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Chapter 151
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Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 152
Aspen turned her attention back to Colin after dealing with Gwyneth. She said, "Colin, you've got time to hang around here entertaining your assistant's drama, but no time to sign off on the bonuses? "Doesn't seem like something a real CEO should be doing. Approve it now—not a single cent of that bonus better be missing."Colin scoffed without even glancing at her. "Aspen, there's no need to be this aggressive. Bonuses are nothing—let's see how cocky you are when you can't bring in any contracts."With that, he yanked Gwyneth by the arm and walked off, not sparing Aspen another word.Gwyneth followed behind him like a sad little puppy, sniffing and wiping away tears with every step. "Colin, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. I embarrassed you, and that was never my intention—I was just worried about you. Ms. Nicholls still holds a grudge against us. She's got a lot of leverage right now, and I'm afraid she might use it to hurt you."Her tears began to fall again as she spoke,
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When Aspen saw the photos pop up on her phone, her expression didn't change one bit. She no longer felt anything at the sight of Colin and Gwyneth being lovey-dovey. As far as she was concerned, they were just a scummy pair of cheaters—a perfect match in all the worst ways.The photos might not have much bite in her hands right now, but that didn't mean they were harmless everywhere else. If she released them at the right time, she could still earn herself a good wave of sympathy points. So, she saved the pictures on her phone and calmly went back to work. ...After the scene earlier, the atmosphere in the tech department had become noticeably weird. Everyone in the company knew Aspen and Colin were married. Even though most of the guys in tech were socially oblivious engineers, they had all heard the gossip. Today, they saw with their own eyes how Colin had shown up with another woman, going after Aspen and defending that woman the whole way through. Anyone would assume
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Aspen didn't act like some high-and-mighty leader of the tech department. Instead, she was laid-back and casual, blending right in with the crowd like any broke college graduate grabbing dinner with friends.Just then, Aren strolled in like he had appeared out of thin air, holding a fresh bouquet of hyacinths—Aspen's favorite. "Well, what a coincidence! Ms. Nicholls, you're here too? Would it be alright if I crashed this dinner?"Seeing his playful yet gentle demeanor, Aspen couldn't help but smile. She gave him a small nod and said under her breath, "You can crash, but you're still paying for your share."She took the bouquet without hesitation and set it beside her, though she made no effort to introduce him to the others. After all, their two companies were rivals, and they were even competing in the same sector. Some lines still needed to be kept. Nonetheless, everyone was young and worked in tech, so the atmosphere quickly became lively and relaxed. Aspen lifted her glass
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It was a blatant provocation, but Aren didn't seem the least bit bothered. He simply checked his watch, smiled, and said, "I've got another meeting to hop on. I'll leave you guys to it. Catch you next time!""Pen, I'm heading out. Be good, alright?" he added with a light chuckle, reaching over Colin's shoulder to ruffle Aspen's hair in a familiar, affectionate way.There was nothing overtly inappropriate in the gesture, but the intimacy of it still made Colin silently clench his fists. Meanwhile, Gwyneth, standing off to the side, was mortified. She hadn't expected Colin to behave so out of character, actually stooping to compete with Aren in front of everyone.Even Sophie's death hadn't fazed him. But now, just a glance from Aspen seemed to pull a reaction from him. Gwyneth silently cursed at Aspen for being such a siren. She wished Aspen had never existed.Zac couldn't hold back any longer. He stepped up, annoyed. "Colin, what is this? What are you doing?"Colin patted the e
Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 156
Aspen said, "What I meant was, I'm taking my department out for karaoke. Mr. Fuller, you should stay behind and spend time with your assistant and your future brother-in-law."She didn't hesitate to shut him down immediately. She couldn't understand why Colin, a man who clearly hated social gatherings like this, insisted on tagging along like an uninvited shadow.Colin's face darkened. "What's that supposed to mean?""It means I don't want you coming with us! If you want to go for karaoke, then go ahead. We're not coming," Aspen shot back without missing a beat. She stood up straight and firm, making it crystal clear she meant every word.And honestly, it wasn't just her—everyone else at the table felt the same way. But unlike her, they didn't have the power or the position to say it out loud since they were just regular employees. Meanwhile, Aspen was both the CEO's wife and a major shareholder. "Ms. Nicholls, even if you hate me, you don't have to embarrass Colin like this," G
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Gwyneth followed quietly behind Colin, remaining silent throughout the ride home. As they pulled up outside the house, she hesitated before getting out of the car, her large eyes looking up at him with practiced vulnerability."Colin," she said softly, fingers twisting together nervously, "Zac and I... can still keep our jobs, right?"Colin reached out and ruffled her hair affectionately. "I always keep my promises. Stop worrying so much."The moment Colin's car disappeared down the street, Zac whirled around, turning to Gwyneth, his face twisted in frustration. "What the hell was that? Are you blind? Can't you see how differently he's treating Aspen now? Why aren't you doing anything about it?" Gwyneth scoffed, glaring at Zac. "Do you think I'm stupid? Of course I see it. When a man changes his mind, there's nothing anyone can do about it. Unless you think I'm some kind of miracle worker?" She added, "And let's be honest—if you hadn't been screwing things up for me this who
Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 158
Back when Aspen was with Colin, she had tried so hard to mold herself into the perfect Mrs. Fuller that she had completely forgotten what it felt like to let loose like this. She finally realized that food just tasted better when she devoured it without reservations.Aren watched her with tender amusement, his gaze lingering like she was some kind of joyful little rabbit hopping through a meadow. He reached out with a napkin, gently dabbing at the sauce smudged at the corner of her mouth. He smiled and said, "Even if it's delicious, you should slow down. No one's going to steal it from you."His gesture was so natural, but Aspen couldn't ignore the way her heart skipped a beat. She instinctively slowed her chewing and looked up at him with wide eyes. "Aren, if you keep being this nice to me, I don't know how I can handle it.""I want to be good to you," Aren said simply. He grinned at her, warm and shameless. "Whether or not you can take it… that's your problem. Mine is whethe
Kicking Him to the Curb Chapter 159
Aren couldn't understand why Aspen would want the added burden of caring for a fragile kitten when she already had such a hectic schedule."Dottie! I'm your mama now," Aspen whispered, cradling the tiny creature as tears streamed down her cheeks. She held the kitten up for Aren to see, her voice trembling with emotion. "Aren, isn't Dottie beautiful?"The scrawny, dirt-streaked ball of fur hardly qualified as beautiful, but Aren nodded anyway. He offered, "Let me drive you home."Mark noticed how seriously they were treating the kitten and handed them a small bag of goat milk formula. He explained that Dottie was still too young to eat kibble.On the way home, Aspen never once let go of Dottie. She held the kitten close the entire ride, her arms protectively wrapped around the frail little body. Every time she looked at that kitten, she couldn't help but think of her Sophie. Her chest ached with a strange tenderness she hadn't felt in a long time."She's come back to me," Aspen m
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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
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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
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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,
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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
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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
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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
