Worlds Apart

Gwyneth was left silent by Asher's words. She hadn't worked in years because she overexerted herself while helping him get his startup off the ground, and it took a toll on her health.

Back when Asher first started dealing with clients, he was arrogant and awful at negotiations. He couldn't close any deals.

Gwyneth downed one drink after another, toasting clients until her stomach bled. That was how she kept landing deal after deal.

When he finally succeeded in his venture, her body was a wreck. She lost her period and ended up in the hospital for over half a year. And now, he was blaming her for staying home instead of working.

Gwyneth silently headed to the bedroom, tore up the pregnancy test report from today, and threw it in the trash. She couldn't sleep that night again, managing only two hours of rest with the help of some pills.

After that day, they fought almost every day.

Two weeks ago, Asher brought up the idea of expanding his business overseas and talked about settling abroad.

Gwyneth thought this could be the perfect opportunity to separate him from Liana. Unexpectedly, he suggested bringing Liana with them when they moved abroad.

Today was the third time Asher had brought it up, and Gwyneth had lost all hope. She took a few half-hearted bites, her eyes drifting toward the balcony again.

Asher was still on the phone, smiling with a look of indulgence.

Gwyneth rose from her seat and headed to the whiteboard in the living room, writing the number "seven" on it.

…

Gwyneth woke up bright and early the next morning. She didn't waste any time and called a lawyer to discuss the divorce.

"Ms. Payne, the best-case scenario would be if Mr. Crowe is willing to sign the divorce agreement. If he's unwilling, living separately while he's overseas for a year will definitely help your chances in the divorce case. But are you sure you want a divorce?"

Norbert Lyle was the lawyer Gwyneth managed to find at the last minute. He was surprised to hear that she was thinking about divorcing Asher.

To outsiders, he seemed really attentive to her. He stayed clear of other women, with no signs of being involved with anyone else.

Gwyneth lowered her gaze, a trace of sorrow in her eyes. "He's got another woman."

There was a brief silence before Norbert apologized.

Gwyneth continued, "Send me the divorce agreement. I'll sign it and mail it abroad. After his flight lands next week, I'll have someone deliver it to him for his signature immediately."

As soon as she hung up, she saw Asher standing at the bedroom door.

He shot her a disapproving look. "What was that you were talking about? Divorce agreement?"

Gwyneth didn't expect Asher to overhear. She clutched her phone and hurriedly made up an excuse, saying, "I was talking to a friend. She's been wanting a divorce these days."

Asher didn't give it much thought. He didn't think Gwyneth would ever leave him, and he didn't even consider that the friend she mentioned was actually her.

Instead, he pulled out his phone and showed her pictures of the villas. "I've got two villas abroad—the bigger one for us to live in and the smaller one for Liana. I only put her name on the deeds for both villas.

"Don't try to stop me. She's been with me for so long. I have to do something for her."

Gwyneth couldn't believe what she was hearing. There wasn't a single villa in her name. "You said she wasn't after anything, but now, both villas are in her name. I helped out a lot in those years when you were starting your business. How do you sleep at night doing this?"

Asher shot her an irritated look, his tone firm. "I've given you plenty. You ought to be satisfied. When I transferred the money for these villas, she told me she didn't have any property under her name. That's all she said. I put her name on them because I felt sorry for her, not because she asked."

Gwyneth's heart sank, and she found the whole thing utterly ridiculous. She had more to say, but a noise from the door cut her off.

They turned to find Liana peeking her head out from behind the door.

She showed up in a white dress, lugging two big grocery bags. She had porcelain skin and subtle, elegant makeup. It was obvious she was thriving.

A month ago, Gwyneth had gone through Asher's chat history with Liana. Only then did she realize that he'd been secretly sending Liana 50 thousand dollars each month after he became successful.

Every time, Asher would say, "Here. This is what I owe you. I can't let you be with me without getting something in return. It's a shame she came into my life earlier. Luck was on her side."

When Gwyneth met Liana's eyes, she saw nothing but arrogance and pride. Liana looked soft and delicate in her outfit, but her expression screamed that she was there to assert her place.

Gwyneth scowled at Asher, her face tight with displeasure. "Why is she here? Didn't I tell you she's not welcome in our home?"

He glanced away, looking guilty. "Today is Liana's birthday, and since you agreed to let her go abroad, she came by to cook for you as a way of saying thanks."

After a beat, he shot Gwyneth a disapproving look. "She's trying to be nice, so don't be rude. She's dealt with so much over the years and hasn't said a word."

Gwyneth looked at the "seven" written on the whiteboard. She took a deep breath, forcing down the disgust she felt. "Tell Ms. Quayle I don't eat pickles and don't want any in the food."

Liana's smile faltered, feeling like Gwyneth was treating her like she was a maid. She went to the kitchen to prepare a few dishes.

Instead of bringing the dishes out, she poked her head out and waved at Gwyneth. "Wyn, help me carry these out."

Gwyneth entered the kitchen and scanned the dishes on the table, immediately noticing pickles in all of them.

Liana was reapplying a light shade of lipstick, and her rosy lips ended up looking colorless. She gave Gwyneth a condescending glance. "Asher's definitely going to feel sorry for me when he sees how much I've been doing. He hates seeing me wear myself out."

Gwyneth glanced at Liana, noticing how her makeup made her look drained.

Asher really did feel sorry for Liana. Recently, he often said, "Liana's done so much for me. You've just been supporting me through the startup phase."

When Gwyneth first heard Asher say stuff like that, she would try to explain herself. These days, she didn't even bother to respond.

"You must be tired from pretending to be so fragile and needy all the time," Gwyneth mocked.

Liana snorted, picked up the soup, and looked at Gwyneth disdainfully. "I'm doing great. Can't say the same for you, though—sacrificing yourself for him and still getting treated like crap. If I were you, I'd divorce him without a second thought."

Gwyneth's gaze hardened as she crossed her arms. "Have you been in the gutter long enough that you think you deserve to climb out now?"

Liana set the soup down and crossed her arms. After all the years Asher had pampered her, her confidence and calmness were second nature. "Honestly, I may not be his legal wife, but I'm a better fit for him than you are.

"I've known Asher for nine years, and we've never gone a day without talking. He doesn't hold anything back and tells me right away. I know how he feels inside and out, and I even know his PIN for transactions—198111. If you think I'm lying, try it yourself."

Gwyneth went still. In all their 12 years together, Asher had never shared his PIN with her. She was legally his wife, but it was Liana who got treated like one.

"Are you done?" Gwyneth asked.

A smug smile crept across Liana's face when she saw Gwyneth frown. "How do you just stand there while your husband cheats on you?"