Divorce to Destiny: Reclaiming My CEO Husband by Anney GW

My CEO 158

158 Going Deeper (Jayden)

"Imagine being told by my best friend that you now loved Ashlyn and had no memory of me." Winona's voice is steady, but the hurt behind it is unmistakable.

She continues, "I was heartbroken. All I wanted was to get through rehabilitation as fast as possible and come find you, I was sure once you saw me, you'd remember what we had." I listen to her words. There's no avoiding the pain she's laying out in front of me.

"Jayden, remember this isn't about blame, Barnaby's voice cuts in, calm and firm. "This is Winona expressing her truth. Just hear her. No excuses. No defensiveness. Just listen." I nod, silencing the instinct to defend myself.

"You never cared about my side of things," Winona continues. "Not once. You never gave me the benefit of the doubt. You just accepted what they told you, even when I tried to help you remember. "Okay, let's-"Barnaby starts but Winona keeps going.

You made love to me the night I conceived Abby." Her voice tightens. "I thought I'd finally broken through. It felt like you remembered. But after that, you were even angrier with me."

She pauses.

Barnaby speaks again, "So...good-"

"You crushed me when you accused me of drugging you," she continues. "When you demanded the 'divorce. So heartless. So cruel. Maybe that's just who you are, Jayden. Maybe it's something in your genes you can't change."

Her words are a sharp, stinging slap. Does she really believe I'm beyond redemption? That I'm trapped my own bloodline?

"Now we're getting to it," Barnaby says, his tone encouraging. "Winona, great job. Jayden, how does it feel to hear Winona say that?"

"I don't know."

opened up. It's time for you to do the same.

air heavy in my lungs.

you tried to tell me the truth. I

question throws me

be?" he repeats,

+25 BONUS

8 Gong Deeper

"Not my foll

for so long-I should've been relieved to find out he wasn't. But then there's Gus.

shake my head slowly. "If they

to Winona. "What about you? Any positive male influences in

looks down, shaking her head, "No. I might've said Phillip at one point, but he turned out to be a liar.

expression thoughtful. "Neither of you has had a strong, positive male figure to look up to. You've both been raised on dysfunction, and that's the model you

the words sink in before continuing, Jayden, you don't know how to be the man you want to be because you've never seen him. You understand a strong woman but you're unsure how to co-exist and be the man you want

to Winona. "Winona, you've never experienced anything but dysfunction from males, so you've settled for versions better than what you grew up with. You understand

to build our lives on broken foundations, chasing

"Dysfunction is familiar to both of you. It's what you know, so it's what you replicate. But that

don't have to settle just because it's slightly better than what you had before. You

returns to me. "Jayden, you have to understand that being a better man isn't just about not being your father. It's about defining who you

tone softer but no less firm. "It's about unlearning everything you've known and building something better. But you both have to want it,