Chapter 1

“Ashley, are you really sure about resigning? You’ve been at the company for two years and ever since then, President Mason has become much more human than his former cold self.”

Manager Walker furrowed his brows as he accepted the resignation letter Ashley handed over, puzzled by her decision.

Ashley had worked as Mason’s secretary for two years, but no one knew her real identity. She was Mrs. Bennett.

A week earlier, she had attended a banquet alone and was drugged. She called Mason again and again, but no one answered. Just as her consciousness began to blur, a few janitors passed by and saved her.

That same night, Mason and her sister were caught on a dashcam, tangled together in the backseat of a car.

The moment Ashley saw the footage, it all became clear. Her love was gone. So was the marriage. She decided to leave.

Ashley nodded, her tone firm. “I’ve made up my mind. President Mason will probably be quite pleased to know.”

From the day she married Mason, she had known he didn’t love her. But she had liked him since they were kids. Two years ago, when her father asked if she would marry Mason in her sister’s place, she had agreed without hesitation.

Now, with their second wedding anniversary approaching, she opened the safe, took out the signed divorce agreement and filled in the date, the final gift she prepared for Mason.

To fulfill his love with Georgina.

——

After work, Ashley Patel walked out of the company and saw Mason Bennett’s flashy sports car parked outside. She got in without hesitation.

Inside, the car was filled with pink decorations, sweet scents and baskets of snacks, completely out of sync with Mason’s usual cold and minimalist style.

In the past, Mason’s car was always spotless, scented with a cool, woody fragrance. After they got married, she wasn’t allowed to eat snacks or keep plushies inside. His thin lips would utter just one word: “Dirty.”

Later, Georgina Patel liked snacks, pink and sweet perfumes, so he had the car completely redone to suit her taste.

Mason held the steering wheel with one hand and asked casually, “Why did it take you so long to come out?”

Ashley turned to look at him, the sharp jawline, the handsome features. It was that face that had once captivated her.

She looked away and replied calmly, “Had some things to deal with.”

Mason didn’t seem to notice her indifference. He casually grabbed a bag of cookies from the snack basket and handed it to her.

“Your favorite cookies. I stocked up on them.”

Ashley stared at the cookies but didn’t take them. The corners of her mouth curled into a faint, cold smile.

The one who liked cookies was Georgina. She had always had a narrow esophagus since childhood and choked easily on them.

Two years and Mason still didn’t remember.

He had never truly cared, not enough to recall even the smallest detail.

His slender fingers twitched as he held the cookie bag and his tone turned slightly impatient.

“Why aren’t you taking them?”

Ashley took the bag and placed it back in the basket. Then, she pulled the divorce papers from her purse and prepared to hand them over.

“I’m not hungry. Take a look at this first.”

Just then, his phone rang. The car’s Bluetooth lit up with the caller ID: Georgina.

Mason looked flustered. He quickly pulled over, disconnected the Bluetooth and stepped out to take the call.

The sudden turn threw Ashley to the side. Her head hit the window and a sharp crystal ornament cut her forehead, drawing blood.

Mason didn’t notice. He stayed on the call for over ten minutes, then returned looking anxious.

“There’s an emergency at the company. You take a taxi back.”

Ashley ignored the bleeding and calmly held out the papers again.

“Please look at this first.”

Mason frowned and brushed her hand aside without glancing at them.

“I’m in a hurry. I’ll read it when I get back.”

Ashley looked at him for a moment, then spoke in a quiet, disappointed voice.

“Alright, I’m leaving.”

Watching the taillights fade into the distance, Ashley’s eyes were filled with cold mockery.

If Mason had cared even a little, he would have realized she was handing him a divorce agreement.

Warm blood trickled slowly from the cut on her forehead. The wound still hadn’t stopped bleeding.

Mason had always loved Georgina, her sister. The real daughter of the Patel Family.

Ashley, on the other hand, was just the stand-in. The so-called “fake heiress.”

Twenty-three years ago, Georgina had been mistakenly switched at birth. Ashley grew up as the Patel Family’s daughter until, three years ago, the truth finally came to light.

The family brought Georgina back but didn’t cast Ashley out.

After Divorce, His Forgotten Wife Became His Uncle’s Bride