The apology post came with a shocking attachment—a fake depression report.

Asher had gone so far to protect Nora that he painted me as a deranged lunatic.

Terrified, I opened the comments. Each one stabbed deeper than the last:

[Terrible actress, 1st place for being a mistress. The entertainment industry is in a mess because of people like you.]

"Everyone can see how good Asher Monroe is to Nora. The whole network sees it in the eyes. And here’s Lily Rose, butting in and playing the victim. How shameless."

Panic overtook me as I tried to type explanations, but the more I replied, the crueler and more vicious the comments became.

Suddenly, Asher snatched my phone out of my hands. He sighed in exasperation.

"Stop reading this. Just apologize to Nora and I will release a statement clearing your name."

I reached for my phone, but he called for someone to hold me down.

They pressed down on my injured left hand and I screamed in pain.

"Ahh!"

Asher finally seemed shaken. He ordered them to let go and scolded them,

"Why were you so rough with her?"

He crouched beside me, gently helping me up. "If you were not so stubborn, you would not have gotten hurt."

Clutching my throbbing hand, I bit through the pain and glared at him. "And whose fault do you think these injuries are?"

He avoided my gaze, frowning. "I told you, if you just apologize, I would not let the online harassment worsen."

I shook off his hand and forced myself to stand. With a bitter smile, I said, "Fine. I will apologize—but only if you sign the divorce papers."

His face froze for a second before he chuckled coldly.

"Lily, do you really think anyone else will give you opportunities to act? Who would cast you as the lead in a major movie without me?"

He thought his usual manipulation would still work, that I’d obediently fall in line like I always did.

"I know you are upset, but I told you I would never hurt you."

But this time, I was done.

I thought back to the day we got married. He had suggested keeping our marriage a secret to protect my career and I had believed it was because he truly loved me.

I had even planned to have his child, but he shut me down, saying he didn’t want kids. He claimed he didn’t want me to be burdened by motherhood.

His thoughtfulness had so touched me. For two years, I put him first. Outside, I avoided anything that could cause suspicion; inside, I played the perfect housewife.

Then came our second wedding anniversary. I was not feeling well and could not reach Asher all day. When I went home to rest, I saw Nora sitting in his arms outside the bedroom door, embracing him in a passionate kiss.

He also whispered that he asked Nora to give him a child.

That was the moment it all clicked. It was not that he didn’t want children—he just didn’t want one with me.

His voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Come on, don’t be mad. Look, I got you this necklace."

The cold touch of pearls against my skin brought me back to reality. Asher fastened a pearl necklace around my neck, looking at me with an almost childlike hope as if expecting me to thank him.

I pulled it off without hesitation and spilled the beads all over the floor in front of him.

"A freebie from Nora's bag purchase? And you thought I’d wear this?"

His face darkened instantly. "Lily, I am talking to you nicely. Can we not do this? I picked this out for you—it has nothing to do with Nora. Don't talk nonsense."

I let out a cold laugh and showed him the picture that Nora had flaunted in her social media story:

[I love this bag, but what about the cheap freebie necklace it came with? Not my style. I told him to give it to someone else.]

Asher froze, at a loss for words. After a moment, he forced out a dry laugh and tried to hug me.

"You said you wanted to have a child with me, right? Let’s make that happen now."

His lips brushed my neck as he pulled me closer, but I shoved him off and slapped him hard across the face as I said, "Don’t touch me!"

He covered his cheek, his expression twisting with anger. "Lily, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"I must have been out of my mind to marry you, let alone agree to stay in a hidden marriage for two years!" I shouted back, refusing to back down. "You have already destroyed me—what more do you want?"

My voice cracked as I stared at him, my anger fueled by years of suppression.

"Do you want to see me on my knees, begging for mercy? Is that what will satisfy you?"

I had never raised my voice like this in our two years of marriage. Asher was visibly a bit stunned.

We had fought before, but it was always me who apologized first, placating him while he played the part of a calm, rational man. In truth, he twisted every argument to make me feel like I was the one at fault.

I used to believe him, thinking I must have been wrong. But now I saw the truth—he never loved me. His so-called "love" was just a thinly veiled need for control.

Even if he once felt like a beacon of light, pulling me from the depths of despair, that didn’t erase the harm he had inflicted on me now.

I took a deep breath and stared him in the eyes.

"If we get divorced, you’ll finally be free to flaunt your relationship with Nora without restraint."

His brows furrowed, his patience wearing thin.

"Lily Rose," he sneered, "I have seen you grovel before. Why are you yelling now?"

I looked at him in shock, unable to believe that these words came from Asher.

When he saw me freeze, he didn’t stop there. He leaned closer, his voice laced with mockery.

"Remember when your parents were sent to prison? I saw you on your knees, begging for help. Even the media caught it on camera..."

"Stop it!" I screamed, shoving him away with all the strength I had left. Tears streamed down my face as I yelled hoarsely, "Get out! Just get out!"

Asher looked startled momentarily, unsure how to react to my outburst. But then anger flared in his eyes. He kicked at the pearls scattered on the floor and muttered through gritted teeth, "Emily Wilson, let’s see how long you can keep up this stubborn act."

And then, he slammed the door behind him, leaving me rooted to the spot.

Emily Wilson—that was my real name. He hadn’t called me that in years. It was not just a name; it was a warning. He was threatening to expose my past if I didn’t comply with him.

I thought of the promises he used to make.

‘Don’t worry, Emily,’ he had once said while holding me close. ‘I will protect you. I would not let anyone hurt you.’

Now, all he did was reopen old wounds, salting them for good measure.

***

That evening, Nora posted a photo on her social media—a romantic candlelit dinner.

[It feels so nice to have someone peel shrimp for me,] she wrote.

The finger that peeled the shrimp in the photo was still wearing our wedding ring.

Asher liked the post and left a comment: [If you like it, I will peel them for you forever.]

I stared at the screen, the bitterness in my chest threatening to spill over.

I loved shrimp, too. But every time I asked Asher to peel them for me, he’d brush me off, saying he was not good at it and would ask the housekeeper to do it instead.

Now, he peeled shrimp for Nora with his own hands—so many of them and so effortlessly.

If it had been the old me, I would have called him immediately, demanding an explanation. But now, even as the ache in my heart grew unbearable, I will not ask.

***

I thought back to the past, to when my parents were imprisoned. The whole internet had turned against me, dragging my name through the mud.

Back then, it was Asher who stood up for me.

At that time, he insisted that the Rose family help the Wilson Family, which has a very good relationship with him, to accept me as an adopted daughter.

As a result, he was locked up and beaten a few times by his father and when he was lying in the hospital for treatment, he touched my head and held my hand, smiling weakly, ‘It is okay now Emily. No one will bully you anymore’, he said.

Because of him, the Rose family took me in as their foster daughter. I changed my name to Lily Rose and became Asher’s fiancée. He even helped me step into the entertainment industry, where I finally began living out my dreams.

For a time, He had pulled me out of hell and had given me genuine happiness.

But after his betrayal, I swallowed my pride, enduring it silently, hoping in vain that the man I loved would come back to me.

Now, I no longer wanted anything from him—his love, his promises, or the life we built together. I just want to make a clean break with him completely, move out of here and discard the things he gave me.

When Asher saw that I didn't show up at the theater set the next day, he called to ask, "Why didn’t you come to the set today? Still sulking?"

I kept my voice calm. "I am not sulking. I have thought it through."

He chuckled softly, his tone carrying a smug edge.

"Lily, if you had been this obedient from the start, we would not have all these problems."

"I told you I would not let anyone hurt you. I will keep my word," Asher said, his voice low and sharp. "But if you keep acting out, I will make sure you lose what you care about most."

I stayed silent for a moment, holding back my emotions. Then, with a steady voice, I replied, "I will bring the divorce papers to the set. Don’t forget to sign them."

“Lily!” His temper flared instantly. “After all these years, you are finally choosing to rip everything apart? What’s the matter? Even if there’s something between me and Nora, I have never wronged you. I have paid for your clothes, your food, your lifestyle. You have never had to lift a finger!"

Even he compared me to Nora, "How obedient Nora is. She doesn’t argue or demand things like you. You? You are never satisfied—you always want more."

The words hit me like a slap to the face, leaving me shaking.

Asher, of all people, hated people who didn’t care about their family. His parents had lived separate lives, providing him with money but no love or care. When we first started dating, he swore he’d never become like them.

Now, his vows had turned into nothing but a cruel joke.

“You once said,” I began, mh voice trembling but firm, “That if you ever cheated, you would let me go.”

His breath hitched. Probably, he hadn’t expected that one day, he would be choked by his own words.

After a long pause, he finally spoke. "Fine. Finish your scene at the set and I will sign the papers. You’ll have your freedom."

"Alright," I said, hung up the phone and went to the theater set.

***

The film set was chaotic, crowded with media reporters, fans and the buzzing production activity. This scene is to shoot Nora's underwater scene and I just need to stay in the pavilion.

It just so happens that I was on the first day of my period today and I had a lot of back pain, so this scene is quite good. I thought I just needed to get through this one scene and then I’d finally be free.

But nothing ever went as planned. Nora suddenly claimed she had a cold and could not do her water scene. Instead, she wanted me to shoot the water scene on her behalf.

I refused without hesitation, which immediately sparked a storm of criticism.

"Lily, you are just a supporting actress. What right do you have to refuse a lead role’s scene?"

"If it were not for Nora standing up for you, the production would’ve kicked you out long ago."

"Look at her pretending to be important. Shameless."

Their mocking words pounded in my head as I clutched my stomach, trying to push my way through the crowd. But before I could escape, someone shoved me back.

“Miss Rose,” a familiar voice said coldly. "Mr. Monroe has instructed you to do your job properly. Don’t use discomfort as an excuse. Otherwise, we might have to revisit your... history."

It was Asher’s assistant, David Morgan. David had always been Asher’s lackey, covering up his secret meetings with Nora. Once, he’d even laid hands on me in front of Asher and Asher had watched with cold eyes, not saying a word.

Maybe that’s when I realized the man who once vowed to protect me no longer existed.

In the past, when I was on my period, Asher would insist I rest, worried I’d harm my health. Now, he was forcing me into an ice-cold lake for a scene to please Nora.

I let out a bitter laugh. "I will do the scene. As long as a line passes and I am leaving."

It was more than ten degrees below zero and I shot underwater many times. My body tensed with each take, but the director was never satisfied.

“Once more!” he shouted.

I dove back in, my limbs trembling uncontrollably. The cold seeped into my bones and each breath felt like a battle. I struggled to climb out, but someone pushed me back into the water every time.

The laughter around me grew louder.

"Look at Lily Rose flailing in the water like a toad. It is too funny!"

"And she had the audacity to mock Nora’s acting? Just quit already—she’s disgusting."

Their taunts rang in my ears, growing sharper until my vision blurred. The world spun and I felt my strength leave me.

The last thing I heard was the splash of water before everything went dark. The director and the others then panicked and rushed to have someone scoop me up.

Asher entered the room, his expression unreadable. David stood quietly behind him, no longer wearing the smug grin he always had.

"Why didn’t you tell me you were on your period?" Asher’s first words were accusatory, his tone sharp.

I let out a weak laugh, bitter and hollow. "Would it have mattered? Would you have stopped them from making me do the scene if I'd told you?"