âYes, but Iâmâ¦â Alyssa tugged him hard, signaling Sean to shut up. Sean quickly caught on and kept quiet.
âWell, Jonah didnât spare any expense when he assigned his most trusted secretary to you, Alice,â
Jasper sneered. âHe must think highly of you. Congratulations, youâre about to marry into another wealthy family. You fooled me completely, and now itâs Jonahâs turn. I hope he never sees your true colors.â
The words cut through Alyssaâs heart like sharp blades, and Jasper didnât stop there. He seemed intent on further unsettling her.
Sean immediately noticed Alyssaâs unsteady breath and her trembling shoulders in his arms. What baffled Sean were Jasperâs words. Was Jasper out of his mind? What nonsense was he spouting?
âSean, allow me to introduce you,â Alyssa said. Her voice was steady despite the turmoil inside her.
âThis is Mr. Beckett from Beckett Group, my exâhusband of three years.â
âWhat?â Sean was utterly shocked, his face turning as white as a sheet. He couldnât believe that Alyssa had disappeared for three years and had secretly married Jasper. Alyssa had kept it hidden from the world and the Taylor family. What was she thinking?
âWe are divorced now. I have severed all ties with the Beckett family,â Alyssa said firmly, trying to hide her pain with a smile. âFrom now on, we are strangers.â
âBut we are not officially divorced! Grandpaâs birthdayâ¦â Sean tried to reason.
âThatâs enough! Stop using Grandpa as an excuse!â Alyssaâs frustration and anger were evident in her trembling voice. Her eyes turned bloodshot. âYouâre just using Grandpa as an excuse to keep humiliating me, arenât you? You know I care about Grandpa!â
Jasperâs body shuddered as he felt the impact of Alyssaâs sharp words. He tried to compose himself amid their intense exchange. He couldnât recall a time when Alice had been so wrathful.
In his memory, she was always as calm as a summerâs day, rarely showing her emotions. She looked angry, and her brows furrowed with deepâseated resentment. This was worse than their previous encounter at the hospital.
âWe were merely lingering in a dying relationship. You ended our relationship with your own hands. You had an affair while we were married, and yet, did I ever blame you for anything? So why should I suffer as a widow and remain chaste for you? Do you expect me never to marry again? How can you be so selfish!â
âSelfish?â Jasper felt a pricking pain in his chest. He couldnât fathom why his actions were becoming erratic. He couldnât understand why he clung to his divorced wife.
âBesides, Iâve never been unfaithful to my word. I intended to keep our divorce a secret until Grandpaâs birthday. Your mishandling of the situation led to Liana exposing everything,â Alyssa said, her lips tugging with bitterness.
The last glimmer of affection in her eyes faded away. âNow youâre turning it around and blaming me, but I can see why. You can only blame me. You canât bring yourself to blame her, can you?â
Jasper stood frozen in the wind as if turned to stone. He watched Sean lead Alyssa away. His cheeks burned as if slapped repeatedly.
âI wonât look back on whatâs left behind.â Jasper clenched his hand. Although he had been the one to initiate the divorce, he now felt abandoned. His throat filled with bitterness. His heart shattered.