[BL] Dear Hushand, I want divorce-Chapter 33: Strange woman’s scent on him

Ash’s pov ;

"Hey, Ash! Wait up!" Ryder called after me as I wandered off. I was bored. We’ve been in this shopping mall for hours and nothing was interesting to do.

And Ryder has yet to pick a suit. It’s ridiculous. How can anyone spend so much time choosing an outfit?

When he finally caught up to me, he shot me a disapproving look. "You know, you’re the reason why we’re not done yet. If you just waited like I told you to, we could’ve been home by now."

I rolled my eyes, ignoring his complaint. "Ryder...I’m booored."

He groaned. "But, we’re almost done. And Elijah’s gonna be here any minute now. Just wait a little longer, please."

Honestly, I don’t know how to face Elijah after last night so I was a little hesitant to meet him.

Even though he looked worried for me, he still left without a word in the morning going back to his usual cold self.

What a mean person. How could he be so caring one moment and so distant the next? I thought he’d go back to his moody self, and he didn’t disappoint.

But last night...last night was different. He looked so worried, almost tender. I couldn’t get his face out of my head.

Was that the real Elijah? Or was it just a fleeting moment of decency? His fluctuating behavior was driving me crazy. One minute he’s saving me, holding me like I’m the most precious thing in the world, and the next, he’s gone without a trace. It’s like he’s two different people.

My buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw Noah’s name flashing on the screen. My heart skipped a beat, knowing he must have seen the news.

"Noah?" I answered, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Ash! Are you okay?" his voice was frantic, almost yelling through the phone. "I saw the news. What happened? Are you hurt?"

"Noah, calm down. I’m fine," I said, trying to reassure him, though the concern in his voice was overwhelming.

"Fine? Ash, you’re on the news of being seen at a motel! How is that fine?"

"It was just...actually, I was kind of attacked. But now I’m fine," I quickly added, not wanting to delve into the details.

"I want to see you," Noah demanded. "Where are you? I’m coming over."

I hesitated, glancing at Ryder walking beside me. "I’m not sure if that’s a good idea right now. I need to check with...someone."

"Check with someone? Ash, what’s going on? Who are you with?" his voice softened slightly but was still filled with concern.

"Just...give me some time and I’ll call you back."

Noah sighed heavily. "Alright, but you better call me back. I’m not letting this go."

"I will. I promise," I assured him before hanging up.

Ryder, who had been watching me with a curious expression, raised an eyebrow. "That your friend?"

"Yeah, that was Noah," I replied, slipping my phone back into my pocket.

His expression turned oddly serious which was rare to see. "Noah, huh? So, what’s he like?"

I frowned, puzzled by his sudden interest. "Why do you want to know?"

He shrugged, looking away as if the question didn’t matter. "Just curious. Never heard you talk about him before."

"Yeah, well, there’s not much to say," I said, my tone guarded. "He’s my best friend just like you and Elijah."

"Oh," He didn’t press further. I couldn’t quite place why he was interested, but I didn’t have the energy to delve into it. My thoughts were already too tangled with everything that had happened.

As we continued walking, I wondered if Elijah would be okay with Noah visiting. He hates Noah’s guts for some unknown reasons, but I also can’t stop Noah if he’s determined to meet me.

I was pulled out of my thoughts as a hand suddenly grabbed my shoulder. "Why are you both wasting your time here?"

My heart began to race, the familiar deep voice sending shivers down my spine. I turned to find Elijah with a calm and stern face. And I couldn’t stop the blush that crept up my cheeks.

"Are you feeling better now?" I blinked in surprise. Was this really Elijah? The same man who usually treated me with such coldness? He was even smiling at me, a gentle curve of his lips that felt almost out of place.

For a moment, it felt like I was in a dream. Or maybe a nightmare where things were too good to be true.

"I-I’m fine," I stammered, trying to process this new version of Elijah.

He nodded, his eyes scanning the stores around us. "Did you find anything you like? If you do, I’ll buy it for you."

Stunned, I could only stare at him. Why was he being so nice? My mind raced with suspicion. Was this some kind of trick? Was he playing with my emotions just to pull the rug out from under me later?

Before I could voice any of my doubts, Ryder piped up, a mischievous grin on his face. "Wow, playing the sugar daddy now, are we?"

Elijah shot Ryder a warning look, but his smile didn’t fade. "Shut up, Ryder."

Ryder just laughed, clearly enjoying the banter. However, I suddenly froze when I moved a bit closer to Elijah, something drifted to my nostrils.

A scent. A faint, but unmistakable trace of a woman’s perfume clung to his clothes. My heart froze. Had he been with someone before coming here?

I couldn’t help but want to blurt out. ’Elijah, why do you smell like a woman’s perfume?’

However, I restrain myself because what rights do I have? My mouth felt dry and bitter, and my legs suddenly weak beneath me.

I stopped walking when I couldn’t take it anymore.

"What’s the matter?" Elijah’s worried voice suddenly pierced my ears.

He stepped closer, but the scent of that woman’s perfume hit me again, and all the illusions I had been entertaining myself with shattered within a second.

How foolish could I be to think Elijah would worry about me? He was probably just helping me out of guilt for leaving me on the street. The scent made it clear he had come from a meeting with a woman. So...that’s why he left early in the morning?

"I...I want to leave," I let out weakly, turning away from him.

"Ash, wait—" Elijah tried to stop me, but I slapped his hand away, glaring at him with all the hurt and betrayal I felt.

"Stay away from me," I warned, my voice trembling with the effort to hold back my emotions.

As I walked away, my heart felt like it was tearing itself apart. I felt inferior and betrayed, but deep down, I learned the truth.

Elijah might have never loved me, but I had always loved him. Even after everything he did—stealing my company, ruining my career, forcing me to marry him again—I still couldn’t bring myself to hate him completely. A part of me stubbornly clung to that love, refusing to let go.

But how could I forget that the reason I divorced Elijah was because of his cheating? Old habits die hard, and the scent of that perfume brought it all back. Was he with Samantha? Or someone else.

"I’ll take you to the company since it’s on the way. Home is too far." He suggested, following after me. I was about to refuse, but his tone changed, becoming more insistent. "Get in the car," he ordered, clearly annoyed.

Great, just what I needed—Him in one of his moods. I cursed him silently as I begrudgingly got into the car. Who does he think he is? Always with that commanding presence, thinking he can just bulldoze over anyone’s objections. It’s infuriating.

The ride to the office was tense. My thoughts raced, bouncing between last night’s chaos and Elijah’s bizarre behaviour. When we finally arrived, there were still a few hours left in the workday. He didn’t waste any time, barking orders at Daniel to bring stress-relieving drinks and snacks. I rolled my eyes. As if snacks and a drink could magically fix everything.

He led me to his office, and I crossed my arms and glared at the floor. He probably thought he was being helpful, but it just felt like another way for him to control the situation.

As soon as we entered his office, the smell of that woman’s perfume was reeking from every corner, making me both angry and disgusted.

"Fucking hell!" I wanted to leave without creating a scene, but Elijah called me annoying.

"Why aren’t you telling me the problem?" he demanded, his voice sharp with irritation.

I was furious and surprised. "Who was the woman in your office before you left?" I yelled, unable to keep my emotions in check.

He looked genuinely confused. "It was the daughter of our director. But what does that have to do with anything?"

I laughed bitterly. "Right."

He sighed, his patience clearly wearing thin. "You’re tired and talking nonsense," he said, turning to leave the room. "I’ll go get some drinks."

As soon as he was gone, I sighed heavily and began wandering around his office, desperate to find some proof. This time, I would prove that he’s cheating. My eyes scanned the room, searching for anything that might give me the evidence I needed. Then, something on his desk caught my eye.

It was a report with my name written on it.

My heart pounded as I opened it with a deep breath. My hands trembled as I read the contents, and the file slipped from my grasp when I saw what it contained. It was about my disease.

Just then, Elijah entered the room with drinks and saw the file on the floor. His expression shifted from confusion to fright.

My eyes looked up at him through my trembling eyelashes.

"Why...do you have this file?" I whispered in a hushed voice. "Are you secretly investigating my past?"