The Return of The Banished Wife

Chapter 3

Ruby was detained and named as a suspect. She was questioned by investigators accompanied by a lawyer provided by the state, not her husband's lawyer. For almost a month, Ruby underwent questioning while in detention. During that time, Arslan never once came to visit her.

Ruby felt that she had truly been abandoned by her husband. She never imagined that Arslan's trust in her was so shallow. She also never imagined that Arslan's love, which had always seemed so passionate, would fade so easily.

News about Ruby was all over television and became a hot topic on social media. Almost the entire country condemned her mercilessly. She was labeled a shameless woman. The perfect Cinderella story was now tarnished. People now thought of Ruby as a poor girl who was ungrateful and betrayed the husband who had elevated her status. It seemed so unfair that Ruby had to suffer social sanctions for something she never did.

Ruby was devastated. The world seemed to be constantly pressing down on her, forcing her into the abyss of darkness. Especially when she heard that her mother, the only person on her side, was now lying in the hospital. Ruby's mother had suffered a stroke after witnessing firsthand the terrible and painful news reports about Ruby. The old woman was too fragile to withstand the storm, so she finally collapsed.

There was nothing Ruby could do. The investigation continued to point to her as the main player in the case of embezzlement and theft of confidential data at Dominic's company. So far, Ruby was still reluctant to admit to the allegations because she had done nothing wrong.

"Miss Ruby, you have a visitor." The call from the prison guard guarding the detention cell broke Ruby's reverie. Ruby lifted her face and reluctantly got up. In her heart, she wondered who could be coming to see her this time.

Ruby was escorted to a special room reserved for prisoners to meet and talk privately with their visitors. Upon arriving there, Ruby froze for a moment because the visitors turned out to be Mrs. Rose and Arslan.

Arslan, the person Ruby had been hoping would come to her rescue, now seemed reluctant to even look at Ruby.

The prison guard invited Ruby to talk to her visitors, then closed the door to the room. Ruby slowly sat down in front of Mrs. Rose and Arslan, separated by a table.

There was a moment of silence. No one spoke. Only Ruby's eyes stared straight at Arslan with an expression that was difficult to interpret.

Arslan sighed, then took out a piece of paper and placed it in front of Ruby. It was a divorce agreement.

"Let's get a divorce, Ruby," Arslan said flatly, as if he felt no burden when he uttered those words.

Ruby remained silent and stared intently at Arslan. The woman's lips then curled into a slight, ironic smile. Was this the extraordinary love that the man had been proclaiming to her all this time?

"Divorce?" Ruby repeated hoarsely. Anger, disappointment, and regret now filled her heart, making her chest feel unbearably tight.

"Yes. After what you've done, there's no reason for me to stay in this marriage." Arslan replied again in a carefree tone.

Ruby laughed at Arslan's words. It was a sad laugh mixed with tears.

"Is this the proof of the promise you made me, Arslan? Didn't you tell me you would always be by my side, no matter where I went, even if it was to hell?" Ruby asked sarcastically.

"Shut up! Stop talking nonsense and just sign the divorce papers! If you don't make such a fuss, at least Arslan will still give you alimony so you can pay for your mother's hospital bills." This time it wasn't Arslan who spoke, but Mrs. Rose.

Ruby turned to Mrs. Rose. She knew that all of this was a game created by her mother-in-law, but of course there was no point in shouting the truth. No one would believe her.

"All right, I'll do as you've wanted from the beginning, ma'am," Ruby replied as she grabbed the papers in front of her. "Give me a pen!"

Arslan handed Ruby a pen, and she immediately signed the divorce agreement. Of course, Mrs. Rose immediately showed her satisfaction. As for Arslan, he still had the same blank expression as before.

"Is there anything else you want from me? If not, then I'll be going," said Ruby as she got up from her seat.

"Don't try to evade the investigator anymore," Arslan muttered, raising his gaze toward Ruby.

"Admit all your actions and show your remorse. That way, the judge will give you a lighter sentence," Arslan continued.

Ruby's hands immediately clenched into fists upon hearing Arslan's words. Her face hardened, showing anger she had never shown before.

"Thank you for your advice, Mr. Arslan, but even if I get the death penalty, I will never admit to something I never did!" Ruby replied firmly before finally leaving the room without looking back.

It didn't take long for Arslan to formalize his divorce from Ruby. Just a few days later, Ruby received a legal divorce letter from the civil registry office. There were no tears when Ruby read it. Her heart was in too much pain for her tears to flow. The only feeling she had left was regret for being too naive, thinking that Arslan was a different kind of rich man.

A week after Ruby received the divorce papers, one of the guards on duty showed Ruby some shocking news on the internet, namely Arslan's engagement to a girl who was the beloved daughter of a successful and famous businessman. The engagement was held at a luxury hotel with an extravagant party.

Ruby's body immediately shook violently. She had truly been betrayed by the man she trusted most in the world. Her anger boiled over, until she felt like something was about to explode inside her. After that, she was suddenly informed that someone wanted to see her.

Mrs. Rose, the woman, had apparently come back to see Ruby. This time she stood proudly with a victorious smile on her face.

"I brought you some snacks from Arslan's engagement party last night. They never prepare such delicious snacks here," said Mrs. Rose.

Ruby changed her mind about sitting down. It seemed that Mrs. Rose had come only to insult her, so there was no reason for Ruby to stay there. But obviously Ruby had to respond a little.

"You've tried very hard, ma'am, so there's nothing wrong with feeling a little happy now. It's just that if Arslan finds out that all of this is the result of your actions, he will definitely hate you. It's not impossible that he will break off his relationship with you," replied Ruby.

Mrs. Rose laughed and walked towards Ruby.

"Do you think Arslan doesn't know everything?" asked Mrs. Rose.

Ruby frowned slightly at the question.

"You're too naive and innocent, Ruby. But on the other hand, you also think you're so smart. Of course Arslan knows everything. In fact, most of the plan was Arslan's idea," said Mrs. Rose again.

Ruby's eyes widened. "No way," she muttered in disbelief. It was bad enough for her to accept the fact that Arslan didn't trust her and left her in prison. She couldn't imagine if all of this was Arslan's plan.

"One thing you should never believe in this world, Ruby, is a man's words of love, especially a man who has a lot of money. You are just an object that attracts Arslan's attention. An object that Arslan is obsessed with having. Once he has you, he realizes that you are not that valuable to him," Mrs. Rose said with a smirk.

Ruby could only stare at her former mother-in-law without being able to say anything.

"He refused to get engaged to Gwen and chose to marry you. But, after meeting Gwen in person, he himself was busy thinking of ways to get rid of you. I feel so sorry for you," added Mrs. Rose.

Ruby's breathing quickened and her eyes reddened. Her fists clenched tightly, making her veins stand out even more. Ruby never imagined that in Arslan's eyes, she was nothing more than a toy

that could be discarded at any time after he had finished playing with her.