My Ex-husband Watched Me Marry His Enemy

Chapter 1: The Divorce Agreement The rain fell heavily against the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Ashford Mansion. Scarlett Kingsley stood alone in the dining room, staring at the elaborate dinner she had spent hours preparing. Tonight was supposed to be special. It was her fifth wedding anniversary. Five years. Five years of love. Five years of sacrifice. Five years of believing that Ryan Ashford was the man she would spend the rest of her life with. A small smile appeared on her lips as she checked the time. 8:47 PM. Ryan was late. Again. But Scarlett wasn't surprised. As the CEO of Ashford Holdings, he was always busy. She had long since grown used to eating cold dinners and celebrating important days alone. Still, tonight was different. She wanted to believe he would come. She wanted to believe he remembered. The sound of a car pulling into the driveway made her eyes light up. "He's here." She quickly fixed her hair and adjusted her dress. Moments later, the front door opened. Ryan walked in. Tall. Handsome. Successful. Everything he had dreamed of becoming. Everything they had worked for together. But the smile on Scarlett's face disappeared the moment she saw his expression. Cold. Distant. Emotionless. Her heart suddenly felt uneasy. "Ryan, you're finally home." He looked at the table. The candles. The flowers. The dinner. For a second, something flashed across his face. Then it disappeared. "What is all this?" Scarlett blinked. "What do you mean?" Ryan loosened his tie. "Why did you prepare all this?" A strange feeling settled in her chest. "Ryan..." Her voice became softer. "It's our anniversary." Silence. A painful silence. Then Ryan looked away. He forgot. He forgot their anniversary. Scarlett's fingers tightened around the edge of the chair. She wanted to laugh. Or cry. Maybe both. After everything, he couldn't even remember. "I'm sorry," Ryan said. "But I've been busy." Busy. That word again. Always busy. Too busy to come home. Too busy to answer her calls. Too busy to notice she was hurting. Scarlett forced a smile. "It's okay." But it wasn't. Nothing was okay anymore. Ryan looked at her for a long moment. Then he reached into his briefcase. Her stomach twisted. Something felt wrong. Very wrong. He placed a document on the table. Scarlett frowned. "What is that?" Ryan didn't answer immediately. When he finally spoke, his voice was calm. Too calm. "It's time we talked." The uneasy feeling in Scarlett's chest grew stronger. She slowly picked up the document. The moment she saw the words on the first page, her blood ran cold. DIVORCE AGREEMENT. The paper slipped from her trembling fingers. "No..." Ryan remained silent. Scarlett looked up at him. Her face had gone pale. "No." She shook her head. "This isn't funny." "It's not a joke." The room suddenly felt smaller. The air felt heavier. Scarlett couldn't breathe. "Ryan..." Her voice broke. "What is this?" Ryan stared at her. "Our marriage is over." The words sliced through her heart. Five years. Five years together. Reduced to a single sentence. "Our marriage is over." Scarlett felt tears gathering in her eyes. "No." She stepped closer. "No, we can fix whatever is wrong." Ryan remained expressionless. "There is nothing to fix." Scarlett stared at him. The man she loved looked at her as if she were a stranger. "Did I do something wrong?" "No." "Then why?" Ryan looked away. That was when Scarlett knew. There was someone else. The realization hit her like a truck. Her voice became barely a whisper. "There's another woman." Ryan closed his eyes briefly. Then he answered. "Yes." Her world shattered. Scarlett felt her knees weaken. For a moment, she thought she might collapse. But somehow she remained standing. "Who is she?" Ryan was silent. Then a familiar voice answered from behind. "Me." Scarlett froze. Slowly, she turned around. Standing at the doorway was Jasmine Whitmore. Beautiful. Elegant. Confident. The woman Scarlett had once considered a friend. For several seconds, nobody spoke. Scarlett simply stared. Unable to process what she was seeing. Jasmine walked into the room as if she belonged there. As if this was her home. As if Scarlett's marriage meant nothing. The betrayal was unbearable. "When?" Scarlett finally asked. Her voice sounded empty. Jasmine smiled. "Does it matter?" "It matters to me." Ryan stepped forward. "It started six months ago." Six months. For six months, they had lied to her. For six months, Ryan had looked her in the eyes and pretended everything was normal. Scarlett felt sick. She looked at the man she loved. The man she trusted. The man she gave everything to. "Why?" Ryan hesitated. Then he spoke. "We've grown apart." Scarlett laughed. A broken laugh. "We've grown apart?" Tears filled her eyes. "I helped build your company." Her voice trembled. "When nobody believed in you, I did." Ryan remained silent. "When investors rejected you, I stayed." Still silent. "When your company almost went bankrupt, I sold my shares in Kingsley International to save it." Ryan lowered his gaze. Because he knew. Everything she said was true. Scarlett gave him everything. Her time. Her dreams. Her future. And this was how he repaid her. "I'll make sure you're compensated." Ryan's words felt like a slap. Compensated. As if she were an employee being dismissed. As if five years of marriage had a price tag. Scarlett looked at him. For the first time, she didn't recognize the man standing before her. The Ryan she loved was gone. Maybe he had disappeared a long time ago. Maybe she was only realizing it now. A tear rolled down her cheek. Then another. And another. But suddenly, something changed. Scarlett stopped crying. She stopped begging. She stopped hoping. Because she finally understood something. You cannot force someone to love you. No matter how much you sacrifice. No matter how much you give. If they want to leave, they will leave. Slowly, Scarlett wiped her tears away. She looked directly at Ryan. Then at Jasmine. A strange calmness settled over her. "Fine." Ryan frowned. "Fine?" Scarlett nodded. "I'll sign." Both Ryan and Jasmine looked surprised. They expected a fight. They expected desperation. Instead, Scarlett simply smiled. A cold smile. A smile neither of them had ever seen before. She picked up the divorce papers. "Congratulations." Her voice was steady. "I hope the two of you are very happy together." Then she turned and walked away. Neither of them noticed the change in her eyes. The heartbreak was still there. But beneath it... Something else had been born. Determination. Ryan Ashford thought he was divorcing a helpless wife. He had forgotten one important thing. Before she became Mrs. Ashford... She was Scarlett Kingsley. The daughter of one of the most powerful families in Aurelia City. And soon... The entire world would remember her name.