Divorce to Destiny: Reclaiming My CEO Husband

(Winona)

"Don't lose that, Winona," he says, his voice firm. "Don't let anyone-not Jayden, not the kids, not anyone take that power away from you. Nurture your spark and let it be a flame when you can. You're so fucking hot... don't be afraid of it." I smile. I think I needed to hear that.

"If Jayden has any brains at all, he'll never let you go. You're an incredible woman, a badass mother, and the kind of person I could only dream about having as a mom growing up."

I take in a ragged breath. This is so hard to watch and yet I want it to go on forever.

"Okay, to be honest, being raised by a family of slugs would probably have been better emotionally for me, but you know what I'm saying. If I could have chosen the best Mom, it would have been you."All content © N/.ôvel/Dr/ama.Org.

He gives his big, cheesy grin. "Now that would've raised some eyebrows when I had sex with you, if you were my Mom. Am I right?"

"Jesus, Lance!" I say out loud.

"Oops, too far, sorry," he says like he's heard my protest.

His gaze softens, and he leans back in the chair, running a hand through his hair. "And Jayden... man, I hope he can get past what happened. But if he can't, don't waste your life waiting for him to come around."

I have to smile. Lance saw things as so black and white. His advice to everything, either you do something or you don't there's no in between.

"Move on. Be happy. You deserve it. And if Jayden does figure his shit out, great. But either way, you're gonna be okay."

I pause the video for a moment, needing to catch my breath. His words are too much, too raw, too Lance. I know deep down I can live my life without Jayden, Of course I can. But I don't want to.

I want to be with him. I want him to want to be with me. But I can't control what he decides. This is the fallout from my decisions. This is what I have to live with. Jayden has to want me, not just as a mother to his kids but as a life partner, a wife.

He may not want that. But I know he'll honor our friendship and co-parent with me. That is a blessing in itself.

I press play again.

"Now, about Judy... you're welcome. She was never going to stop, Winona. Not with you, not with Jayden, not even with the kids. She would've dragged you all down just to keep her warped version of control. So, I handled it." He certainly did handle it.

"If I was going to be gone anyway, may as well be useful about it. I'd been looking into her files. It started with some financial discrepancies, but that's another story... I found so much on how she'd been keeping tabs on you all. Sure, we could probably get enough to have her put away. But would that really stop her? Of course not."

My skin prickles at this. The relief sweeping through me that I never have to worry about this again is real.

"She'd never give up trying to keep you and Jayden apart, we all know that. Even Jayden. But her idea of

getting Abby and Henry off you net

really got to me. So, I decided it was

time t was over for me and over for her too." t

It probably makes me a bad human but I'm not sorry she's gone.

"Don't make things harder than they have to be. She's gone. And now, you're free. That is the gift that just keeps on giving and it's not even Christmas. Don't waste it."

He did the unthinkable to give us freedom.

I often wonder how the Judy's of the world exist. But I guess having that much money allows it. When you can pay for anything... When you have enough money to get away with murder, bad people can stay bad.

It's not fair but then the world isn't fair sometimes. That's for sure.

He leans forward, his expression

softening one last time. "I guess this

is the part where I say goodbye. You were my family, Winona. You,

Jayden, Lisa... you all made me want to be around longer. And I know I screwed up a lot, but I'm grateful for every moment I had with you all."

I'm grateful for every moment I had with you too, my friend.

"I may have been an asshole, but I was a magnificent one." He grins, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "I'm gone. Shit happens. Deal with it. And don't forget-life's too short to play by the rules. Go break a few. For me."

The screen goes dark. I sit there, missing more than I ever thought possible. Wanting him to walk in my door and say 'surprise! Had you fooled, didn't I?'

For once I want this to be one of his crazy-assed pranks. But I know it isn't.

The ache deep in my soul tells me it isn't. Life goes on, yes. But life will never be the same without him. I'll never let him be forgotten. I'll never forget him.

Lance Collins, the irreverent, maddening, beautiful disaster, is gone.

For a moment, I sit here, staring at the blank screen, enjoying my last moments with him in the darkness. The place he existed in for a lot of his life. But that made him special. He could have been an awful human.

No one would've blamed him. They would've understood anyone going through what he went through might end up being a major psychotic problem.

But no, he shone his light for everyone else. So they wouldn't have to share the darkness with him.

Then, slowly, a small smile creeps across my lips. We had a lot of good times. So many. He deserves us to remember all of that. Lance wouldn't want tears. He'd want laughter, joy, life. "Goodbye, Lance," I whisper. "You magnificent asshole."