All Chapters of When It All Fell Apart: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

After hanging up the phone, I took a picture of the beautifully prepared dinner and the cake I had baked for our sixth anniversary and sent it to my husband, Ashton Martinez.His reply came back quickly.[Is it your birthday? I’m flying out, so I can’t make it home tonight. Just celebrate on your own.]I chuckled bitterly and tossed the cake into the trash. Whether it was my birthday or our anniversary, it did not matter because Ashton never remembered those things. However, when it came to Ruby Lowe, he had an entire notebook dedicated to her. He had been keeping notes of her life since high school.I glanced at the pregnancy test results on the table and quietly put them away. I had planned to surprise Ashton with them over dinner tonight, but now, it seemed pointless.We had been married for six years without any kids. I had gone through three rounds of IVF, each one more painful than the last, and they all failed. I had almost given up hope this time when, to my shock, I fou

“Ruby's hosting a party tonight to celebrate her pregnancy.”Before I could refuse, Ashton cut off any chance I had to say no."She's been thinking about you a lot. She wants you to come and share in her happiness. Don’t be ungrateful!"I simply sneered and agreed. Anyway, it did not matter to me anymore. My heart was dead. I had contacted a divorce lawyer, and nothing Ruby did could hurt me now.After we arrived, Ruby showed up fashionably late, perfectly dolled up, while I looked like a mess, having spent days in the hospital and not had a chance to clean up. In contrast, Ruby looked like a blooming flower, perfectly put together.Everyone around her was fawning over her, showering her with compliments."Our beautiful artist Ruby is always so forward-thinking, turning down all those suitors just to become a single mom on her own terms.""Well, Ruby’s rich and independent. She can raise a kid by herself! She’s unlike those stay-at-home wives who ask their husbands for money."

Will noticed the food Ashton had brought and was visibly surprised.“There are so many restaurants around the hospital with meals suitable for patients, yet you somehow managed to pick the worst one. Now that’s impressive!”I could see Ashton clenching his jaw, trying to hold back his temper. After a moment of restraint, he spoke in a low, menacing tone, “From now on, I’ll cook for Clara myself. There’s no need for you to get involved.”Will, however, was not backing down. “I don’t trust you with that. I took good care of her, got her discharged in perfect health, and less than a day later, she miscarried. You have zero credibility.”Ashton’s brow furrowed deeply. “Clara is my wife. Why are you being so attentive? Don’t you understand how to keep your distance from a married woman?”I slammed my spoon on the tray and said sarcastically, “Well, you’re one to talk. Who’s more out of line than you helping someone else have a baby through IVF and not even realizing it’s crossing a b

Honestly, I had no idea about any of that. Thinking back, it made sense that Will, being so young, must come from a well-off family to live alone in a big house and have an apartment while in college. Still, I never connected the dots that he was the son of the company’s chairman.Just as I was lost in thought, Will called me into his office. That snapped me back to reality, reminding me I had something important to report.Will’s family business specialized in trading high-end antiques and treasures, but he had also branched out into modern art. While the transactions in that new area were not as lucrative as those in the high-end market, he managed to carve out a niche and had done quite well.Coincidentally, several of Ruby’s paintings were up for auction in that new category, with prices hovering around the hundred-thousand mark. However, I discovered a serious issue: her work had plagiarized and combined the pieces from several lesser-known artists.That had previously gone un

After Ashton and Ruby were kicked out of the company by Will's security, they went quiet for several months. I was originally surprised by how quiet those two had been and not stirring up any trouble. I had even prepared myself for a long, drawn-out battle with them until I heard that Ashton’s company was in trouble and he was busy dealing with the mess. Things did not seem to be going well for him, though. One day, Ruby went on a rampage, bombarding me with messages full of insults. She accused me of saying something to Ashton that made him take back the art studio and the house he had gifted her.I did not reply to her. Instead, I immediately took a screenshot of her messages and posted it on social media."Is the independent studio that Ruby keeps bragging about bought by my husband? Instead of wasting time messaging me, maybe Ruby should think about getting Ashton to sign the divorce papers."I had many mutual friends with Ruby, and she was the one who had them add me to sti