âHow shameless of you to speak about Alyssa as her ex-mother-in- law!â Jasper finally stepped forward without hesitation and mocked Sophia, âYouâre Dadâs second wife, and Iâm not your son. You do not have the right to claim you were Lyseâs mother-in-law.
âStill, Lyse respected you and tried her best to fulfill your unreasonable demands when she was married to me. She endured you and Bettyâs bullying. Why did you skip that part?â
Alyssa felt a lump in her throat and wiggled her finger as she was reminded of the bitter past. Jasper did not need to look at her to empathize. He gripped her hand firmly and declared, âLyse married me because she loved me. Is love a sin?
âI was the one to blame for the divorce. I did not see through Lianaâs true colors and continued flirting with her after I was married. I unknowingly hurt Alyssa, not realizing that all the while, she was the one I loved.â
The cameras flashed again in a frenzy to capture Jasperâs act of protecting his ex-wife and his confession about his extramarital affair.
Sophiaâs expression crumbled. Betty stared agape at Jasperâs explosive statement. They never expected him to give up everything- his status and reputation-for Alyssa.
They underestimated his feelings for Alyssa. Heâd rather sacrifice himself to protect Alyssa. He would rather suffer a blow in his reputation to uphold her innocence.
Trembling, Alyssa watched as Jasper stood firmly in front of her. She choked on her tears, touched by his empathy, which meant more to her than his declaration of âI love youâ.
Jasper scanned Sophia and Bettyâs faces before turning to the crowd. âI will make this clear for the last time-I was the one at fault in our divorce. Alyssa was not to be blamed. I will take legal action against any media who wrote a single article demeaning her. Those who start rumors will pay a huge price for doing so.â
His words came as a huge shock. Shuddering, Sophia and Betty stumbled backward and gave up on confronting Alyssa.
Cyrus, admiring Jasperâs courage, clapped his hands with respect.â That was cool.â
Jonah and Silas nodded in approval. Axel, who hid in a corner, smiled with satisfaction as he placed a cigarette between his lips, mumbling, âNot bad. You act more like my brother-in-law now.â
A reporter suddenly came forward and questioned loudly, âMr. Beckett, why do you frequently meet up with Ms. Alyssa if youâre divorced? I have been following your updates. Whenever Ms. Alyssa gets into trouble, you will show up to help. Are you nice to her because she was your ex-wife, or do you still have feelings for her?â
The other reporters chimed in, âMr. Beckett, what is your current relationship with Ms. Alyssa?â
Feeling helpless in the onslaught of questions, Alyssa heard Jasper reply, âShe was my ex-wife. Now, Iâm her man.â
While speaking, he looked at her. They both teared up when their eyes met.