Remarriage Failed Again Today

’This is the last time I’ll see him. Better leave a good impression.’

Movement up ahead caught her attention. Ashley Grant looked up to see two people walking toward her, and a slight smirk played on her lips as she chewed her gum.

Ryan Linton was pushing Kiera Keane’s wheelchair, and Kiera wore an undisguised smile.

Ashley Grant’s expression faltered.

Then, with a devil-may-care swagger, she walked over and stopped in front of them.

She kept her sunglasses on, but Ryan Linton knew she was watching them.

A pang of pain shot through his heart. He pursed his lips, meeting her gaze for a moment before letting out a sigh.

Then he turned to the bodyguards beside him. "You can go on up. I’ll be there in a minute."

With that, he handed the wheelchair over to a bodyguard.

Before being wheeled away, Kiera Keane glanced at Ashley Grant. Ashley didn’t know what she was trying to convey, but it felt like Kiera was saying, ’See? Who’s had the last laugh?’

Ashley Grant just smiled again. She had lost.

’She’d already lost the moment she started lying to herself, hadn’t she?’

’So today, she wasn’t going to lose what was left of her dignity.’

She took off her sunglasses, revealing her crystal-clear eyes. She smiled at Ryan Linton. "Congratulations."

Ryan Linton stared at her, his expression dark, and said nothing.

Ashley Grant ran a hand through her light brown hair with practiced charm, her smile alluring. "Congratulations on finally getting rid of me. And congratulations to you lovebirds on getting your happy ending. You can finally run off into the sunset together. Are you happy? Because I’m absolutely thrilled."

Ryan Linton simply continued to stare at her, his face an emotionless mask, which made Ashley falter for a few seconds.

’Was that... pain she saw in his eyes?’

’Are you hurting because you wounded me so deeply, yet I can still stand here and smile?’

’It’s all an act, Ryan. Don’t you know I’m at my breaking point?’

’There’s no hope left. Don’t give yourself a chance to fall apart.’

’Ashley, pick up what’s left of your pitiful pride. Even if no one loves you, you have to love yourself.’

’Your parents raised you like a princess all these years, not so you could come here and debase yourself like this.’

She smiled, took a box out of her bag, and held it out to him.

Ryan Linton didn’t reach out to take it. After listening to all she had to say, he finally spoke his first words to her that day. "What is this?"

’He highly doubted she would be kind enough to give him a gift.’

"Why don’t you open it and see for yourself?" she said with a smile, nudging the box toward his hand. A flicker of uncertainty crossed Ryan Linton’s eyes.

He took it reflexively and opened it. His eyes stung at the sight of what was inside—

The box was partitioned down the middle, creating two smaller compartments.

In each compartment, there was an item: one held a ring, the other, a key.

These were symbols of promises he had once made to her. The happiness he’d felt then was matched only by the pain he felt now.

’Why did such sweetness have to be paid for with such sorrow?’

’If he had known this was how it would end, he would rather have never had it at all.’

But you can’t put a price on foresight.

Ryan Linton’s hand tightened around the box. He asked coldly, "What is this supposed to mean?"

"Hah." Ashley Grant turned away gracefully. She refused to cry. She refused to let him see her this pathetic one more time. "It doesn’t mean anything."

But she had only taken two steps before Ryan Linton pulled her into a fierce embrace.

Neither of them spoke. After a long silence, Ashley Grant’s voice choked out, "Ryan Linton, did you ever love me at all?"

Ryan Linton froze, but a second later, Ashley Grant pushed him away.

"Ryan Linton, did you ever love me?"

Ashley Grant looked at him with a smile, even as tears streamed uncontrollably from her eyes. "You did, didn’t you?"