Divorce to Destiny: Reclaiming My CEO Husband novel Chapter 187

187 The Edge 

187 The Edge 

(Jayden) 

We’re back in my car, outside the high security facility, but my mind is still trapped in that room with Ashlyn. Her words stick in my head. This is a bad dream I can’t shake off. 

Judy will always have a hold on you. One day, she’ll control your life again. 

I grip the steering wheel tight, my knuckles turning white. The thought of my mother having any influence over me, over my life, twists in my gut. Ashlyn’s dragging me back into that nightmare. 

“How can she even say that?” I demand. “How can she think Mother will ever control my life again?” 

Winona stays quiet beside me, eyes fixed ahead. But she’s heard me. She’s thinking, processing, just like she always does. 

“And she doesn’t trust me to take care of the baby,” I continue, my voice heating up. “Like I’m some kind of puppet for my mother, incapable of making my own decisions. 

Winona finally turns to look at me, her expression tells me she’s about to drop some hard truths. “Jayden, we don’t even know if there is a baby. We can’t be sure of anything until we have proof.” 

I nod, though it doesn’t ease the anger. “I know, but if there is. If she’s telling the truth… What do we do then?” 

Winona’s silence weighs heavy, and the tension buildske. Then Winona lets out a sigh and speaks. Ultimately, the welfare of this baby isn’t my responsibility, Jayden. It’s your fuck–up. You need to fix it.” 

Her words surprise me, but she’s right. This whole mess with Ashlyn–everything that’s happened–it’s all on me. I can’t push this off on Winona and expect her to clean it up. No matter what Ashlyn’s preference. Is. She’s in no position to make a judgment call like this. 

“I could really smash something right now.” 

Winona sighs, rubbing her temples. “I don’t know, Jayden. I don’t want to keep hashing out maybes. I’ll wait for the facts and deal with that. But you need to understand something–this could push us right back to where we were before therapy. Right back to the edge.” 

She’s right. We’ve worked hard to get to this point, to build something solid, and now Ashlyn’s delusional mind has us back on the brink. 

This situation with Ashlyn, this potential baby, it’s a whole new test of our strength. 

“I’m so tired of all of this, Jayden. I have Steve MIA, Ashlyn begging me to adopt her child, Mom and Cass, Abby’s health, not to mention trying to rebuild my business. It’s all too much right now.” 

“So, what do we do?” I ask, my voice quieter now. “How do we move forward?” 

“We get proof,” she says firmly. “We find a way to have Ashlyn checked out, to see if she’s really pregnant. And then… we take it one step at a time.” 

“And if she is pregnant?” I ask, the question hanging heavy in the air between us. 

Winona looks away, her expression unreadable. “You need to be the one to handle that. I can’t take on 

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187 The Edge 

+25 BONUS 

anymore. I don’t want to. Your family has done my head in for years. My family has done my head in for years. I’m ready to leave all of it behind and go find some peace.” 

Her words sting, but they’re fair. I’ve made mistakes, and now it’s time to face the consequences. But I know one thing–I’m not letting Judy or Ashlyn control my life again. 

This is my fight, and I’ll do whatever it takes to protect what I have with Winona. 

“Let’s find out how we can get an outside doctor to test Ashlyn as soon as possible,” I say, determination 

I 

hardening my voice. 

“I mean, Judy is across the other side of the world, and she still has Ashlyn spooked enough to ask her arch enemy to mother her child. What does that tell you, Jayden?” 

“That 

my mother needs to be stopped in her tracks. But how?” 

“Also, not my call. But we can’t just kill her off. As tempting as that thought is.”