Chapter 683
Aspen’s face darkened with anger as she barked, “Christie, you listen to me. You are not any less than Andrew. The decision you made back then wasn’t wrong. You’re Christina Stevens, the elegant CEO of the Stevens Corporation. Are you really willing to admit that you were blind, that you misjudged Andrew so badly?”
For a moment, Christina hesitated, confusion flickering across her tear-streaked face. She shook her head. “No… of course I don’t want to admit that I was blind, that I couldn’t see what was right in front of me.”
She mumbled, “But what’s the point in denying it when the truth is so obvious? I was wrong—horribly, irredeemably wrong.”
A bitter, broken laugh escaped her lips. The proud, confident woman she once was faded like the closing credits of a movie. All that remained was sorrow, regret, and a hollow sense of defeat.
Aspen let out a short, cold huff. “Christie, you’re too kind—you always blame yourself for other people’s mistakes. Think about it. Andrew’s the one snuggling up to Lauren and Francesca now, living off those women like some gold-digger. And you? You’re the victim here.
“If he really loved you, he never would’ve left. He would’ve stayed, would’ve fought for you. So stop it; you didn’t do anything wrong.”
Tears streamed down Christina’s face. “But I was the one who broke up with him… I was the one who turned cold right before our wedding. I destroyed his heart, Aspen. I—I was a blind, arrogant woman chasing after vanity and ambition.”
Aspen’s lips curled into a mocking smile. “And did you ever think maybe this pathetic breakdown of yours is exactly what Andrew wants to see? Let’s say you hurt him—so what? People make mistakes. Nobody’s perfect.”
She argued, “If Andrew truly loved you, would he have called you an idiot? Would he have turned around and run straight into Lauren’s arms? No real man would give up so easily. He clearly didn’t deserve you. And what kind of man runs off the moment he doesn’t get what he wants? If you’d married him, you’d be the one suffering now. You got lucky, trust me.”
Christina’s mind spiraled into confusion. Aspen’s twisted words wormed their way into her thoughts like poison.
“Do you really think so, Aspen?” she whispered, her voice trembling.
“Of course I do,” Aspen answered with certainty. “Everyone knows how exceptional you are, Christie. You made one mistake—big deal. You misjudged Andrew—so what? He’s a man, isn’t he? Where’s his maturity? His patience?”
She added, “Look at Harvey—he’s trash, sure—but even he can’t forget you. And you? If you gave the word, you’d have wealthy heirs, CEOs, and hotshot investors tripping over themselves just to get a date with you. Finding a man is easy. You know what they say: there are plenty of fish in the sea.”
This twisted logic seeped into Christina’s heart. She wiped away her tears and slowly nodded, mumbling, “Aspen, you’re right. I might’ve misjudged Andrew, but it wasn’t all my fault. All I wanted was to chase after something bigger, to build something with my own two hands.
“I had dreams, ambition, a vision for success. How was that wrong? No, I wasn’t wrong. No one should ever be shamed for chasing their dreams. I need to find Andrew… I need to talk to him and set things straight.”
Aspen’s face twisted with concern. “Wait, Christie… you’re not seriously thinking about getting back with him, are you?”
Christina went quiet for a long moment, then shook her head. “I don’t know what the future holds for us. But I do know this: I’ll prove to Andrew and myself that even without him, I can carve out my own success.”