my eyes bloodshot, yet the excited kiss he gave me when he saw the model made it all feel worthwhile.

Looking back, it was nothing but a joke.

I opened the toolbox and took out a small hammer.

The metal head gleamed coldly under the light.

I opened the glass case and lifted Aether City into my hands.

It was still exquisite. Still flawless.

Just like the marriage I had painstakingly maintained-polished on the surface, rotten at its core.

The first strike shattered the spire.

A shard flew back and sliced across the back of my hand, leaving a thin line of blood.

I felt nothing.

The second blow split the base apart.

I swung the hammer again and again, my expression blank.

The models that symbolized honor, love, and five years of my youth collapsed into rubble beneath my blows.

Plastic fragments, splintered wood, and shards of glass scattered across the floor.

I stood in the middle of the wreckage, staring at the blood on my hands, and felt a twisted surge of satisfaction.

Destroy it all.

Let everything crumble.

If Adrian wasn't worthy of it, then I would take it back with my own hands.

Just then, the phone on the desk rang.

It was Adrian's mother, my mother-in-law, Helena Griffin calling.

I set down the hammer, took a deep breath, and answered the call.

"Audrey, are you home?" Helena's voice carried its usual air of condescension.

"Yes."

"There's a charity gala tonight, hosted by the Chandler family. Get ready and attend with Adrian. He says he's busy with company matters and can't pick you up. Drive yourself. Dress appropriately. Don't embarrass the Griffin family. I hear there will be important people there. Be smart and help Adrian make connections."

I looked at the wreckage covering the floor and let out a cold smile.

Busy with company matters?

He was busy keeping Marcus's "cousin" company.

"I understand."

After hanging up, I quickly cleaned and bandaged my hand.

The adhesive strip covered the cut, but it couldn't seal the hollow in my chest.

I walked into the dressing room.

Adrian had bought me countless clothes, mostly in soft pinks and whites.

He said he liked me looking like a princess.

I hated pink.

From the very back of the closet, I pulled out a black velvet gown.

I had bought it myself and never worn it.

The cut was sharp, the neckline daringly low, exuding a cold elegance that warned others to keep their distance.

I slipped into the gown, drew a sharp winged liner, and applied a bold red lipstick.

The woman in the mirror looked both familiar and unfamiliar.

The softness and eagerness to please were gone, replaced by a glint of something sharp.

I stepped into my four-inch heels, picked up my clutch, and walked out of the Griffin Estate.

Tonight, it was time to step into the real arena.

The charity gala was held at the most luxurious hotel in Asterford.

Crystal chandeliers blazed overhead, silk gowns brushed against tailored suits.

By the time I arrived, the evening was already halfway through.

Adrian hadn't shown up yet.

I stood alone in a corner, a glass of champagne in hand.

Whispers drifted toward me.

"Isn't that Mrs. Griffin? Why did she come alone?"

"I heard Mr. Griffin's been obsessed with some intern lately. Takes her everywhere. Doesn't even bother bringing his wife to events like this."

"How embarrassing. If I were her, I'd have left already."

"I heard she came from nothing. Married into the Griffin family by pure luck. Guess the luck's run out."

The wealthy ladies' tongues were always sharper than knives.

Once, their words would have cut deep. I would have felt small, slipped into the restroom, and cried in private.

Now, they were nothing more than noise.

I took a slow sip of champagne and let my gaze sweep over the gossiping crowd.

When our eyes met, they fell silent without meaning to.

A stir rose near the entrance.

"Mr. Griffin's here!"

I looked up.

Adrian had finally arrived.

He was dressed in a white suit, polished and charming.

On his arm was none other than Jasmine-the so-called cousin of Marcus.

Jasmine wore a pale pink couture gown, its hem studded with crystals that glittered under the lights.

I recognized it instantly.

Adrian had ordered it in Hacloustein last month. He had told me it was for our anniversary.

Apparently, it had found another owner.

Jasmine clung to him like a proud peacock, a triumphant smile curving her lips.

Adrian scanned the room uneasily. When his eyes landed on me, he visibly stiffened.

He released Jasmine's hand and hurried toward me.

Jasmine hesitated, then picked up two glasses of red wine and followed behind him.

"Audrey, you're here early." Adrian lowered his voice. "Marcus had something urgent come up. He insisted I bring his cousin along so she could see how these events work. I didn't have a choice."

Marcus again.

Marcus again. Whenever Adrian needed a convenient stand-in, Marcus was the one he pulled out.

Before I could respond, Jasmine approached.

"Hello, Mrs. Griffin. I'm Jasmine. We met earlier today." She smiled sweetly and held out a glass of wine. "Mrs. Griffin, let me toast you. Thank you for lending Adrian to me as a guide."

Lend?

What a convenient word.

I didn't take the glass. I simply looked at her.

"Mr. Griffin charges a high fee for personal guidance. Can you afford it?"

Jasmine's expression froze, her eyes reddening instantly.

"Mrs. Griffin, I think you've misunderstood..."

She stepped closer, as if to take my hand.

The moment her fingers brushed mine, her heel suddenly "slipped."

She lunged toward me as if losing control.

I instinctively stepped aside.

"Ah-!"

Jasmine screamed. Missing me entirely, she crashed straight into the display behind me.

On it stood the final auction item of the night.

A priceless antique porcelain vase.

The vase hit the floor, shattering in a sharp, ringing explosion that echoed through the ballroom.

Silence fell.

Jasmine collapsed among the shards, her palm sliced open, blood spilling onto the marble floor.

She looked up at me, tears streaming down her face, and pointed.

"Mrs. Griffin! Why did you push me? I know you don't like me, but the vase was innocent!"

Adrian went ashen. He rushed over to lift Jasmine up, then turned on me in fury.

"Audrey! Have you lost your mind? That antique belongs to the Chandler family for tonight's auction! The starting bid is fifty million dollars! You're making a scene over jealousy? At an event like this? Can you even afford to pay for it?"

People gathered, murmuring.

"Fifty million dollars. The Griffins are going to bleed for this."

"Mrs. Griffin pushed her in public. How jealous can she be?"

"No class at all."

The disgust in Adrian's eyes pierced like needles.

He didn't ask what happened. Didn't check the cameras. He simply pronounced me guilty.

In his mind, I was nothing more than a jealous shrew.

I looked at the man I had once loved, now unrecognizable, and felt the final trace of warmth inside me extinguish.

I set my glass down slowly and smoothed the folds of my gown.

"Fifty million dollars, is that right?"

I stepped in front of Adrian and met his gaze.

"If I settle the matter of the vase and secure the Skycrown Spire landmark project for Griffin Group, we divorce."

Adrian stared at me, stunned.

Then he laughed in disbelief.

"You? A housewife? If you can take Skycrown Palace, I'll agree to the divorce-and walk away with nothing."

"Fine. It's a deal."

I turned to face the crowd and took out my phone.

Outside, rain lashed against the windows, lightning slicing across the sky.

I dialed the number that had lain dormant for three years.

"Professor, I'm back."