The Ash Queen's Return: Reclaiming Her Crown novel Chapter 1

A prison guard opened the prison's main gate before saying to the skinny woman in front of him, "Don't mess up again. From now on, live an honest life."

With her bag in hand, Natalie Lunsford made her way through the main gate, step by step, despite her cold, aching knees. The biting wind caused her to shiver.

Where Natalie had once weighed nearly 220 pounds, she was now so thin that even the most ordinary T-shirt looked baggy on her.

As the prison gates slammed shut behind her, there were no fresh flowers, hugs, or even fake pleasantries waiting to greet her.

Sure enough, the Lunsford family did not let her down.

Five years ago, her stepsister, Hailey Lunsford, had committed manslaughter due to drunk driving. The Lunsfords were reluctant to let her end up in prison, so they had made Natalie take the fall instead.

When Natalie refused, they had threatened her with the life of her newborn child.

Even Natalie's fiance, Morris Shelton, attempted to persuade her. He told her that as long as she served a few years in prison, he would marry her once she was released.

She was thus forced to spend five years in prison. During that time, she was beaten and abused, overall living a life worse than death.

She touched her flat belly, caressing the scar over her stomach through her clothes. It was the only connection she had to her child.

Now that Natalie had finally been released from prison, she wanted to return to the Lunsford family to reunite with her child.

The Lunsford family villa was brightly lit.

The moment she opened the door, she was so shocked by the absurd sight in front of her that she froze in place.

Amid a hall packed with well-dressed people, a couple was exchanging incredibly valuable Harry Winston engagement rings on stage.

And the man on stage was none other than Morris, the fiance who had repeatedly declared that he wanted to marry her!

Natalie cut in coldly. "What are all of you doing?"

Everyone looked over at the sound of her voice. They scanned her from head to toe—an intruder in their midst—with disdain written all over their faces.

"Who's this? Why did the Lunsfords allow a beggar to slip in here?"

"She's wearing rags and stinks of poverty. Surely she's not an escapee from an asylum, right?"

Hailey's smile froze on her face, and she yelled angrily from her spot on the stage, "Where did this madwoman come from? Security! Hurry up and drag her out of here!"

Morris frowned as well. The more he examined the woman in front of him, the more familiar she looked.

Natalie rushed onto the stage and asked him with red-rimmed eyes, "Wasn't I the one you wanted to marry, Morris?"

Before she had gone to prison, Morris had gently caressed her face as he said, "Once you're released, I'll definitely throw you the grandest wedding, Natalie."

During her five difficult years in prison, his promise had been what kept her going.

And yet, now that Natalie had been released, Hailey was the one he wanted to marry.

It was only then that Morris realized who she was. He narrowed his eyes, staring in disbelief at her emaciated figure. "Natalie… Lunsford?"

He simply couldn't reconcile the woman in front of him with the 220-pound chubby woman in his memories.

The guests instantly exploded into uproar.

"What? That's the fat eldest daughter of the Lunsford family?"

"Oh my god! Did she become this thin in prison?"

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