Ex-Husband, You Don't Own Me
Synopsis
“I'll never love him again!" Dexie Hansley declared. She was the stunning and devoted wife of Luke Huxley Dawson, the young, attractive, and successful head of a billion-dollar company. Despite her loyalty to Luke, Dexie never received the affection and attention she desperately craved from him before his untimely and tragic passing. Dexie finalizes the divorce and ends her one-sided relationship with Luke after receiving a second chance at life. However, this decision triggers a change in Luke, who starts to openly defy his past behavior. Will Dexie ever reconsider giving Luke another chance to win her back? What will unfold as Luke tries to win her over again?
Ex-Husband, You Don't Own Me Free Chapters
Chapter 1 | Ex-Husband, You Don't Own Me
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The sirens blared at 120 BPM as the ambulance raced through the city center. Dexie Hansley, lying in the ambulance, gradually lost consciousness and heard the voices of a doctor and a nurse.
The nurse had taken her phone, and Dexie overheard her talking on the phone.
"Is this Dexie Hansley's husband? Your wife was involved in a car accident. We are currently transporting her to the hospital.
"Is she dead?"
An icy voice interrupted the nurse on the other end of the line.
Stunned, the nurse replied, "No, not yet."
"I'm very busy. Let me know when she's dead. I'll come get her body."
"Hello..."
Beep-
The line cut before the nurse could finish her sentence.
She also didn't know what had happened to her. She could clearly hear Luke Huxley Dawson's every word as she lost consciousness.
Bitterly smiling, Dexie slowly closed her eyes. It's important to remember that some individuals possess unyielding hearts from birth.
Why did I think I could touch his heart someday? After that, her hand fell lifelessly to the ground.
"The patient's heart had stopped beating..."
Dexie sat on the bed as she stared at her beautiful and tender hands. There were no visible scars on her skin.
"What's going on? Wasn't I sent to the hospital after a car accident?”
“How did I wake up in my room? Why were there no injuries to me?"
At this moment, an illogical thought came to her mind. She suddenly looked up and glanced at the wall clock. The time displayed was...
January 1, 2023.
"Have I... been reborn?" Dexie was thinking to herself.
Although this scenario seemed like something out of a novel, the logical explanation for her being unharmed in her room showed that a year had passed since the incident. Could this be a second chance from God to set things, right? She pondered.
Recalling Luke's cold and detached words before her demise, she chuckled at her own naivety. Suddenly, a thought struck her, and she reached for her bedside table.
"As expected," Dexie scoffed as the words "divorce papers" came into view. Luke had sent her this legal document through his lawyer the day before, showing his impatience to address their divorce directly.
In her previous life, Dexie had resisted the divorce, leading to a deterioration in her relationship with Luke over the following year. Despite her efforts to salvage their marriage, Luke remained aloof and unwilling to reconcile. Dexie couldn't comprehend why she had fought so hard or why she had clung to a marriage that was merely a facade.
She had hoped that by staying by Luke's side as his wife, she could eventually reach his heart.
But Luke refused to take care of her even when she was on the brink of death after the car accident. It appeared that he was even waiting for her death.
Thinking about it, her heart ached.
Luke was like a skilled killer who skillfully stabbed her in the heart countless times.
Even when Dexie was in so much pain, she was unwilling to let him go. The more she thought about the past, the more ridiculous it seemed to her. Picking up the divorce papers from the drawer, she carefully read the terms written. Although Luke had no feelings for her, he was very generous.
With the assets she would receive from the divorce, Dexie could live a very comfortable life. It was impossible for her to spend all the money, even if she lived off it for several lifetimes.
After reading the document, Dexie went to the study room. Coming out of the study room with a file in hand, Dexie called Luke's lawyer.
"Mr. Lance, after making some changes to the divorce papers, I signed them. Please take it to Luke. If there are no issues, have him sign it."
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At Huxley Dawson Corporation, there was a knock on the door of the president's office.
"Come in," Luke said. Miller Lance, Huxley Dawson Corporation's chief consultant and lawyer, entered the office carrying a folder. He walked towards Luke with an inexplicable expression on his face.
Looking up, Luke fixed his gaze on Miller and casually asked, "Are you still not ready to sign the documents?"
Luke's crisp voice sent chills down the spine. His face was unaffected when he mentioned his divorce.
"No, she's already signed them. But..." Miller paused momentarily.
"But what?"
“She made some changes to the property division," Miller reported as he handed the documents to Luke.
"Did she think I gave her too few assets?" Luke scoffed.
Indeed, she was a greedy woman. No matter how much she loved him, her love could not resist the temptation of money, Miller thought, pursing his lips without saying a word. Luke didn't wait for Miller to speak. Taking out the divorce papers that Dexie had signed, he froze.
Compared to the stack of documents he had sent detailing the asset allocation after their divorce, this divorce document only comprised one sheet of paper.
It clearly stated that Dexie would not receive any assets.
Additionally, a stock transfer agreement stipulated that Luke would receive an unconditional transfer of 5% of Dexie's Huxley Dawson Corporation shares.
So, Dexie, who strongly disagreed with the divorce yesterday, signed the divorce papers but didn't want any of the assets? Besides that, Dexie had also given Luke what should have been his. Luke's expression froze, unable to process the feelings he felt.
"What else did she say?"
Luke didn't believe Dexie would accept the divorce so easily.
In the past, she had tried so hard to force her grandfather to marry him. So, how could she easily give up her position as wife of the president of Huxley Dawson Corporation? Luke frowned, causing several creases to appear on the paper as he subconsciously tightened his grip on the divorce document.
His assistant, Warry Williams, noticed Luke's frustrated expression and immediately assumed that Dexie had reviewed the asset terms and secretly despised her. Warry, who was present when Luke instructed Miller to complete the divorce agreement, knew that Luke had been fair in dividing the assets and had not mistreated Dexie.
Warry wondered if Dexie truly loved Luke or if she valued her assets more, considering her dissatisfaction with the asset allocation. He discreetly glanced at the new divorce agreement out of curiosity.
Dexie had reviewed it and was equally surprised by its contents. Dexie not only declined to claim any assets, but he also relinquished the shares that Luke's grandfather had given him.
Warry never would have imagined that Dexie would review the agreement to leave the Huxley Dawson family with nothing after giving Luke a divorce gift. Even though 5% of Huxley Dawson shares are not substantial, Dexie could have earned enough annual dividends to cover her living expenses for the rest of her life.
"No, sir. Mrs. Hansley would like for both of you to take some time to complete the divorce as soon as possible."
Miller's response did not put Luke in a favorable mood; instead, it caused an unknown agitation and frustration in his heart.
Chapter 2 | Ex-Husband, You Don't Own Me
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“You may go," Luke said to Miller and Warry as they stood in front of him.
After the two men left, Luke's expression darkened significantly. He leaned back in his leather chair, his cold eyes growing even darker.
Luke couldn't believe that Dexie had truly accepted the divorce. How could someone who had adamantly refused to divorce just the day before suddenly change their mind and accept it? He wondered.
Luke sarcastically scoffed and ignored the divorce papers that Miller had brought. Despite the inexplicable frustration he felt, Luke pushed it down and searched for the official documents on the table, but he couldn't focus on a single word.
"Mrs. Huxley Dawson, are you leaving?" the maid asked as she saw Dexie coming down the stairs with her luggage.
Everyone in the Huxley Dawson family was aware of the strained relationship between Dexie and Luke. The late Mr. Huxley Dawson, the family patriarch, even forced Luke's marriage to Dexie, as some members of the extended family knew.
Mr. Huxley Dawson had passed away, and Luke had proposed to divorce Dexie.
How could Dexie be happy, especially since she loved Luke wholeheartedly and would do anything for him?
Recalling when the lawyer had delivered the divorce papers to Dexie in front of all the servants, Winston couldn't help but feel sympathy for her. Rumors had circulated that Dexie was merely a replacement for Luke's ex-girlfriend, and it seemed plausible.
"No, I'm moving out," Dexie said with a smile, thanking Winston for his care over the past year. She was easy to please and only concerned herself with Luke-related matters.
"Are you really going to divorce Mr. Huxley Dawson?" Winston asked, and Dexie nodded gently with a smile. Suppressing the sharp pain in her heart, she left.
After taking a few steps, Dexie paused as if remembering something and turned back to look at Winston.
“Oh, please have someone remove the malus from the garden," Mrs. Huxley Dawson requested.
"Eh? This..." Winston frowned. "But you planted them," Mrs. Huxley Dawson said.
"Remove them. Luke doesn't like them."
As they were going through a divorce, Dexie wanted to leave without a trace. There was no need to leave anything behind just to bother Luke.
After that, Dexie left the mansion without looking back.
When Luke returned home, he saw an excavator in the yard, and the gardeners were removing the malus. His face darkened instantly.
Since they got married, Luke has either stayed out late or returned home in the early hours of the morning. It was the first time he had returned home early. Why were his behaviors so unpredictable?
Although Winston was confused, she did not investigate further, and she hurriedly asked the staff to stop their work.
Luke climbed the stairs unhappily. When he opened the door, he found the room empty.
He rarely came home, and even when he did, Dexie would usually sit and wait for him in the bedroom. If she had fallen aHuxley Dawson, she would wake up to greet him and happily ask about his day.
Luke was unused to the quiet and empty room and suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of anxiety. He loosened his tie and threw it aside as he looked around the empty room.
Although there was no major change, Luke felt that something was different.
More than half of the books on the shelves had disappeared.
Opening the closet that was still full of clothes, he couldn't find a single piece of clothing that belonged to Dexie.
Luke frowned, refusing to believe that Dexie had moved out after accepting the divorce.
"Was she trying to play hard to get?" As soon as he thought of this, Luke's face darkened, and his frown deepened.
Although he firmly believed that Dexie would never divorce him so easily, the anxiety and panic he felt never diminished.
After Dexie left the house she shared with Luke for the past year, she moved to an apartment she owned in the city.
Although she had not lived in the apartment for long, she had hired someone to clean it daily.
After setting her luggage aside, Dexie took out her phone and made a call.
The call immediately connected to a hoarse voice on the other end of the line. The person had just woken up.
"Dexie, I just dreamt about you, and now you're calling me. Great minds think alike." Ignoring the man's words, Dexie said, "There's something I need you to investigate. Once you've done that, gather the evidence and send it to me."
Dexie then clearly explained what she needed the man to investigate. After hanging up, Dexie closed her eyes and felt a sudden chill. Dexie woke up early the next day. After freshening up, she gathered some necessary documents and drove to the Civil Affairs Office.
The Civil Affairs Office was open at this hour, and there were many people who completed their marriage and divorce procedures. Dexie stood at the entrance of the Civil Affairs Office and waited patiently for an hour, but Luke never showed up. As time passed, Dexie grew increasingly impatient.
She had tried calling Luke, but he did not answer. Similarly, when she tried reaching Warry, no one picked her up.