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Chapter 161: Safe for now
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The Wife Swap Chapter 162: I need a break
Ashley’s POVI paced back and forth in Ashton’s bedroom, the phone pressed tightly against my ear as Liv’s breathing filled the line. I could hear the shock in her silence as I recounted everything that had happened at the gallery—the slashed painting, the dolls, the vandalism, the taunting message. I paused for a moment, giving her a chance to process it all. I knew it was a lot; it was overwhelming for me too, and I had been right there, staring at the destruction with my own eyes.“You’re telling me someone went to Ashton’s gallery and did all that?” Liv finally said, her voice a mix of disbelief and horror. “And you think it’s related to the messages you’ve been getting?”I took a deep breath, trying to keep my voice steady. “I don’t know, Liv. It’s too much of a coincidence, don’t you think? The messages, the vandalism, the memories tied to those dolls—it feels like someone’s trying to get inside my head. But…” I trailed off, glancing toward the kitchen where Andreas was busying
The Wife Swap Chapter 163: Escape to Vermont
Ashley’s POVLiv's voice brightened on the other end of the line, and I could almost see her grinning. "You know what you need?" she quipped, breaking the tension I’d been carrying like a weight on my shoulders.I sniffed, still wiping away the remnants of my tears. "What’s that?" I asked, half-laughing, half-sobbing at her sudden shift in tone."A girl’s trip!" she declared, her excitement palpable. "Just you and me, Ash. We’ll go to Vermont tomorrow. You can do your digging, and we can get away from this whole mess, even if it’s just for a couple of days. We both need this."I blinked, caught off guard by the suggestion. "Wait, what? Tomorrow?""Yes, tomorrow," she insisted. "No point in wasting time. We’ll pack up, hit the road in the morning, and just take a couple of days to breathe. It’ll give us a chance to reset, and who knows, maybe getting out of this city will clear your head a bit."I let out a shaky laugh, the thought of an impromptu trip with Liv already making me feel l
The Wife Swap Chapter 164: Nostalgia
Ashley’s POVI was feeling light as I closed my suitcase and zipped it up for the hundredth time, certain that I was finally ready for the trip with Liv. When I told Andreas I was going to Vermont with her, he’d smiled in that way of his that always made my heart skip a beat. Even though I knew he was a bit disappointed that he couldn’t come along, he had supported the idea, saying it would do me good to have some time away. His exact words had been, “You need this, Ash. It’s good you have Liv. I’ll be here when you get back.”The tenderness in his voice had made me want to cancel the trip right there and stay with him, wrapped in his arms. But I knew I needed to do this. I needed to clear my head, to find some semblance of order in this chaos. We’d shared a lingering kiss before I left, and I couldn’t help but think how lucky I was, even in this mess, to know that what we had was real even though deep down, I didn’t know for how much longer.On the drive up, Liv and I slipped back in
The Wife Swap Chapter 165: Unmasking obsession
Ashley’s POVI swallowed hard, unsure where this conversation was headed. Was he talking about Ashton? I couldn’t tell, and it unnerved me. Maybe I was even reading too much into it. “I’m sorry to hear that,” I said quietly. “It’s hard when things end like that.”“Yeah, it is,” he agreed. “But I guess it’s just part of life, right? Learning to let go, even when it’s the last thing you want to do.”As Kennedy continued speaking, I could hear the undercurrent of sadness in his voice, the kind that comes from years of lingering regrets and unanswered questions. He chuckled awkwardly, but it didn’t quite mask the emotion behind his words.“You know, back then, it felt like my entire world revolved around this person,” he admitted. “It got to a point where I couldn’t move on, even after she did. I kept thinking, maybe if I just did one more thing, one more gesture…I could win her back. It was like I couldn’t let go.”His voice softened, trailing off as if he were lost in the memory. I felt
The Wife Swap Chapter 166: Veiled intentions
Ashley’s POVI shifted in my seat, looking out the window at the Vermont twilight settling over the landscape. “Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Kennedy,” I said, trying to keep my tone light. “I didn’t mean to get so deep.”He laughed again, this time softer. “It’s no problem. I guess I needed that too. It’s been a while since I’ve had a real conversation like this. You know, where you actually talk about something that matters.”I paused, feeling a twinge of guilt. Was I manipulating him by pretending this was just a casual chat? Maybe. But I needed to know, and this seemed like the only way to gauge his true intentions. “Yeah,” I agreed quietly. “It’s nice to have these talks sometimes. It reminds you that you’re not alone in all of this.”Kennedy’s voice dropped to a near whisper, and I had to strain to hear him over the crackling line. “I’m glad we could talk. I’ve missed you, Ashton. I know things have been...busy, plus you’re married now so I can see how that can be awkward bu
The Wife Swap Chapter 167: A life without fear
Ashley’s POVI felt so incredibly fortunate to have Liv by my side on this trip to Vermont. Despite all the chaos swirling in my life—stalker threats, Ashton’s mysterious disappearance, and the unsettling conversation with Kennedy—the weight on my chest had lifted a little simply because Liv was there. Her presence was the perfect antidote to the storm in my head.The minute we arrived in Vermont, I had promised myself I wouldn’t think about anything. It was my way of coping, of trying to escape, if only for a few days. Thankfully, Liv had insisted that we just go to bed after dinner. We needed to rest, she said, to recharge. It was probably a good thing, considering how much had happened in the past few days.But despite my best efforts, the constant thoughts about my stalker and Kennedy crept into my mind like unwanted guests. My bedroom, which had once felt like a sanctuary, was now just another place where my mind raced and circled. Sleep had eluded me, no matter how much I willed
The Wife Swap Chapter 168: Struggling with guilt
Ashley’s POVFinally, Liv and I ended up at the spa. I had to admit, I was looking forward to it. Liv was right. I needed it. The soft lighting and calming scents immediately put me in a slightly better mood, and for the first time all day, I let my guard down. I was wrapped in a plush robe and lying on a massage table, the quiet music soothing my jangled nerves, but even then, I couldn’t let go entirely. My mind kept drifting back to the dolls, to Kennedy’s unsettling confession, to the vague feeling that I was being watched.It was a small comfort that Liv was sitting nearby, flipping through a magazine, occasionally checking in with me to make sure I was okay. “How are you doing?” she asked softly, glancing up from her magazine as I closed my eyes.“Better,” I muttered, though I knew it was a lie. I wasn’t “better.” I was still drowning in questions with no answers, still wondering if I was doing the right thing by pretending everything was fine. The only thing that helped was that
The Wife Swap Chapter 169: A million questions
Ashley’s POVWhen we arrived back at the apartment, the familiar sights of the building felt strangely comforting. I was glad to be home, even if it was just for a brief moment before the chaos took over again. But as we stepped out of the car and made our way to the door, a voice called out to us from the hallway.“Ashley, hey!” My neighbor, Julie, stood a few feet away with a small stack of mail in her hands. Julie had always been kind enough to collect my mail for me whenever I was away.“Hey, Julie, thanks for keeping these for me!” I smiled, reaching out to take the stack from her.“No problem!” she said, her voice bright and friendly. “I think you’ve got everything, but there’s one more thing...” She shifted slightly, as though she was unsure whether to give it to me. “I didn’t give this to you the last time you were here because I’d mixed it up with my own mails from weeks ago. It didn’t have a return address, and I wasn’t sure if it was something important or not, so I didn’t
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