EX-WIFE, IT WAS YOUR LOSS NOT MINE

CHAPTER 10.

Jayden sat in the back seat of the sleek black car, his mind unable to catch up with what had just unfolded. He stared at Daniel, the man sitting across from him, trying to steady his breathing, but every thought felt scattered.

Daniel’s calm voice broke the silence. “Your father has been searching for you for years. When he saw your case, he knew immediately who you were. He believes in your innocence, Jayden. He pulled every string he could to step in. That is how I came to that court today with Mr Harris who was sent to defend your case.”

Jayden’s lips parted, his chest tightening as if he had forgotten how to breathe. “My father?” His voice cracked, the word tasting strange, almost foreign on his tongue.

“Who is he? How did he even find me after all these years?”

Daniel held his gaze, steady and unyielding. “He will explain everything himself. My task is only to bring you home to him.”

Jayden sank back against the leather seat, his eyes fixed on the world sliding past the tinted window.

The city lights blurred into streaks of color, and every mile felt like a step away from the life he had known and into one he had never imagined.

He shifted his hands in his lap, unable to keep them still. Part of him wanted to believe, but another part held back, afraid of opening up too soon.

The car drove up to a winding driveway that seemed to go on endlessly. When the estate finally appeared, Jayden’s chest tightened.

The house rose before him, grand and imposing, with tall pillars, glowing windows, and gardens trimmed to perfection spreading out on all sides. It was a world away from the cramped cell he had left only hours ago.

As the car slowed to a stop, Jayden’s breath caught. A man was already waiting outside. His shoulders were broad, his posture proud, yet his eyes were fixed on the car door with a desperate hope.

The moment Jayden stepped out, the man’s face crumpled. He took a few unsteady steps forward, then without hesitation, wrapped his arms around Jayden.

Tears streamed down his cheeks as his voice trembled. “Jayden. My son. I’m your father. I’m Mr. Wellington.”

Jayden stood frozen, overwhelmed by the sudden warmth of the embrace. For so long he had lived without belonging, without roots, and now here was this man holding him as if he were the most precious thing he had lost.

Slowly, uncertainly, Jayden let his arms lift, returning the embrace.

Mr. Wellington pulled back just enough to look at him, his eyes red but shining. “You look just like her,” he whispered. “Your mother. I thought I had lost you forever.”

Jayden swallowed, his throat tight. “I don’t understand. How did you even find me after so long?”

“Come inside,” Mr. Wellington said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. “There is much to tell.”

The house was just as overwhelming inside as it had been outside. High ceilings, polished marble floors, chandeliers that glowed warmly, and paintings hung in golden frames. Jayden followed, his eyes tracing every detail, though his mind could not stop spinning.

They sat together in a quiet sitting room, the fire burning softly in the hearth.

Mr. Wellington’s voice carried the weight of years. “I never stopped looking for you.

When you disappeared, I searched every corner I could. I refused to accept that you were gone. It was only recently, when I first briefly met and then also saw your face on the news, that I knew. You were alive. The resemblance was undeniable.

Then I saw your post online, a photograph from years ago, of a boy who looked exactly like you. That was when I knew I had finally found you.”

Jayden listened, every word digging into old scars. “I was raised by people who weren’t my blood,” he said quietly. “

“My adoptive parents changed my name. They told me it was for protection. They said my mother, before she died, begged them to keep me safe. I don’t know from whom, only that she believed I was in danger.”

Mr. Wellington’s hand trembled slightly as he covered his mouth. “She died in an accident the very day you disappeared. I thought I had lost you both. I blamed myself for everything.”

The fire crackled in the silence that followed. Jayden’s chest ached as he let the truth sink in.

His real mother had been gone all along, and the woman who raised him had carried the burden of protecting him from shadows he still did not understand.

Mr. Wellington spoke again, his voice steadier. “There is more for you to know. You have a new family now. I remarried some years later.”

Jayden nodded slowly, though his mind reeled. A family. After years of standing alone, after betrayal and loss, the word felt almost unreal.

Mr. Wellington smiled. “You have a stepmother, Ramona, and a stepbrother, Richard. They are waiting to meet you. Tonight, we will all sit for dinner as a family.”

He was shown to a wing of the house that seemed like another world. The room was grand, with velvet drapes, soft carpets, and a bed that looked like it could swallow him whole. He sat on its edge, his hands pressed to his knees, trying to steady himself.

He felt joy, yes, but beneath it burned another feeling that refused to fade. Emily and her father. The lies. The attempt to destroy him. They had tried to bury him alive. The thought smoldered inside him, quiet but fierce.

That evening, dressed in clothes that had been laid out for him, Jayden walked with his father toward the dining room.

“They are eager to meet you,” Mr. Wellington said warmly. “Ramona, Richard, and some of our in-laws who are visiting. I already told them you are here. They are waiting.”

Jayden’s palms felt damp. His chest rose and fell quickly as they reached the large double doors. His father pushed them open with a smile.

The dining room glowed with light, the long table set with crystal glasses and fine china. Faces turned toward him as he entered. But in an instant, Jayden froze, his body stiffening as his eyes landed on three familiar figures.

Sitting before him was Emily, her father, and her groom to be who she was marrying, the same one he caught her with at her office.

Mr. Wellington, oblivious to the tension, beamed with pride as he placed a hand on his son’s back.

“Everyone,” he announced joyfully, “this is my son. The one I thought I had lost forever.”

Jayden stood rooted to the spot, his breath caught in his chest. Across the table, Emily and everyone of them had slipped, their eyes widening in shock.

The air hung heavy between them, the weight of the past colliding with the present.