Chapter 5 This Is Your Last Chance

Jane let the call run almost to its final ring before Ashley finally answered.

Still half-asleep, Ashley asked, "Why are you calling me at this hour?"

Keeping her gaze on Kevan, Jane quickly asked, "Mrs. Ford, do you happen to know where Mr. Ford's light blue shirt ended up?"

The question pulled Ashley fully awake, and annoyance settled in as she assumed Kevan was doing this just to rile her up before sunrise. She replied, "We're getting divorced. I'm not dealing with his things anymore."

Kevan lifted his brows at her biting tone and remarked, "Ashley, I haven't agreed to any divorce. If you're unwilling to say it over the phone, then come back here and look for it yourself."

Ashley fought the urge to snap at him and said, "Third row. Left side. Section A."

Only after blurting it out did she remember buying that shirt for their second anniversary. He hated the gift so much that he never wore it.

Yet now, when everything between them was breaking apart, he suddenly cared enough to look for it.

Kevan spoke as calmly as ever. "And which tie am I supposed to wear with it?"

Ashley felt her irritation spike and retorted, "Last I checked, you hired someone to handle your wardrobe at home. Calling me at this hour makes me wonder if you're having trouble sleeping without my help."

Kevan let out a low chuckle and responded, "Don't flatter yourself. You were the one obsessed with picking out everything for me, even my underwear. Wasn't that the one thing you were ever committed to?"

Ashley pressed her phone so hard it nearly slipped from her grasp, her chest tightening with every word.

Though she had always known Kevan never really cared, hearing it out loud still cut deep.

How could he treat everything she did as worthless, brushing her aside without a second thought?

"Kevan, I don't want anything to do with your life anymore. Please stop calling me. I'll come by the office at ten tomorrow. After that, let's just disappear from each other's lives."

Kevan's patience snapped at her constant talk of separation. "I'm tired of this back and forth. What's it this time? Do you want money, luxury bags, or is your father having trouble again?"

Ashley stiffened and muttered, "All I want is a divorce."

There was a time when she had chased after Kevan's love, but that longing had faded. Someone else could take his place.

Kevan's hand clenched the phone, tendons showing white beneath his skin. "Ashley, this is your last chance. Come back home before ten tomorrow, and I'll pretend you never asked for a divorce."

Determined to put an end to everything, Ashley set alarm after alarm for the morning, ready to walk away for good. Life, though, had other plans. A car from the opposite lane veered straight into her path and crashed into the front of her car. In the split second before everything went black, only one thing mattered.

If she didn't leave Kevan for good, even dying wouldn't give her peace.

Ashley's next memory was waking up in a hospital bed, her head pounding and pain radiating through every inch of her body.

Blood stained the bandages wrapped around her shoulder, and the sharp tang of iron filled the room.

While adjusting the IV line, a nurse kept her from sitting up. "You suffered a concussion in the crash. The scans don't show anything serious, but you'll need to be monitored for a while. Please let your family know to come and help with the paperwork and expenses."

Often, the worst effects of a car accident took hours to show up.

A sudden realization crossed Ashley's face, and she asked urgently, "Can you tell me what time it is?"

"It's five in the afternoon. Is something wrong?"

Ignoring the pain that shot through her body, Ashley reached for her phone and quickly tried to call Kevan. He didn't pick up. She tried once more, but still got no response. After the second failed attempt, frustration bubbled up inside her.

After steadying herself, she turned to the nurse. "Would you mind letting me borrow your phone for a moment?"

She suspected Kevan was screening her calls on purpose-he had done it before.

The nurse agreed and handed her the phone.

Ashley punched in Kevan's number, and this time he picked up right away. "Who's calling?"

So it was true-he had been ignoring her all along. It stung that a stranger could get through, but she, his wife, could not.

She steadied her nerves and answered, "It's me."