All That She Needs: The Betrayal of a Marriage

Part 39 Asha

"Are you alright?" I asked Kayden, who walked beside me, looking strained and distraught. His eyes were red, as if he had been crying. We had just landed yesterday, and now we were making our way down the hospital corridor to see Aiden. Kayden had insisted on coming last night, but Roy told him the hospital wouldn't let him in since it was past visiting hours and Aiden needed to rest.

Kayden only nodded in response.

"Your dad is okay, Kayden. He's going to be okay." I spoke softly to reassure him. According to Roy, Aiden had a severe concussion, bruised ribs, and a partial tear in the ligament of his left knee. Roy said the doctors assured him that while these injuries were serious, they could be managed with proper care. If Aiden wanted to regain his strength and walk normally again, he would need to stick to a strict physical therapy program. He was kept in the hospital mainly to monitor his concussion, especially since he was at a higher risk for complications because of his loss of consciousness.

Chloe, already ahead of us, practically sprinted down the corridor, shouting over her shoulder and forgetting to keep quiet in the hospital. "Come on! Hurry up!"

"Stop running so fast, Chloe! And keep your voice down!" Max was trying to be a good doctor/hospital police, but he didn't realize that he was yelling at himself. "There are people recovering here!"

"Oh, shut it, Uncle Max!" my girl exclaimed, as she continued sprinting down the hospital hallway. I heard Max grumble behind me, but he didn't say anything anymore.

When we reached Aiden's room, I saw Roy standing outside, absorbed in his phone. Chloe immediately dashed inside, but I paused when I noticed Kayden standing stiffly, his eyes locked on the door.

"What's wrong?" I asked, studying his expression. I knew he was processing the news about his dad's accident, but the tension in his stance suggested he was bracing for something worse.

It took a moment, but eventually, Kayden seemed to shake off whatever was weighing on him and followed his sister inside. I lingered outside, hoping to talk with Roy. Max stood beside me, looking like he wanted to do the same.

"Asha," he greeted me with a nod, before he greeted Max by shaking his hand.

"What happened, Roy?" I asked.

Roy let out a heavy sigh. "An obsessed woman went completely off the rails—that's what happened. Vanessa tried to reach out to Aiden, but he had blocked her number. So, one night, she showed up at his apartment, waiting outside the lobby. They had a conversation that escalated into a disagreement, and Aiden walked away from her. After that night, he realized she had been stalking him; he saw her car parked near his apartment and sometimes caught glimpses of her hiding in the shadows."

Roy paused, glancing back at the door before continuing. "That fateful night, despite having avoided going out, Aiden decided to go for a jog. He didn't want to feel trapped because of her. He hadn't seen her lurking around for a few days, so he thought she had finally given up. It was a quiet night, with the road completely empty—no other people or cars around. Then he noticed a car following him. At first, he didn't think much of it; it wasn't her usual car."

A knot tightened in my stomach as Roy continued. "But the car kept following him. Aiden thought whoever was in that car might be trying to rob him, so he ran. She sped up, probably trying to scare him, and at some point, he decided to defend himself. He spotted a big rock on the side of the road, grabbed it, and threw it at her windshield. She must've been startled—lost control for a second—and hit the gas even harder. That's when she slammed into him."

Roy shook his head, a mix of frustration and disbelief clouding his expression. "It could have been so much worse."

I was stunned listening to him, didn't know what to say.

"How did you find out?" Max asked Roy. "Did Aiden call you?"

Roy shook his head. "No one knew he'd been in an accident. Aiden didn't call me—his phone was crushed under the tire during the accident. Kayden called me, asking me to check on his dad because he couldn't reach him, and Aiden's office didn't know where he was either. I looked for him everywhere. Then, later that day, Kayden called again, panicked, saying Aiden had been in an accident."

That confused me. "So, Kayden was the first one to know?"

"I think so," Roy replied. "Kayden was the one who found out which hospital Aiden was in. Sean and I came immediately and have been taking turns staying with him, and Jake has been stopping by to help as well. If Kayden hadn't found out, no one would have known what had happened. Aiden didn't have any identification on him, so the hospital had no way to contact anyone, and he was on strong painkillers that kept him mostly asleep. Vanessa was also in shock and couldn't provide much information."

"Where's Vanessa now?" I asked.

"I'm not sure. She left after being treated in the ER and hasn't come back. Yesterday, the police decided to let it go, calling it a misunderstanding. Aiden explained that she hit him after he threw the rock at her, so there was no clear intent to harm, and the street camera footage backed that up. Hopefully, this means she's out of his life for good now."

I glanced at the door, where my ex-husband lay inside, shadowed by the weight of the recent catastrophe that had upended his life. "I should go in now," I murmured.

Roy gave a slight nod, his gaze softening. "He'll be so happy to see you," he said quietly.

I opened the door and stepped inside, letting it close quietly behind me. For a moment, I just stood there, taking in the fragility that had overtaken him—this man who'd once seemed unbreakable. I felt sadness creeping in without fully understanding why. He was laughing softly at something Chloe had said, and she was curled up beside him on the bed, her head resting on his chest, the side that must not have been in pain. Kayden sat in the chair next to them, his posture slumped, head hanging low between his shoulders.

As I moved closer, Aiden looked up and saw me, a small, tired smile forming. "Hey," he greeted quietly.

My gaze fell to his leg, immobilized in a cast, then moved up to the bandages around his head. Bruises covered his face, with scratches scattered across his arms. I bit my lip, feeling an unexpected pinch in my heart. But I couldn't let him see my reaction, and I wasn't even sure why I was feeling this way.

Despite my effort to keep it together, Aiden saw right through me. "I'm okay," he assured, managing a gentle smile. "I might not look like it right now, but I'm okay. I promise."

I nodded, biting my lip even harder.

"I'm sorry that your holiday was cut short because of me."

Chloe responded before I could say anything, looking up at her dad. "It's okay, Dad. It was only shortened by a few days."

I watched Aiden's expression soften, his gaze lingering fondly on his child before he looked back at me. "I heard you all had a good time on your holiday."

"Yeah..." I replied quietly. "It was nice."

"I see Chloe has gained some weight." He gently brushed his knuckles against her cheek before shifting his gaze to Kayden. "Looks like Kayden has, too."

"They both gained most of it from chocolate," I said.

"I bought a lot," Chloe chimed in. "I forgot to bring it. I'll bring it tomorrow, Dad."

Aiden's bruised face instantly lit up at the thought of Chloe coming back to visit.

Just then, Max entered the room, with Mason close behind. Aiden's eyes widened in surprise as he stared at them, momentarily speechless. Maybe he'd never thought, not in a million years, that my brothers would actually show up for him.

Mason cleared his throat, a hint of awkwardness in his expression. "I, uh... spoke with the attending doctor." Having worked at this hospital early in his career, Mason still knew people here. And as Aiden's brother-in-law—or ex-brother- in-law—he was still considered family. "They said you'll be discharged tomorrow. Your neurological exam and MRI results all came back clear."

"Okay... Thank you..." Aiden replied, his voice trailing off. He still looked stunned, and that was all he could manage to say.

"You'll need physical therapy," Mason added. "The hospital can recommend someone to work with you."

"Yes..." Aiden mumbled, still staring at my brothers in disbelief.

Kayden, who had been quiet all this time, busy typing on his phone, suddenly spoke up. "I need to go." He stood up and glanced at his dad. "I'll be back later, okay?"

Before any of us could say a word, Kayden dashed out the door, as if there was something urgent that he needed to handle immediately.

"What's wrong with him?" I mumbled to myself.

"Let him be," Aiden said with a sigh, then winced as a low groan escaped him, likely from the pain flaring up. He shifted slightly, trying to ease the discomfort, but it was clear that even small movements weren't easy for him right now.

"We'll give you two some time to talk," Max said, extending his hand to Chloe, sensing that I needed to have a conversation with Aiden about what had happened. "Come on, Chloe. Let's grab a croissant at the cafe up front."

Chloe hesitated for a moment, but her eyes lit up when Max added, "They have those Nutella-filled croissants you love."

She grinned happily and instantly slid off the bed—so easy to persuade with just the promise of sweets. "I'll be back, Dad," she said, following her uncles out of the room.

When we were alone, my gaze lingered on his injured leg, and I couldn't help but wonder if he would walk properly again.

"I can," Aiden replied, catching me off guard. I didn't realize I had spoken my thoughts aloud. "I'll work hard on it until I can."

"What happened, Aiden?" I asked, unable to contain my curiosity. "Why was she acting like that?"

Aiden sighed, leaning his head back against the bed, which was slightly reclined for his comfort. "The universe was giving me a lesson, Asha," he said. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them to look at me earnestly. "I only have myself to blame."

I didn't know how to respond, so I stayed quiet, sensing that he had more to say.

"Did Roy tell you how the accident happened?" he asked. I nodded. "Well, now I'm going to tell you why it happened. And believe me, there's a reason for me telling you this."

"Okay," I replied, waiting for him to continue.

"She came to me saying that I had sent Ryan, her fiancé, text messages containing screenshots of my conversation with her, along with some pictures. Apparently, she had been dating Ryan while she was with me, and because of that, Ryan canceled their wedding. She also claimed that I had texted her, calling her a lying whore and accusing her of giving me a hard time for always choosing you while she was cheating on me with Ryan." He paused, looking at me warily for my reaction.

I kept my face neutral, but inside, I was screaming . Holy shit! Seriously? She cheated on him. Ryan was the one who canceled their wedding?

Luckily, Aiden didn't see it in my face. "She thought it was my attempt to get her back by ruining her engagement to Ryan and wanted us to get back together. But I said no. I dismissed her and told her to go home. We were at the cafe near my apartment, and I just left her there."

My lips twitched, and I had to curl them in between my teeth. It was both sad and hilarious, and I couldn't even pinpoint exactly what struck me as funny. Maybe I was just relieved that karma had caught up with both of them. Then my gaze fell to Aiden's leg, and guilt washed over me. I suddenly felt like a terrible person.

Aiden rubbed his face with his hands and leaned back further, staring at the ceiling. "It must have driven her crazy because she thought I had destroyed her chance to marry Ryan just to dump her."

That was tragic. But all I could think about was how much I wanted to laugh.

Oblivious to my drifting thoughts, Aiden continued. "It hit me then—my life felt like a bad joke. But you know what was running through my mind at that moment? What made it unbearable?" His gaze met mine, and though I struggled to keep a straight face, he seemed to take it as something else entirely.

"How I lost you," he said softly. "I lost you for something that, in the end, didn't mean a thing."

Oh God, help me. I didn't know how much longer I could keep this in. It felt wrong to be this happy about it, but I couldn't help myself.

"But I never sent those texts, Asha. Not to her or to Ryan."

That brought my thoughts to a screeching halt. I took a moment to process what he had just told me. I was too caught up in the realization that she had been playing him all along and that her fiancé had dumped her. "You didn't?"

He shook his head. "I never contacted her. Not for a long time. And I didn't have Ryan's number."

"Then who?" I asked, bewildered.

Aiden cast me a pointed look, and slowly, it dawned on me. "Oh, shit," I gasped. "Kayden?"

"I don't have proof, but I suspect it was Kayden."

"Does she know it wasn't you who sent it?"

"No. I didn't tell her. She still thinks it was me. That's probably why this"—he gestured to his injured leg— "happened."

I honestly didn't know whether to be proud of my son for being so smart or to smack the back of his head for being a very bad boy.

"He was so down after he found out about the accident. I kept asking him what was wrong, but he wouldn't tell me. If he really did it, he probably blamed himself for this." I mused, trying to piece together what was going on with my son. "Did you know he was the one who found out about the accident?"

"Yes," Aiden nodded.

"How did he find out?"

"I don't know, but we need to talk to him, Asha," Aiden said. "We've known he's been a genius since he was little. Now we need to make sure he uses that talent for good."

"Yeah, we need to." Kayden was only sixteen, and I couldn't imagine what he might accomplish in ten years.

"I think we're going to do great at co-parenting." Aiden smiled at me.

I returned his smile; the warmth I felt from him was genuine. "We will."

A moment later, Chloe returned with a bag of croissants for her dad and me, enthusiastically sharing how great she was at skiing. Just then, Mason nudged my elbow, gesturing for me to follow him and Max outside.

"I talked to the nurse who was on duty when Aiden was brought in," Mason began, a thoughtful look crossing his face. "It turned out Vanessa was the one who brought Aiden to the hospital. Her car had spun out of control and hit a tree after she hit him, so she was injured too—a deep gash on her forehead that wouldn't stop bleeding. The nurse told me he'd asked her how she managed to get someone Aiden's size into her car and drive him thirty minutes to the hospital—the car was barely drivable after the crash—all while dealing with that kind of pain. She just shook her head and said she didn't know. She couldn't even remember doing it."

Mason paused, seeming to weigh his words carefully before he continued. "The nurse also said she kept murmuring to herself, almost like she was in some kind of trance, repeating over and over, 'I love him. I don't want him to die. '"

I frowned at this revelation. She had loved him, and despite her actions, I believed that love had been real.

We fell into silence for a moment until Max broke it. "You know, Asha, I'll disown you if you even think about taking him back, but I can't help feeling sorry for him now. He really learned his lesson the hard way. I guess life has a way of balancing itself out."