Chapter 3: Ugly One Causes Trouble

The woman blocking Shantal’s path was Ashley Jones ,  Ullysis’s secretary.

From time to time, Ullysis took her to business events.

It didn’t take long for Ashley’s arrogance to grow.

She walked around like she already belonged to the Ray Ford family.

As if it was only a matter of time… before she replaced Shantal.

“Mrs. Ray Ford… here again?” Ashley greeted, raising her chin slightly.

Her voice dripped with sarcasm, the word again laced with meaning.

Shantal smiled politely. “Ms. Jones.”

Ashley’s eyes swept over Shantal’s empty hands with disdain.

“No lunch for Mr. Ray Ford today?” she mocked.

“I heard he threw away the food you made last time.”

Her smugness was obvious ,  like she had already won.

In the past, Shantal ignored Ashley’s childish provocations.

Out of respect for Ullysis.

But now?

She didn’t even like Ullysis anymore.

No reason to hold back.

As Ashley kept talking, she secretly studied Shantal.

The simple, tailored dress.

Long, neat hair cascading over her shoulders.

That delicate, flawless face…

Despite her jealousy, Ashley had to admit ,  Shantal was stunning.

But there was something different today.

A cold, sharp aura that made Ashley feel… small.

She’s just a pretty face who cooks for her husband, Ashley reminded herself.

I’m a top graduate. I work at a major company.

She can’t compete with me.

Still, the jealousy gnawed at her.

She needed to crush Shantal with her words.

But before Ashley could open her mouth again ,  Shantal moved.

In one swift motion, Shantal grabbed Ashley’s chin, lifting it slightly.

Ashley froze.

Her eyes widened in shock at the strength of Shantal’s grip.

Shantal leaned in, her smile calm ,  icy, dangerous.

“Have I not been kind enough to you?” she asked softly.

Ashley tried to pull back, but Shantal’s hand was like iron.

For someone so slim… her grip was shockingly strong.

“L-Let me go…” Ashley stammered, her voice muffled under Shantal’s hand.

Shantal’s eyes gleamed, sharp as glass.

“I have a bad temper, Ms. Jones,” she whispered.

“If you keep struggling… I might accidentally dislocate your chin.”

Ashley’s mouth snapped shut.

Her heart pounded with fear.

Shantal smiled faintly, her gaze cutting through Ashley like a blade.

“So this is why Ullysis never comes home,” she said quietly.

“He’s been keeping a little fox like you around the office.”

Ashley flushed ,  a mix of anger, humiliation, and fear.

But before she could retaliate…

Her expression changed.

She spotted someone approaching behind Shantal.

Her eyes lit up with fake innocence.

Her voice turned soft, pitiful.

“Mrs. Ray Ford, you’ve misunderstood,” Ashley said sweetly.

“There’s nothing going on between Mr. Ray Ford and me.

I’m just his secretary… I only accompany him to a few business dinners…

You’ve really misunderstood.”

Ashley’s eyes turned red and watery ,  partly from Shantal’s grip on her chin… mostly from embarrassment.

Her fake acting was awful.

Shantal smiled ,  then finally let go.

“What are you saying? I was just joking,” she said lightly.

She pulled a wet tissue from her bag and carefully wiped her hand…

As if she’d touched something filthy.

Ashley’s hands trembled with anger.

What was that supposed to mean?

Was Shantal calling her… dirty?

Ashley wanted nothing more than to claw Shantal’s face apart.

But she held back.

Because of the person standing behind Shantal.

“Just wait, bitch,” Ashley seethed silently.

“Let’s see how you clean up this mess.”

Shantal looked completely unbothered.

“I’m sorry,” she added casually.

“I have mysophobia. I can’t stand… dirty, flirtatious smells.”

She tossed the used tissue into the nearby trash can.

Ashley’s face burned with rage, but she forced a sweet, innocent smile.

“Mrs. Ray Ford, you’ve misunderstood.

There’s nothing between Mr. Ray Ford and me.”

Shantal tilted her head, eyes wide with mock innocence.

“Didn’t I say I was joking?

So narrow-minded… Can’t even take a joke?”

Ashley clenched her teeth.

“Shantal… you bitch…”

But she didn’t dare say it out loud.

Shantal wasn’t finished.

“Ullysis must be blind to fall for someone like you.”

Ashley gasped ,  fury flashing in her eyes.

But the smug feeling returned as she thought of the person behind Shantal.

“Shantal… you’ve walked right into your own trap.”

Ashley smiled sweetly.

“How can you say Mr. Ray Ford is blind?

He’s not blind… though… well… sometimes, there’s really no difference between being nearsighted and blind.”

She let the words hang for a beat.

“After all, he brings someone like you to business parties.

Who exactly is he trying to insult?”

Shantal’s lips pressed together ,  a flicker of annoyance.

But then… her expression changed.

“Oh, but I heard…

He only takes you to the small, boring parties.”

Ashley’s heart sank.

She knew what was coming… and it wouldn’t be pleasant.

“That makes sense, though,” Shantal continued sweetly.

“Ullysis may be blind… but he’s not stupid.”

She smiled.

“He knows you’re dumb and terrible with words.

If he brings you to important banquets…

You’ll offend the big clients and embarrass him.”

Ashley’s face darkened.

“You, ”

Shantal cut her off, her voice flat and cool.

“He brings you to small dinners because they don’t matter.

It’s like keeping trash nearby ,  it makes no difference.

That’s probably your only value to the company, right?”

Her tone was calm. Sweet.

But her words were knives.

Shantal smiled gracefully ,  elegant, poised…

Completely unaffected, even as the woman in front of her openly flirted with her husband.

Ashley’s smug smile widens.

Some of the people nearby couldn’t help but chuckle softly at Shantal’s words.

Even though they tried to hide it, Ashley heard them ,  and her face darkened with anger.

When Shantal walked in earlier, Ashley had deliberately raised her voice to embarrass her.

But now… the plan had completely backfired.

Instead of Shantal, Ashley was the one humiliated in front of everyone.

It was true.

Ashley wasn’t trusted with important tasks.

The only reason she got to attend business events with Ullysis…

Was because sometimes, he wanted a pretty woman by his side.

And Ashley?

She had the best looks and figure in the office.

But what Ashley thought was her advantage…

Had turned her into a joke.

A flirtatious secretary…

A woman the president only took to unimportant events.

The more Ashley thought about it, the angrier she became.

Shantal’s calm, gentle smile made it worse.

“Instead of messing with me… go look in the mirror,” Shantal thought coldly.

“Maybe then you’ll understand how ugly things cause trouble.”

Shantal turned to leave.

But Ashley’s panicked voice stopped her.

“M-Mr. Ray Ford!”

Ashley’s eyes instantly filled with tears as she forced herself to look pitiful.

“Mr. Ray Ford… Mrs. Ray Ford misunderstood our relationship…”

Ashley carefully chose her words.

If Ullysis denied everything and scolded Shantal ,  she’d be humiliated.

But if Ullysis admitted to anything…

Her status would rise overnight.

No one in the company would dare touch her.

But to Ashley’s shock…

Ullysis completely ignored her.

His cold eyes locked straight onto Shantal.

Shantal met his gaze, her own eyes calm… slightly mocking.

“I’ve signed the divorce papers,” Shantal said, her voice cool and steady.

“Didn’t we agree to finish the process today?

I waited an hour at the Civil Affairs Bureau.

You never showed.

You’re wasting my time.”

The anger in her voice…

The coldness in her eyes…

Since their marriage began, Shantal had never spoken to him like this.

Ullysis was stunned.

The woman he thought he knew…

The one who always cared about him…

Now looked at him like a stranger.

Something twisted in Ullysis’s chest.

Frustration. Confusion.

A sharp, burning anger he couldn’t explain.

He stepped closer to Shantal.

His presence darkened the air around them ,  overwhelming.

Shantal’s eyes widened slightly at the pressure he gave off.

Before she could stop herself… she stepped back.

“You call that a waste of time? I thought you’d love spending every minute with me.”

Ullysis’s cold laugh echoed through the room, but behind it, a storm brewed in his chest. His fists clenched at his sides as he thought about this morning, how Shantal had been ready to finalize their divorce without a second thought. The bitterness crept into his voice before he could stop it.

But Shantal didn’t flinch. She didn’t argue. Instead, she shrugged lightly, her expression calm.

“You’re right,” she agreed coolly. “I was blind to waste so much time on you. But don’t worry… I’ve finally learned my lesson. From now on, I’ll be spending my time much more wisely.”

A quiet gasp slipped from Weldon, who stood frozen nearby.

How could a woman’s heart change so fast?

Just yesterday, this same woman looked at the president like he was her whole world… and now, she called herself blind?

The employees of Ray Ford Corporation, secretly watching from the sidelines, were equally stunned.

“Mrs. Ray Ford is… divorcing him?”

“And she’s the one asking for it?”

“Why? Mr. Ray Ford has money, power… a family background women would kill for.”

“Did she misunderstand his relationship with Mrs. Jones, the secretary?”

“But doesn’t she know… the president can’t stand women like Mrs. Jones?”

The whispers circled, thick with confusion and disbelief. To them, walking away from a man like Ullysis was madness. What woman in her right mind would give that up?

But no one dared say it to Shantal’s face.

Ullysis stood silent, his face dark as thunder. But this time, Shantal didn’t waste a second wondering what he was thinking.

She checked her watch. An hour left before the Civil Affairs Bureau closed.

“Still enough time,” she said simply. “Let’s go.”

Without waiting for a reply, she turned and walked toward the exit, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor.

At the front doors, she paused, realizing Ullysis wasn’t following. Turning around, she met his cold, unreadable stare.

Before… that look would’ve made her heart race with fear.

Before… she would’ve tiptoed around him, terrified of upsetting him.

But not anymore.

The only reason Ullysis could ever hurt her… was because she’d handed him her heart.

Now? That heart was locked away, safe. And with it, her fear was gone.

Shantal lifted her chin, eyes steady.

“Aren’t you coming?” she asked, her tone light but cutting.

“Don’t tell me… you’re backing out of the divorce again?”

She crossed her arms, a cool smile curving her lips.

“You practically begged me to take half your fortune and sign those papers. But now that I’ve finally agreed… you’re the one stalling?”

Her head tilted slightly as her eyes sparkled with quiet mockery.

“So… what are you really after, Mr. Ray Ford?”