The Billionaire's Ex

33|which causes pain

Today, was the hearing. The court room was filled up with people. For a week now, Jace and Claire have been in police custody but this was the day of their sentence. This was the day everyone has been waiting for.

Ashton sat in the second row gallery with Thea besides him. Freya, Zachary and Mrs. Ryder sat behind them. It didn't take much time and effort till the judge hit his gavel against the lectern sentencing Jace to 20 years imprisonment.

Ashton felt the gently tugged on his hands as a soft hand wrapped itself around his. He squeezed back.

---

Claire sat before Ashton and the door shut behind her. Ashton took the telephone and placed it on his ears and she did the same.

"How are you?" Ashton asked.

"Why have you come Ashton?" She asked instead.

"I came to see how you were faring, prison life must be hard."

"No, you have come to laugh at me Ashton. I hope you are happy," Claire seethed.

"At first, I pitied you because you were going to be put into a long time relationship with someone that didn't love you but now, I see that that wasn't even the problem. You don't even feel remorse for what you did."

"It's only a matter of time Ashton till I'm out of here." She said to him and Ashton shook his head.

"Time," Ashton said. "Can be your enemy sometimes. I hope you don't lose everything while you are in here."

"U knew your weakness and used it against you, is that why you are so angry? You should be happy that I didn't run you down yet Ashton." Claire said to him. "I know who Jace is, don't think this is over yet. Things might have just started."

---

People came one after the other, paying their respect to the Mrs. Jane Kennedy. Thea sat at a corner quietly, staring at the sealed coffin. She didn't have the strength to cry anymore.

"Where is she?" Ashton asked Zachary who motioned to the corner where Thea had been sitting for quite a while.

Ashton stared at Thea now, watching as she stared blankly at her mother's coffin. He hesitatingly walked to her and sat besides her quietly. She didn't bother to turn, she knew he was there, there for her.

"I've learnt that, you can't expect the person you love so much to be with you forever." Ashton listened quietly, tilting his head slightly as she talked.

"I remember when my dad left us. I overheard him telling my mother that he regretted ever being with her. He loved his other woman, Ashton, more than he ever loved my mother." She said. "I wanted to hate him, I wanted her to hate him but she always told me, not to ever regret what had a good beginning." Thea said. She never touched the hair that swept against her face.

"Even I didn't know what went wrong. Everyday after that night, I heard her cry silently even when she thought I wasn't listening. I saw her long face when she thought I wasn't paying attention to her. Still, I wanted us to have a life of happiness even though dad didn't want anything to do with us anymore. I wanted him to come one-day and see that we are doing alright."

Ashton fully turned to her and watched as the tears that was finding it hard to spill minutes ago, dropped down her cheeks.

"I wanted her to be there for me on my wedding day. I wanted her to finally be happy. But she couldn't wait, she didn't wait for me." He drew her closer to his chest and placed her face against his chest. "Ashton, I...wanted her to wait a little bit. I just wanted her to.."

"It's alright, Thea. It's nothing to bad that you didn't get what you want. Maybe it's for the best. Do you know, that she was a good woman? She would be looking at you now, wondering why you are crying when she's somewhere better than this callous world. She'll tell you not to cry Thea, that she'll always watch over you." Thea sobbed and held into him tighter.

"And she'll tell you that there's someone like me ready to make you forget your pain and suffering, to give you a life she never had the chance to give you, a life you deserve." She sobbed louder and he pressed her even more, hiding her face in his chest and patting her back slowly in comfort.

---

The sound of champagne being popped echoed around the room and Thea gasped in surprise but it was followed with a round of laughter. Ashton hugged her back to his chest as her long face turned to one of his favorite smiles.

"Welcome back," Zachary took his hands over her shoulders peeling her away from Ashton in the process. "You've been crying all day, we all thought you needed to smile a bit," he said as he brought her closer to her surprise. Thea gasped in surprise when she stared at the arranged table full of different kind of dishes and Drinks. Her favorite dishes.

She turned back to stare at Ashton with tears of joy in her eyes.

"It's your birthday in a couple of weeks, I wanted you to have this as a pre... birthday celebration. What's a better celebration without your friends and family by your side." Ashton said walking closer to her. It was then she took a closer look at the people in the room.

Ashton,

Freya,

Zachary,

Jennifer,

Cecilia,

Samuel,

Samson,

Mrs Elizabeth

Mrs Weston,

Fiona...

She hugged him tightly. "It's not much but I thought you needed some relaxation a bit." Ashton said.

"Thank you Ashton, thank you so much."

Their feast began. The table was filled up with laughter and joy. Thea smiled as she took the piece of meat from Ashton's fork when he nudged her.

Freya stood from the table after whispering to Zachary that she would be back. She walked to the kitchen to refill the glass of juice that had gone empty in a short period.

"Hey,"

She squealed in shock. "Oh my God, Samson you scared me."

He chuckled. "Sorry,"

"Why aren't you eating with the rest of us?" Freya asked.

"I wanted to get some air," he said after contemplation. He remembered what he felt anytime Freya laughed with Zachary whenever he said something funny.

He felt the sting in the chest that he couldn't take it anymore, he left to get some air. Samson forced a smile after a while. Freya walked passed him to get the juice from the fridge.

"Emm...I wanted to tell you," he started. "I didn't know how to tell you," she turned to look at him them. "I'm leaving Australia in a few days." He nodded as if confirming what he just said.

"Why do you have to leave?" She asked.

"I...em...I have a job interview there. I thought about starting a job there." He said and she nodded.

"Oh," she said. "Well goodluck," she mustered a smile at him then returned to what she was formally doing.

"Em Freya,"

She paused in her steps. "Yes?"

She raised a brow when he did nothing but stare at her. "Nothing," she nodded slowly as if trying to understand what he was thinking.

"Tell me Samson, what's wrong?" His only reply was to hug her tightly to himself.

Zachary stopped at the door of kitchen. Mrs Weston had asked of Freya just then and he had seen Samson's empty seat. He prayed for them not to be together, after all, she was just going to get drink. Yet, he stood at the doorstep of the kitchen to see them hugging tightly.

For a moment there, he couldn't move, he didn't know what to think. He quietly walked away from the door. It was then that Samson sensed the presence of someone and looked up.