[1] The Ultimatum

ELENA

“There are only two choices, Elena. We either get divorced… or you sleep with another man and give me an heir.”

Edward didn’t even look at me when he said it. His eyes remained fixed on the documents in his hands, as though he were discussing an ordinary business meeting instead of destroying his wife’s dignity piece by piece.

My breath caught in my throat.

“W-What?”

“You heard me clearly, Elena.” Edward’s voice was far too calm for a man who had just shattered his own wife. “I want an heir. And only you can give me one.”

My fingers curled tightly against my lap.

“Edward… does it really have to be this way?”

For the first time that night, he finally lifted his head and looked straight at me.

“You know I’m infertile.” His jaw tightened. “And the Ashford family needs a successor.”

“There has to be another way—”

“I’m not using another man’s sperm,” he cut in coldly. “My pride hasn’t sunk that low.”

A bitter laugh almost escaped me.

“And what about my dignity, Edward?” I asked quietly. “Have you even thought about that?”

The study suddenly felt suffocating. Even the sound of rain tapping against the windows couldn’t stop the trembling spreading through my body.

At last, Edward closed the file in his hands and leaned back in his chair.

“This isn’t about dignity,” he said evenly. “It’s about the future of the Ashford family.”

“The future?” I repeated in disbelief. “You’re asking your wife to sleep with another man for something you call a future?”

Edward’s expression never changed. There was no guilt in his eyes. And somehow, that hurt even more.

“We’ve been married for two years, Elena.” His voice remained low and controlled. “I’ve given you enough time. Unfortunately, you haven’t used it well.”

Pain tightened in my chest. So that was it. All this time… he thought this was my fault?

“I never blamed you for being infertile, Edward,” I whispered.

“And I’m not blaming you either.”

He rose from his seat and walked toward me with slow, measured steps.

“That’s why I’m giving you a choice.”

A choice. How amusing that he called this humiliation a choice. I quickly stood before he could get any closer.

“No.” I shook my head immediately. “I’m not doing this.”

For the first time that night, something sharpened in Edward’s gaze.

“Then we’ll get divorced.”

The words hit me harder than anything else he’d said. My lips went pale instantly.

“You’re serious?”

“I don’t like repeating myself.”

My breathing turned uneven. “So after everything I’ve done for you… you’re divorcing me just because I refuse to sleep with another man?”

“I’m divorcing you because you can’t give me an heir.”

Then, without hesitation, Edward opened one of his desk drawers and placed a white envelope in front of me.

“Your divorce papers are already prepared. If you disagree with my arrangement, all you have to do is sign them.”

My hands started trembling violently. For the past two years, I had endured every insult from the Ashford family alone. They mocked me for being barren, called me a failed wife, and quietly encouraged Edward to find another woman.

And through all of it… I protected my husband’s pride. I hid the truth that the man they admired so much was the one incapable of giving me a child. And this was how he repaid me?

“Edward… this is cruel,” I whispered hoarsely.

His gaze stayed cold, completely unmoved by the tears already blurring my vision.

“Elena, if we divorce, your mother’s medical expenses will no longer be covered.”

I froze.

Meanwhile, Edward continued in that same calm tone that somehow sounded even crueler.

“So?” His eyes locked onto mine. “Are you prepared to handle everything on your own?”

I squeezed my eyes shut. So this was the real reason. He knew I had nowhere else to go.

From the very beginning, I had married Edward because my family was drowning in debt after my father’s business collapsed. Since our families had been close for years, the Ashfords offered marriage as a solution.

Then my father died. Not long after that, my mother fell ill. And from that moment on, my entire life slowly became dependent on the Ashford family.

“Elena, stop staying silent. Answer me. Are you ready to carry all of this alone?”

My lips trembled. My fingers dug into my palms.

“Are you threatening me?” I asked softly.

“I’m simply telling you the consequences.”

I lowered my head, trying to steady my breathing, but it was useless. My thoughts were spinning, and my whole body shook with humiliation and anger.

“Who is the man?” I finally asked, my voice barely audible.

For the first time that night, Edward’s expression softened slightly. Or maybe I was simply desperate enough to imagine it.

“That doesn’t matter.”

My head snapped up immediately.

“It matters to me!” My voice rose before I could stop it. “You’re asking me to sleep with another man, Edward! At the very least, I deserve to know who I’ll be—”

I cut myself off. Edward’s jaw hardened before he stepped closer, stopping right in front of me.

“He’s clean, El.” His tone remained flat. “And he won’t become a problem once everything is over.”

“And what guarantee do I have that I’ll actually get pregnant?”

“I’ll make sure the chances are high,” Edward replied casually. “You’ll do it during your fertile window.”

I swallowed hard.

“And after I get pregnant?” I asked quietly.

“You’ll remain Mrs. Ashford.”

A soft scoff escaped me. Edward’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“We don’t have another choice, Elena. You know that.”

Silence filled the room. And I hated the fact that he was right. If we divorced, my mother’s treatment would stop immediately. My parents’ house would be seized, and I’d be left with nothing except the mountain of debt my family still hadn’t paid off.

Meanwhile, the Ashfords?

They would continue living perfectly fine without me. How ironic. Two years ago, I married Edward believing he was my savior. But tonight, everything changed.

“If I agree…” My voice was barely above a whisper. “Will you promise not to ask me to do something this humiliating ever again once I’m pregnant?”

“Yes.”

That single word felt unbearably cold. But the image of my mother lying weak and helpless in her hospital bed shattered what little strength I had left. Tears finally slipped down my cheeks.

“Fine,” I whispered brokenly. “I’ll do it.”

For the first time that night, Edward’s shoulders relaxed slightly.

“Good choice, Elena.”

“But listen to me carefully, Edward.”

Our eyes met. And somehow, that alone forced me to keep standing tall.

“After that night…” My lips trembled softly. “Don’t blame me if I can’t love you the same way anymore.”

Something flickered briefly in Edward’s eyes. But only for a second. The next moment, the coldness returned.

“Your feelings don’t matter as long as you remain my wife, Elena.”

Another tear slid down my face.

And for the first time since marrying him, I found myself wishing I had never fallen in love with Edward Ashford at all.