Evil Ex-Wife

A car crash landed me smack-dab in the middle of a cheesy romance novel, as the villainous ex-wife of the rich and powerful CEO. Remembering the original character's tragic ending, I signed the divorce papers faster than you can say "alimony." My ex-husband, Jason, his face went dark. "Ashley," he said, his voice like ice, "are you absolutely sure about this?" My heart skipped a beat, and I clutched my purse tighter. Hell yeah, I was sure. That sweet, sweet settlement money? I wasn’t giving a cent back.

It took three days in the hospital bed to accept the reality of my situation. Me, Ashley, a regular college student, was now living the life of a walking cliché in some ridiculous romance novel. I was the ex-wife, spoiled rotten and used to getting my way thanks to my family’s fortune. I’d fallen head-over-heels for Jason, the classic handsome, talented, but poor-as-dirt hero, at freshman orientation. I'd chased him relentlessly, manipulating him into marrying me. Jason’s dad was deaf, his mom was on dialysis, and he’d only married me because he was desperate for the money to pay her medical bills.

Five years of marriage saw Jason rise from a nobody to a business tycoon. Our relationship, however, tanked. He was slipping out of my control, but I was too clueless to notice, still acting like a spoiled brat. Until I pushed his true love, Melissa, down the stairs, breaking her leg. That's when Jason finally snapped and filed for divorce. And that's when I got hit by a car.

Jason showed up on the third day, tossing the divorce papers at me. "Ashley," he’d said, his voice dripping with disdain, "haven't you caused enough trouble?" Despite his coldness, my heart did a little flutter when I saw his face. I had to give the original Ashley credit – the guy was seriously hot. Then I glanced at the settlement amount and nearly had a heart attack. Holy crap. I was rich!

My family had money, sure, but I had a younger brother, so inheriting the family business was out of the question. Jason, on the other hand, had built a serious fortune in just a few years. The divorce settlement was insane. Karma, apparently, was a bitch, and I was reaping the rewards. After calculating my newfound riches, I fought back a grin, pretending to be heartbroken. “Okay,” I whispered, “I’ll agree to the divorce.” Jason was taken aback. He clearly hadn’t expected me to cave so easily. But I wasn’t going to miss this opportunity! Before he could change his mind, I scribbled my signature on the dotted line. He frowned suspiciously. "You..."

I turned away, dabbing at nonexistent tears. "I’ve thought it over, Jason. Let's just… let each other go." He stood there silently for a long moment. I was about to crawl back under the covers and count my money again when I realized he was still staring at the signed papers. "Aren't you leaving?" I asked. He looked up. "Shouldn't you, uh, go see Melissa? Her leg is still healing, right?" His face darkened.

I got a little nervous. Was he havin...