I looked at the black ashes, knowing that I
had lost the last piece of my mother.
“You’ll be punished for this. You’ll be
punished…”
My voice was hoarse, my tears were gone. I
just repeated the same words over and over.
But no one paid attention.
Jason walked over to me, lifted my chin, and
said coldly, “I hope you remember this
lesson.”
With that, he took Lily, who was beaming with
pride, and walked away.
The house was silent. I collected the ashes
The house was silent. I collected the ashes
from the fireplace, and walked out of Jason’s
house.
The location for my fake death was the old
house where Mom and I used to live, in a rural
seaside village.
Looking at the distant light, I slowly became
numb.
From now on, Ashley no longer existed.
Chapter 5
According to plan, my plastic surgery was
scheduled three days after I faked my death.
“Ms. Ashley, are you sure you don’t want to
completely change your appearance?”
r
I insisted the doctor only make subtle
adjustments.
Enough so people who knew me would
recognize me, but on closer inspection, would
see major differences.
Before the surgery, I saw the news report that
I had supposedly died in a house fire.
Attached to the news was a video of Jason
frantically searching through the charred
remains.
“No! She can’t be dead!”
“Ashley, you’re not done paying me back. I
won’t let you die!”
Hearing his words, I frowned.
I owed him? What did I owe him?
Our relationship, our marriage, it was all a
deception centered on Lily from beginning to
end.
The lives of my mother and child were merely
sacrifices to Jason’s love for Lily.
He’s the one who owes me!
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed you so far.
I was wrong, Ashley, Ashley!”
As Jason cried out in grief, I walked into the
operating room expressionless.
The surgery went smoothly.
The doctor even fixed and removed my moles
and scars.
Six months later, I looked at the face in the
mirror that was seventy percent similar to my old face, yet seemed reborn, and smiled with
satisfaction.
Back in normal life, I sorted through the information I had gathered.
Even though the police hadn’t found my body,
everyone assumed I was dead.
Jason refused to accept it, searching for me
like a madman.
As for Lily, she was overjoyed to hear about
my death.
Г
She thought that without me as his legal wife,
Jason would rekindle their romance.
But after several obvious hints, she got no
response.
Driven to desperation, Lily announced at a
party that they were about to get married.
Jason shot her down right there.
“Ashley’s body hasn’t been found. She might
still be alive! Even if she’s missing, she’s still
my wife! Lily, don’t spread rumors!”
I rewatched the leaked video several times,
and couldn’t understand why.
But whatever the reason, the situation worked
in my favor
Г
So, using my new identity, I joined the salon
that Lily frequented.
“Ms. Lily, today’s session is over. You can get
up now.”
I helped Lily up.
“You have good hands.”
She raised her eyes to look at me.
In just one glance, Lily’s face changed.
“Ah!”
She fell to the ground, staring at me as if she
had seen a ghost.
r
I reached out to help her, but she scrambled
out of the room.
I chuckled to myself and followed her slowly.
Lily was scared out of her mind and twisted
her ankle as she ran out of the door.
I rushed up, pretending not to know what was
happening.
“Ms. Lily, what’s wrong!”
Just as I was about to get closer, someone
grabbed my wrist.
Then, a familiar trembling voice sounded
behind me.
“Ashley. is that vou?”
Jason’s eyes were full of regained hope.
“Ashley, you really came back!”
He pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly.
I acted startled and broke free.
“Sir, you’re mistaken!”
I took out my business card from my pocket
and handed it to him.
“My name is Ashley Dream, I’m the lead
cosmetician here.”
Jason looked at the business card, then back
at my face.
“No, you look exactly the same as before…”
He grabbed my shoulders, but stopped short
after examining my face.
Chapter 6
“No, not the same, how could she look so
much like…”
Lily crawled up from the ground, snatched the
business card, and tore it to pieces.
“That bitch Ashley’s dead. She can’t be back!
Why are you still thinking about her? Haven’t
you always loved me!”
She pounded on Jason’s chest like a crazy
woman.
r
But Jason just stared at me blankly, and
didn’t regain his composure until a long time passed.
He dragged the enraged Lily away, but I quickly stopped them.
“Ms. Lily twisted her ankle, so it may be hard
for her to come in for beauty treatments, but I
can provide in–home beauty services for VIP
customers, if you’re interested?”
Although I was speaking to Lily, I was looking
at Jason.
He hesitated for a moment, then nodded in
agreement.
Three days later, I knocked on the familiar
The butler opened the door and paused when
he saw me.
Before I could greet him, a quarrel broke out
inside the house.
“Jason, I don’t like that Ashley Dream! I hate
her face. Why did you let her come to our
house!”
“This is my house. Even if you live here,
you’re not the lady of the house! Lily, don’t
annoy me, okay?”
“Annoy you? You were annoyed by Ashley
when she was alive, now you’re annoyed by
me when she’s dead! Jason, what the hell are
you saying!”
Jason looked tired and didn’t want to argue,
but just as he stood up, he saw me.
“It looks like your wife is in a bad mood.
Maybe I should come back another day.”
I looked embarrassed.
“No need to come back another day.‘
“Also, she’s not my wife. My wife was a
gentle woman. Her name was Ashley.”
Hearing Jason say that, I felt incredibly ironic.
When I loved him with all my heart, he was
deeply in love with Lily.
Now that I had faked my death to make them.
happy, he was denying me and pining for me.
く
How ridiculous.
“You bitch, I think you’re deliberately trying to
make fun of me!”
Lily rushed over, yelling, and slapped me.
I took the blow.
My eyes filled with tears, and I looked at her
with a wronged expression.
“Ms. Lily, I didn’t…”
“You think you can mess with me because
you look like that dead woman! I’ll beat you to
death!”
She raised her hand again, but Jason, looking
angry, pushed her away.
