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,

my world had exploded, and I’d been left with nothing. When I went

any of you,

grass, feeling as small as I

with Ava.

away. I didn’t eat, I didn’t sleep, and I didn’t attend classes. In fact, I rarely left

this. She started pushing, and when I refused to get

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

out how tough things were

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

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

that I discovered she had been going through her own kind

after that. Molly became my

every second.” I take a

Calvin again. It turns out we went to the same Uni and

assignment partner.” 2

him. After all, we weren’t friends. I tolerated him because he was

remnants of the obsession

stayed out of my way and I stayed

now more than ever, I knew they

things were going well for some time.

let me know that Ava had

Rowan fell in love with his son at first sight. Everything around me crumbled, and all

the surface.” I try to breathe through the

so fucking hard.

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

sleeping with Ava, angry at Ava for getting pregnant

loved and angry

sharp intake of air. I don’t need to turn to know that it is from Rowan.

gone the way I wanted it

2/5

*15 BONUS

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

how I lost my virginity. I was saving it for Rowan and in the end I gave it to the guy who kept fighting for me to

loved. I told Calvin that it was a mistake and that he

what was to come next. What destiny had planned

back to ignoring each other like the other didn’t exist, that is, until my period was late. A cheap test. and

Rowan and I would get back together. I didn’t want an unwanted baby to hinder that. I didn’t

of my mistake to always be in

pill the morning after?” mom

to me. To put it plainly, I was

so I didn’t really know that I

enough to

me to get one, but like I said, I was so ashamed, I didn’t

anyone to know.”

during all the years you dated Rowan, you never

a virgin?” Travis

we started dating,

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

wait till I was ready. My biggest regret

3/5

releases a groan uncomfortably “Can we not

+15 BONUS

yes I was still a virgin. Anyway,” 1

I wanted to get rid of it, but he wouldn’t let

abortion?” Mom asks, her voice ringing with horror

“Calvin threatened to tell you and