A Shocking End to This Love Story
Josh barged into the kitchen with a determined look on his face. He knew it was now or never! "Ashley, I have something for you," he announced as he placed the papers in her hands. There was no way she didn't see this coming.
"Wh-aa--ttt? No!" Ashley choked out. She could feel the tears rising in her eyes. She knew that Josh was spending more time at the office—but a divorce? "Well, if you really want me to sign these papers, then you'll have to do two things for me." She wasn't sure where the courage came from, but she had a plan—and Josh wouldn't figure it out until it was too late.
A Perfect Married Couple
Josh and Ashley had been married for the past seven years, and to the outside world, they had a perfect life. Josh was employed as an accountant in one of the leading firms in New Orleans, while Ashley was an interior designer.
Many people were jealous of their union; however, as the famous saying goes, ‘there’s always more than what meets the eye!” Like most couples, Ashely and Josh also had problems, and this time it seemed unfixable.
A happy family
But Josh and Ashely weren't the only people in this relationship. The couple had welcomed a beautiful baby girl into their home four years ago and needless to say, she was the light of their lives.
Still, even the toddler wasn't enough to keep the couple from splitting apart. It turns out Josh had been doing more than just crunching numbers at work, and now he wanted out of the marriage. But would Ashley's plan deter him?
Something Seems Wrong
It was a typical day in Ashley’s life as she wrapped up her work, made dinner, and patiently waited for Josh to return home. Sophia was playing around the house to mask her impatience with her dad’s arrival.
As soon as Josh entered the door, Ashley knew something was up as he wasn’t smiling. She got up from the sofa and rushed towards Josh, asking what was bothering him. Little did she knew that Josh’s answer would tear her life apart.
Josh’s Extramarital Affair
After taking a deep breath and mustering up all the courage he could summon, Josh broke the news that he was seeing someone else. He also revealed that he met her at work and that she was a client.
"I'm sorry, but I haven't been happy for a while, and she makes me feel so alive!" This unexpected revelation shook Ashley to the core. That's when Josh pulled out the papers, with no clue what Ashely was about to do.
Asks for Divorce
Giving Ashley no time to recover from the first blow, Josh took out many well-laid-out papers and slid the bunch in front of her. “I’ve already signed these divorce papers, and I need you to sign it too. I don’t think it is working between us.”
“I’ve been seeing Emma for the past year, and we have mutually decided to be together for the rest of our lives,” he added. Ashely was heartbroken, not just for herself but for Sophia. She knew she had to do something drastic now!
Ashley Breaks Down
It all happened so fast that Ashley had no time to process what was occurring. As soon as she got back to reality from her frozen state, she broke down. What seemed like a perfect marriage was now sinking in a bottomless abyss.
The moments they shared, the memories they made over the years, and all their plans for their future, everything was burnt to ashes in just a matter of seconds! But, after coming back to her senses, Ashley laid down two conditions for her husband.
First Condition
She agreed to sign the divorce papers, but only if Josh could fulfill two of her wishes. Josh was skeptical at first; he just wanted everything to be over. But he knew he had to hear his wife out at least—for Sophia.
Ashley's first condition was to keep their daughter in the dark about their separation for as long as they could. She didn't want the little girl stressing about matters that were out of her control. But what would the second condition be?
Second Condition
Knowing that the first condition wasn’t hard to abide by, Josh instantly agreed to it. The second condition turned out to be quite simple as well, and Josh wondered what Ashley wished to accomplish by it.
Ashley requested Josh to carry her to their bed, tightly wrapped in his arms and that too, for the next seven days. What did she have in mind? Josh pondered over it but, at last, agreed. He just wanted the papers signed so he could begin his new life, but fate had other plans.
Day 1
After the emotional rollercoaster of the previous night, Josh was happy to be escaping to work. He'd had a sleepless night, wondering why Ashley had made the strange request. At least at work, he never had to deal with such mysteries.
Driving home from work, he started thinking about Ashley again. He knew that this was day one of seven and wondered what the night would bring. He reached home, had dinner, and did exactly what Ashley wanted. And before long he learned her intentions behind this plan...
Flashback to Their First Date
As soon as he picked her up in his arms, their eyes locked in intense contact. Despite knowing that their marriage was nearing its demise, they couldn’t take their eyes off each other.
That’s when Ashley slowly whispered in his ear, “This reminds me of our first date when I broke my heels, and you carried me to dinner.” As the wave of nostalgia hit both of them, they fell asleep in each other’s arms.
Tension Grows
One would expect that spending the night together, remembering their first date, would mend things a little, right? But that wasn’t the case, as the morning after, they broke into a huge argument.
It was bound to happen because, despite that momentary bliss, they were still parting ways. And now, there were only six days left. Did Ashley have another ace up her sleeves?
Day 3
A million thoughts were running through Josh's mind while he drove home on the third night. He couldn't help comparing Ashley with Emma. But all of that didn't matter because he'd already made his choice...right?
That night when he carried Ashley to their bedroom, she had another story for him. And it was one he had forgotten over the years.
Flashback to Their Marriage
After Josh picked her up, Ashley looked deep into his eyes and said, “you know what this reminds me of? The day we got married, and you picked me up in your arms, right after we said our vows and kissed.”
Josh couldn’t help but look at her, and soon, his eyes grew a little teary. Was he realizing his mistake, or was it something else?
Breaking Out the Wine
Their trip down memory lane gained a bit more traction as they decided to break out a bottle of wine. Was it the celebration of them getting back on track, or were they drinking to their marriage that was soon going to meet its end?
Seems like they didn’t want to ponder over the reason as they continued laughing and giggling together while the euphoria kicked in. But this couple was in for a far worse fate than they ever imagined.
The Big Fight
Remember when we told you that their marriage was like a rollercoaster? Well, it was the perfect description because the drunk couple soon started fighting like two pit bulls caged together.
They went on to say some pretty terrible things to each other. Could Josh keep up his end of the deal for the next few nights after this sordid incident?
Day 7
It was the last day for Josh to follow that condition, and he had mixed feelings about it as he slowly drove home. A lot of things were crawling in his head, and he just wanted to get home to put them to rest.
He didn’t want to disappoint Ashley while they spent their last days together. As soon as they started feeling sleepy on the couch, he picked Ashley up and took her to bed.
Flashback to Their Daughter
It seems like Ashley was saving the biggest weapon in her arsenal for last. “Remember the time when I was pregnant with our little baby girl and my water broke right here in the kitchen?”
How could Josh forget that magical moment? He replied, “Of course! I picked you up in the exact same manner and took you to the hospital.” Would this be the end of this unfortunate couple?
Sophia Walks In
While they were having that discussion, Sophia accidentally woke up and walked in on them. She was delighted to see her parents laughing together again.
We cannot even imagine the pain and hurt of a child when their parents part their ways. Would Sophia experience the same fate, or will her parents get back together?
The Comeback of Their Happy Family
The following day, all three of them had breakfast together while the troubled couple talked about work and the weather. The mood around the breakfast table was quite delightful.
For a moment, it felt like their happy family was making a definitive comeback. However, it remained to be seen whether this rollercoaster would experience another low or keep moving upwards.
Josh Thinks Things Over
Josh found himself in a tough spot. Emma kept calling him to ask when he was moving in. But Josh was starting to second-guess his decisions.
He wanted to be with Emma, but the last few days with Ashley stirred a whirlwind of nostalgia in his head. As days passed by, he knew he had to pick one woman. But like we said, fate can be cruel.
Josh Meets Emma
Josh decided to put things to rest once and for all. He didn’t say a word to Ashley as he stormed out of his home. His car soon found itself parked in front of Emma’s beautiful mansion.
He slowly walked towards Emma’s front door and knocked. His ‘to-be’ wife opened the door with a huge grin plastered on her face, but she had no clue what drove Josh towards her home.
Josh Breaks Up with Emma
“Where were you all this while? You have no idea how much I missed my baby!” Emma leaped into his arms as soon as she saw him. Josh’s face had a somber look as if he was about to break terrible to her.
“It breaks my heart to say this to you, Emma, but we cannot be together. I decided to continue my marriage with Ashley.” It was harsh, but Josh didn’t give her a second glance. He rushed home to tell his wife what he had done!
On His Way to Redemption
The heavy feeling that Josh had the past few months was slowly vanishing into thin air as he rolled down the windows of her car on his way home.
He was finally on the path of redemption, and he wanted to let Ashley know about his decision as soon as he could. He didn't even care that he was traveling way above the speed limit!
Sleeping, Ashley
When he reached home, he couldn’t contain the excitement as he shouted Ashley’s name. But she was deeply asleep in their bedroom. She looked so peaceful but Josh was sure she'd be happy to be woken up for this news!
“Hey, babe! Wake up! I want to tell you something huge. I broke up with Emma, and I want to be with you for the rest of my life!” He screamed with joy. Sadly, he got no response.
Ashley Doesn’t Wake Up
He tried waking her up, but to his surprise, Ashley didn’t move. Not one bit. And her eyes remained shut. He tried even harder and went inside the kitchen to fetch some water.
Even after sprinkling some water on her face, Ashley didn’t move an inch. He tried feeling her pulse, but there wasn’t any… was it too late?
Josh Takes Ashley to the Hospital
Josh soon went into a state of frenzy, and the thought of losing his wife forever kept crossing his mind. Keeping his own mental state aside, he called 911, and an ambulance arrived.
Josh handed Sophia over to his neighbors and rushed to the hospital with Ashley. What happened next would change his and Sophia’s life forever.
Ashley Dies
As soon as the ambulance pulled over at the nearby hospital, Josh took Ashley inside the hospital. It didn’t take long for the doctors to figure out that Ashley was no more.
Josh started shivering with terror when he got to know that his beloved wife had passed away. Tears began rolling down his cheeks as he felt incredibly guilty about the last days he spent with his wife.
Josh Finds a Note
In his rush to get her to the hospital, Josh had missed out on something Ashley placed on the bedside cabinet. When Josh returned to his home and went inside their room, he found the note.
The note was signed by Ashley and was addressed to ‘The love of her life.’ Josh knew that Ashley wanted to say something to him, but he wasn’t sure he was ready to hear it. Nonetheless, he found the courage to read her final words.
Josh Reads the Note
The note read, “I’ve had cancer for quite some time now, but I didn’t want you to know because it was incurable. I didn’t want our daughter to know about our separation because I didn’t want her to think bad about us as parents, and I knew that I was going to die soon anyway...
I know that the last days were hard for us, but I managed to have some pretty beautiful moments with you. You will always be my love. I loved you till death did us apart. Take care of our daughter; I know that you will.”
Guilt Kicks In
The note absolutely broke Josh down to the core as he struggled to breathe. He couldn’t help but curse himself for what he did to his wife in her last days.
The realization of the fact that he ignored all the happiness that was right in front of him was hitting him hard. Now, he knew what he had to do!
Having a Tough Time
He took out the album with their old pictures and went down memory lane. They had spent nine years together, and every memory they made was flashing in front of his eyes.
Tears kept rolling down his cheeks, and as soon as Sophia heard the cries of her father, she ran into the room.
The Daughter Takes Care of the Father
Sophia might have been just 4-years old at that moment, but it is safe to say that she was very mature for her age. She hugged her father and ran her fingers through his hair.
It was like Sophia knew about what would happen, and she wanted to be there for her father to get him out of the traumatic experience.
Josh Finds Another Reason to Live
Josh was drained for a very long time, but he was coming back to life, slowly and steadily. And helping him in the process was his daughter, Sophia.
To pay tribute to his wife and to play his role as a single parent, Josh soon became determined to provide a good life for their daughter. He didn’t want Sophia to be dragged down because of her mother’s death. Would he be successful?
Glimpse Into the Future
Fast forward a few years, and Sophia has turned 13 while Josh has set up his own company. The father-daughter duo is killing it and believes that Ashley is watching over them as a guardian angel.
There isn’t a single day when Josh and Sophia don’t miss having Ashley around. Josh, too, pledged to stay loyal to his wife, even though she isn’t physically around.
Final Lesson
This particular incident should be a testimony to the fact that we shouldn’t go out searching for happiness somewhere else when it is right in front of us!
We often take good things for granted, and by the time we redeem ourselves, it might be a little too late. Learn to appreciate what you have because you don’t know what life has in store for you!