Divorce to Destiny: Reclaiming My CEO Husband novel Chapter 511

(Winona)

“Judy really taught me everything I know about being self-reliant and a strong woman, but she taught me in all the wrong ways. By threatening my life and the life of my children. I mean she almost took the life of her son more than once.”

“Judy only knew extreme. But she also knew how to cover her tracks.”

“She brought danger to my doorstep that I’d fought so long to keep away. I will not miss her in any way. I never loved her. But I do feel for Jayden, and for you.”

He tilts his head, his sharp eyes locking onto mine. “Life must look very different for you now Judy’s gone. Knowing she won’t be there to interfere.”

I take a moment to think about it. “Honestly? Yeah, I am. Judy had a way of… making you doubt yourself. Questioning every move you made. It’s exhausting, constantly looking over your shoulder, waiting for her to strike.”

“She was good at that,” Gus says with a small, humorless chuckle. “Always did everything to the highest degree.”

“Certainly cannot fault her work ethic and attention to detail.”

“You’ll move forward from Judy. You did once before when you were pregnant with Abby.”

“I did, but Judy was still involved in how my life went. She knew everything about me. She had Phillip in her grips. All she wanted was to keep me away from Jayden, to keep him in her grip. Like she knew that him meeting Abby would change whatever hold she thought she had.”

“It wasn’t just Abby. It was you. His memory was always going to come back but with you there he didn’t just have to believe what Judy told him. He questioned it because of his love for you.”

I nod. “And yet, we’re no closer to having what we’ve always wanted.”

“You’re closer than you think. But at least now you can both really explore life without being manipulated into every feeling.”

“I do feel like I can finally make decisions for myself, for my family, without her meddling. I can keep my family together if Jayden and I choose to. We can live life on our own terms.”

“You can,” Gus agrees. “And you should. I’m so sorry you and Jayden lost your baby. No one should have to go through that. I hope I can be a part of you finding peace with your family in the future. That you won’t let it hold you back.”

His words settle over me like a warm blanket, and for the first time in a long time, I feel a flicker of genuine hope. This is all finally starting to hit home. Judy is gone but in her wake there’s a lot of positives.

I reconnected with my mother and found out she was not the person I thought she was. She’d been forced into the life she had. I met Cass and although it’s been rocky, we are still sisters.

I met Bobby and Sarah and with Anne’s help we’ve been able to rehabilitate them into a normal loving family life.

We have Henry.

As much as Judy ruined and complicated our lives, so much good also came out of it.