Part 14 Asha
When I heard the front door close, I knew Aiden had finally left the house. I took a long, hard shower, the warm water streaming over me as I sobbed uncontrollably. I cried the most heart-wrenching cries, desperate and painfully raw, and I hoped the sound of the water would drown out my sobs.
After showering, I felt marginally better, but as I checked myself in the mirror, I winced at the sight. My face was swollen, and my eyes were red and bloodshot. I sighed, disheartened by my reflection. I looked horrible. Knowing I couldn't face a day like this, I decided to put on a little makeup and take the day off from work. I needed a moment to regroup.
Sitting in front of my vanity mirror, I texted Dennis, telling him I would take a few days off. His reply was instant, saying, Mr. Super Asshole is beside himself. He's already here, waiting for you, sitting in front of me with knees bouncing like crazy and chewing his bottom lip [kissy lips emoji]. Even though it's adorable as fuck, I had to send him away. He's making me agitated. And I was tired of fighting the urge to grab his disgustingly pretty face and tug those lips with my teeth.
I couldn't help but chuckle. Dennis always had a way of making me laugh, no matter how bleak things seemed. Another ping followed almost immediately. Are you okay? I should've asked that first before rambling about his lips [eye-roll emoji]. Are you not feeling well? Do I need to worry?
I was about to text him back, saying that I was fine, but he was already texting me again. Don't you dare say you're fine again, Asha? Or I'll have that word erased from the dictionary.
“But I am fine.” I texted back. Then I changed my mind. "Okay, I'm not fine."
And with that, my phone immediately rang. Before I could even say anything, Dennis was already screeching over the speaker. "What? Why? What happened?"
"Dennis," I pinched the bridge of my nose and held the phone farther from my ear. "It's too early for you to be breaking my eardrum."
"Something bad happened, didn't it? Do you need me to go there?" He offered, "I'll call Uber right now."
"There's no need..." I paused, then changed my mind. Dennis would cheer me up. After the kids go to school, I would be all alone as today is Sandy's day off. I would drive myself crazy with my thoughts, and I needed Dennis to distract me. "Okay. Come over, please."
After we hung up, I went downstairs, wanting to see my kids before they left for school. I caught them just in time as they were about to get into the car. Brody was already waiting with his hand on the door handle. Kayden gave me a sad smile and nodded, but he said nothing. Chloe, however, ran straight to me as soon as she noticed me, wrapping her slender arms around my middle and resting her head on my chest. My heart swelled and broke at the same time. I held on to her tight, as if she were my lifeline.
"We'll get through this, Mom. Love you," she whispered.
Oh, God. I could feel the tears welling up again. I was too choked up to speak, but I managed to whisper back, "Love you more."
I watched the car speed away, my hand pressed against my chest as my eyes filled with tears. Today marked the day their dad started living separately from us, and tomorrow, I will go to the attorney's office to make the divorce official.
My guilt consumed me as I walked back to the house. I wasn't innocent in this—I knew that. I kept silent when I should have spoken, did nothing when I should have acted. I cowardly let things unravel until they broke us apart.
The house was quiet as I stepped in and closed the door behind me, and the silence felt heavier than usual, like it was pressing in from all sides. I looked around, trying to imagine the place without Aiden in it. The thought was almost unreal, and it hurt so much. Things would never be the same. Standing there, I wondered if I should distract myself with some work in the garden or if it was time to pack Aiden's things. I decided I better wait for Dennis before I packed, as I wasn't sure I would make it without crying. Gardening seemed to be the best option for now.
Almost an hour later, Dennis burst through the double doors to the garden from the main house, his eyes frantic as he scanned the area for me. The security at the front gate must have let him in, and I could imagine him rushing through the empty house, searching every room before finally remembering to check the garden.
"Dammit, Asha!" He panted; his hands flew to his hips as he cast me a frustrated glare. "I searched everywhere for you. You didn't even answer your phone!"
I was squatting on the wet ground, tending to my sunflower, and looked up to glare at him. "I'm working in a garden. I can't carry my phone around!"
He tiptoed toward me, moving carefully. Must be terrified to dirty his Ferragamo shoes—even though the stone path was perfectly clean. Then he leaned in to check my face. "How are you? You look awful. Did you wear sunscreen? Where's that hideous pink straw hat you always wear? You know you'll age faster if you're exposed to the sun this long." He leaned in further, his finger pointed at my eyes. "I can already see some lines there..."
I sighed. Dennis. Sometimes, I just didn't know what to do with him.
"Go inside and make yourself a drink or something." I waved a hand to shoo him away. "I need to finish this first."
"Should I make something for you too?" he asked. "Something strong enough to take the edge off?"
I raised an eyebrow, not sure whether to be annoyed or amused. "Are you offering me to get drunk in the middle of the day?"
"Why not? You deserve a break," he said, wagging his eyebrows. "I can whip up something refreshing. Just say the word."
I considered it for a moment. "Aiden has a stash of something strong in the top cabinet, just next to the fridge."
Dennis clapped his hands and gave a little jump. "Fantastic! You keep working, and don't take too long, okay? Or I'll finish it all by myself." He flashed a mischievous grin before skipping his way back to the house.
I worked in the garden for another hour, and when I went back inside, Dennis was barefoot, lounging in the living room with a glass of something suspicious in his hand. A bottle sat in a bucket of ice on the coffee table. He was reading on his phone but sat up the moment he saw me.
"What took you so long?" His brows shot up. "Your face is completely burned—you look like a tomato."
I ignored him and headed toward the stairs. "We're going to my bedroom. I'm showering first, and you can start packing Aiden's stuff. The boxes are already there. I'll join you after."
Dennis jumped up and followed. "Packing?" He looked confused.
"Yes. I'm kicking him out as of this morning."
He quickly trailed behind me. "Am I hearing this right? You're really kicking him out?"
"Surprised I finally grew a spine?"
"Well..." he caught up to me, falling in step beside me. "Yeah." I glared at him. Both his hands shot up in surrender. "I honestly already gave up trying to convince you that his lying, cheating, gorgeous ass doesn't deserve you. I thought you're going to spend the rest of your life crying in the dark alone while he revels in the joy of another woman's pu–"
"Don't say it." I grunted, cutting him off, stomping off to my bedroom.
"Okay... sorry." Then he sat in the armchair by the window and silently watched me drifting around in my bedroom, collecting a change of clothes before he asked, "Are you okay, though?"
I sighed and told him the truth. I didn't have the energy to keep up appearances anymore. "I'm not, obviously."
"I'm so sorry," he said softly. I avoided looking at him directly, as I couldn't bear to see him looking at me with sympathy.
"It needs to be done. I realized that now."
"What happened?"
"Kayden confronted him."
Dennis gasped in shock. "What? How come?"
"Apparently, my son's a hacker. He was suspicious, so he hacked into Aiden's phone, her phone, and their emails. He found out everything on his own. He doesn't want his father living here anymore, and neither do I."
"That's so fucked up, Asha," Dennis mumbled, looking at me with disbelief. "I can't imagine what Kayden must be feeling."
My shoulder slumped, thinking the same thing. "Yeah. It's my fault I let it get this far."
"Oh, no." Dennis shook his head vehemently. "Don't you dare blame yourself. He's the one who caused this mess. He's the one who couldn't keep his dick in his pants. He has no dignity, no self-respect, and most importantly, no respect for you . He's the one who neglected his family, the one who betrayed you. He made his choices. Now, he has to deal with the consequences,"
"I know. But I still can't shake the guilt, like I should've done something."
"It's not too late, Asha. You've done the right thing by standing up for yourself. You've been exhausted for so long—mentally and emotionally. Now, it's time to focus on you. Take a breath, give yourself permission to relax, and start enjoying life again."
"He asked me for another chance," I said quietly. "Honestly, I thought he was going to tell me he'd chosen her. I expected this to be the moment he made his choice, and I thought it would be her. But he was practically begging to stay."
"And what did you say?" Dennis asked carefully.
"I told him to move out. And I'll be packing his things."
Dennis smiled, clearly proud. "That's Good. Let him stew and be miserable for a bit, and then you can figure out what to do next."
I shook my head. "No need to think. I'm going to see a divorce lawyer at four p.m. today, and you're coming with me."
To my surprise, Dennis looked concerned, not ecstatic like I expected. "Are you sure, Ash? You need to really think things through first. I know I always said that you had to confront him and give him a lesson, but divorce is a big thing. It involved not only you, but your children as well. You need to be really sure."
"I've never been more sure. For me to take care of my children, I need to have the right frame of mind. I need to set an example to them where we stand up for ourselves. I can't do that if I'm miserable all the time."
Dennis paused, thinking it over. "Yeah, I guess you're right. As long as you're really sure, Asha. I just don't want you to decide in anger."
"I am angry, but I'm sure, I promise." I said. Then I headed to the bathroom. "Start packing. Don't bother folding. Just toss his stuff into boxes. And if you see something you think he liked, feel free to shred them to fucking pieces. You'll find big scissors somewhere near the boxes."
I heard Dennis squeal with delight just before I shut the bathroom door. "Yippee! We're going to have so much fun!"