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,

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

any of you, but I

the grass, feeling as small as I did back then when I learned

with Ava.

didn’t eat, I didn’t sleep, and I didn’t attend

and when I refused to

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

out how tough things were

much

fallen, she would have

I discovered she had been going through her own kind

after that. Molly became

constantly cry or think about Rowan every second.” I take a deep breath

I met Calvin again. It turns out we went

assignment partner.” 2

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

of the obsession he had for me in

co–existed. He stayed out of

hard. I wanted to stop, but now more than ever, I knew they wouldn’t

well for some time. They

the night m alled me to let me know that Ava

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

the surface.” I try to breathe through the pain

so fucking hard.

angry. Angry at myself for

and sleeping with Ava, angry at Ava for getting pregnant

loved and angry at the baby

air. I don’t need to turn to know that it is from

around Noah because if everything had gone the way I wanted it to, then

2/5

*15 BONUS

approached Calvin and seduced him I knew word would probably get back to Rowan, and that would have hurt him. That’s why I slept with Calvin that night, because I counted on Rowan’s friend telling him. He would have been so hurt, I would have gotten my revenge, and maybe then it

it for Rowan and in the end

to sleep with a guy I didn’t even like just to get back at the man I loved. I told Calvin that it was a mistake and that he should forget about what happened between us. I snuck out of his room, and I thought that was that. That it was a terrible one–night

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

my period was late.

one day Rowan and I would get back together. I didn’t want an unwanted

mistake to always be

the morning after?” mom

mess, everything was new to

first time I’ve ever h–had s–sex so I

really enough to get

she would have aused me to get one, but like I

anyone to know.”

during all the years you dated Rowan,

a virgin?” Travis asks

wasn’t. Before we started dating, which was at

anything that walked and had a vagina. When

ready. My biggest regret was holding

3/5

releases a groan uncomfortably “Can we not talk

+15 BONUS

I was still a virgin. Anyway,” 1 paused.

wanted to get rid of

an abortion?” Mom asks, her voice ringing with

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