When Love Turns to Ashes Chapter 13

Her friends were silenced by her explosive reaction, exchanging glances. Finally, they sighed and said nothing more.

But Victoria knew—her friends' words had planted seeds of doubt deep in her heart.

She downed a large gulp of liquor, trying to numb the growing unease and... regret.

To demonstrate the depth of her relationship with Luke to the outside world, Victoria deliberately chose their anniversary date—the same one she'd celebrated with Ethan—to take Luke to that mountaintop restaurant overlooking the entire city.

This was where she and Ethan had gotten engaged.

Same location, same view. She even ordered Ethan's favorite dishes.

But Luke across from her seemed completely out of place.

He fumbled with the complex silverware, creating jarring clinking sounds. He couldn't handle refined French cuisine, complaining the portions were tiny and overpriced. He couldn't read the foreign menu, requiring Victoria's repeated explanations. His excitement made him speak too loudly, drawing annoyed glances from neighboring tables.

Victoria stared at the empty seat across from her—once Ethan's—as memories flooded uncontrollably.

She remembered years ago when Ethan wore a tailored suit, sat there smiling with elegant manners, then played an impromptu Debussy piece on the restaurant's grand piano that stunned the entire room and made her heart race.

Back then, he'd been radiant, perfectly complementing the romantic setting.

But now...

Watching Luke fumble messily with sauce, her heart held not love but an indescribable irritation and... piercing pain.

That carefully planned dinner ended in awkward tedium.

A year later, Victoria gave birth to a son.

Becoming a mother brought momentary joy, but holding that wrinkled baby with features resembling Luke's plain looks, Victoria felt a crushing disappointment.

She couldn't help remembering long ago when Ethan had held her, dreaming: "Victoria, let's have a daughter someday. If she looks like you with your bright eyes, she'd be beautiful."

Now, there was no daughter. And the man who'd wanted that daughter was long gone.

During postpartum recovery, Luke displayed his pettiness and lack of sophistication to the extreme.

He complained the meal plan was too expensive, secretly ordering takeout until the nutritionist discovered it and they had a huge fight. The baby's crying made him lose control, rudely ordering around the nanny and staff. Because Victoria was busy with work and spent less time with him post-birth, he grew paranoid and suspicious, constantly checking up on her and making unreasonable scenes.

Every time Victoria returned to that so-called "home," she felt not warmth but endless exhaustion and disgust.

She began making excuses to come home late or not at all.

Around this time, Victoria started frequently dreaming about Ethan.

The dreams were surreal but vivid.

She dreamed of their sixteen-year-old campus, her awkward confession, Ethan playfully shaking off her hand and laughing "Victoria!" with joy in every feature.

She dreamed of his parents' funeral, his frail body collapsing in her arms, trusting her completely.

She dreamed of their marriage, him sulking then sneaking glances at her, waiting for a reconciliatory hug...

Each dream was like a dull blade, repeatedly cutting through her already shredded heart.

Every time she woke from these beautiful yet painful dreams, only Luke's heavy snoring beside her.

The crushing contrast felt like icy tides drowning her.

She finally began understanding what she'd lost.

The ex-husband she'd once discarded like trash had become one with her over nine years—bone and blood intertwined.

His pride, his talent, his dependence, even his moods—all had become irreplaceable parts of her life.

And she'd personally pushed him away, choosing this so-called "gentle reliability" that was nothing but self-deception.

The dream was over. Only endless emptiness and regret remained.

But it was too late.

That Ethan whose heart and eyes had been full of her—she'd personally killed him in that fire.

All that remained was Victoria Hayes, her soul hollowed out like a walking corpse, trapped in the cage of her own making, forced to chew on this belated, soul-corroding agony for the rest of her days.

Time didn't heal Victoria's emptiness—it fermented her regret and loss into something increasingly bitter.

Her life with Luke didn't bring the warm peace she'd initially fantasized about. Instead, it revealed irreconcilable contradictions and inadequacy.

After she bore his son, Luke seemed to think his position was secure and grew increasingly greedy and shortsighted.

He was no longer satisfied with luxury. He constantly demanded massive assets, company shares, even repeatedly interfered with corporate personnel, trying to install his lazy, incompetent relatives in important positions.

"Victoria, my cousin's really honest. Can't you make him deputy finance director?"

"My niece just graduated and wants experience in marketing. Put in a word for her!"

"Our son's the future Hayes heir. Setting up more assets for him now—what's wrong with that? You're not saving it for outsiders, are you?"

These unreasonable demands sparked strong opposition from company veterans and key executives who voiced concerns at meetings.

Victoria, exasperated, finally snapped when Luke proposed installing a distant cousin as branch manager: "Luke, the company isn't a playground! We have strict hiring standards and systems! Just stay home with the kid and stop meddling in company business!"

Luke was stunned, then his eyes reddened as he accused her loudly: "Victoria! You're yelling at me?! Everything I do is for who? Isn't it to secure our son's future?! Are you... are you still thinking about Ethan?! Is that why you find us father and son irritating?!"

"Ethan Brooks"—those three words pierced Victoria's already frayed nerves like poisoned thorns.

She slammed the table, her voice sharp: "Shut up! Don't you dare mention him! I told you a thousand times—company matters aren't your concern!"

Seeing Victoria's dark expression, Luke went silent, but his eyes burned with resentment and malice.

Even more embarrassing was family gatherings.

The Hayes family hosted their annual reunion, inviting many respected elders and important business partners.

Luke dressed expensively but couldn't hide his inherent awkwardness and superficiality.

At dinner, trying to assert himself as "Victoria's husband," he boasted about the luxury cars and mansions Victoria bought him, even rudely dismissing a highly respected great-uncle for having "outdated views."

The dining room fell instantly silent, faces showing undisguised contempt.

Victoria's face turned iron-gray, wanting to crawl under the table.