Lahat ng Kabanata ng OFF LIMIT: FOURTEEN NIGHTS WITH MY HUSBAND'S BEST FRIENDS : Kabanata 131 - Kabanata 140

Chapter 132Elowen Adrian and Kian had successfully painted me as mentally unstable, had used my own vulnerability from years ago as a weapon, had delayed my freedom by at least another month.I sat there as the courtroom emptied, unable to move, unable to process what had just happened."Elowen," Rebecca said gently. "We need to talk about that letter."I looked at her, saw the disappointment and confusion in her eyes, and knew she was wondering what else I hadn't told her."I didn't know he had it," I whispered. "I swear I didn't know.""But you knew the letter existed," she said, and it wasn't a question.I nodded, tears finally spilling over."It was five years ago," I said. "I was seeing a therapist because I had abandonment issues, she had me write letters as an exercise, I never thought..."I stopped, my voice breaking."I never thought Adrian would find them," I finished. "I never thought he'd keep them for this."Rebecca sighed and gathered her papers."We'll deal with the e

Chapter 134ElowenThe next morning I woke up with a tea by my bed side and a note that reads "I spoke to Damien and he agreed to let you take another day off, to clear your mind off everything."What? I don't think it's right that I continuously use my influence as Caroline's friend and take several days off.It'll look like I'm taking advantage of him.I wore my flip flops and headed to the living room because I know she might still be around.But surprisingly, she wasn't even dressed neither has she taken her bath.She was in the kitchen preparing omelette."Why aren't you ready for work yet?" I asked confused while working towards her.She picked up the cup beside her and extended it towards me without turning."Drink. I'm sure you didn't taste the one I dropped at your bed side" I rolled my eyes at her words, of course she's able to read me without even a glance."Why are you still dressed in your nightwear?" I asked again."I took a day off" she replied still not looking at me.

Chapter 136 KianI was reviewing depositions when my assistant's voice came through the intercom."Mr. Ashford, you have a visitor."I didn't look up from the documents. "I don't have any appointments scheduled.""She says it's urgent. It's Rebecca Chen."My pen stopped mid-stroke. Elowen's lawyer coming to my office unannounced was either incredibly bold or spectacularly stupid."Send her in."Rebecca entered without waiting for further invitation, crossing my office with confident strides and settling into the chair across from my desk before I could offer it.I gave her a chilly smile, genuinely surprised by the audacity.Most lawyers approached me with careful deference, aware of my reputation. This woman walked in like she owned the space."What can I do for you, Ms. Chen?" I asked, keeping my voice professionally neutral.She met my gaze without flinching, and I had to give her credit—she had nerve."I didn't realize you were such a hypocrite, Mr. Ashford."My eyebrow raised. "

Chapter 138ElowenThe psychiatric evaluation was scheduled for Thursday morning at nine, and I'd barely slept the night before, running through potential questions and trying to prepare answers that wouldn't make me sound unstable.I tried to teach my body not to flinch when asked a question that's unwanted.Not to give anything out.Caroline had left early for work after making me promise to text her the moment it was over, and I sat in the waiting room of Dr. Philip Matsuda's office trying to keep my hands from shaking.The office was deliberately calming—soft colors, comfortable furniture, instrumental music playing quietly—but none of it helped the anxiety clawing up my throat."Mrs. Thorne?" A woman in her fifties appeared in the doorway. "Dr. Matsuda is ready for you."I followed her into a spacious office where a man in his early sixties sat behind a desk, his expression professionally neutral."Please, sit," he said, gesturing to the chair across from him. "I'm Dr. Matsuda. T

Chapter 140ElowenThe psychiatric evaluation results came back faster than expected—five days instead of the typical two weeks.Dr. Matsuda's report was clear: I was of sound mind, fully capable of making informed decisions about my life, and showed no signs of mental incompetence that would prevent me from pursuing divorce.Rebecca called the moment she received it, triumph clear in her voice."This changes everything," she'd said. "Matsuda didn't just clear you—he explicitly stated that the letter from six years ago has no bearing on your current mental state. He even noted that seeking therapy for childhood trauma shows self-awareness, not instability."That had been Wednesday. By Thursday afternoon, Rebecca had filed an emergency motion requesting the court reconvene to address the falsified evidence now that the competency question was resolved."We're going after Adrian for fraud," she'd explained during our prep session Friday morning. "Dr. Ellis is prepared to testify that t