All That She Needs: The Betrayal of a Marriage

Part 27 Asha

It was Friday, and I came home early from the office today, before Kayden and Chloe, who usually would be home from school and their extracurricular activities around five p.m. Sandy and I had planned a special dinner—creamy Dijon mustard chicken for Chloe, who always preferred chicken or fish, and a ribeye steak with garlic herb butter for Kayden. To top it off, I ordered their favorite caramel apple cheesecake from Cake Couture, a heavenly dessert that never failed to delight them both.

I planned to spoil them tonight because I needed to talk to them about Aiden and me finalizing the divorce. Not that they didn't already know—Kayden, especially, had accepted months ago that there was no hope for reconciliation. He had decided that he would accept whatever came next, no matter how hard it might be. Chloe, on the other hand, still clung to a glimmer of hope, too young to fully grasp the finality of it all. I had dropped a few hints, but the way she brushed them off, acting as though it wasn't serious, made me suspect reality hadn't sunk in for her yet. Today, I needed to make her understand and bring closure for all of us.

This was the hardest thing I'd ever had to do. My heart had been racing all day, pounding like I was preparing for the trial of my life. I tried so hard to stay calm, but the thought of breaking Chloe's heart and facing Kayden's sad, quiet acceptance weighed on me. I knew this conversation would change everything, and I wasn't sure how we would move forward after today. But it had to be done.

I could only hope they'd understand—if not today, then maybe someday—that this was the best choice for all of us. I wanted us to learn from this experience and avoid repeating the same mistakes in the future. I hoped Kayden would grow into a man who respected women, valued the sanctity of marriage, and stayed true to his promises. And for Chloe, I wished for her to be stronger than I had been, to choose her path wisely, and to always respect her own worth. I wanted both of them to understand the importance of self-respect, honesty, and the courage to walk away when something is beyond repair, and to pursue what's truly best for themselves.

I set the table five times before I was even marginally satisfied that everything was perfect. The delicious aroma of the food filled the air, a comforting reminder of the effort Sandy put into preparing the dishes. She was a godsend; I couldn't have done any of this without her, and I probably would've had to order meals from somewhere else.

Kayden, who knew about my plan for tonight, had texted me to tell me they were already five minutes from home. After checking everything was already in place once more, I hoped and prayed that it would soften the blow of the news I was about to share.

My phone buzzed on the table, signaling another message. It was from Mason: " I'm nervous. You suck at communication. Choose your words wisely. Good luck, sis!"

I scowled at the screen, feeling my nerves spiked again. Dammit, Mason!

"Mooom?" I heard Kayden's voice, and I instantly stiffened. This was it.

Chloe's voice followed, bright and eager. "Mom? You're already home? Sandy, what are you cooking? It smells delicious! I'm starving!"

Sandy, who stood behind me, nudged my arm, noticing that I was frozen in place, my eyes wide with anxiety. "I'm going home now, Asha. Or do you want me to stay?"

I swallowed hard, still staring at the front, waiting for my kids to appear. "No, Sandy. It's alright. I'll take it from here."

"You sure?" she asked, concern creeping into her tone.

"Yeah," I replied slowly, forcing a small smile as I turned my head to look at her. "I'll be fine."

Sandy hesitated for a moment, then nodded, her expression still worried. I appreciated her support, but I knew I had to do this on my own. As she slipped out the door, I took a deep breath, mentally preparing myself for the conversation ahead. Kayden and Chloe's footsteps grew louder, and I reminded myself that I had to be strong for them.

When they finally emerged from the living room, I saw Chloe's eyes light up at the sight of the dining table, her excitement bubbling over. Kayden, however, wore an expression of nervousness that mirrored my own. I felt a lump formed in my throat.

"Wow, Mom! What's all this?" Chloe practically skipped to the table, taking in the spread of dishes. She scanned the table, eyes wide with delight. "What are we celebrating?"

I paused for a moment, considering how to respond. "I thought we could have a nice dinner tonight, just the three of us," I said, trying to keep my tone light.

But Chloe was too excited. She didn't seem to hear me. She quickly dragged her usual chair back and flopped into the seat. "Can I eat this first?" She pointed at her favorite dessert.

My legs felt heavy as I followed her to the table and took my usual seat. Kayden sat across from me, and I noticed him steal a brief glance at the empty chair where his father usually sat. Oh, Kayden. This was so hard for him, too, even if he tried not to show it. It broke my heart that he felt the need to be strong at such a young age, dealing with worries that shouldn't have been his. He was growing up too fast. I promised myself that I would do everything I could to help him enjoy his youth from now on.

"No, sweety," I said to Chloe. "Wash your hands and eat your dinner first."

She pursed her lips and scowled at me. "Fine," she huffed, eyeing her dish. "This looks delicious, by the way." Then she got up to wash her hands at the sink, followed closely by her brother, who couldn't bear to meet her gaze.

When they returned to the table and started eating, Chloe eagerly dug into her meal, while Kayden struggled to chew, his fork hesitating above his plate. I watched him, noticing how he forced himself to take bites, clearly preoccupied with his thoughts.

"How's school today? Anything exciting?" I asked, my gaze hard on my son, hoping to break through the trouble that was weighing on him. He was worried about his sister, knowing that she would not take this news easily.

Kayden glanced up, but only for a moment, before looking back down at his food. "Not much happened," he mumbled, pushing the pieces of steak around his plate.

Chloe chimed in, eager to shift the focus, utterly oblivious to the tension that I and her brother were currently struggling with. "I had my first art class today," she said with her mouth full. "I painted a giant purple tree." Her enthusiasm warmed my heart, while Kayden's silence lingered between us. Unaware of her brother's troubled silence, Chloe continued, "I think I can be an artist someday." She said this confidently as she fished her phone out of her skirt pocket and scrolled through it.

"After you finish your dinner," I told her.

"Wait, a second. I want to show you. I took a picture." Then she showed me her screen. "Isn't it amazing?"

At the sight of it, my lips twitched. Her painting was terribly awful. Kayden glanced at it and frowned. I raised my brows at him, sensing he was seconds away from voicing his opinion. He deflated and returned his attention to his food.

"That's great, sweetie," I said to my sweet little daughter. "Just keep practicing, and you'll see improvement."

"Yeah." She looked at her painting again, beaming with pride. "Can I take an art course for this, Mom? Maybe on weekends."

"Of course." At this point, I probably would say yes to anything she asked.

We continued our dinner in silence after that. As I cleared the dishes and took them to the sink, I noticed Kayden hadn't even finished half of his meal. I made a mental note to make him a sandwich to take to his room later—he was a growing boy and athletic, so he needed to eat more. Afterward, we moved on to dessert.

And now it was time to talk.

I took a deep breath, then exhaled quietly. Kayden seemed to do the same.

"Chloe," I began. She looked up at me with her brows raised. "There's something I need to talk to you and your brother."

Chloe straightened up, placing her fork beside her half-eaten dessert. She didn't ask what I wanted to talk about, but the way her body tensed and her smile disappeared told me she already had an idea.

I glanced at Kayden, who hadn't touched his dessert. He was looking down, avoiding my gaze.

"It's about your dad and me." I continued. "I filed for a divorce." I paused, gauging her reaction. Chloe was still silent, but her gaze on me was hard, and the lightness from earlier had vanished. "I'm sorry, honey; I know that this is hurting you both, but this is something that needs to be done."

Chloe swallowed, and her eyes started to glaze. "Why?" she asked quietly.

"Why?" I echoed, a little thrown back by her question.

"Yeah, Mom. Why?" Chloe's voice sharpened, her eyes now burning with emotion. "He made a lot of mistakes. You kicked him out, and since then, he's been trying so hard to win us back. If you still want to punish him, then punish him until you think it's enough. But do you really have to divorce him?"

"Honey, he betrayed us. He—"

"He betrayed you ," she cut me off, her tone harsh. "Not me, and not Kayden."

I froze for a moment, speechless. This was exactly what I had feared—seeing my daughter vulnerable, becoming someone like me. She couldn't be like me. She needed to be stronger, to know her worth, to stand up for herself. The thought of her someday marrying a man who might hurt her, only for her to endure the pain and forgive him time and again, terrified me. I didn't want her to repeat my mistakes. She deserved better.

Chloe's eyes glistened, and she began to sob. I saw the pain she was trying so hard to hide. "He promised he wouldn't do it again, Mom. He promised he would try his best to make up for his mistakes."

"Chloe, if we take him back, he wouldn't fully understand the gravity of his mistake. He would think that since we forgave him once, we could do it again. He'd believe he could just keep making the same mistakes, and we'd keep letting it slide."

Chloe shook her head, her voice rising. "But people make mistakes, Mom. Isn't that what love is about? Forgiving, working through things? How can you just throw him away like this?"

Her words hit me hard, but I knew she was too young to understand how deep the hurt went. "Love doesn't mean letting someone hurt you over and over, Chloe. There must be a line. A boundary. Your father crossed that line, and the damage he caused is too deep to repair. He hurt me, and whether you see it or not, he hurt you and Kayden too, by neglecting us for months. He betrayed our trust, and that is not something we can simply overlook. Trust is sacred, Chloe. It's not just a word. It’s a promise that binds us together. It should be cherished, honored, and, above all, respected. I know you're young, and grasping this is a challenge, but this isn't a situation we can accept without consequence. Sometimes, love means making the hardest choices to protect what truly matters."

"But I thought families were supposed to stay together." She sobbed harder, covering her face with her hands. "You said that all the time."

God, my heart aches so much for her. "You're not losing your dad, Chloe." I said, my tone softening. "We'll work out the time you spend with him. He'll still be in your life. If he's true to his word and really tries to make up for his mistakes, then he'll find a way to prove it to you."

Chloe looked down, biting her lip as she processed my words. "But what if it's too hard to do it with him so far away?"

I rose from my seat and moved to her, a desperate need to hold her swelling within me. I wanted to absorb her pain, to carry it for her if I could. Leaning down, I wrapped my arms around her, pressing my cheek into the top of her head. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I whispered, "Then he didn't try hard enough, honey. And that means he doesn't deserve you. But even if that happens, you're going to be strong, sweety. You'll find the strength to rise above it, and you're going to grow up to be a remarkable young woman who makes me proud. I'm already so proud of you."

I held her tightly, wishing I could shield her from the hurt, to take on her pain as my own so she wouldn't have to bear it alone. I wanted her to know that it was okay to feel hurt, but also to understand that she could overcome it.

I promised myself that I would always prove that my love for both Chloe and Kayden was unwavering—no matter the challenges. I would always strive to give a love strong enough, big enough, to embody both roles as their parent. I wanted them to know that they could always count on me, that my support and devotion would never falter, and that our bond as a family was something I would always prioritize and cherish.

Kayden, who had remained silent during the entire conversation, observed me and Chloe as we embraced. I noticed the tears glistening in his eyes, and when he wiped them away, he managed to put on a small smile. Our eyes met, and he nodded in acknowledgment.

I reached out my hand to him, and he immediately took it, his grip firm and steady. "Want to join and give us a hug?"

Chloe looked up at her brother, reaching out her hand to him as well.

Kayden rose slowly from his seat, his effort to maintain his composure clear. He was on the verge of breaking down, but to my surprise, he walked over to us, his long arms spreading wide to envelop both Chloe and me.

"We're going to be fine," he mumbled, his voice slightly shaky but filled with determination. "The three of us. We're going to be fine."