Blurb：
Embark on an epic fantasy adventure with Aria, the brave heroine of Eldoria, as she searches for the Lost Crown to save her kingdom from the dark sorcerer Malakar. Join forces with loyal companions like the rogue Kael and the wise mage Elara in a world filled with magic, dragons, and ancient prophecies. Perfect for fans of high fantasy, character-driven stories, and quests for powerful artifacts. Dive into a tale of courage, friendship, and destiny that will keep you turning pages until the very end!
Content：
In my tenth year of marriage, my old childhood friend, Joshua Sears, posts a photo on social media.
Both Joshua and my wife, Sabrina Lawson, are hugging his son, Andy Sears, and my daughter, Tiana Jenkins, in it.
The four of them look very close to each other. The caption accompanying the post says, “Blessed to have the perfect son and daughter.”
I leave a comment below the post, saying, “Looking good together.”
A few seconds later, the post is deleted.
The next morning, Sabrina rushes home and yells at me. “Ashton Jenkins! Joshua was finally feeling better for once. Why did you have to trigger him again?”
Tiana shoves me hard and snaps in an accusatory tone, “It’s all your fault that Andy’s crying now!”
I take out a copy of the divorce agreement and slam it down before them.
“Yes, it’s all my fault. That’s why I’m stepping out of the picture now. Then, the four of you can form the wholesome family you’ve always wanted.”
Chapter 1
I’d only just printed out the divorce agreement about half an hour ago. But before that, I’d spent the entire night sitting on the living room couch.
The dozen or so dishes I’d slaved over for hours sat untouched on the dining room table. Even the Ultradude cake I’d made earlier had melted into a puddle of goo.
It had been my daughter, Tiana Jenkins’ birthday yesterday. My wife, Sabrina Lawson, had given me specific instructions to make preparations for the birthday celebration because she was coming home with Tiana.
However, I’d waited at home for hours in vain. In the end, the only message I’d received in a roundabout way was that Instagram story of the four of them that Joshua Sears had posted.
The irony.
Sabrina had never thought that I would ever bring up divorce. She frowned and tore the agreement in half. Her face was full of disdain as she said, “Ashton Jenkins, what game are you playing this time? I just took Tiana to meet Joshua and his son, and I forgot to tell you about it. That’s all!”
Then, her gaze flitted over to the untouched dishes on the table, and a hint of unease appeared in her eyes.
She softened her tone and said, “Alright, fine. It was my fault for forgetting to tell you about last night. I’ll be more careful next time. I’ll clean up here. Go and rest for a bit. I’ll take you and Tiana out for some dessert later on.”
Sabrina had always been like this. She would always hit me with the stick before handing me the carrot.
Each time, she always knew that she’d gone overboard, but she would still refuse to apologize and would simply try to soften the blow for me so I would feel less bad about it.
If I didn’t respond the way she wanted me to, then she would stop talking to me altogether until I admitted defeat in the end.
In the past, I’d always been the one who would reach out and apologize first. But this time, I brought out another copy of the divorce agreement and threw it down onto the coffee table.
“I made a dozen copies. Go ahead and tear however many of them you want.”
Sabrina was so mad that she flung a plate to the floor.
She then glared at me impatiently and said, “Let’s just get it straight. You’re just jealous that Tiana likes Joshua more than you. But don’t you dare forget, Ashton, that you’re the one who owes him everything! Tiana and I are only looking after him because we’re trying to pay him back for your sins!”
My sins? I had no sins!
Joshua and I used to be close buddies. Once, he’d invited me out into the hills when we were in our third year of college. When we’d finally made our way back home, it had already been dark out, and Joshua had insisted on taking a shortcut. He’d told me that a friend was waiting for him there.
So, we’d parted ways.
However, when I’d woken up after that, Sabrina had rushed into my room and grabbed me harshly by the collar, demanding to know why I’d pushed Joshua into the hands of the thugs while I’d escaped. She’d also demanded to know why I hadn’t even bothered filing a police report.
I hadn’t even regained my senses and had no idea what was going on.
Eventually, I’d found out that Joshua had run into a bunch of thugs while taking the shortcut, and he’d gotten beaten up so badly that both of his legs had been broken.
He’d told them that the thugs had been after me and that he’d wanted to fight them off with me. But apparently, I’d shoved him right into the group of thugs before running off on my own.
Obviously, he’d been lying.
I’d tried defending myself, but nobody had believed me. Also, the surveillance cameras hadn’t been working at that time, so I’d ended up being framed like this for years.
Ever since that incident, it felt as though I’d become a sinner in everybody’s eyes.
Mom and Dad, who’d always been very protective of their reputation, screamed at me for being such a heartless person. Meanwhile, Sabrina had called me a cold-blooded reptile.
And then, under the guise of compensation, they’d given Joshua all the love and attention that should have been mine.
They’d even taken my daughter away from me, saying that I was a horrible bastard who didn’t deserve to raise a kid like her.
That was the main reason why my relationship with Tiana was literally non-existent.
Yet, I loved her very much and kept trying to find ways to mend our relationship.
I looked at Tiana, who was also looking back at me. Her eyes were cold and full of disgust, as if I were her biggest enemy.
“You ruined Mommy’s and Joshua’s lives! If it weren’t for you, Joshua would have been my daddy!”
I shuddered. My heart felt like it was being torn to pieces.
“Who told you that?”
Tiana frowned. “Isn’t that the truth?”
I looked at Sabrina. Even at this point, I still hoped that she would have an explanation for all this.
However, she just avoided my gaze and said, “Tiana always thought that if that incident hadn’t happened, I would’ve married Joshua instead.”
Had this been in the past, I would’ve asked her why she wasn’t explaining herself.
After all, I was the one who’d grown up with her, and I was the one who’d introduced Joshua to her as my friend. I was the one who’d been her actual boyfriend…
But now, I simply couldn’t care less.
I didn’t care what Tiana thought of me anymore either. After all, very soon, she wouldn’t have anything to do with me.
I grabbed my suitcase and headed out the door.
“I’ll see you at the courthouse when you’ve made up your mind.”
Chapter 2
Sabrina had never thought that I would’ve already packed up my suitcase to leave. She rushed over to me to try and stop me from leaving.
Just then, there was the sound of the thumbprint-activated smart lock being unlocked from the outside. Moments later, Joshua entered the house with his son, Andy Sears, in tow.
Who would’ve thought that he would actually have his fingerprint registered at my own house?
I’d told Sabrina before that I never wanted to see Joshua in my house. He’d framed me and taken away everything that was mine. He’d also turned me into the laughingstock of the neighborhood and made people hate me to the point that I hadn’t dared to leave the house.
He’d completely destroyed me.
And I hated him.
But, obviously, Sabrina didn’t care about a single word I said.
When Joshua caught sight of me, his face paled slightly. He then put on a pitiful look and said, “Ash…”
Andy immediately hid behind him and yelled at me like I was some sort of monster. “No, Ashton, please don’t hit my daddy!”
I looked at Andy, who was perhaps ten years old, tops. He looked very naive and innocent. However, he was also the one who’d framed me for hitting Joshua at my parents’ house when I went back there for Thanksgiving.
I’d been looking forward to that particular Thanksgiving for years. It was the first time my parents had ever agreed to let me come home for the occasion after that incident happened.
That day, I’d tried very hard to mend my relationship with my parents. Yet, Joshua had then grabbed me at the top of the stairs before rolling all the way down with me.
I’d broken a leg during the fall, but nobody had even spared a look at me.
Instead, they’d all rushed toward Joshua, who’d landed on the other side of the staircase landing.
Crouching around him, they’d asked him if he was alright. I’d felt my heart sink, but I’d still harbored some hope as I said, “He was the one who pushed me.”
Joshua hadn’t defended himself. He’d just nodded submissively and said, “Whatever Ash says.”
Then, Andy had suddenly burst into tears as he came down the stairs, yelling, “Ashton! Why did you push my daddy down the stairs?
“Daddy didn’t want to disturb you and your family for Thanksgiving—it was Grandma and Grandpa who insisted that we come! But if you didn’t want to see us here, then we could just leave! Why did you have to push Daddy down?”
Just as he’d finished speaking, my mom, Betty Pearson, had rushed up to me and given me a huge slap across the face.
She’d yelled at me in disgust, “I thought that you really repented all these years. I didn’t think that you’d turn out even more evil and ungrateful than before!”
At that moment, I’d felt so wronged that my eyes had instantly filled with tears.
Whoever said that men didn’t cry was wrong. They just hadn’t had their hearts completely broken before.
I’d insisted that I’d never pushed Joshua, but nobody had believed me.
My dad, Larry Jenkins, had just glared coldly at me, looking utterly disappointed. “Are you telling me that a young child like Andy would lie about this?”
Sabrina had clenched her fists and said in an equally cold voice, “You’re hopeless, Ashton Jenkins.”
Tiana had then stormed over and angrily kicked my broken leg. I’d been in so much pain that I’d cried out in agony.
Even then, nobody had cared about me. They’d just watched me suffer, feeling a little lighter as they took it out on me.
Nobody had said anything, but I’d been able to tell from their faces that they thought I deserved to suffer.
Tiana had even said, “You’re a terrible daddy. I hate you so much!”
That day, I’d left the house while limping in pain. I could still remember the excruciating pain from back then.
I’d planned to divorce Sabrina that very night, but she’d torn the divorce agreement in half, seeming as calm as ever, and said, “Don’t you get it, Ash? Nobody loves you anymore except me.”
I’d said nothing, feeling dazed and confused. The only question that had kept running through my head was whether she really loved me.
Sabrina had been able to tell what was on my mind. She’d laughed mockingly and said, “If I didn’t love you, do you really think I’d still put up with you when you’re such an evil person?
“Mom and Dad don’t want you anymore. They’ve already decided to take Joshua in as their foster son. So, you should just stay by my side and continue repaying your sins to him. Understood?”
I’d grown up in a loveless family, so I was eventually persuaded by Sabrina to stay.
I’d been too afraid that nobody else in the world would love me anymore. I’d been worried that I would find myself on the streets with nowhere to go if I lost my current family. If that happened, I would be just like a kite with a broken string.
And I hadn’t wanted to end up abandoned and disliked by others.
So, I’d learned to compromise and be patient.
I’d stopped defending myself and allowed Sabrina and Tiana to openly disregard me while they showered Joshua and Andy with all of their love and care instead.
Yet, my years of compromise had never amounted to anything good for me. My life had been horrible.
I was suddenly snapped out of my thoughts and brought back to the present when Tiana rushed up to me and shoved me aside. She then grabbed Andy’s hand and comforted him.
“Don’t worry, Andy. Mom and I are here, and we won’t let anyone beat you or Joshua up.”
Then, turning to me, she warned me, “If you dare to hurt them, I’ll never acknowledge you as my daddy again!”
Andy pretended to look gentle and understanding as he said, “But Tiana, you shouldn’t be so fierce with Ashton…”
Then, he looked at me and gave me a meek smile, trying to please me. “Ashton, I know that you don’t like me or my daddy. But my daddy isn’t like you. We don’t have anything anymore. Can you please not chase us away?”
I should’ve known that a bastard could only ever raise another bastard. Like father, like son, after all—and Andy was exactly like his dad.
I smiled at him and said, “What do you mean, you don’t have anything anymore? This house belongs to you now.”
Chapter 3
Andy was just a kid, so he still didn’t know how to mask his emotions well enough.
As soon as he heard that the house belonged to them, he immediately perked up and asked, “Really?”
Joshua hurriedly grabbed Andy’s arms and chided him. “Andy! Don’t spout nonsense! This is Ashton’s house.”
Sighing, he then looked at me helplessly. “Ashton, I never wanted to come between you and Sabrina. I’m going to leave now, okay? Don’t be mad anymore.”
Hearing this, Sabrina rushed over and grabbed Joshua’s arm. However, he tugged a little harder, making her fall right into his arms.
“Careful,” he said softly, wrapping an arm around her waist.
Sabrina exchanged glances with me and hurriedly pushed him off, putting some distance between them.
A hint of dissatisfaction appeared in Joshua’s eyes, but it was quickly replaced with a gentle look. “It’s alright, Rina. You don’t need to convince me to stay. We were the ones infringing in the first place.”
The rims of his eyes turned a little red, as if he’d just been terribly wronged.
Andy fell into Joshua’s arms and wailed, “Daddy, don’t be sad anymore. It’s all my fault! If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t have to go through so much hardship!”
I coldly watched the scene unfold. Really, it would be a huge pity if Joshua and Andy didn’t go into showbiz. Well, their loss.
Meanwhile, Sabrina just cast them pitying glances.
The more sorry she felt for them, the angrier she got at me. She glared at me and said, “Ashton Jenkins! I was the one who told them to move in. Joshua’s home has a leaky pipe, and it will take a few days for the repair work to be done before they can return.
“And since we have a huge mansion, I just told them to come over and stay with us. You and Joshua could even use this opportunity to mend your relationship. But I never thought that you’d still hate him so much! Andy is still a young child. How could you bear to make him so sad?”
I hadn’t wanted to argue with Sabrina since it was pointless, but I really couldn’t stand the idiotic nonsense she was spouting.
I chuckled coldly and said, “Sabrina, I suggest that you see an optometrist since you seem to be blind.
“I’ve only said a single sentence since they walked into the house. And yet, all of you have already spun such elaborate stories with your wild imaginations. You should all try for the Literature Prize. I’m sure they’d appreciate geniuses like you.
“Also, I already told you that I’m moving out. Did you really think I’d care who you let into the house after this?”
Sabrina looked at me, stunned. For a moment, she couldn’t tell if I truly didn’t care anymore or if I was just playing hard to get.
It wasn’t until I made a detour around her and left with my suitcase in tow that she finally realized that I probably hadn’t been joking about wanting to divorce her.
After all, I wasn’t even defending our nest anymore.
Sabrina couldn’t help recalling when Joshua had been in a car accident half a year ago. After he’d been discharged from the hospital, Andy had told her that the two of them lived alone at home, and he was worried that he wouldn’t be able to take good care of Joshua.
So, she’d suggested that Joshua and Andy move into the mansion.
But after I’d found out about it, I’d flown into a rage and flung every breakable item onto the floor. I’d even yelled that I would grab the nearest knife and run it through Joshua’s body if she dared to let him into the house.
So, Sabrina had no choice but to drop the idea.
But she’d also refused to talk to me for three whole months.
It wasn’t until Tiana had gotten hospitalized for an allergic reaction and I’d gotten stopped at the hospital door, having been barred from visiting her, that I’d finally given in and apologized to Sabrina. It was only then that she and I started talking again.
However, after that incident, I’d stopped being passionate or enthusiastic with her.
I’d become quiet and obedient, like a loyal little lapdog. In fact, Sabrina had been pretty smug about the recent change in my attitude.
She’d thought that she’d finally conquered me, the haughty and prideful heir to the Jenkins family. Little had she known that my feelings for her had started slowly fading since then—and now, they were completely gone.
Sabrina wanted to run out after me, but Joshua suddenly exclaimed in fright.
She turned to him and saw that Andy had fainted in his arms.
Joshua asked, “Rina, what’s wrong with Andy?”
Even Tiana was worried. She grabbed Sabrina’s sleeve and shouted, “Mommy, quick! Take Andy to the hospital!”
She couldn’t care less about her own dad walking away.
Sabrina just said in a hurry, “I’ll go and get the car. Don’t worry, Joshua. I’m still here for you.”
Only after she left the mansion did she finally notice that it had started snowing.
Thanks to the sudden snowstorm, I couldn’t flag down a cab. Since the mansion was located in the outskirts, I could only trudge forward in the snowy weather on my own.
Sabrina’s car stopped in front of me. Rolling down her window, she frowned at me. “Get in.”
I ignored her.
She got mad and asked, “Ashton Jenkins! How long are you going to sulk like this?”
Just then, I heard my own mom’s voice coming from her phone.
“Ashton! If you keep going on like this, I’m going to pretend that you were never my son!”
I grinned lightly, not caring in the least. “I’m no longer your son anyway, Mrs. Jenkins.”
Chapter 4
Sabrina left in a rage, Mom’s loud shouts disappearing with her.
As the car drove right past me, I caught sight of Joshua’s smug face.
He thought that he’d won. After all, everyone had turned against me, and I was now as pitiful and weak as a bug. Yet, I didn’t care.
I didn’t care for my parents, Sabrina, or Tiana. I didn’t want any of them anymore.
Since Joshua wanted them so much, I would just give them all to him.
That was what I thought.
However, probably because I was in such a bad situation, I just couldn’t stop myself from thinking about the terrible things that had happened to me in the past. Those tiresome memories that I’d tried so hard to get rid of just kept flooding my mind.
I angrily kicked the snow away from my feet as I marched forward, trying my best not to cry despite my tingling nose.
I kept on walking in the thick snow until both my legs were frozen numb and I was finally able to stop thinking about my terrible past.
At last, I found shelter from the snow and even managed to hail a cab on the way. However, just as the cab slowed to a stop, the wheels suddenly lost their grip on the road and skidded toward me, knocking me off the path.
The cab didn’t hit me too hard, but I was knocked flat on my face in the snow. I’d been walking so long in the freezing snow that a bout of hypothermia hit me, and I ended up blacking out on the ground.
…
When I gained consciousness again, my entire body ached as if I’d just been run over by a truck.
My head felt heavy, and my eyelids were like lead. I felt my body burning all over, and my throat also felt like it’d been sliced open.
I fought to open my eyes. Then, I caught sight of a beautiful young woman sitting next to the bed with bright, lively eyes.
My voice was hoarse as I asked, “Where am I?”
The young woman was overjoyed when she heard me speak. “You woke up! That’s such wonderful news! This is the hospital, by the way. You’ve been having a high fever, and you’ve been out cold for two days.”
She leaned so close to me that I could feel her breath against my face. It was hot and a little ticklish.
It had been a long time ever since I’d been in such close proximity with someone of the opposite gender, and I couldn’t help scrunching up my face.
She immediately straightened up, her ears turning slightly red, as she began filling me in on the details of what had happened.
She introduced herself as Bianca Kidston. She was looking to make some quick money to help pay for her dad’s treatment by working as a cab driver when she wasn’t at work in the office.
She swore that she’d been driving very carefully and hadn’t thought that her car would still end up skidding and losing control.
Luckily, I hadn’t suffered any serious injuries and had escaped with just a sprained wrist.
Other than that, the doctor said that I was severely anemic and had dangerously low blood sugar. Also, since my high fever wouldn’t go away, the doctor had started to worry that I might’ve caught pneumonia, so Bianca had decided to stay and take care of me.
I looked at Bianca. Her long hair cascaded down her shoulders in huge curls. She had just a touch of makeup on her face, and her huge, dewy eyes were pure and innocent, as if she hadn’t been polluted by the evils of the world just yet.
I glanced at her coat. I couldn’t tell which brand it was from, but the expensive-looking fabric and neat stitching told me that she couldn’t lie to save her life.
But I didn’t expose her bluff. On the contrary, I was grateful for her companionship at this time.
I said, “Thank you. But you know, you don’t really have to stay with me here like this. You could’ve just told the insurance company to send their agent over.”
Bianca was honest with me. “I thought of that at first, but the police and nurses couldn’t get a hold of your family members, so I had no choice but to come along with them.”
So, that was the case.
I’d bet that everyone else must still have been worried sick over Joshua and Andy, with no time to spare for me.
Just then, my phone suddenly rang loudly.
Bianca showed me the screen, which showed that “Wifey” was calling me.
Bianca was quite shocked. After all, it turned out that I had a wife—and to think that I’d never even bothered calling her after having been hospitalized for two days. That had to be completely unheard of.
I wanted to tell Bianca to reject the call, but she’d already answered it on my behalf before I could stop her. She even turned on the loudspeaker for me for convenience’s sake.
Sabrina’s voice then came from the phone. “Ashton Jenkins! Where the fuck have you been these past two days?”
I rolled my eyes, not wanting to waste my breath on a dumb woman like her.
Sabrina’s voice turned cold. “I don’t care where you are right now—you’d better come over and apologize to Joshua and Andy this instant!
“Don’t you know that the doctors said Andy faints easily when he gets triggered because of all the trauma he went through last time? You ruined Joshua and traumatized his son! Don’t you feel ashamed of yourself?”
I frowned in disgust. But before I could say a word, Sabrina continued, “Mom and Dad are also here. They said that they’ll forgive you if you get down on your knees and ask for Joshua’s forgiveness.
“Hasn’t it always been your wish to reconcile with your parents? This is a golden opportunity for you. You’re going to regret it if you don’t come over right now.”
I chuckled coldly. Just as I was about to speak, Bianca beat me to it.
“He can’t make it because he’s dead. His body is at the morgue right now. Why don’t you try looking for him there? You might not even see his ashes if you wait any longer.”
Download the GoodNovel app, Search 【 302916 】reads the whole book.
