Divorce to Destiny: Reclaiming My CEO Husband by Anney GW

My CEO 188

188 My Mom, My Friend

(Winona)

Two weeks later, I sat across from Mom at the kitchen table in my townhouse.

The place is quiet, too quiet. Abby's at preschool, and Cass is... well, who knows where Cass is.

Enjoying her newfound freedom and independence, no doubt.

I'm trying not to worry about her, I mean she isn't a kid, but the knot in my stomach isn't loosening anytime soon. I feel like her look will attract people who like to make trouble.

Jayden has been busy all this week and apart from Abby time, we've barely had the chance to talk or stress or argue about anything. It's a good feeling actually.

Just us getting on with it without all the crap overshadowing our days.

Mom's hands tremble slightly as she sips her tea. We've never had a proper conversation. Not about the weather or dinner plans, but about real stuff. The kind of stuff that digs deep and leaves a mark. But I know if I want to help her and get her to join me with Barnaby, we need to get more than skin deep.

I take a breath, deciding to dive in. "Mom, I've been thinking a lot about everything that's happened since left for high school. Jayden, Judy, Ashlyn... It's been a real shitshow."

She looks at me, her eyes softening with that mix of love and guilt that always gets to me. "Winona, I'm so sorry you've had to go through that. I wish I could've protected you from it."

"I mean I often think how my life would've gone if I'd never been friends with Jayden. If I'd just walked, let him get caught for trying to cheat in an exam. That should've been red flag number one."

"We can't know these things. I often think the same about being with Steve. If only I'd listened to my parents."

"Who were they? I mean, I never heard of parents, not yours, not his." I might have grandparents out there somewhere.

ever thinks that. I was in love and I didn't care.

have to understand. I knew the rules and I broke every one of

nod. "I'm

away and the baby, you, would've been adopted out. I never went back there. I don't know if they are

out. What if an entirely different family

know at the time going back

will we? Do you

+25 BONUS

Mom,

think it's best left

anything

he had no family, that he was alone in the world. That's why me and the baby would mean so much to him.

guess we never really knew at

that a part of him believed he'd change for me, and

your fault," I say quickly, shaking

it's not your fault either. Just like Jayden's mother, you weren't to know what she was about. I guess neither was

it's been a lot. And sometimes, I'm not sure I'm handling it all that

"You should be proud of where you are now. You're an amazing mother, and you've stayed level-headed through all the chaos." "Level-headed? I don't know about that," I state.

"That was me."

T

work on every minute of the day. You the outside, but I'm always one wrong

dn't see it on

lips. "I know that feeling all too well. I lived it every day when Cass was young. It's exhausting, trying to keep it all together when everything around

I do right

say. "Raising Cass in that hellhole, keeping her on some kind

some type of direction in life,