20: Happily Ever After.
Days turned into weeks, and the aftermath of the scandal surrounding my divorce and Ace’s lies spread like wildfire.
It still wasn’t peaceful yet with all the dramas, but at least, I felt relieved.
Elena’s arrest for drugging, and kidnapping me for forced abortion was all over the news. And, the hospital faced a full investigation, holding the doctors and nurses accountable for malpractice.
The waitress was also fired, and trialed at court for drugging my coffee at Elena‘ s instigation. Both of them are now in
prison.
And, even the doctors, and nurses were fired, their medical licence was revoked, and fined by the court.
Ace‘ s once–thriving company began to crumble, with multiple partners severing ties, after Austin and Asher broke deals
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with their company. It was on the verge of bankruptcy.
It hurt to see the company crumbling down as I planned every stages of it, but I planned not to intervene.
Ace followed, and disturbed me for days but stopped when I showed him zero. interest. And, now, he was busy, filling the gaps in the company.
As for me, I moved on, cutting off all contact with Ace and anyone connected to him. A few tried to apologize, but I didn’t care to listen. My focus was on starting over, rebuilding my life after the divorce.
Chemotherapy was tough, but I endured it. Somewhere along the way, I noticed something unexpected–my feelings for Asher had grown deeper. They were no longer just a simple friendship. They were something much more.
I knew I already fell for him at that time, but now, these feelings were harder to
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hide. And, unconsciously, I started avoiding him.
One evening, after work, Asher invited me to meet him at a restaurant.
When I arrived, memories flooded back. I had been here previously. Years back, it was just a rundown factory.
I was once kidnapped here. It should’ve been a bad memory, but instead that memory was actually a good one.
“Asher, why did you choose this restaurant?” I asked, a little uneasy.
He smiled, tilting his head. “Is there any problem?”
I shook my head, giving him a small smile.
“It’s nothing. I guess, I was a bit on the edge.”
Smiling, I added more. “I was kidnapped here once. It was funny. It should’ve been a bad memory, but instead, I’m actually not scared.” I hesitated before I added, “I
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met a little boy here, who helped me a lot. And, that little boy became my angel, my first love.” I laughed, embarrassed.
Asher‘ s grin widened, and without another word, he got down on one knee, a small velvet box in his hand.
“Would you marry your first love?” he asked, his voice steady but full of emotion.
The realization hit me like a lightning bolt. He was the boy. The boy who saved me all those years ago. My heart swelled with joy and disbelief.
“Yes,” I whispered, tears streaming down my face.
Before I could say anything more, Asher wrapped me in his arms, kissing me gently.
“I thought you had forgotten that.”
I shook my head. How could I forget that boy? It was because of him that I could recover from the trauma of getting kidnapped.
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My mind raced with doubts—what if my illness dragged him down? But he didn’t let me voice them, holding me tighter as if to erase all my fears.
“Don’t worry,” he murmured. “I’m here for you. Always.”
Just then, Austin appeared, grinning ear to ear. “Finally, you two are together,” he said teasingly, making me blush.
“What are you doing here?” I screamed in embarrassment.
“Well, I’m not alone.” He said, leading me further inside.
To my shock, my parents stood there, along
with two unfamiliar faces.
Seeing my mom and dad after so long
brought fresh tears to my eyes. I ran to
them, sobbing as I hugged them.
“You‘ re heartless for abandoning us like that,” my mother scolded, her voice breaking with emotion.
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“I’m sorry,” I said, getting emotional, “I… just didn’t know how to face you.”
“You should’ve known what was going on with you! If your brother, and Asher didn’t bring us here, would you even go back to us?”
I blushed. “I would. I just didn’t know what to tell you.”
My parents smiled at me.
“We love you Ashley,” my mother said.
“So, whenever you face any difficulty, don’t keep us in the dark. And, don’t be so angry. We missed you a lot.” My dad said, pulling me into a hug. My mum followed after and the three of us hugged ourselves tightly.
Asher stood by the side and watched us with glee on his face.
When I finally calmed down, I finally noticed that there were others too.
I rubbed the tears off my face when Asher
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introduced them as his parents.
I froze, my stomach twisting as I remembered how disheveled I must‘ ve looked earlier. I blinked my eyes in embarrassment.
This was going to be the first meeting, and their first impression of me…
I bit my lips. I wished I could give Asher an earful at this moment. He should’ve at least let me know beforehand that his parents were coming.
Still, the dinner was warm. For the first time in years, I felt the warmth of a family again.
*****
One year later, my health had improved drastically.
The doctor assured me that I was on the path to a full recovery. I was so excited to tell Asher the good news.
When I got home, the house was unusually
20: Happily Ever After.
quiet.
Confused, I walked upstairs to our bedroom. The sight waiting for me stole my breath–a sea of roses, soft lights, and in the center of the bed, a sparkling ring.
“Asher?” I called out, my voice shaking.
He appeared behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. “You’ve given me so many reasons to smile,” he whispered, “but will you give me one more? Will you marry me?”
I turned, tears blurring my vision as I nodded. “Yes,” I said, my voice trembling with happiness.
“I really love you, Ashley.” He said as he held my chin up.
“I love you too,” I replied.
He lifted me off my feet, spinning me around before kissing me deeply.
In that moment, I knew–this was my man, the one I was destined to love forever.
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