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."

"Winona has opened up. It's time for you to do the same. This will never work if you don't

a deep breath, the air heavy in my

being so easily manipulated by my mother. For not believing you when you tried to tell me the truth. I let myself be weak. That's not who I want

throws

to be?" he repeats, his

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8 Gong Deeper

"Not my foll

then there's Gus. He's not someone I want

my head slowly. "If they exist, I

about you?

"No. I might've said Phillip at one point, but he turned out

his expression thoughtful. "Neither of you has had a strong, positive male

want to be because you've never

experienced anything but dysfunction from males, so you've settled for versions better than what you grew up with. You understand how to be a strong woman and good role model for Abby, but you don't understand

We've been trying to build our lives on

familiar to both of you. It's what you know, so it's what you replicate. But that doesn't mean you have

to settle just because it's slightly better than what you had before. You have

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 want to

Barnaby says, his tone softer but no less firm. "It's about unlearning everything you've known and building something better.