Chapter 1 " I'm going to kill myself ! My husband doesn't love me at all anymore ! " The moment Ashley Whitmore stepped into the counseling center , she heard a syrupy voice wailing through the hall . Following the sound , she saw a girl in a pink princess dress standing by the window , brandishing a glittery craft knife against her wrist like she was on stage . A colleague shoved Ashley forward , hands clasped together in pleading . " Ashley , thank God you're here . This is Lila Bennett , wife of Ethan Campbell - the heir of Arlington Heights . She insisted on seeing a therapist who's happily married . Please help us . " " Who ? " Ashley was startled . Her husband's name was also Ethan Campbell , but he was just a long - haul truck driver . It had to be a coincidence . Suppressing the unease bubbling in her chest , Ashley took the file from her colleague and skimmed through the intake form . The name Ethan Campbell hit her like a punch to the chest . A wave of dread instantly swept over her . " Miss Bennett , come with me . " Ashley forced a professional smile . The moment Lila saw her , she dropped the knife and rushed over , clinging to Ashley's arm with tear - filled eyes . " Dr. Whitmore , you have to help me . My husband doesn't love me anymore . I can't lose him ! " There was nothing fake about Lila's affectionate manner - it was pure instinct . Every gesture screamed of someone spoiled from birth . As soon as they stepped into the consultation room , Lila opened her phone and pulled up her gallery . " Look ! This is my husband . Isn't he handsome ? " she said proudly . " We grew up together . He was my little shadow , calling me his wife since he was four . He used to love me so much ! I said I wanted stars , and he bought naming rights for ten stars just for me . " " I said I wanted the moon , and he sponsored a lunar project to bring back soil for my miniature landscape collection . " " No matter how busy he was , he never ignored me . Whenever I needed him , he'd drop everything and show up ! But two years ago , he disappeared for three months . After he came back , everything changed . He was always ' too busy ' for me . Traveling for work . Sometimes gone for days . I knew he was here on a Chapter 1 5.00 % business trip , so I came to find him . But just half an hour ago , he took two seconds to answer my call ! " Lila kept rambling , but Ashley couldn't hear a thing anymore . Her ears were ringing . Her eyes locked on the man in the photo , her vision blurring with tears . This wasn't just a coincidence . The Ethan Campbell Lila was talking about was her husband - the man she had been married to for almost two years . Two years ago , on a rainy night , Ashley had found Ethan lying unconscious on the street after a car accident . When he woke up , he couldn't remember anything except his name . Out of pity , she took him home . His world quickly became centered around her - clingy to the point of obsession . Three months of living under the same roof , and their bond deepened . Ashley fell head over heels in love . He adored her in return , treating her like something fragile and precious . He'd scald his hands making her favorite corn and short rib stew . He'd deliver food all night to save up for her birthday gift . He even took nine stab wounds protecting her from a violent patient . That was the night Ashley said yes to his proposal . There was no wedding - just a pair of Sterling Silver Wedding Bands and a marriage certificate she now doubted was even real . The first month of their marriage , they were inseparable . He would whisper against her ear , breath hot and desperate : " I'll never get enough of you . I want to die wrapped around you … " But then he simply vanished for a whole day . When he came back , he was a different man . Distant . Polite . Even in bed , he held back , as if suppressing something . Later , he claimed to have found work as a truck driver , one that kept him away twenty days a month . But the truth ? Ethan had recovered his memory . And the days he wasn't by her side - he had returned to his rightful life Chapter 1 5.00 % as the heir to a powerful family , tending to the woman he truly loved . " Ashley ? Are you listening ? Do you think he doesn't love me anymore ? Would he come back if I really killed myself ? " Lila pouted , tears streaming again . She turned to Ashley . " Wait - Dr . Whitmore , are you crying ? Do you feel sorry for me too ? You're such a kind therapist , so empathetic ! " Ashley quickly reached up to touch her face . She hadn't even realized she was crying . Just as she opened her mouth to speak , the office door burst open . Ethan pushed past the nurse and stormed in . The moment his eyes met Ashley's , he froze . Only for a few seconds . Then , he quickly composed himself and threw her a warning glare before walking over to Lila and pulling her into his arms . " Hmph ! Why are you even here ? " Lila struggled , beating her fists against his chest . " You don't love me anymore ! Why are you pretending ? " " You're killing me , baby . I swear - you're my whole world , " he murmured in that deep , low voice Ashley hadn't heard in so long . Her hands clenched into fists . Her chest felt stuffed with cotton - suffocating and aching all at once . That voice , those words … she hadn't heard them since early in their marriage . Back when they argued over whether to splurge on a roasted sweet potato , and he hugged her , whispering in her ear : " Ash , I'm sorry I dragged you into this life . But I swear , once I have money , I'll buy an island just to grow all your favorite food … " They never bought the sweet potato , but she had been utterly moved . Her vision stung . She looked away . Chapter 1 5.00 % " My sweet Lila , if I ever stop loving you , may lightning strike me on the spot … " Ethan held up three fingers solemnly . Lila quickly covered his mouth , not letting him continue . He took her hand and kissed the back of it gently , like no one else was in the room . She finally calmed down and let him scoop her up and carry her out . Ashley stood frozen . Her heart felt like it had been dragged across broken glass - raw , exposed , and bleeding . She didn't know how much time passed before she finally blinked away the last of her tears and picked up her phone . She dialed her mother overseas . " Mom … I've decided . I'm moving . " " For real ? You've finally forgiven me ? Bring your husband too , okay ? Your uncle and I can support you both . " " He's not coming . " Ashley smiled bitterly . " What would someone like him ever want with people like us ? " She hung up . Packed her things . And when she walked out of the counseling center , she saw Ethan standing by the entrance . " Can we talk ? " Chapter 1