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Chapter 3

Penulis: Maureen Green
Sophie suddenly smiled and said, "Because Mommy loves you. Daddy, you don't have to like me, but could you maybe like Mommy a little more? Can you be nicer to her from now on?"

Her voice was soft, and her large, dark eyes gazed at Colin with hope.

Colin's expression shifted subtly, and he scoffed internally. He had known from the beginning that Aspen couldn't possibly have pure intentions.

"Did she tell you to say that?" Colin asked coldly, his voice laced with condescension.

"No!" Sophie shook her head quickly.

Colin didn't believe her and glanced dismissively at her. Sophie noticed the slight change in his demeanor and felt uneasy.

She didn't want to upset him, but deep down, she knew the truth. She was like the sea princess in the story—her time was limited. Aspen kept saying she would get better, but Sophie could feel that her condition was serious.

Still, if she was going to disappear like sea foam, she wanted Aspen to have someone who loved her after she was gone. With that in mind, she got up and walked over to a small bookshelf.

She pulled out a leather-bound notebook and brought it to Colin. "Daddy, Mommy really does love you. You can read this if you want."

Colin paused, looking at her eager expression. He accepted the notebook and noticed how worn it was.

"You have to read it, okay?" Sophie said sweetly.

Colin already knew Aspen loved him. He didn't need anyone to tell him that. Without much interest, he merely gave a noncommittal hum and didn't bother to open the notebook.

By the time Aspen returned with Sophie's glass of milk, the little girl had fallen asleep. Aspen carefully led Colin out of the room, gently closing the door behind them.

Once they were far enough down the hall, Aspen whispered, "Tomorrow morning, you should take Sophie to preschool yourself. You don't need to sleep in the guest room. I'll stay there instead."

Colin chuckled coldly. "What's the plan this time? Trying to sneak into my bed tonight?"

The sharp sting of his words made Aspen's face pale for a moment. She was instantly reminded of the early days of their marriage—back when she had, indeed, done something that foolish.

Sure, it had been under Hector's orders, but part of her had taken a chance, hoping it might change something. Now, all those hopes were long gone.

Aspen pressed her lips together. "Don't worry. That won't happen again."

Colin's gaze darkened. "It better not."

Aspen knew he didn't believe her, but she no longer cared to explain. The love she had once felt for him had been worn down to nothing over the years.

Just then, Colin's phone rang. Aspen caught a glimpse of the name on the screen—Gwyneth.

She quietly stepped aside to give him space. Behind her, she heard his voice shift into a gentle, magnetic tone. "Hey, Gwen... No, I'm not coming over tonight. Get some rest."

Aspen walked away, her heart calm and untroubled.

...

The next morning, Aspen helped Sophie get dressed and ready for preschool. Colin stood nearby, silently watching. Once Aspen finished, she handed Sophie's pink water bottle and matching backpack to him as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Colin raised an eyebrow, eyeing the bright pink items. Riley stepped forward, ready to take them, but Aspen stopped him. "Colin, hold them yourself."

Colin's expression grew more complicated, but he accepted the items without a word.

However, Riley couldn't help stifling a laugh. It was surreal to see the usually composed and aloof Colin standing there with such brightly colored accessories, looking like a first-time dad.

Sophie's heart swelled with happiness at the sight. It was like a dream—her parents were both with her this morning. She had only ever seen Colin on TV before, but now, here they were, together.

Aspen kissed Sophie's forehead and said softly, "Be good. Eat well and study hard." Then, she turned to Colin and added, "Sophie is all yours now."

Colin gave a small nod. "Riley, contact the major shareholders. We'll have a meeting at Fuller Group in half an hour."

Riley immediately straightened up and replied, "Yes, sir."

After that, he jogged ahead to open the car door for Sophie.

The father-daughter duo got into the car, with Colin following behind Sophie. Aspen watched them drive away, her gaze lingering until they were out of sight.

Meanwhile, an awkward silence settled in the car. Colin and Sophie had barely spent any time together before, and even Riley, sitting in the front, could feel the tension.

Even so, Sophie didn't notice any of that. For her, just being near Colin was enough to make her heart overflow with joy.

She couldn't help but look forward to tomorrow and the next day—and maybe even more days after that. The thought made her feel a little greedy.

Sophie turned her expectant gaze toward Colin.

Sensing her stare, he looked at her and asked, "What's on your mind?" He still sounded slightly stiff.

Sophie coughed lightly and hesitated before whispering, "Daddy, can you pick me up from preschool today? If you're too busy, that's okay..."

Her voice grew quieter with each word. She wasn't confident in her request.

Colin's eyes darkened slightly. After spending time with Sophie yesterday, he found that he didn't dislike her as much as he had expected.

He had promised Aspen that he would act as Sophie's father. Since he had already committed to this, picking her up from preschool wasn't too much trouble.

He asked, "What time do you get out of school?"

Sophie's face lit up, and her eyes sparkled with excitement. "4:30 pm!"

"Alright," Colin agreed.

Sophie felt as though she were floating on a soft, fluffy cloud. If this was a dream, she never wanted to wake up. She gave him a bright, cheerful smile.

Colin noticed her beaming at him and froze, his gaze softening slightly. She looked so innocent and sweet. If she weren't Aspen's daughter, he might have found her endearing.

When they arrived at the preschool, Sophie hopped out of the car and rushed into her classroom. As soon as she reached her desk, she couldn't wait to send a voice message to Aspen through her smartwatch.

"Mommy! Guess what? Daddy said he's going to pick me up after school today!" she announced proudly, her voice bubbling with excitement.

Her loud declaration caught the attention of her classmates.

One curious girl asked, "Sophie, is your dad really coming to pick you up?"

"Of course he is!" Sophie replied with a smug little hum.

"That's so cool," the girl said enviously.

The other kids had often teased Sophie, calling her fatherless. But now that her father was coming to pick her up, no one could ever say that again. Sophie couldn't wait for the end of the school day.

...

Meanwhile, Aspen received Sophie's voice message.

"Mommy! Guess what? Daddy said he's going to pick me up after school today!"

Aspen's eyes softened, and a small smile tugged at her lips. Yet, beneath the warmth, a faint ache settled in her heart. She was determined to make Sophie as happy as possible during the time they had left.

As long as Sophie was happy, Aspen would do anything for her. She recorded a response. "Then I won't come pick you up today, sweetheart. Have a great day, okay?"

After sending the message, Aspen opened her social media feed. The first post she saw was from Riley.

It featured a picture of a pair of pink diamond earrings with the caption, "Special order from Mr. Fuller himself! Another day of envying Ms. Sanders! Why are there so many rich people in the world, yet not one of them is me?"

Riley even added a crying emoji at the end of the caption.
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  • Kicking Him to the Curb   Chapter 4

    Apparently, Riley had forgotten to block Aspen from seeing that post. Aspen's eyes darkened slightly, and any trace of emotion faded from her face. Just yesterday, Colin had borrowed Gwyneth's diamond earrings and given them to Sophie. They had already been replaced with a new gift today.Aspen had to admit that Colin's efficiency was impressive. Then again, Gwyneth was the woman he truly cherished, so it was not surprising.Aspen chuckled softly. Just as she was about to close the social media app, a new message notification popped up. It read, "Aspen, I'm returning in ten days."The profile picture was blank, with the initials "A. J." displayed instead. It was someone who had been on her contact list for years—one she had not spoken to in six years. Aspen's breath hitched, but she didn't respond. ...At 4:20 pm, Colin had just wrapped up a grueling board meeting. It wasn't until Riley reminded him that he remembered he had promised to pick up Sophie. He got into his ca

  • Kicking Him to the Curb   Chapter 5

    Sophie coughed violently again. This time, the force of it left her unable to stay upright. She collapsed to her knees, and with a sickening sound, blood spurted from her mouth."Sophie!" Aspen's voice shook as she rushed to her side.Sophie's face was burning with fever, and her lips were deathly pale. She whispered weakly, "I'm okay, Mommy..." Aspen immediately scooped her up. "No, sweetheart. Mommy's taking you to the hospital."Sophie clung tightly to Aspen, her tear-filled eyes red. Aspen rushed to the hospital, barely stopping for breath. After a blood test, they sat outside the examination room, waiting for the results."Mommy... does Daddy hate me?" Sophie's small, fragile voice finally betrayed her inner fear.Aspen froze, unable to answer. The question tore her apart. She wanted so badly to say, "No, Sophie, Daddy doesn't hate you."However, the truth was far more cruel. If Sophie had been Gwyneth's child, Colin would have adored her. Aspen blinked away tears and fo

  • Kicking Him to the Curb   Chapter 6

    "Colin, since Ms. Nicholls wants to talk, take your time and have a conversation. You shouldn't argue in front of Sophie," Gwyneth said as she caressed Colin's cheek.Though her expression hinted at suppressed hurt, she maintained an air of understanding. Colin was obviously unwilling, but he ultimately nodded and stepped aside with Aspen.It had been so long since they had last been alone together that Aspen found herself unsure of how to begin. However, Colin clearly had little patience for her.He asked, "What is it that you want to say? You brought Sophie here to cause a scene. Are you even fit to be a mother?"His words cut deep, his disgust palpable. To him, Aspen had always been a woman willing to use any means to get what she wanted, even if it meant exploiting their own daughter.Aspen said flatly, "You promised to spend a month with Sophie. All I'm asking is that, during this time, you keep Ms. Sanders away from her."Colin's eyes hardened. "I promised to spend time wit

  • Kicking Him to the Curb   Chapter 7

    The entire hospital was in chaos because of Sophie's emergency, but Aspen felt completely disconnected from it all. Her mind went blank, and her senses dulled. She could only hear the muffled echoes of footsteps and distant shouts, as though she were underwater.Mike waved his hand in front of her face, asking, "Ms. Nicholls? Are you alright?" Aspen blinked, snapping back to reality. She looked at Mike and asked, "How's my daughter?"Mike replied, "She's stable for now. But her condition has deteriorated rapidly. We've admitted her to the ICU. We'll monitor her and see if surgery is an option once her vitals improve."Ms. Nicholls, with Sophie's condition, surgery is..."Aspen nodded stiffly, but she knew what Mike wasn't saying. The chances of the surgery being successful were slim. It would cause more trauma than relief for Sophie. Still, Aspen couldn't accept that. She couldn't let her precious daughter go without a fight. Even the smallest sliver of hope was something she

  • Kicking Him to the Curb   Chapter 8

    "Sophie!" Aspen's scream tore through the sterile hospital room. Tears streamed down her face as an unbearable pressure squeezed her chest, making it hard to breathe.Deep down, she knew her Sophie was gone. Her beloved Sophie had come into this world, seen it, and decided it wasn't a place she wanted to stay. She was disappointed and hurt by all of it, so she returned to the heavens—never to come back."Sophie... I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry!" Aspen's voice trembled as she cradled Sophie's lifeless body. Her hands shook as she gently cupped Sophie's pale, still face and kissed her over and over again.This was all her fault. It was her selfishness, her stubborn desire to be with Colin, that had led to this tragedy. She had failed as a mother, and her beautiful, precious Sophie was gone forever.Aspen eventually forced herself to calm down. She personally bathed Sophie and dressed her in her favorite pink princess dress. If Sophie had to leave this world, Aspen wanted her to loo

  • Kicking Him to the Curb   Chapter 9

    Colin immediately panicked when he heard Gwyneth's scream. "Gwen, what's wrong? Where are you?"Joseph's menacing voice came through the phone, loud and clear. He snarled, "Colin, you messed with my precious niece, and I'm not going to let it slide! You're so protective of this woman, right? Well, get ready to collect her body!""Don't you dare do anything reckless!" Colin's voice trembled in fear. Normally, he was always high and mighty, but anything involving Gwyneth sent him into a panic."If you don't want her dead, you'd better get over here right now!" Joseph spat out the threat and hung up abruptly.A text with an address followed immediately after. Joseph's glare turned icy as he stared at Gwyneth. He growled, "This is all because of you, you filthy homewrecker! You shameless slut! You ruined someone else's family!""I'm not a homewrecker! I was with Colin first!" Gwyneth shook her head desperately, refusing to accept the label. However, Joseph wasn't Colin. He didn't

  • Kicking Him to the Curb   Chapter 10

    Aspen's cold smile sent a wave of unease through Colin. He couldn't shake the feeling that something important was slipping through his fingers."Colin, she's serious this time. She signed the divorce papers," Gwyneth exclaimed excitedly, holding up the agreement as if it were a trophy, snapping Colin out of his thoughts.He blinked in surprise. He had thought it was another one of Aspen's tricks, but she really had signed it. He snatched the papers from Gwyneth's hand, only to feel an inexplicable sting at the sight of Aspen's bold signature glaring back at him.He was in disbelief at how easily Aspen had decided to let go."Colin, you really are the cruelest person in the world," Aspen muttered before turning to Joseph. "Transfer the ten million as soon as possible." Joseph sneered at the sight of Colin and Gwyneth embracing. The scene sickened him. With a cold snort, he stomped away, leaving them behind.This was exactly what Colin had wanted, but instead of relief, an odd em

  • 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

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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

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