Ex-Husband's Regret

Her side of the story
Mom collapses in the chair after my admission. The heartbroken look in her eyes was undoing

me. The disappointed look she gave me nearly made me crumble on the spot.
Travis, who had been holding me, lets go as if I had burned him. He backs away from me slowly

until he’s a few feet away.

I know the rest had varying degrees of shock, but they didn’t matter to me right now. Not when

my family was looking at me like they didn’t know me. Like I was a stranger.

“Please tell me you’re playing a sick joke on me,” Mom pleads. “Tell me you didn’t have a child and

kept him hidden from us all these years.”

I want to lie to them just so the heartbroken and disappointed look in their eyes will disappear. I

know that I can no longer do that. There was no hiding from this. There was no more running from

the truth.

“I’m sorry. So sorry,” I cry as I stumble towards her. “I wanted to tell you, but I was so ashamed.”

I go to take her hand, but she flinches and pulls it away.

This is what I’ve been so afraid of. Ava was right. I was the perfect daughter. The one who never

made any mistakes.

The one that thought things through before, except for that one time. Now their image of me is

tarnished. Now they know that I am just like them. Human. The Ace card I had over Ava was gone. 2

I was in the same boat as Ava. I made mistakes that are now hunting me. Sleeping with Calvin

remains the greatest mistak

y life.

“H–How did this happen? When did it happen…did dad now?” Travis asks as he paces, frustration

clear in his steps.

“Dad didn’t know. No one except Calvin and Molly knew.” I look at the ground, unable to face the

look on my mom’s face.

“Start from the beginning and don’t leave a single thing out. I want to know why the hell you’ve

kept my grandson a secret from his family,” Mom growls, her eyes turning fierce.

I didn’t want to rehash the past, but at this point, I don’t think I had any choice. If I didn’t want

them to be even madder than they were right now, then I had to spill it.

1/5

+15 BONUS

“When Rowan married Ava, I was broken I tried not to let it show. Tried to make you, dad, and

Travis believe I was okay because you were all so worried about me. I felt like I was drowning,

been left

you,

feeling as small as I did back then when I learned that Rowan

with Ava.

sleep, and I didn’t attend classes.

Molly noticed this. She started pushing, and when

you guys to let you know. I didn’t want you to know how I

out how tough things

memory. I had so much bitterness and resentment towards Ava back

out how far I’d fallen, she would have been ecstatic. It was probably a

I discovered she had been going through her own kind of

well after that. Molly became my anchor. My grades were improving, and

think about Rowan every second.” I take a deep

met Calvin again. It turns out we went to

assignment partner.” 2

really talk to him. After all, we weren’t friends. I tolerated him because he

when he didn’t show any remnants of the obsession he had for me

weary of him. We co–existed. He stayed out of my way and I stayed

to stop, but now more than ever, I knew they wouldn’t let

some time. They weren’t perfect,

m alled me to let me know that Ava

with his son at first sight. Everything around me crumbled, and

hiding came to the surface.” I try to breathe through the

so fucking hard.

I was really angry. Angry at myself for turning down Rowan’s proposal,

drunk and sleeping with Ava,

loved and angry at

of air. I don’t need to turn

had gone the way I wanted it to, then he

2/5

*15 BONUS

he hurt me I knew he always disliked Calvin for the way he crushed on me, so that night I approached Calvin and seduced him I knew word would probably get back to Rowan, and that would have hurt him. That’s why I

don’t tell them, but it’s also how I lost my virginity. I was saving it for Rowan and in the end I

it was a mistake and

I hadn’t planned for what was to come next. What destiny had

went back to ignoring each other like the other didn’t exist, that is, until my period was late. A cheap test. and later, a doctor’s appointment confirmed that

ever received. Deep in my heart, I believed that one day Rowan and I would get back together. I didn’t want an unwanted

my mistake to always

the morning after?” mom

new to me. To put

ever h–had s–sex so I didn’t really know that I should

really enough to get me pregnant. Looking back, maybe if I’d

one, but like I

anyone to know.”

all the years you dated

virgin?” Travis asks in

we started dating, which was at seventeen, he’d previously

anything that walked and had a vagina. When I’d told him I

We planned to wait till I was ready. My biggest regret was holding

3/5

uncomfortably “Can we not talk about

+15 BONUS

your question, yes I was still a virgin. Anyway,” 1 paused. “I told Calvin about

and I wanted to get rid of

wanted an abortion?” Mom asks, her voice ringing with horror and

anything, but nod my head. “Calvin threatened to tell