Looking at Lena, who was giving her a cold look, Ashley asked, "Miss Mu, please tell me how I should
talk to Mrs. Mu."
Of course, Ashley didn't expect Lena to answer her. She then turned to Peggy.
Anger was simmering in Lena's chest, but she was helpless.
What she hated most was Ashley's air of indifference.
Surprise was evident in Peggy's face. Never in her wildest dream did she expect Ashley to get things
done so soon. Looking down at Ashley's marriage certificate, she asked, "Is this fake?" Her attention
was then averted by the photo of the man Ashley married.
He was so handsome that it made her more skeptical of the whole thing.
Lena moved closer to Peggy so that she could see clearly. After seeing the handsome man on the
photo, she immediately became dumbfounded. 'Isn't this the man we met in the Vineyard Restaurant
last time?
Who is this man?
How did Ashley end up with him?' Lena wondered.
With a sneer, Ashley addressed Peggy. "If you don't believe it," she started, glaring at the two ladies,
"You're welcome to go to the Civil Affairs Bureau to investigate at any time."
Peggy gave her a haughty look and snorted, "You don't have the nerve to deceive me!" 'There's just no
way this can happen, ' she said inwardly, trying very hard to convince herself. After taking a deep
breath, she looked at Ashley and threw the certificate to her face.
Ashley was able to dodge the attack, but it made her blood boil.
"Where's the jade pendant?" she asked, anger shining through the tone of her voice.
Feeling Ashley's aura, Peggy immediately took the jade pendant out of her bag to give it to her.
However, she was stopped by Lena.
Looking Ashley in the eyes, Lena started to speak, "Tell us who the guy is first." She needed to know
who that was.
Ashley quickly snatched the jade pendant from Peggy's hand and then looked at Lena. "That doesn't
have anything to do with you."
Shaking with anger, Lena just stared at Ashley.
Upon holding the jade pendant, Ashley felt peace run through her veins. Never in her life had she
experienced anything like that before.
Upon seeing peace on Ashley's face, a wild idea came to Lena's mind. "Ashley!" she blurted out,
"You've become someone's mistress, haven't you?"
The more she thought about it, the more she felt that she was right. 'Yes! How else could she afford to
go to the Vineyard?
Even a person of my status would have to make an appointment a month in advance just to go there!'
she thought.
Lena thought she finally cracked down on Ashley's scam. In an arrogant tone, she gloated, "Ashley,
you've really become someone's mistress, huh?
Even if you're just an adopted daughter, you are still a member of our family. How could you do such a
shameful thing?" Lena was looking at Ashley furiously.
Upon seeing that all the customers in the coffee shop had turned to look at them, Lena's anger
vanished. Embarrassing Ashley in such a public place made her happy.
In today's society, being a mistress is unforgivable, no matter who you are or how distinguished you
are.
Everyone would hate you.
Ashley slowly turned her glare to Lena, disdain very clear on her face. "You know what, Lena? I really
thought you had a brain. Apparently, all you have up there is air," sneered Ashley. She then put the
jade pendant inside her bag and took her marriage certificate. With one final look at Lena and Peggy,
Ashley left the coffee shop.
"How dare you insult me, Ashley? How dare you!" Lena shouted after Ashley. Shaking, she suddenly
understood what Ashley meant by saying that.
After seeing that everyone in the coffee shop was looking at them, Peggy persuaded Lena to calm
down. "Keep your voice down, we're in public!"
With tears in her eyes, Lena turned to Peggy and said, "But that insolent bitch..."
"Well, you don't need to lose your temper," Peggy replied in a hushed tone. "When you marry
Raymond, you can do whatever you want to her." Since Ashley had already married, Peggy's fear of
her stealing Raymond from Lena disappeared. When Lena managed to win Raymond's favor, she
would become the daughter-in-law of the Luo family.
Lena couldn't do anything else. She turned around, and cursed Ashley viciously in her heart.
---
With nothing else to do in the bakery, Ashley and Ellie went home early.
Ashley didn't know how to tell Ellie that she was already married. To her surprise though, Ellie told her
that she had something urgent to do and that she needed to go home at once.
Ellie's parents had a divorce when she was a child. Her grandparents raised her. Because she was
really good at school, she was able to ace her university entrance exam and she was given the
opportunity to come to J City. In that strange city, she met Ashley and ever since then, they had
become very good friends. They had looked after and helped each other for several years.
Ashley had already met Ellie's grandparents, and they were very kind to her. So when she heard Ellie's
grandpa had an accident, she couldn't help but feel nervous.
"How's your grandpa? Was he badly hurt?" Ashley asked anxiously.
Seeing Ashley's worried look, Ellie comforted her with a soft voice, "Don't worry. I will be back soon.
You just need to run our bakery here."
"Maybe I can go back with you," Ashley said immediately.
"In that case, who will keep an eye on our bakery? We have started our business not too long ago.
There are still many malicious competitors. So just stay here. I will be back in a few days."
No matter how Ellie tried to comfort her, Ashley felt uneasy.
Aside from really wanting to accompany Ellie back to her home, she really had no idea how to tell her
she was already married.
Finally, Ashley decided to keep silent. Seeing Ellie's tired look, she thought that it would be better if she
told her about it after she came back.
"When are you leaving?" Ashley asked.
"I'm leaving tomorrow. I've already bought the ticket online," answered Ellie.
Ashley immediately asked, "That fast?"
Ellie nodded. Her grandparents were her only relatives now. After hearing that her grandpa was injured,
she became very worried and couldn't wait to return home.
"Okay then, I'll help you pack your things up," Ashley said comfortingly.
After packing up some clothes for Ellie, Ashley talked to her for a while and then she went back to her
bedroom.
She sat by the window. Seeing the bright red cover of her marriage certificate on the table, she felt
confused and conflicted.
The marriage felt like a dream.
Not one ounce of her person could believe that she had become a wife to a man.
Moreover, her husband was a man she had met only a few times.
A frown crept on her forehead. Everything that was happening to her life had been unexpected.
After a few minutes, she got up, and got ready to pack her things.
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