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Chapter 10
Kaugnay na kabanata
Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 11
The funeral home?Colin hung up the phone without a second thought the moment he heard those words. Scam calls had become so audacious—now they were even pretending to be from a funeral home? How unbelievable!Sophie was perfectly fine. Why would he need a funeral home? The phone rang again moments later."Mr. Fuller, we're from the funeral home. We need you to come down immediately to handle the child's death certificate and post-cremation paperwork."The caller wasted no words and hung up just as Colin was about to explode in anger. Every word in that call tested the last shred of Colin's patience. He had truly had enough!He thought Aspen was completely insane. In her desperate attempt to lure him in, there was nothing she wouldn't do.Was she truly even going so far as to claim their daughter was dead? What kind of mother would say something like that?"Colin."At that moment, a familiar voice reached his ears. He turned around to see Gwyneth there. Even though his eyes w
Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 12
"Colin, you should still go check on Ms. Nicholls. Don't let things get out of hand." Gwyneth sighed while tugging at Colin's sleeve. Her expression was full of restrained sorrow.Colin couldn't stand seeing her upset. Her words only fueled his anger."If I go looking for her, I'll be falling right into her trap. I want to see how she plans to keep up this act without me!"He let out a cold scoff before pulling Gwyneth into his arms. "If only she were as understanding as you," he murmured.Despite his words, Gwyneth didn't feel particularly pleased. Still, she leaned against his chest, keeping up appearances."Don't be angry. At the end of the day, Ms. Nicholls just cares too much about being Mrs. Fuller. You should try to understand her a little."Her eyes misted over slightly, and she hesitated before adding, "But… you two are already divorced. How much longer is she going to keep making a scene?"The word "divorce" hit Colin like a dagger, and his expression darkened instantl
Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 13
Sophie had been gone for days now, yet Aspen still couldn't accept the truth. She kept feeling as if Sophie was still there right beside her, almost as if she had never left.Aspen woke up in the morning to find her pillow soaked with tears once again. Her eyes were swollen as she climbed out of bed and reached for her phone.She had kept it turned off for the past few days; she was too heartbroken to deal with anything outside of her grief. The moment she powered it on, a message notification chimed—it was the funeral home, urging her to complete the remaining paperwork.Only then did she remember—although Sophie's ashes had already been laid to rest, there were still many formalities left to complete."Maybe this is for the best. Once everything is settled, I can finally leave this place." Aspen thought. "Sophie, Mommy misses you so much."Aspen clutched the pendant hanging from her neck, tears streaming down her face once again.She had tried—really tried—to keep herself fro
Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 14
As for Colin, Aspen no longer wanted to think about him. She didn't need to—he didn't matter anymore.Aspen's eyes burned from shedding so many tears.Stepping out of the funeral home, she was met with the blinding sunlight. For the first time in a long while, she felt like she was still a living, breathing person.She tilted her head back to face the sun, staring at it until fresh tears slipped down her cheeks."Sophie, Mommy misses you so much. Sophie… my Sophie…"Clutching the pendant that held Sophie's ashes tightly against her chest, she collapsed onto the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.No matter how many times she told herself that Sophie would have wanted her to be happy, she couldn't bear it. She simply wasn't that strong.She cried until she was drained, barely managing to push herself up from the ground. She then dragged herself toward her childhood home, moving like a lifeless shell.The tiny, 650-square-foot apartment was the only thing her parents had left her bef
Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 15
At this moment, Aspen felt utterly repulsed by the man standing outside. Even taking one more glance at Colin felt like an insult to Sophie.Seizing the moment while he remained silent, she swung open the door and stepped inside. To express the frustration burning inside her, she even slammed the door shut with force.As soon as she turned around, her eyes landed on a black-and-white photograph resting on the coffee table.In the photograph, Sophie was smiling brightly, her eyes curved in joy.It had been taken on Children's Day, back when Sophie had performed at her preschool and won an award. She had been very happy that day, so her smile had been more radiant than ever.Aspen had deliberately chosen this photo—she wanted to remember Sophie just like this, forever joyful and full of life."Sophie…" Aspen slid down against the door, covering her mouth with both hands as tears streamed down her face.Colin's voice came through the door. "Aspen, I don't care what kind of tricks y
Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 16
"What did you just say?"Colin's expression darkened. He hadn't seen Sophie for days. The last time he had gone to look for Aspen, Sophie had been nowhere to be found either.Thinking back to that call from the funeral home, an unexplainable sense of unease crept into his chest. He knew this was one of Aspen's tricks, yet he still felt a flicker of panic."Colin, don't worry too much. Ms. Nicholls is just acting out in anger. She wouldn't actually hurt Sophie."It's just… where would she take her? Does she have any other family members?" Gwyneth stepped forward, gently patting his chest as she spoke in a soft, soothing voice.Family members?Colin's thoughts immediately turned to Joseph—and that canceled check.That man was a gambling addict who would do anything for money. If Sophie was truly in his hands, then she was in danger."To the airport. Now." Colin shoved Gwyneth aside and strode toward the door.No matter what, Sophie was a Fuller and his daughter. He would never a
Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 17
"Colin, what… what are you doing?"Gwyneth came running over and quickly stepped between them, blocking Colin from moving forward. She looked at him with a hint of reproach."No matter what, Ms. Nicholls is still a woman. How could you treat her like this?"She turned and bent down, reaching out to help Aspen up from the ground.Sophie's only wish before she had died had been to have Colin stay with her for just a few days. But Gwyneth had monopolized Colin's time instead. Even on the night Sophie had been in the hospital, Gwyneth had pulled Colin away to celebrate their anniversary.Every time Aspen saw Gwyneth, she was reminded of Sophie's sorrow and pain. She was reminded of the night Sophie had died and how 600 thousand dollars' worth of fireworks had lit up the sky just for Gwyneth when that money could have saved Sophie's life!"Don't touch me! You're disgusting!"Aspen flung Gwyneth's hand away and forced herself to her feet, using every ounce of strength she had left.
Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 18
No matter what, Colin knew he would never allow Sophie to continue living with a woman like Aspen."Sophie is dead! She died while you were whispering sweet nothings to this woman and lit up the entire city with fireworks for her! Our Sophie—your daughter—died because there was no money for her surgery! She's gone! She's dead!"Aspen struggled violently as tears streamed down her face. Every word was filled with accusation, despair, and the helpless rage of a mother.With all her strength, she wrenched herself free from Colin's grip and dropped to her knees, desperately trying to pick up the photograph on the ground. Shards of glass pierced her palms, and blood dripped onto the floor, but she didn't care.She wiped her bleeding hands on her clothes without a second thought and carefully cradled the crumpled photograph, brushing away the dirt with trembling fingers."You…" Colin's heart sank in an instant. A deep, unsettling feeling crept over him, as if something inside him had co
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Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 201
Faced with that gaze, Aren couldn't bring himself to refuse. All he could do was nod. "Alright, I promise you!"Aspen finally relaxed upon hearing his words of assurance—only to pass out immediately from the overwhelming pain.Aren's gentle expression vanished as he watched her lose consciousness, replaced by fury and barely contained rage. His fists clenched. He swore to himself he would never let Colin get away with this!He pulled out his phone and called Niall. "We need to accelerate our plan!""You're being too hasty." Niall remained perfectly calm. "Aren, we're both tech people. You know our greatest asset is staying level-headed."Aren leaned against the wall, his eyes fixed on Aspen's unconscious form through the glass. He wasn't usually impulsive—except when it came to her.Fortunately, Niall was the type to remain composed no matter the situation. His calmness gradually grounded Aren.Aren gritted his teeth after taking a deep breath. "I'm going to devour Fuller Grou
Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 200
Aspen covered her ears and screamed, "Get out!"She truly couldn't accept Colin calling Sophie "defective". She couldn't accept that in his eyes, even Sophie, his own flesh and blood, was nothing more than a flawed product!Colin was about to say more when he noticed fresh blood seeping through the bandages on her back. His expression softened slightly, and he sighed in resignation.Reaching out, he brushed a hand over her hair and said, "You'll understand one day that none of this was my fault."With that, he turned and strode out."You bastard!" Aspen shrieked, hurling anything within reach across the room.The crashing sounds made Colin pause mid-step. His brows furrowed as a suffocating frustration tightened in his chest."What an unreasonable woman."In Colin's world, only he mattered. Everyone else was expendable—even his own daughter. It was especially the case for a child he had never wanted in the first place.When Aren returned with food, the chaos and destruction in
Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 199
Aspen stared blankly at the conflicted Colin standing before her, utterly baffled by his awkward demeanor."I'll find you the best doctors to ensure there's no scarring." Colin finally managed to say.But Aspen found it utterly ridiculous. She sneered coldly. "If this is your idea of an apology, save it.""Aspen, what do you actually want?" Colin frowned at the woman before him.He couldn't understand where the obedient, accommodating woman from before had gone. Why was she covered in thorns now? What happened to her?As he looked at Aspen, Colin began to miss the woman who had once yielded to his every whim, the one who only had eyes for him. "I want to take the inheritance Mr. Fuller Senior left me, divorce you, and disappear forever. Is that so hard to understand?" Aspen laughed bitterly.Truthfully, she had made her demands clear from the start—Colin had simply refused to relinquish it when it wasn't even his to begin with.Colin replied bluntly upon hearing this, "You kno
Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 198
"Ms. Nicholls, Jefferson Corp is our competitor now. Isn't it inappropriate for you to be so close with our rival?" Gwyneth looked at Aspen with feigned concern, putting on her usual act of pretending to care.Watching her performance, Aspen chuckled softly and tugged at Aren's sleeve. "Then don't you think it's inappropriate for you to be so close to my husband?"Hearing the words "my husband", Aren instinctively glanced at Aspen. His eyes were clearly tinged with grievance. Aspen, however, playfully winked at him, signaling him to stay quiet."Aren, is using a woman like this really fun for you?"Colin sneered at Aren before turning his glare to Aspen. He scoffed. "Don't tell me you actually think he's interested in you? If you weren't my wife, do you really believe he'd spare you a second glance?""I watched her every day long before she was your wife. I could never get enough of looking at her." Aren immediately countered, slapping Colin's words right back at him.After all,
Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 197
Guilt, anxiety, and self-blame now flooded Aren's heart. He was terrified that something irreversible might happen to Aspen.Aspen gently wrapped her arms around Aren's waist, feeling him trembling. Her heart ached violently, overwhelmed by a surge of long-suppressed grievances.Aspen could choose to be strong when facing pain and danger alone because she had to be strong. But now, with someone here to care for her and hold her, all that carefully restrained vulnerability came rushing back. The contrast was unbearable.This emotional whiplash left her both confused and resigned. Clinging to Aren, she finally understood her own heart.The truth was, she had stopped loving and expecting anything from Colin the day Sophie passed away. Now, she realized something fundamental hadn't changed with the man she had loved in her youth, who was standing before her again. She still loved him helplessly and couldn't control her heart."Don't cry." Aren's heart shattered further. He tenderly wi
Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 196
If Colin had spoken to her like this in the past, Aspen would have been overjoyed for days. But now, his false tenderness only made her nauseous. She gave a soft laugh, then raised her arms to wrap them around Colin's neck.Colin mistook the gesture for surrender. A smug smile curved his lips as he murmured, "Aspen, you really are smart. You know when to fold."The next second, Aspen sank her teeth into his neck with every ounce of strength she possessed. The metallic tang of blood immediately flooded her mouth.Colin roared in pain and shoved her away violently. Aspen's back slammed into the tech department's glass door—shattering it on impact. She collapsed onto the broken shards, and her back was instantly drenched in blood."Ms. Nicholls!" Zephyr rushed forward, horrified at the sight of Aspen lying in a pool of blood."Are you okay? Mr. Fuller, what the hell?"The rest of the tech team swarmed over, and someone was already calling an ambulance. When Aspen pushed herself up f
Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 195
Aspen regarded the furious Colin with cold composure. "You were the one who sent me to the tech department. Now you're making a scene here. Aren't you embarrassed? Do you really want to settle our personal matters in the office?""Ms. Nicholls, how can you be so defiant after what you've done?" Gwyneth interjected with faux concern, her voice dripping with false sincerity. "Colin isn't unreasonable. Just apologize, and he'll forgive you. Right, Colin?"Aspen couldn't fathom where this woman found the audacity to speak right now. Her expression darkened as she turned to Gwyneth. "You're the last person here who has any right to speak.""You…" Gwyneth gasped, stunned that Aspen would dare confront her so directly in front of Colin.Realizing she wouldn't win this argument, Gwyneth quickly tugged at Colin's sleeve and whispered, "I'll leave you two to talk. Don't be too rash, Colin. Ms. Nicholls is just throwing a tantrum. Work it out slowly, okay?"With that, she sighed and cast a
Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 194
"What are you doing?"Aspen's expression darkened instantly. She gritted her teeth, glaring at him with barely contained fury."Aspen, you're still Mrs. Fuller, yet you parade around flirting shamelessly. Have you no dignity?" Colin's accusation rang out harshly.Seeing his angry outburst, Zephyr immediately stepped in to explain, "Mr. Fuller, it's not like that! This was a surprise we planned for Ms. Nicholls. She had no idea at all.""Shut up!" Colin snarled, his gaze so venomous that it silenced Zephyr on the spot. The latter could only watch Aspen helplessly."Are you insane?" Aspen wrenched her wrist free, her eyes icy with disdain."This is normal workplace camaraderie. There's no 'flirting,' and definitely no 'shamelessness.'"Aspen truly didn't want to make a scene in a professional setting. She had no intention of humiliating herself.But today, Colin seemed determined to scorch every shred of decorum. He gritted his teeth and looked at her fiercely. "Aspen, you really
Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 193
With matters in Ertonfield mostly wrapped up, Aspen had plenty of other work pending. She booked her return flight without waiting a second to hear Colin's opinions.Meanwhile, Colin received a set of photos. They were images of Aspen and Aren entering the hotel together, followed by Aspen seeing Aren out. His grip tightened, fingers crushing the photos as his jaw clenched.Though Colin had never valued Aspen or even barely acknowledged her, she was still legally his wife. This behavior was unacceptable. It was a direct slap to his face!"Colin, what's wrong?" Gwyneth approached worriedly, gently tugging his sleeve. "Shouldn't we start packing to go back?"When she noticed the photos in his hand, her eyes widened in shock. "Is… Isn't this Ms. Nicholls and Mr. Jefferson? How could this be? Why would they go to a hotel together?""Shut up!" Colin swiftly gathered all the photos, shooting Gwyneth a cold glare.This was an unbearable humiliation to him, one he refused to let anyone d
