Page 26 of All That She Needs

"I think he's in your bedroom. He said he's waiting for you."

I nodded. "Go to sleep, honey. You have classes in the morning."

"Okay, mom. Love you."

I swallowed my sobs and whispered, "I love you more."

As I climbed the stairs to our bedroom, the weight of the day pressed heavily on my mind. It had been a tough day—seeing Kayden's pain so clearly for the first time this morning, losing a friend I thought would be permanent in my life, and now this. Now, I had to face the reality of losing my husband, too.

Part 12: Asha

The door to my room was slightly open, letting a thin beam of light spill into the hallway. When I gently pushed it wider and walked in, I found Aiden sitting on the edge of the bed. As soon as he saw me, he rose to his feet. His expression showed that he was in great agony. I stopped in the doorway, taking in the sight of him. My husband—still so handsome, even at this moment. I took a moment to let myself appreciate the man I had adored for years, the man who had once belonged completely to me. His rugged, handsome looks, which had once given me such solace. His warm, golden eyes that I used to lose myself in. His long, lean body, that used to keep me warm at night.

As I got nearer, I saw how disheveled he looked. His normally neat dark hair was sticking out in every direction, like he'd been nervously running his hands through it. His suit jacket and tie were thrown on the floor, and his shirt was hanging out untidily. Aiden, the man I knew, always cared about how he looked, but tonight, that careful image was gone. It was obvious he was having a rough time, just like me—maybe even more so.

His face was shaded with exhaustion and something else. Regret, perhaps. His eyes were red, as if he'd been crying. His shoulders slumped, defeated, as though the weight of everything that had passed between us was finally pressing down on him, just as it was on me.

"You know too, don't you?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah, I know everything," I said with a heavy sigh. "At least enough to know you've been lying to me and having an affair with some slut from your office." When he gave me that painful look, like he didn't like I called her a slut, I sneered. "She was fucking someone else's husband for how many goddamn months. What else should I call her?"

"Asha," his voice shaking a little. I looked up and saw his eyes. Those warm, golden eyes looked lost and far away. There was a weakness and deep sorrow in his look, and it struck me suddenly, realizing that this was the moment that I had been dreading. He was finally being cornered, and now he had no choice but to decide. And I knew he wouldn't choose me. Talking with Kayden had given me the strength to finally leave him, and I remained determined to do so. But the thought that he might have said those words first—that he wouldn't choose me before I could reveal mine—made the pain even worse.

I braced myself for his words, feeling my legs shake. I had to sit down, and he followed me. I was actually grateful that he sat so close that I could feel his warmth one last time, which was so stupid, considering I should have punched his face instead.

"Asha, I love you," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I've never stopped loving you. You must believe that."

The intensity of his words hit me like a physical blow. The pain in my chest was overwhelming, and I felt like I was on the brink of collapse. He sounded like he was saying goodbye. I needed to respond, but the words wouldn't come. Maybe it would have been easier if he were the one ending things—at least then, I wouldn't have to muster the strength to do it myself.

"And I'm going to keep loving you until the day I die," he continued, his voice cracking with the weight of his emotion. He took my right hand and covered it with his. "Fuck, Asha. I knowI've made countless mistakes. I've hurt you more than I can say. But please, sweetheart. Please forgive me. Give me another chance. I don't know if I would ever deserve your forgiveness, but I swear to you, I'll do everything,everything, to earn it."

My head snapped to his, a surge of surprise washing over me. I had braced myself for the inevitable ache, convinced that he would walk away. I never expected to find his eyes showing regret, saying that he wasn't going anywhere. Didn't he want to be with her? He was so dedicated to her, sacrificing his family just to be with her, and now, when the opportunity was right there in his face, he said he wanted to stay?

Aiden's eyes were pleading as they looked at me, and I had to look away. Those eyes were making me weak, and I didn't want to be weak. My mind drifted to what Kayden said. His words echoed in my mind:"We can't live with him like this, Mom. He won't stop hurting us. He didn't care. I love you, Mom. If you're happy, I'm happy."

Slowly, I drew my hand from his grasp, feeling my heart break with each passing second. His gaze followed the movement, and when he looked back up at me, his eyes were glistening with tears.

"Asha, don't," he said, his voice breaking. His hands hovered in the air, like he wanted to pull me into a hug, but stopped when he saw my expression. "Please, don't do this."

"Kayden wants me to leave you." My voice was barely there. "He's hurt. You hurt him, Aiden. You hurt me too."

He was visibly trembling now. "I know. I'm so sorry. I'm so fucking sorry. What do you want me to do, Asha? Tell me. I'll do anything. But please don't leave me."

"I thought you wanted to be with her. You betrayed your family so that you could be with her. Her name is Vanessa, isn'tit?" My gaze drifted as I reminisced. "I remember the first time you introduced me to her. It was at your office party in that hotel. She was standing by your side, and I felt something I couldn't shake. The way you interacted with her was different, as if you both shared an intimacy that set her apart from the other employees. I tried to dismiss it, convinced you wouldn't betray me. But then you left me alone at your own party for a long time. I searched for you everywhere until one of the security guards told me he saw you in the lobby. I found you with her. She looked upset, and you were saying something to her. Even from a distance, I could see desperation clearly on your face. I don't know why I never confronted you about it—maybe I was afraid my suspicions were true. You left me alone to be with her, didn't you? Did you sneak off to a room in that hotel to fuck her, Aiden? While I was there?"

Aiden let out a low, tormented grunt and closed his eyes. My heart slowly withered, fragile as paper, torn in half and set on fire. "My God, Aiden," I whispered, my tears flowing heavily, blurring my sight. "How far would you go to hurt me?"

"I never meant to hurt you, Asha. I was–"

"You're heartless. You're selfish. And you're fucking disgusting." I interrupted, my voice trembling as I fought back tears. "You're a cruel man, Aiden. So cruel. You have no respect for me. My feelings mean absolute shit to you. Why do you even want to stay with me? With us? Is it just because she left you, and we're your second choice?"

"You're my home. You're my soul," he said through his tears. "You and the kids are my world."

I shook my head, an incredulous laugh bubbling out of me. "No, Aiden. We stopped being your world months ago." He lowered his head and couldn't say anything. He had nothing to say. "It ended when you brought another woman into ourlives," I continued, my voice growing steady despite the storm of emotions inside me. "It ended when you made her your priority and chose her over and over again until you had nothing left to give to us. Until we became an afterthought while you devoted yourself to someone else."

"I'm here now, Asha." He pleaded. "I promise you I'll never hurt you again."

"I watched you, Aiden, fall in love with someone else," I said, my voice thick with tears, ignoring his pleading. My pain, my heartbreak, was all I saw at that moment. "Then I watched you fall apart, deeply heartbroken over another woman. And through it all, I've stayed here, still loving you, silently crying, hoping, praying every single day that you'd come back to me."

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