The Billionaire's Ex

42|there's always

"Father?" The voice sent chills to their spine. Ashton walked into the sitting room with Thea trailing behind him. He just couldn't believe his ears, he wasn't sure he heard right.

Ashton halted in his steps. "Is it true? You sleep around."

"So you believe a common woman. She came here to tell lies about me and you all believe her?" Austin blurted out.

"Is it true or not?"

"Of course it's not! She's only a liar who wants to ruin my family because I couldn't make one with her,"

Ashton scoffed. "How can you even say such a thing? It wasn't mistake that you have a son with her, you filled her mind with empty promises and now you speak Ill about her?"

"She was the one fooling around with me and why are you even defending her? She's just one of them, she was just a whore looking for who to please then."

Ashton recoiled in shock at his father's words. "Whether she was a whore or not, she carried your child and she deserves your respect!" Ashton blurted out too. "I'll have you know that I did see the both of you at a bar the other night and I heard every bit of your conversation. I know that Andrew is my brother!"

"You lied and cheated all of us father. I don't even want to look at you and hear your disgusting words any longer. Do you hear me?!"

"I am your father and you will show me some respect!" He yelled back stubbornly and Ashton's frustration grew. "I will not have you disrespect me in such manner Ashton.  You stand under my roof and I can throw you out any minute now," he said. "As for you," he turned to Alicia, "you better get your things and leave this country for good because I won't let you defame me and leave you whole do you understand?"

Austin turned and walked away from all of them. For the first time since he got here, Ashton looked at his mother to find her giving no emotion. He wondered how she must be feeling. Not seeing her give any emotion made him more worried about her.

---

Austin came out of the bathroom in just a towel. His eyes widened when he saw the room half empty. The noises coming from his dressing room made him rush there in curiosity.

Lisa dumped the stack of clothes on her hands in the box besides her hurriedly before going towards her shoe to pick them up.

"Where do you think you are going?"

"What do you think? You think I'll leave in the same house with a man who thinks it's fun to ridicule his wife in front of everyone!"

Austin reached for her immediately, stopping her from whatever she was doing.

"Listen very carefully to me,you are going nowhere. You are my wife so you'll live here!"

"I was still your wife when you decided to sleep with another woman, isn't it? I was still living with you when you decided to be constant with clubs. I will not take this humiliation Austin, I'm leaving!" She blurted out and for a moment, fear was written in his features.

"I'll go away from you, far away from you." She pushed him out of the way to empty most of her rack of shoes.

"Lisa no, please don't leave," she didn't listen, she closed her box which was fully packed and couldn't even lock properly. "Lisa please listen to me," he tried again, holding her hand but she tore his grip away from her in anger. She took the wedding ring that was in her finger and threw it at him in anger.

"This is what you caused Austin, I hope you live with it for the rest of your life."

She grabbed her box which she impressively managed to roll. "I'll see you in court, Austin."

---

Thea interweaved their fingers as they laid together. He hadn't said anything since his fight with his father. They went home after that incident and showered immediately before they crashed on the soft bed. It was past midnight when they reached home and now Thea just counted along with the clock, still very much awake when it was three. She drew circles on the hand that held her waist to himself.

His grip tightened after a while and he drew closer to her.

"Ash?"

"Hmm,"

"I thought you were asleep,"

"I can't sleep. I keep thinking about what my father did and how today's going to be." Ashton said.

"Today's going to be better Ashton don't worry. Anything that happens today is meant to be. Perhaps your mother forgives him, perhaps she doesn't." Thea said.

"You are right. If she refuses to forgive him though, he should deal with it, it's his fault after all."

"Hmm," she replied. "So... Andrew," she said again.

"Yes, he is my step brother. I made Samuel do a research when I heard their conversation that night and he confirmed my suspicions." Ashton said.

"It saddening don't you think, that the period you found out he was your brother was the same period he died." Her voice soft like she was afraid of someone hearing when in reality, she just couldn't believe it yet.

"Yes, it is and I think he knew about it at some point."

"Why didn't he come to you then?"

"Not every step brother is happy with what he is. Maybe he didn't want anything to do with his Father, it could be that." Thea nodded. "Besides, I don't even want to talk about it for now, maybe later?"

She nodded, "okay"

He buried his nose in her neck, kissing her goodnight affectionately before resting his head on the pillow comfortably.

"Get some sleep," he said.

---