Divorce to Destiny: Reclaiming My CEO Husband

417 Shattered Friendship (Jayden)

The hotel suite feels claustrophobic, even with the London skyline stretching out in all directions beyond the glass windows. I pace, the anger like a live wire running through me. Every time I think I've calmed down, another wave of betrayal hits, sharper than the last

After everything we've shared, I cannot believe my best friend would stoop so low. Sure, I agreed with Winona to hall pass week. I should have known it would be too much for me.

But Winona had a fair point really, she'd never explored her sexual wants and needs. I don't own her. And she was upfront at least about wanting to have that time. She could have easily gone behind my back

But that's not Winona. She rarely puts herself first. I was at peace with it all. We'd moved on But now, knowing it was Lance and Phillip. That made everything seem different. Of course Phillip was always going to try and go there. They have history. I don't like it, but I understand it.

But Lance? That one hurts more than I ever could imagine. Bro code is gone. Trust is gone. I don't think I'll ever understand why he would do something this destructive to us.

When the knock finally comes, my gut twists. I know it's him. Lance. Viktor texted me that he was on his way up, but no amount of warning could prepare me for how I still feel having to look at him. "Come in," I call, my voice tight.Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

The door creaks open, and there he is. Lance. His face is swollen and bruised from our fight, his lip soll split, and he looks every bit as beaten as I feel. But it's not enough to satisfy me. Nothing would be, not right now.

"Jayden," he starts, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind him.

I cross my arms, leaning back against the edge of the desk. "You shouldn't be here," I say, my voice a cold blade. "You've got a lot of nerve."

He meets my gaze, and for a moment, his usual cocky smirk is nowhere to be found. Instead, he looks.... hollow. But I don't care. Not enough to ease the anger burning through me.

"I came because we need to talk," he says, his voice steady but subdued.

"Talk?" I scoff, the bitterness dripping from every syllable. "There's nothing to talk about. You betrayed me, Lance. You had sex with Winona. My best friend and my wife. It's done. We can never be what we were again."

He flinches, but he doesn't look away. "I know I fucked up," he says, and his voice isn't defensive. It's quiet, almost resigned. "I know I hurt you, and I can't take that back."

I push off the desk, the anger bubbling up. "You think an apology is going to fix this? You think you can waltz in here, say you're sorry, and make everything better?"

He sighs, running a hand over his bruised face. "No, I don't," he admits. "I didn't come here expecting forgiveness. I came to explain, even if it doesn't matter to you. It matters for Winona."

41 Shattered Friendship

"

I take a step closer, my fists clenching. "You've always known how much she meant to me. From the beginning. Hell, it's the one thing you never messed with. But you couldn't resist, could you? You had to cross that line."

His eyes flicker with something-pain, maybe-but he holds my gaze. "You're right. I crossed a line, and I don't have an excuse, I knew what it would cost if you knew, but at the time... I wanted to help her." My muscles tighten. "Help her? By banging her? Are you fucking serious?"

Lance's shoulders sag, but his voice is steady. "Winona was in a place where she needed to feel safe to explore things, and I thought... I thought I could be that for her. What else am I good at apart from crunching numbers?" "You're good at breaking friendships." I say before I can stop myself, wanting to hurt him.

He nods. "Yes, I am good at that I guess. But something would have happened eventually. It always does. "A pity party doesn't explain why you would do this to me."

"It was never about you. Winona needed no strings, no expectations. Just a way for her to explore things without judgment. I knew I could give her that. A stranger might not be as careful with her emotions I wasn't letting her put herself at risk."

I laugh, a harsh, humorless sound. "You really think that makes it better? That you did it out of some noble sense of duty? Bullshit."

He flinches again, and for the first time, he looks like he's holding himself together by a thread. "I never wanted to hurt you, Jayden," he says, his voice cracking. "You know I didn't. But I knew it would hurt you and I did it anyway, and that's on me. I let you down." The words hang in the air, heavy with years of friendship and trust now shattered. I want to scream at him, punch him again, anything to get rid of the rage.

But he keeps going, his tone softer. "I've always cared about her. Not in the way you do, but... she saved me in high school, you know? When my world was falling apart. You both did. I wanted to repay her somehow, even if it was the wrong way. She deserves the world for her loyalty and love to you."

My stomach twists. Memories of high school flash through my mind, back when I found out how broken Lance's life really was. His dad seemed to hate Lance like mine hated me.

His dad took his own life, and Greg died, when we were teenagers.

We got each other.