Page 22 of The Anniversary Betrayal
Finally, Kingston zipped the suitcase shut, his jaw tight. He looked around the room one last time, the photos on the dresser, the scent of Ashley’s perfume lingering in the air and his face crumpled.
“I’ll come by for the kids tomorrow,” he said quietly.
Ashley nodded, her throat too tight for words. When he walked past her carrying the box, his hand brushed hers accidentally. For the briefest second, the warmth of his skin tugged at something deep inside her, a ghost of what oncewas but she didn’t move. By late afternoon, the house felt different. Hollow. Like someone had taken the bones out of it. Ashley sat on the edge of the bed, Emma and Ethan playing in the next room, their laughter a fragile thread keeping her tethered. She reached for her phone and texted Leah along with Carl and Susan.He’s moved out. I filed the papers today.Support came immediately:Proud of you.You’re strong.We’ve got you covered.Ashley let the phone rest on her lap, her chest aching. It wasn’t triumph she felt. It was grief and relief braided together in a way that left her dizzy.
Two days later, Ashley stopped by a small café near the hospital to grab coffee before her shift. She was stirring sugar into the cup when she felt a presence at her side.
“Ashley.”
The voice was unmistakable.
Rebecca Jane stood there, sleek as ever in her pressed blouse and tailored skirt, a smug half-smile curving her lips. Ashley’s chest tightened. She considered walking away, but something in Rebecca’s gaze challenging, almost daring stopped her.
“Rebecca.” Ashley’s voice was cool, measured. “What do you want?”
Rebecca tilted her head. “Just thought it’s time we had a real conversation. Woman to woman.”
Ashley’s jaw clenched. “Fine.” She gestured to an empty table in the corner. “Let’s talk.”
They sat, the hum of the café around them contrasting with the storm brewing between their eyes.
Rebecca leaned back, crossing her legs elegantly. “You should know that I don’t regret it. Not a single moment.”
Ashley’s hands curled around her coffee cup, knuckles whitening. “You destroyed a family. Do you want me to applaud you for it?”
Rebecca’s laugh was soft, almost pitying. “Destroyed? No. I simply reminded Kingston of who he really wanted. We had history long before you ever walked into his life. You were just the convenient choice. A replacement.”
The words struck like a slap, but Ashley didn’t flinch. Instead, she lifted her chin. “If I’m just a replacement, then why isn’t he with you now? Why did he choose me, marry me, build a life with me?”
Rebecca’s smile faltered for the briefest moment before returning, sharper. “Because you were safe. Predictable but when I came back, it was obvious that our connection was still there. He couldn’t resist me.”
Ashley’s voice grew quiet, steady, laced with steel. “You’re right about one thing. He couldn’t resist. That’s on him but don’t delude yourself into thinking that means he loves you. You weren’t his forever. You were his escape.”
Rebecca’s eyes narrowed. “You’re clinging to dignity because it’s all you have left.”
Ashley leaned forward, her voice low and fierce. “No, Rebecca. I’m holding on to dignity because it’s the one thing you’ll never have. You might have taken my husband’s fidelity, but you’ll never take my worth. You’ll never take the bond I have with my children and you’ll never take the strength I’ve found walking away from both of you.”
Rebecca’s composure cracked then, just slightly with the twitch of her jaw, the way her eyes flickered.
Ashley stood, sliding her chair back. “You can live with your choices. I’ll live with mine but don’t ever confusedestruction with victory because in the end, Kingston realized the truth that it wasn’t love between you two. It was weakness and weakness doesn’t last.”
For a moment, Rebecca didn’t move, her lips pressed into a thin line. Ashley walked away without looking back, her heart pounding, her hands trembling but her spine straighter than it had been in months.
That evening, she tucked the kids into bed alone. Ethan hugged her tightly, whispering, “I miss Daddy.”
Ashley kissed his forehead. “I know, sweetheart. He misses you too but we’re all going to be okay.” And for the first time, as she switched off the bedroom light, Ashley believed it. The house was quieter now, but not hollow. It was hers. A place where wounds could begin to heal.
Chapter Eighteen
The morning of the first family outing after Kingston had moved out was bright and deceptively ordinary. Ashley stood by the front window, clutching her coffee mug as she watched Kingston pull into the driveway. The sight of him stepping out of his car still tugged something inside her, the familiarity, history, heartbreak all rolled into one but today wasn’t about her. It was about the children.
“Mom, is Daddy here?” their daughter called from upstairs, her voice filled with the kind of excitement Ashley wished she could have.
“Yes, sweetheart. Come down,” Ashley replied, steadying her voice.
The children came bounding down, their laughter carrying through the house, filling the cracks that had formed in its walls. Kingston entered cautiously, as if the air inside was sacred, and Ashley noticed how his eyes softened when they landed on the kids.
“Hey, my loves,” he murmured, crouching to hug them both tightly. The warmth of the reunion nearly broke Ashley, but she stood tall, sipping her coffee like it was her anchor.
