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I Don’t Love You Anymore

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Episode 3

**Aspen**

Even after we got married, Aziel never changed.

He was always cold, indifferent, cruel -- you name it.

He drank all the time, and every time he got wasted, he'd cry while whispering Dakota's name.

It broke my heart to watch my husband weep over another woman.

But what did I expect? I brought this on myself.

Fortunately, despite his initial refusal, he turned out to be a great father to Calen.

There are many things I know for certain, and one of them is Aziel's love for our son.

We lived together for ten years. Ten years in which he never touched me, never held me, never said a single kind word.

Mother's Day, Women's Day, Christmas, New Year's, birthdays -- through all of it, I never received so much as a card from him.

I only ever got two.

One from Carolina. One from Calen.

I swear I did everything in my power to make our marriage work.

I learned to cook his favorite meals -- meals he never tasted.

I learned to do all the housework even though we had servants.

I studied, graduated, and my husband didn't even come to my ceremony.

Not my husband, not anyone.

Only Carolina and my son.

No one else.

Even so, I held on to the hope that one day Aziel would wake up and see me.

I wanted him to see Aspen Voinescu.

To acknowledge my presence, my effort. But that never happened.

His hatred for me ran so deep that we slept in separate beds.

His family was the same -- they didn't want me around because according to them\, I was a *gold digger*.

A slut who climbed into her sister's boyfriend's bed.

I think it's pretty obvious that even my husband's family preferred Dakota.

But at least they treated my son well.

During those ten years, I tried to at least build a relationship with my own family. I wanted them to know my son. But once again, they slammed the door in my face.

That's why their sudden invitation caught me so off guard.

It was my grandfather's eightieth birthday, and they'd just invited me.

I was stunned when I saw the invitation.

I mean, they'd been avoiding me for a decade. And now they invite me to a celebration? What was going on?

Still, I was happy. I could finally have the family bond I'd always wanted.

I left my son with Carolina and went to my childhood home alone.

The place was packed -- luxury cars everywhere, servants bustling back and forth.

I was nervous. My emotions were all over the place.

"You came." I heard a male voice behind me. I turned around -- it was my older brother, Luke.

I hadn't seen him in years, and I got excited.

"Brother!" I beamed with a genuine smile.

I tried to hug him, but he stopped me.

I could feel my face flush with embarrassment, but I held it together.

"Sorry, I got carried away," I said shyly.

He let out a bitter laugh.

"How convenient for you, always 'getting carried away,'" he said with contempt.

I frowned, about to ask what he meant.

But before I could, I heard my father's voice addressing the guests.

"Thank you all so much for coming to my father's eightieth birthday," he said, and his eyes landed on me briefly before he looked away.

He smiled at the crowd.

"And thank you as well for being here for the engagement of my eldest daughter, Dakota," he announced, and I froze.

*My sister was back?*

*She was getting married? To whom?*

*It can't be Aziel... can it?*

As if my father had read my mind, he stepped aside, revealing my ex-husband with his arms around my sister.

My heart shattered at the sight.

I could feel the tears pooling in my eyes.

Dakota noticed and smiled. She grabbed Aziel's tie and kissed him passionately -- a kiss he returned instantly.

They were in their own little bubble while my entire world collapsed around me.

"I hope you're enjoying the view, Aspen," Luke said. "This is how it should have been from the start. It was always Dakota -- never you. You were just a slut who slept with her sister's boyfriend. You got pregnant trying to trap Aziel, but it didn't work. Because the second Dakota came back, Aziel divorced you and proposed to her."

Tears streamed down my face as I kept watching the kiss. No matter how much I wanted to look away, I couldn't.

"Tell me -- how does it feel to finally get what you deserve?" Luke taunted, savoring my pain.

All of this had been planned.

I turned and saw nothing but the faces of my relatives, watching me with the same mockery.

They did this on purpose to hurt me.

I couldn't take it anymore and bolted out of there.

"ASPEN!"

I could hear my father screaming my name, but I didn't stop.

I got in my car and started driving as fast as I could.

I couldn't stop crying.

That kiss kept replaying in my mind -- that goddamn kiss.

I thought about my marriage and how terrible it had been.