Hell Hath no fury like a billionaire's Ex

Diane's POV

The phone wouldn't stop ringing. My hands trembled as I stared at the screen, watching my name trend for all the wrong reasons. My life was unraveling, and the world wanted front-row seats.

I watched as the screen lit up with a seemingly endless stream of missed calls, text messages, and emails. Everyone wanted answers, explanations—my side of the story. But how could I give them what I didn't have myself?

The first call I answered was from my boss, Robert. His voice was filled with concern.

"Diane, I just saw the news. Are you alright?"

I appreciated his genuine worry. "I'm hanging in there, Robert. Thank you for asking."

"Listen, if you need anything—time off, a reduced workload, anything at all—just let me know. We're here for you."

His words warmed my heart. "I appreciate that, Robert. For now, I think work is actually helping me stay grounded. But I'll let you know if that changes."

After hanging up, I scrolled through the missed calls and messages. There were dozens from colleagues, acquaintances, and even a few from reporters seeking comments. I felt a mix of emotions—embarrassment, anger.

With trembling hands, I picked up the phone, scrolling through the list of calls. One name made my heart clench: Noah. Liam's best friend. I quickly scrolled past it, unable to face even the thought of that conversation.

A text message popped up from an unknown number:

"Mrs. Ashton, I'm Jessica from The Daily Chronicle here. We'd like to give you the opportunity to respond to the allegations. Are you willing to go on record about the claims of infidelity and gold-digging?"

I felt my stomach twist. Is that what people thought of me now? A cheater? A gold-digger?

The injustice of it all made me want to scream, to rage against the lies that were tearing my life apart. But instead, I remained silent, paralyzed by the weight of what was happening.

The phone buzzed again, this time with a call from an unknown number. Against my better judgment, I answered.

"Hello, Mrs. Ashton?" A crisp, professional voice came through. "This is Mr. Guerra from the board of directors at Synergy Sphere."

My heart raced. Synergy Sphere. Liam's company—our company. The one we'd built together from the ground up.

"Mr. Guerra," I managed, my voice barely above a whisper.

"I hope you don't mind me reaching out directly," he continued, his tone carefully neutral. "We've been trying to contact Liam, but he's not responding. Given the… current situation, we're deeply concerned."

I took a shaky breath, trying to steady myself. "I... I'm not sure what to say, Mr. Guerra. This situation is as shocking to me as it is to you."

There was a pause on the other end. "I see," Guerra said finally. "Well, as you can imagine, these allegations are causing quite a stir. Our shareholders are worried, and we need to address this quickly. The company's reputation—and by extension, its value—is at stake here."

His words hit me like a physical blow. The company. Of course, that's what this was about. Not me. Not the truth. Just the almighty bottom line.

"Mr. Guerra," I started, my voice breaking. "I don't... I can't..."

"Ms. Ashton, please," he interrupted, a note of urgency in his voice. "We need to control this narrative before it gets out of hand. If there's anything you can tell us, anything at all that might help us understand what's going on..."

I felt something snap inside me.

"What's going on?" I repeated, my voice rising. "What's going on is that my husband, your CEO, has decided to destroy my life with lies. He's the one who cheated, Mr. Guerra. And now he's trying to paint me as the villain to… to what? To protect himself? To punish me?"

I was shouting now, tears streaming down my face.

"I helped build this company. I was there from the beginning, working just as hard as Liam. I supported him, encouraged him, sacrificed for this company. And this is how I'm repaid? By being called a gold-digger and a cheater?"

Silence followed my outburst. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears, feel the hot tears on my cheeks.

Finally, Mr. Guerra spoke. "Ms. Ashton, I... I had no idea. This certainly paints things in a different light."

"I'm sure it does," I said bitterly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Mr. Guerra, I need to go."

I ended the call before he could respond, my hands shaking so badly I nearly dropped the phone.

"Diane?" Joan's voice cut through my sobs. I looked up to see her standing in the doorway, concern etched on her face.

"Oh, honey."

She rushed to my side, wrapping her arms around me. I clung to her like a lifeline, my tears soaking into her shoulder.

"It's everywhere, Joan," I choked out between sobs. "The lies, the accusations. Everyone's calling, wanting to know if it's true. Even Liam's board members are reaching out to me because he won't answer their calls."

Joan stroked my hair, her voice soothing. "Shh, it's okay. We'll get through this. Remember what we discussed? We don't have to engage with any of it right now. Let them talk. We'll have our say in court."

As if on cue, the phone buzzed again. Noah's name flashed on the screen. For a moment, I hesitated. Then, almost against my will, I answered.

"Diane?" Noah's voice came through, filled with concern. "Diane, are you there?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead, a sob escaped, then another, and another. I couldn't stop them, couldn't hold back the tidal wave of emotion any longer.

"Oh, Diane," Noah said softly. "I'm so sorry. I should have reached out earlier, but I've been so caught up. I don't know what's gotten into Liam or why he would do this to you. And of all people... with Sophie. Your sister."

His words hit me like a punch to the gut.

Noah continued, his voice gentle. "I want you to know that if there's anything I can do, don't hesitate to ask. I'm coming to town immediately so I can talk to Liam."

I wanted to respond, to thank him for his support, to ask him to talk sense into Liam. But the words wouldn't come. All I could do was cry—great, heaving sobs that shook my entire body.

"It's okay," Noah continued. "You don't have to say anything. Just know that I'm here for you, okay? Whatever you need."

After a few more moments, I managed to end the call, collapsing onto the couch as the phone slipped from my grasp.

It buzzed again almost immediately—Noah calling back. But I couldn't bring myself to answer. I couldn't face anyone right now, not even someone offering support.

I curled up on the couch, wrapping my arms around myself as if I could physically hold together the pieces of my shattered life.

How had it come to this? How had the man I loved, the man I'd built a life with, turned into this cruel, vindictive stranger?

I thought back to our early days together—the passion, the dreams we'd shared.

When had it all gone so terribly wrong?