Chapter 2
Micah shot me a glare and said coldly, “Riley, I didn’t know you were this petty. If you can’t accept Lana, then we’re done!” I said, “Okay.” My calm response caught him off guard. Lana quickly leaned down and nudged the boy toward me. “Go on, sweetheart. Say hi to this lady and tell her not to be upset.” “No!” the boy shouted. “She’s a bad woman! A homewrecker!” Then, out of nowhere, he shoved me hard. “You steal my daddy!” People started staring. Some even looked disgusted. I heard someone mutter, “Wow, side chicks are really bold these days—coming to the courthouse to steal someone’s husband.” I looked at the boy and said gently, “Don’t worry. Your dad and I broke up. He’s all yours now. I wish your parents a lifetime of happiness.” Micah nodded in approval. “That’s more like it. Keep being sensible like this.” Then he walked off with Lana and the boy, like the perfect little family. As I watched his back, I thought, ‘That wasn’t me being ‘sensible.’ I meant every word.’ I found a nearby café and sat down to wait for Asher. While I was sipping my coffee, a news alert popped up on my phone. “Breaking News: Lane Group’s representation walks out mid-signing at international contract ceremony.” My heart skipped a beat. Lane Group’s representation? Could it be Asher? I clicked the link and sure enough—a video popped up. It showed a tall, handsome man walking away mid-meeting, phone to his ear. It was indeed Asher. I could even faintly hear him say, “Whoever bails is a chicken.” Then came a clip of a reporter interviewing the other party involved in the signing. “Mr. Lane left midway. Do you take that as a sign of disrespect?” The man being interviewed, an older white gentleman, just shrugged and smiled. “All I can say is—love comes first. I don’t feel disrespected at all. Actually, I admire Mr. Lane’s for it. It aligns perfectly with our values. We’ll wait for him to come back. This won’t affect our partnership in any way.” I put my phone down, feeling overwhelmed. Asher Lane had chased me for ten years—always putting me first, always loving me with everything he had. But I was so caught up in Micah, I never gave him a real chance. Now that I was done with Micah, I could finally see things clearly. When I compared the two, it hit me—Asher’s love was real. Micah’s was nothing but empty promises. I opened my inbox and started reading through Asher’s old emails. Every message was filled with warmth and sincerity. Back then I thought he was being clingy… now I realized they were love letters. Letter after letter, full of love I never noticed. My heart ached a little. How did he manage to keep loving me all those years? I read them all and before I knew it, the sun was starting to set. Then suddenly—a bouquet of flowers appeared in front of me. I looked up and saw Asher, standing there with the biggest grin. “Sorry I kept you waiting, wifey,” he said. That word caught me off guard. It felt strange but… not weird. Asher noticed my silence and looked a little nervous. “Don’t tell me you’ve changed your mind?” I smiled at him. “Relax. I’m not a chicken.” We walked back into the courthouse, side by side and got our license. I knew there were still people waiting for him across the ocean, so I encouraged him to head back soon.