At the welcome-home banquet for his first love, Ashton made me drink an entire glass of liquor just to make her happy. I was pregnant, and the pain in my abdomen was unbearable. Blood stained my white dress. But he was too busy hand-feeding caviar to his first love while his friends egged him on. As I lost consciousness, I heard his contemptuous laugh. “Don’t worry about her. She’s just a plaything. She can’t survive without me.” When I woke up in the hospital, I touched my now-flat stomach and wanted to send him the miscarriage report. But I found that he’d changed his profile picture to a side-view photo of his first love and had blocked me for the ninety-ninth time. This time, though, I didn’t act cute and beg for forgiveness like before. Instead, I booked a flight out of the country for three days later. I had just gotten home when I heard a loud crash. Serena stood among the broken porcelain pieces. When she saw me, her eyes immediately reddened. She threw herself into Ashton’s arms, crying. “I just accidentally dropped it. Why does Elena look so scary, like an old witch…” “She frightened me.” What she’d broken was the first gift Ashton had ever given me. A ceramic doll that the prince of the elite social circle had made for me with his own hands. Ashton gently stroked Serena’s hair, his eyes full of tenderness. I could even see traces of how he used to dote on me. “Don’t be scared. It’s just a doll. I’ll smash it with you.” He bent down, picked up the doll’s head, and threw it hard on the floor. The pieces shattered into even smaller fragments. Beyond repair. Serena perked up, clapping and laughing. But my hand holding my bag trembled slightly. Years ago, Ashton had grabbed my face dominantly, his eyes wild and carefree. “This is the first time I’ve made something like this for a woman.” “If you dare break this doll, I really won’t keep you anymore!” But this time, he’d smashed the doll with his own hands. Then again, for the sake of making Serena smile, he didn’t even want our child. I gave a self-mocking laugh, picked up a broom, and started cleaning up the pieces. Suddenly, Serena coughed. Ashton asked nervously, “Are you okay? Did you cry so much your throat is hoarse?” “Elena, Serena cried because of you! Go make her favorite mango juice right now.” I paused, disbelieving. “Did you forget I’m allergic to mangoes?” Ashton’s expression stiffened. He looked away guiltily. He started flirting with the beauty in his arms instead. I cleaned up the pieces and threw them in the trash along with the last bit of attachment I had left in my heart. Just then, I heard Serena’s coquettish voice again. “I’m leaving now. Meet me at the hotel tomorrow—the same one as last night~” Ashton instinctively looked at me. His expression was unnatural as he explained. “Serena and I go way back. I’m just catching up with her. Don’t overthink it.” I didn’t bother exposing his lies. I just pretended not to see the suggestive bite mark on his neck. Serena shyly waved goodbye to Ashton. I didn’t watch their sweet farewell. I turned and went to the master bedroom to pack for my trip abroad. But when I pushed open the door, I saw that our couple’s photo that used to hang in the center of the wall was gone. In its place was one of Serena’s paintings. So during all those years Serena was abroad, Ashton had never let her go for even a moment. But that had nothing to do with me anymore. I opened my phone and set a countdown for my flight in three days. Suddenly, my phone auto-pushed a trending topic. “Elite Circle Prince Makes High-Profile Appearance on Dating Show, Wedding Bells Soon for Him and Serena Morrison” In the video, Ashton and Serena were passionately kissing, the sweetness off the charts. No wonder he hadn’t asked a single question during the entire day I was hospitalized for the miscarriage. He was too busy showing off his relationship with Serena. I remembered last year when paparazzi photographed us on vacation together. To avoid suspicion, he blocked me and gave me the cold shoulder for a month. I never imagined that someone so low-key and cautious would go on a variety show for his first love. Just then, Ashton pushed the door open and interrupted my thoughts. His first words were reproachful. “Our Elena is so delicate.” “A mango allergy won’t kill you. Serena just got back to the country—why did you have to upset her?”
Even when talking to me, Ashton’s eyes never left his phone. His fingers kept typing, and his eyes occasionally flashed with laughter. Some fragments flashed through my mind. On our first anniversary, Ashton had bought a mango cake. Not wanting to waste his thoughtfulness, I tried a small bite. But I still had an allergic reaction and passed out. When I woke up, he was crying like a child, holding my hand and trembling. “Elena, I’ll never let you touch a mango again, and I’ll never let you suffer even a little bit!” My thoughts returned to the present. I opened my bag to find the medical report. “I had a miscarriage.” Only then did he spare me a glance. His tone was displeased. “I just asked you to drink one glass of alcohol. There’s a limit to jealousy—don’t joke about the child.” So last night, when I was in so much pain I wanted to die, feeling helpless and desperate, in his eyes I was just being jealous and putting on an act. I lowered my eyes and handed him the miscarriage report I’d just found. “The baby’s really gone.” “And our relationship ends here too.” I didn’t even dare say “break up.” Five years ago, when my parents’ company went bankrupt, I accepted Ashton’s credit card to pay off debts. From then on, I became his plaything. Living together for five years, even having a child, but never having a title. Ashton looked at the miscarriage report, his eyes full of disbelief. After a moment, his gaze swept over my flat abdomen, and he pulled me into his arms. His voice carried guilt. “Don’t be sad. Get your body healthy, and I’ll get you pregnant again.” His eyes were full of sympathy as he gently patted my back. We seemed to have returned to our former intimacy. But only if you ignored the gardenia scent that belonged uniquely to Serena on his body. My chest felt uncomfortable. I pushed him away, fighting nausea. “Mr. Ashton, I’m serious.” When Ashton heard me use such a formal way of addressing him, his expression quickly turned cold. “Making a scene again! Do you still think you’re the pampered heiress you used to be? Who else can take care of you if you leave me?” Yes, I was no longer the little princess everyone cherished. But I clearly remembered. In intimate moments, he would kiss my neck tenderly, his eyes overflowing with deep affection. He would promise over and over again. “Elena, even if your family has fallen on hard times, you’re still the noblest little princess in my heart.” I clenched my fingers tightly, my lips trembling, but I couldn’t say a word. Ashton finally realized his words were too harsh. A flash of panic crossed his face. “Don’t misunderstand. Serena and I are just putting on a show. I won’t abandon you.” He quickly pulled out his phone. “What happened at the banquet was my fault. I’ll unblock you right now, and I’ll never block you again.” Then he pulled out an exquisite gift box from his suit pocket. Inside was a sparkling diamond ring. I froze. Countless times when shopping, I couldn’t help but look at rings whenever we passed a jewelry counter. And he would pull me away without mercy. His voice mocking. “Elena, I’m good enough to you. People should know when to be satisfied.” The implication was that I was just his plaything. He could pamper me, but we would never have a future together. But now… Looking at the ring, my body stiffened. I let him forcefully grab my hand and slide the ring onto my middle finger. Ashton suddenly smiled, with a victor’s attitude. “See, Elena? I told you that you can’t leave me.” Before I could speak, my phone rang. It was Serena calling me. “Elena, Ashton’s taste is really terrible!” “He had a fifty-million-dollar diamond ring custom-made for me, but that huge rock on it is so tacky…” “Your five-thousand-dollar freebie looks better!”
So… it was a freebie. Serena’s intentions were obvious. I didn’t respond. I just hung up. Putting down my phone, I started looking for various documents. At some point, Ashton was standing behind me. “Why are you getting your passport?” I instinctively flinched, then lied with a straight face. “I’m going abroad with you next month to negotiate business. Just checking what I need to bring in advance.” Every time Ashton went abroad, he would make me go with him. But this time, he hesitated. “Next month… Serena will be going with me.” Seeing my cold expression, he quickly added. “But next month, I’ll arrange for you to relax in Europe. Let’s both cool down.” No wonder he suddenly wanted to send me away. He was afraid I’d interfere with his romantic time with Serena. In the past, I would have cried and made a scene, insisting he say he loved me most before I’d let it go. But this time, I just nodded and took the opportunity to put the documents in my bag. Ashton finally realized something was wrong. “You always kept our photos in your bag. Why are they gone now?” This relationship was about to end. Of course, I didn’t need to carry our photos with me all the time anymore. But I didn’t answer. I just subtly changed the subject. “I need to rest. Is there anything else?” Only then did he remember why he’d come to find me. “Where’s the honey water on the table?” Ashton had stomach problems, and the doctor recommended he eat more honey. So I would heat water and mix honey every hour, then let it cool in a glass cup. This ensured he could drink warm honey water anytime. It was very troublesome, but I’d persisted for five years. I casually brushed him off. “I just got out of the hospital. I don’t feel well.” This was actually true. Perhaps because I’d only rested in the hospital for one day after the miscarriage, and then felt depressed after coming home, my lower abdomen was cramping now. My face was too pale. Ashton panicked. He carried me to bed. “You too—you couldn’t even protect our child, and you have the nerve to make a fuss with me!” “Forget it. I’ll take care of you tonight.” Just then, a ringtone sounded. I instinctively looked at Ashton’s phone screen. His contact name for the caller was “Serena Baby.” He answered the call, and Serena’s sobbing voice came through. “Ashton, I hurt my hand. Can you come see me? Sob sob sob…” “I’m so stupid, I don’t even know how to register at the hospital.” Ashton didn’t speak immediately. Instead, he looked at me with difficulty. I was clutching my lower abdomen tightly, cold sweat beading on my forehead. I managed to squeeze out a sentence through gritted teeth. “You should go.” His expression was conflicted, but he still made his choice. “Sorry, Elena. Serena just got back to the country. I’m still worried about her.” “Let me call a doctor for you. I’ll be back in a bit.” A few seconds later, I heard the loud sound of the door closing. I curled my body into a ball, my heart numb. This wasn’t the first time he’d abandoned me for Serena. I was used to it by now. Soon after, the family doctor came to the door. His eyes were full of contempt, but under Ashton’s orders, he reluctantly examined me. “Your family is about to go bankrupt. Miss Serena and Mr. Ashton are a match made in heaven. If you had any shame at all, you’d leave on your own.”
The doctor didn’t want to stay a moment longer. He left the medicine and walked out. The gap between Ashton and me was too great. Everyone around him looked down on me. But after all, I was his most pampered plaything. Without Serena’s hints and Ashton’s tacit approval, how would a doctor dare to be so presumptuous? I quietly took the medicine, and the pain gradually eased. Then I took out my phone to thank the doctor. But I saw that Serena had updated her social media. “Even a strawberry-patterned Band-Aid can’t compare to your sweet affection.” In the picture, Serena had a cute Band-Aid on her fingertip. Ashton was kissing her finger, the tenderness in his eyes seeming to overflow from the screen. I suddenly remembered Ashton’s first birthday with me. I’d never lifted a finger to do housework, but to please him, I personally cooked a whole table of dishes. My hands were red and swollen from the hot oil. But Ashton just ate a few bites half-heartedly and didn’t even stay the night at my place. I never understood why, until I accidentally overheard his phone call with a friend. “I pamper Elena because she’s pretty enough and obedient, fun like a little cat.” “But today her hands were covered in blisters—it was disgusting to look at!” Suddenly, Ashton called me. Using a commanding tone. “It’s Serena’s first time going abroad with me next month. She doesn’t know anything. Help her prepare the materials.” Immediately after, Serena’s saccharine voice came through the phone. “I don’t know anything, but I have Ashton to pamper me~” “Elena, I’m impatient. Please have everything organized by tonight.” Ashton tried to stop her. “Elena isn’t feeling well tonight. Don’t rush her so much…” “Okay.” But I agreed directly. Five years ago, forced by circumstances, I could only work as a server at Heaven on Earth nightclub. If Ashton hadn’t spent lavishly, I probably would have had a hard time escaping unscathed from all those sleazy executives. Once I finished organizing these materials, I wouldn’t owe him anything anymore. I slowly got out of bed, endured my physical discomfort, opened my computer, and started working. I stayed up all night and finally completed Ashton’s order. In the morning, I took the documents to Ashton Industries. The receptionist knew about my relationship with Ashton and had always greeted me warmly before. But this time she was obviously flustered, blocking my way. “Miss Elena, Mr. Ashton isn’t here. Let me take you to the lounge first.” Along the way, I heard employees whispering. “Mr. Ashton felt bad that Miss Serena had to wear high heels, so he carried her straight from the car into his office. So romantic!” The receptionist looked embarrassed and wanted to explain. But seeing my unchanged expression, she ultimately said nothing. A moment later, Ashton called and asked me to bring the materials to his office. As soon as I pushed open the door, I saw Serena sitting on Ashton’s lap, their eyes locked. Serena smiled and took the materials, then picked up the porridge on the desk. “Thank you for your hard work, Elena. Try this—Ashton made this porridge for me himself.” I looked at Ashton in surprise. Living together for five years, thanks to Serena, I only now learned he could cook. I reached out to take it. But Serena let go, and the bowl fell to the floor. The scalding porridge splashed on my calves. I couldn’t help but gasp from the pain. “Ashton, Elena must resent me. That’s why she deliberately burned me. Please don’t be angry with her…” She cried pitifully. Ashton quickly pulled her into his arms and carefully checked her over. After confirming she’d only gotten her shoes dirty, his eyes were still cold. “Elena, apologize to Serena right now and clean her shoes!”
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