Ex-Husband, You Don't Own Me

“Leave,” Luke said coldly, his voice sharp with hidden doubt.

Mike and Weldon exchanged a glance, then quickly left the office.

The moment the door clicked shut, Luke’s face darkened.

He leaned back in his leather chair, sharp eyes clouded with suspicion.

Dexie… signed the divorce papers?

The same woman who, just yesterday, refused to even speak about divorce?

Impossible.

A bitter sneer curled his lips as he shoved the papers aside.

The frustration in his chest burned, but he forced it down.

He grabbed a stack of official documents, trying to focus.

The words blurred together.

No matter how hard he tried, his mind refused to settle.

Downstairs at the Huxley Dawson mansion, Dexie descended the staircase with her luggage in hand.

“Mrs. Huxley Dawson… are you… going somewhere?” the maid, Wilma, asked softly.

Everyone in the household knew the truth.

Dexie and Luke’s marriage was never built on love — just an agreement, forced by the late Old Mr. Huxley Dawson.

Now that the old man had passed… the divorce wasn’t a surprise.

But Dexie agreeing to it — quietly — left everyone whispering.

Some said she was nothing more than a substitute for Luke’s ex-girlfriend.

And looking at her now, heartbroken, yet composed, it almost seemed true.

“No,” Dexie replied gently, forcing a small smile. “I’m moving out.”

She handed Wilma a small envelope.

“Thank you… for looking after me this past year.”

Wilma’s eyes filled with sadness.

Dexie had never been difficult. She caused no trouble.

All she cared about… was Luke.

“Are you really divorcing Mr. Huxley Dawson?” Wilma asked, unable to hide the concern.

Dexie’s smile remained, but her eyes betrayed the sharp ache in her heart.

She picked up her luggage and walked toward the door.

But after a few steps, she paused.

Turning back, her voice soft but steady, she added,

“Oh… one more thing.”

Wilma looked up.

“Please have someone remove the Malus trees from the garden.”

Wilma’s eyes widened. “But… Mrs. Huxley Dawson… you planted them…”

“Take them out,” Dexie replied quietly.

“Luke doesn’t like them.”

Since they were divorcing, Dexie wouldn’t leave behind anything that might remind him of her…

Or make him unhappy.

Without waiting for a reply, she left the mansion.

Never once looking back.

Later that evening, Luke returned home.

His eyes darkened the moment he saw a bulldozer in the garden.

Workers were digging up the Malus trees.

“What’s going on here?” he demanded.

Wilma hurried over, sensing the storm brewing in his voice.

“Mrs. Huxley Dawson… she ordered this.”

Luke’s eyes narrowed.

“What did she say?”

Wilma chose her words carefully.

“She said… she didn’t like the trees.”

Luke’s expression shifted.

The anger faltered, replaced by something else.

“She left,” Wilma added quietly.

“Left?”

The word slammed into Luke harder than expected.

That unfamiliar panic… the one he’d been fighting all day…

It clawed at his chest.

But his face remained blank.

Unreadable.

Without another word, Luke turned and headed inside.

“Tell them to stop,” he ordered. “Put everything back the way it was.”

Wilma froze, puzzled.

If Mr. Huxley Dawson didn’t love Dexie… if he truly wanted a divorce…

Why keep the flowers she planted?

Everyone knew the truth.

Since they got married, Luke hardly ever came home.

And when he did… it was always in the early hours of the morning.

But tonight was different.

The first time he returned home early.

Why the sudden change?

Wilma stayed silent. She didn’t dare ask questions.

She quickly ordered the staff to stop removing the Malus trees, just as Luke had instructed.

Upstairs, Luke entered the bedroom, his expression dark.

The moment he opened the door… silence.

Cold. Empty.

It wasn’t like this before.

Even when he came home late, Dexie always waited for him.

If she fell asleep, she’d still wake up with a sleepy smile… asking about his day.

But now…

Silence.

Luke loosened his tie and tossed it aside.

His sharp eyes scanned the room.

At first glance, everything looked the same.

But something was off.

His gaze landed on the bookshelf.

Half the books were gone.

He opened the closet.

His suits still hung neatly… but not a single trace of Dexie’s clothes remained.

His jaw tightened.

She wouldn’t really move out.

Not after signing the divorce papers.

“Is she playing hard to get?” he muttered.

But no matter how he tried to convince himself…

The uneasy feeling in his chest only grew.

Meanwhile, Dexie had already left the house she shared with Luke.

She was now at an apartment in the city.

Technically, it belonged to Luke.

But she’d never lived there.

Still, she made sure it stayed clean.

Almost as if… she always knew this day would come.

Dexie set her luggage down, pulled out her phone, and made a call.

A man’s sleepy voice answered.

“Dexie… I just dreamt about you. Now you’re calling. Coincidence?”

She ignored his playful tone.

“I need you to investigate something. When you have the evidence… send it to me.”

She explained the details calmly.

The call ended.

Dexie set the phone down.

For a moment… a chill ran down her spine.

****

The next morning, Dexie woke early.

After freshening up, she gathered her documents and drove to the Civil Affairs Bureau.

It had just opened.

Couples lined up — some to get married, others to get divorced.

Dexie stood quietly at the entrance.

She waited.

An hour passed.

Luke never showed.

Frustration crept in.

She called him. No answer.

She tried Weldon. Nothing.

Dexie checked her watch.

In another hour… the Bureau would close.

With no choice, she got in her car and drove to Huxley Dawson Corporation.

After parking, Dexie walked in.

But the moment she stepped inside…

A familiar woman blocked her path.

The woman’s curvy figure and influencer-perfect face were hard to miss.

Long maroon hair fell over one shoulder.

Her sharp chin, full lips, and flawless features gave her an unnatural beauty.

Her tailored outfit left little to the imagination.

Every detail emphasized her “assets.”

Dexie recognized her instantly.

This woman had caused trouble more than once…

Especially when Dexie used to deliver lunch to Luke.

His ex-girlfriend.