Double Divorce, Mother-Daughter Revenge

Scarlett had been featured in an article with a photo of herself, Liam, and Julian.

She stood between them, looking strong yet fragile, while the Ashford men stood behind her. They all looked resolute. A powerful trio.

Her quote read, "In crisis, you discover who your true partners are. Thank you, Julian and Liam. My chaotic life is now peaceful because of you both."

Both Liam and Julian weren't wearing their wedding rings in the photo. However, they usually never wore them on site visits, since their work could be demanding.

However, the lack of the wedding bands on both their fingers in the photo now served as a proclamation to the world that they were still single and available.

People were starting to leave comments under the post.

"Wow! What a power move! Anyone can see the deep bond between them!"

"Is this the new Ashford power trio?"

"No way! I don't believe it for a second. The drama is just too good."

"Don't worry. I'm already imagining it. Is there room for two wives in this picture, though? Which one does she actually like?"

"I know! It's definitely both of them! She's playing the long game for the whole dynasty!"

I passed the phone over to Mom. "Mom, I'm definitely getting a divorce."

Mom took the phone from me and enlarged the photo, her face dark and solemn.

A few seconds later, she replied calmly, "It's okay, Chloe. I'll do it with you. I've done it before anyway, so I've got the experience. Call up a lawyer and get them to draft a divorce agreement."

Three days later, the divorce papers were finalized by our lawyer. My mother and I had them delivered by courier to the Ashford estate that morning.

In the three days of silence that followed, neither Liam nor Julian reached out.

My mother and I stayed at the clinic, focusing on recovery.

Our bodies were healing, but my spirit felt shattered. Losing a child so late in a pregnancy had hollowed me out, leaving me weak and disconnected from my own skin. I spent most of the day in bed, my gaze often drifting to my flat stomach, an ache in an empty space.

My baby was gone.

I had already created the blueprints for his nursery, mapped out the trips we would take to see the architectural marvels of the world, and debated which Ivy League school he might choose.

Above all else, I had just wanted him to be happy. His success would have just been a bonus.

My eyes burned with hot, unshed tears. I tried to swallow them down, but it was useless.

My baby was gone! And it was entirely his father’s fault for refusing to answer our calls!

I clenched the thin hospital blanket in my fist.

How would Liam even react when he finally found out his son was gone forever?

Suddenly, my phone pierced the silence with a sharp, insistent ring. It was Liam.

He had unblocked me, and now he was finally calling. He didn’t bother to ask why I’d been gone for three days or show any concern for my well-being. Instead, the first thing he did was unleash his fury on me.

"Chloe Ashford! What in the hell is going through your mind? I was giving you space for a few days, letting you cool off and reflect on your ridiculous behavior!"

"And this is how you repay me? With a divorce agreement? Are you completely insane?"

"I did nothing wrong by securing Scarlett's assets. But I suppose there's no reasoning with you when you're determined to cause such a pathetic scene!"

"And another thing, where the hell have you been? You weren't at the estate. So who's the new man warming your bed?"

At the same time, Julian had called my mother, his voice a low growl that I could hear from across the room.

"You're nearly fifty, Eleanor, what is this childish stunt you and your daughter are pulling? What, have you formed a pact to take us down together? Have you no sense of decency?"

"Scarlett is my late partner's daughter. Am I not permitted to help her?"

"My duty is to protect the Ashford legacy! And you dare to suggest that's wrong?"

"Fine! If you want to see me as the villain, then so be it, you damn woman! Now, can you cut this pathetic melodrama?"

My mother’s voice was unnervingly calm. She looked just as composed as she answered, "Julian, you want to know my location, don’t you? I’m at the Crestwood Recovery Clinic, Room 326."

"What the hell are you doing there?"

"You'll see when you arrive."

My mother ended the call and turned to stare out the window.

I remained silent as well. The quiet in the ward was heavy and suffocating.

Twenty minutes later, Julian and Liam stormed in, shattering the fragile peace.

I glanced toward the door. They hadn’t come alone. Scarlett was with them.

The sheer audacity of it was almost laughable.

My mother was at the water dispenser, pouring me a cup of hot water, when they burst in. The moment Julian saw her, he strode toward her and backhanded the cup from her grasp.

It crashed to the floor, shattering into pieces. The scalding water splashed across my mother's hands, turning her skin a blotchy, angry red.

My mother hissed in pain but refused to shed a single tear.

Julian, on the other hand, looked as if he was about to explode. "Keep up the act. I can't believe you'd admit yourself to a clinic just to prove a point."

"You're as strong as they come! What could possibly be wrong with you?"

My mother didn't grace him with an answer. Instead, she said flatly, "The divorce papers are ready for your signature whenever you're available."

Scarlett stepped forward then, her voice a soft, venomous purr. "Eleanor, there is absolutely nothing between Julian and me. And even if there were, it would be none of your business."

"Shut your mouth!"

The words ripped from my throat before I could stop them. I launched myself from the bed and struck her across the face, the sound cracking in the tense silence.

"You’re a woman in your forties. Can’t you find some dignity? It wasn’t enough to wrap the father around your little finger, you had to sink your claws into the son, too? You should put your talents to use and become a professional homewrecker!"

Scarlett was momentarily stunned by the force of my slap.

The slap also ignited Liam’s rage. He shoved me with the full force of his body, his face a mask of thunder.

My body, still weak from the procedure, slammed backward into a medical cart. Glass vials clattered to the floor, and a shard of one pierced the sole of my foot. Blood began to well up instantly.

Liam looked far from finished. He advanced on me, ready to unleash more of his fury.

"You will not speak to Scarlett that way!" He grabbed the collar of my flimsy hospital gown, his face inches from mine.

Then, his gaze traveled slowly downward.

It was only in that moment that he finally registered my flat stomach. The color drained from his face. "Chloe Ashford," he breathed, his voice cracking, "where is our baby?"

I shoved his hand off me and met his cold, shocked gaze with the eyes of a killer. "The baby?" I let my voice drop to a lethal whisper. "He’s gone. And yes, it was a boy."