Ashlyn didn’t think much of it as she went to work that day.
She didn’t have any meetings this morning, but she still had tons of work to do. She was buried in piles of documents the whole morning.
By the time she finished with the stack of documents, it was time for lunch.
Talia knocked on the door and asked politely, “Miss Ramos, what would you like for lunch?”
Ashlyn paused for a moment and then looked up at Talia with a smile. “I’ll have whatever you’re having.”
Although Ashlyn came from a rich family, her parents didn’t make her identity public because they were afraid that someone would try to hurt her. As a result, she had lived a rather ordinary life growing up. She wasn’t picky with food, be it from a Michelin-star restaurant or a food stall.
As long as it was delicious, she was fine with any food.
“Okay, Miss Ramos.”
When Talia went out to get the food, Ashlyn received a call from her father.
“Ashlyn, have you had lunch yet?”
Ashlyn leaned against the backrest and answered honestly, “I just asked Talia to buy me some food. Why? Have you eaten yet?”
“Yup.”
Stevie soon cut to the chase. “Ashlyn, are you and Devin in a relationship?”
“Dad, are you kidding me? I just divorced!” Ashlyn chuckled, amused by Stevie’s question.
“Exactly. Since you’re divorced, you’re free to be with anyone. But I’ve heard that Devin’s a playboy, so don’t fall for his appearance, okay?”
“Thanks for the warning, Dad.”
After hanging up, Ashlyn bit her lip and couldn’t help but check the Internet for any developments in the story.
The list of hot topics had already changed, leaving few accounts about Devin and Ashlyn.
Well, at least she was no longer trending.
Meanwhile, in the CEO’s office on the twenty-seventh floor of the Crowbar Technologies building, Gordon was brooding silently behind his desk.
“Mr. Jones, the trending searches regarding Miss Ramos and Mr. Stanley have been replaced,” said Lowell.
Gordon snorted. “Leave it alone.”
Lowell nodded and left the office obediently.
At five o’clock in the afternoon, Talia reminded Ashlyn that she had a dinner party to attend tonight.
“Right. Got it.”
Ashlyn quickly signed some documents and handed them to Talia. “Is the bidding proposal finished yet?”
“Not yet.”
Ashlyn frowned slightly. “Tell them to hurry up. It has to be done before I get off work tomorrow.”
That project was very important and Ashlyn didn’t want to make any mistakes.
“Got it.”
At six o’clock in the evening, after touching up her makeup, Ashlyn went to Starsea Hotel with Talia.
Just as Ashlyn stepped out of the car, she saw Gordon getting out of his car at the exact same time.
What a coincidence!
Ashlyn raised her eyebrows but shrugged it off quickly.
She walked straight into the hotel as if she didn’t see him.
When Lowell saw Ashlyn, his eyes widened in surprise. “Mr. Jones, it’s Miss Ramos!”
Gordon turned to look at him and said, “Yes, Lowell. I’m not blind.”
Gordon’s ruthless gaze sent a shiver down the poor Lowell’s spine. He immediately lowered his head and dared not to speak again.
Although he wondered why the former couple didn’t greet each other, Lowell knew that if he asked this question, he’d be digging his own grave.
Ashlyn couldn’t afford to offend anyone at the dinner party tonight. Elvin was still pissed off because she cut off their ties with Highlight Group, so he forced her to go to this dinner party in his place.
As a way to express her sincere apologies, Ashlyn took three glasses of wine. After that, she felt very uncomfortable.
Ashlyn was usually good at holding her drink.
After her high school graduation, she secretly took out several bottles of wine from Stevie’s cellar to drink with Vernon and Fred. While they all consumed roughly the same amount of alcohol that night, the two boys got drunk while she remained sober.
But she hadn’t done such a thing in so many years. Worse yet, she had taken those three glasses of wine on an empty stomach. It was simply too much alcohol for her system, even though Talia had drunk some of it for her.
The party concluded, and Ashlyn walked the guests to the door. Then she couldn’t stand it anymore. “I’m going to the washroom.”
After saying that, Ashlyn rushed to the bathroom and vomited into the toilet.
She felt much better afterward. After splashing her face with cold water, she was completely awake and sober.
Ashlyn took out a piece of tissue to wipe her face just as Jenifer and Denise went inside the bathroom.
“Mom, I told you that Ashlyn’s a slut! She’s hooked up with another man only months after she divorced my brother. What a slut!”
Denise’s words were as harsh as ever. When she saw Ashlyn by the sink, she didn’t feel embarrassed at all even though she knew the latter had heard her. Instead, she sneered, “I wondered why the bathroom smelled like shit today. Turns out there’s a flirty slut here.”
Ashlyn couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “That’s high praise. Thank you.”
Being called like that meant that the woman was beautiful.
Denise choked. “You—!”
Glancing at Ashlyn, Jenifer quickly stopped her daughter from doing anything rash. “Just stay quiet.”
“But Mom, she’s such a shameless bitch!”
“Watch your mouth.” After a short pause, Ashlyn continued calmly, If I ever hear you talking about me like that again, the consequences will not be as simple as you being sent to the hospital.”
Denise froze at the mention of what had happened previously. “What are you saying?”
Ashlyn simply smiled and then walked out of the bathroom, her high heels clicking against the floor.
There were too many coincidences that night. First, she and Gordon stepped out of their respective cars simultaneously. Then, she ran into her former in-laws in the bathroom. Now, again she was faced with her ex-husband.
But she had long let him go, so she decided to just ignore him.
Ashlyn smoothed her long hair and walked forward unhurriedly, intending to bypass Gordon without scruples.
When Gordon saw that she walked past him without looking sideways, anger flared up inside his chest.
“Ashlyn.”
Hearing her name being called, Ashlyn stopped and turned to look at Gordon unhurriedly. “Yes, Mr. Jones?”
She raised her eyebrows and looked at him loftily.
After a short pause, Gordon’s expression darkened. “Devin’s chasing you because of me. You should watch your back.”
What did he mean by that?
Ashlyn smiled faintly. “Thanks for the warning, but…”
As she spoke, Ashlyn’s smile gradually faded away. “We’re divorced. What position are you in to say that to me?”
Then she walked away without looking back.
Seeing Ashlyn come back, Talia breathed a sigh of relief. “Miss Ramos, what happened? Are you okay?”
Ashlyn shook her head and smiled wryly. “Is the car ready?”
“Yes, it’s right at the door.”
“Let’s go.”
Did she feel bad?
A little.
Gordon’s words ruined Ashlyn’s day. If it weren’t for the phone call from Jessie, Ashlyn didn’t know how long she would’ve soaked in the bathtub.
Hearing her phone ringing, Ashlyn roused herself and got out of the tub.
Gordon wasn’t worth her time. She didn’t have to be sad about him.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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