Page 77 of Castle

I going to ruin him.

THIRTY

Aster Montgomery’sJournal

17th September

I want to ruin Christopher’s life, but you know when you’re in love with someone for so many years, it’s hard to comprehend the fact that your husband never loved you.

I gave him a choice and had a little talk, which turned out ugly.

‘You’ve been having an affair with Lorna for so long! How could you do that to me, Christopher?’I’d asked him.

He received my outburst with a shocking calmness, as if he expected me to findout about itsoon. “I’m sorry, Aster, I wanted to tell you since a long time ago. I don’t love Lorna, but she’s very hard to get rid of...I don’t know what happened to me...’ he said.

‘You have two children with her and a third one on the way. How many lies are you going to tell me?’

‘Aster, I love you. I had to pretend with her.’

I held up my hand for him to stop talking. ‘I want you to pack your stuff and leave. You can take Devin and Dayana with you if you want since they are yours and Lorna’s...’

It had hurt me to say this because over the years I had loved and cared for both of them as much as I had for Castleand Theo; it shattered me to do this but there was no way out of this.

I picked a checkbook and signed a hefty amount. ‘Take this money and don’t show your face here again.’

Christopher looked broken, and I tried not to let it affect me and yet it was difficult to not feel anything at all. He’d cheated on me, married another woman while being married to me, yet in a smalldeepcorner of my heart, I wanted him to leave Lorna and come back to me.

‘Sweetheart, please, don’t do this!′ Hehad begged. ‘I am Castle and Theo’s father, too.’

‘I don’t careandI don’t need you in their lives.′

‘I’ll divorce her.’ He told me, ’I’ll break off the marriage with her andbewith you.’

‘No. I want you out of my life. I don’t want to see you in my house. I won’t change my decision.’

‘What decision?’ Castle stood at the door. He looked so much like Chris. I knew it would break my heart every time I looked at him in the future. His gaze shifted between his father and me, clearly picking on the tension. He had a basketball spinning on his finger.

‘Nothing. Go back to your room, Cas.’ I told him.

‘Mom, Devin is being an asshole again. Can I throw him in the garbage or better yet, ship his ass off to some isolated island?’

‘How many times have I told you to watch your mouth, son?’ Chris asked him, obviously feeling threatened and taking the joke seriously.

‘Don’t talk about your brother like that, Cas. Now leave and close the door on your way.’

He made a facebefore closingthe door.

‘Did you see the way he talks about Devin? He thinks that he’s entitled to everything.’

‘But isn’t he?’ I asked. ‘Castle is my heir, Chris, and it will always be that way. If not for Castle, it will be Theodore.’

Chris laughed, ‘You’re taking revenge on those poor kids.’

‘Those poor kids are the ones you forced into the house by lying to me. Castle and Theo are my blood! After the divorce, Devin and Dayana will go with you, and they won’t have any more share inmy will. I will pass whatever assets that you possess onto them.’

He loved Devin and Dayana more. When he talked to them, he had a different spark in his eyes and over the years I’d ignored it, as I always thought Chris treatedthemlike his own out of the goodness of his heart.

But that was never the case. My children, Castle and Theo were born out of greed for my money.Devin and Dayana were born out of love.

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