13
You only understand pain when it happens to you.
Ashton had always believed this.
If Cole’s and my reputations were ruined, I would come back to him.
But Ashton couldn’t distinguish whether this impending revenge was because of my departure…
Or because for so many years, whenever anyone in the industry saw him, they would mention Cole.
The long–suppressed desire to destroy was stronger than ever.
He had someone re–edit the entire divorce reality show, creating a complete, unabridged version of the live broadcast.
The release date.
The release date.
He specifically chose the day Cole was to receive an award.
Ashton’s social media post was a single sentence.
[She was the one who cheated. We are divorced.]
Public opinion exploded.
Ashton and his manager thought that with this preemptive strike, they had already won.
“Chloe is a nobody. Cole has no resources. Their team can’t keep up.”
A night passed.
Ashton’s hands trembled with excitement. Before he could even open social media to celebrate, there was a knock on his door.
He was arrested.
His manager was arrested too.
The day of the divorce agreement.
He thought I was overcome with grief.
That I looked at his phone only to confirm my place in his heart.
He didn’t know I was gathering evidence.
The day Vera approached me on the plane.
When the plane landed, the first person I called was my best friend.
“I’ve always suspected Ashton of tax evasion.”
My friend taught me how to gather evidence, how to report it.
Later, she gave me another piece of advice.
“Gathering evidence is a long process. You’d better play the part well. Didn’t he want you to participate in that ridiculous show? Go and play along with him. Lower his guard.”
I went.
My intention was revenge!
Meeting Cole was unexpected.
The complete, unabridged version of the show that Ashton had released was analyzed frame by frame by content creators online. Through the clever minds of netizens and the smear campaigns of various marketing accounts, it was discovered that Ashton and Vera were the ones who had cheated.
The dates, times, and locations all matched up.
And my reunion with Cole.
It happened after we were both divorced.
ས 1 ག ག ས 1:1😐:|:ཀྱང :|བ ་ ད ོ་
A pure, low–probability accident.
The day my plane landed abroad, I used the work pass Cole’s assistant had given me to sneak backstage.
The celebration party had already begun.
A French director, in high spirits, asked Cole, “Dare to make a bet?”
The music was deafening. He covered his ears and asked, ‘Bet on what?”
The director said something to him in French
“thel,” he said.
Chapter 2
The unecio saiu suring TBA A French.
“I bet,” he said.
He lost the bet and had to accept the punishment.
His friends surrounded him, flicking his forehead.
The party was bathed in a purple light, with gold confetti falling from the ceiling.
Cole walked towards me, against the light.
His eyes were misty with a faint layer of tears.
His friend complained about him.
2019
“No, dude,” he said, exasperated. “You got kicked by a horse during filming and ended up in the hospital without making a sound. Now you get a flick on the forehead and your eyes are red? Are you acting?”
Cole turned his head. “None of your business.”
Someone raised an eyebrow, pointed at me standing by the door, and said to the friend, “The person who will feel sorry for him is here. Of course, he has to act up.”
Cole pushed them away.
Across the crowd, our eyes met. He walked towards me, step by step.
“What did you bet on? How did you lose?”
“They said, bet on whether I would see the person I love tomorrow.”
“I said no. I lost.”
He reached me and pulled me into his arms.
“I had to see her today.”
