MY EX-HUSBAND REGRET

Chapter one

CLARA

Three Years Ago

I'm shaking in the corner of the room. My stepmom is yelling at me. I don't know what's going on.

"How could you bring shame to us?" she screams. "To our family?"

I'm wrapped in a blue blanket. I'm naked underneath. I don't know how I got here.

I look at Lucy. She's behind her mom. She's smiling like she did something bad.

It was her. She gave me a drink last night. Then she took me to a room when I felt sleepy.

Did she drug me?

I'm scared. I woke up next to a man. It was Lucy's boyfriend, Mike Lightwood. There were cameras everywhere.

But why? Why would Lucy do this?

SLAP!

My stepmom hits me hard. My face hurts. I'm crying.

"How dare you stand there and smear mud on our family's name, you filthy whore?" she yells.

"I-I do-don't know how it happened," I say. My lips are shaking.

I look at Lucy. "Lucy?" I want her to tell the truth. But she just stares at me.

I start crying. "I didn't do anything."

My stepmom comes closer. I'm scared she'll hit me again.

"You didn't do anything, huh?" she says. She looks so angry. "You shameless slut, you see no man to do it with but your sister's fiancé?"

"What a disgrace!"

Lucy speaks up. "Mother, I told you she always had eyes for my man, but you wouldn't believe it."

I can't believe what I'm hearing. I've only met Mike three times. I never even talked to him much.

My stepmom laughs. It's not a nice laugh. "Now, the so-called daughter of the great Jenkins was caught in a one-night stand with her step-sister's fiancé. What a great headline."

My head hurts. How did this happen to me?

My stepmom grabs my hair. It hurts so much. She pulls me close to her face.

"I don't care how you're going to do it, you are marrying into the Lightwood family and cleaning up your stupid mistakes."

She pushes me down. I fall hard on the floor.

Lucy comes and squats in front of me. I hate her so much right now.

"You did this, didn't you?" I say. I'm so angry.

She smiles. "Oh dear sister, you've been of another help to me," she says. She touches my face. I want to push her hand away.

"Did you realize what you've done?" I ask. "You ruined my life, Lucy." I'm crying again.

She just smiles more. "You'll get out of it dear sister, I'm sure you've had a taste of Mike's joystick."

I can't believe she said that. "This isn't a game, Lucy. What the hell are you saying?" I yell at her.

She laughs. "I doubt you'd remember."

She stands up. "Don't worry, you'll have more of him when you get married to him," she says and walks out.

I'm left alone. I have so many questions.

Why did Lucy do this to her fiancé?

Why am I caught in the middle?

I've never felt so lost.

Present Day

I'm walking to my husband's office. I'm excited and nervous. I have a little gift for our third anniversary.

I can't wait to see his face when he learns our big news. I say hi to people as I walk by.

No one knows I'm married to Mike Lightwood, the big boss. We got married in secret.

I knock on the door. I hear Mike say, "Come in."

I walk in, feeling so happy. Mike is at his desk, working on his computer. I smile big.

"Darling," I say.

Mike looks up. He doesn't smile. "I told you to stop calling me that at work," he says. His eyes are cold.

"There's no one here," I say, looking around.

"Why are you here?" he asks. He doesn't sound happy to see me.

"Mike..." I start. I'm holding the test result behind my back. "I have great news for you."

I sit on his lap and put my arms around his neck. I kiss him, but he pushes me away.

"Clara, we can't do this," he says.

I stand up. "What's wrong?"

He sighs and gets up. He walks away from me.

"Whatever that's been going on between us has to end," he says.

I don't understand. "What do you mean?"

"Lucy is back."

My heart starts beating fast. "And?"

"Clara, I need to be honest with you. Lucy had always had a place in my heart. You know she was my first love. Now that she's back in the States, I want a divorce."

I can't believe what I'm hearing. Is this a joke?

"So, after all these years I've been with you, your heart still longed for Lucy?" I say. I'm trying not to cry.

"Yes," he says.

I feel like the floor is falling away. Mike still loves Lucy, even though she hurt him. It breaks my heart.

I came here to tell him I'm pregnant. Now he wants a divorce.

I can't let this happen. Not now. Not when I'm having our baby.

"Mike... you know I love you," I say. I don't know what else to say. I start crying.

"You love me?" he laughs. It's not a nice laugh.

Mike comes closer. His eyes are so cold. "This was never supposed to be permanent. Remember, we were in a contract marriage for two years. You've even stayed too long. Our marriage was a mistake. You tricked me."

I can't believe what he's saying. "I never tricked you, Mike. I never did... There's so much you didn't know about that night."

"You think I didn't know how much trouble you were since we first met?"

I'm confused. "What do you mean?"

"You've been nothing but trouble since the beginning. Our marriage happened because you drugged me and set up that scandal with the cameras. I had to marry you to save my reputation."

His words hurt so much. I squeeze the test result in my hand. "That's not true, I-I wo-would nev-" I can't even talk right.

"Stop it, Clara. I'm tired of your lies. I should have known better than to trust someone like you," he says. His voice is so sharp.

I back up until I hit the desk. "Mike, I was set up. I never drugged you. I didn't set up any scandal. Lucy did it all. Please, you have to believe me."

"How dare you bring up Lucy's name in your lies," he says. He looks so angry.

"Please, Mike, you have to believe me," I'm crying so hard.

Mike doesn't change his mind. "I've heard enough. I've made my decision. You're fired, Clara. I don't want to see you again. Our marriage was a mistake. It's time to fix things with Lucy."

"I'm fired?" I can't believe it.

"Yes, your divorce papers and firing letter are on the desk."

"Wh-what?"

Mike turns to leave. I can't let him go. I hug him from behind.

"Mike, I'm your wife," I say. I hold him tight. "Think about it. You're being too quick. You love me, I know..."

"You are not my wife anymore," he says. He pushes me away hard. I fall to the floor. "And I never loved you."

It hurts, but I grab his leg. I can't let him go. Not after everything.

"I'm begging you for the sake of o-" I start to say, but Mike pulls his leg away. He walks out of the office.

I'm left on the floor. I feel broken. I put my hand on my stomach.

"My baby... our baby, Mike. For the sake of our baby..." I cry so hard.

I don't know how long I stay there, crying. My whole world has fallen apart.

Finally, I get up. My legs are shaking. I look at the desk. There they are. The divorce papers. The letter saying I'm fired.

I pick them up. My hands are shaking so much I can barely hold them.

I read the letter. It's so cold. Just like Mike was. It says I have to leave the building right away.

I look around the office. I've been here so many times. I thought I was welcome here. Now I have to go.

I walk to the door. My feet feel so heavy. I open it and look back one more time.

This is it. The end of my marriage. The end of my job. The end of everything I thought I had.

I walk out. People are looking at me. They can see I've been crying. I keep my head down.

I get in the elevator. As soon as the doors close, I start crying again. I can't stop.

The elevator reaches the ground floor. I have to pull myself together. I can't let everyone see me like this.

I walk out of the building. The sun is so bright. It feels wrong. How can the world look so normal when my life is falling apart?

I start walking. I don't know where I'm going. I just know I can't stay here.

My phone rings. It's Lucy. Of course it is.

I answer it. "What do you want?"

"Oh, dear sister," she says. She sounds so happy. "I heard the good news. Mike told me everything."

I want to throw my phone. I want to scream. But I don't. I just listen.

"I always knew he would come back to me," Lucy says. "You were just keeping his bed warm for me."

"Why?" I ask. My voice is shaking. "Why did you do this to me?"

Lucy laughs. "Because I could. Because it was fun. Because you were always in my way."

"I never did anything to you," I say. I'm crying again.

"You existed," Lucy says. "That was enough."

She hangs up. I stand there, holding my phone. People walk by. They don't know my world just ended.

I start walking again. I don't know where I'm going. I just know I can't go home. Not to the house I shared with Mike.

I end up in a park. I sit on a bench. I put my hand on my stomach.

"It's just you and me now, little one," I say. "I don't know what we're going to do. But I promise, I'll figure it out."

I sit there for a long time. I watch people walk by. They're all living their normal lives. I wonder if I'll ever have that again.

As the sun starts to set, I know I have to move. I can't stay here forever.

I stand up. My legs are stiff from sitting so long. I take a deep breath.

"Okay," I say to myself. "One step at a time."

I start walking. I don't know where I'm going. But I know I have to keep moving forward. For me. For my baby.

This isn't the end. It's just a new beginning. A hard one, but still a beginning.

I touch my stomach again. "We'll be okay," I whisper. "Somehow, we'll be okay."

As I walk out of the park, I make a promise to myself. I won't let Mike or Lucy win. I won't let them break me.

I'm stronger than that. I have to be. For my baby. For myself.

This is just the first chapter of my new life. It's not the one I wanted. But it's the one I have.

And I'm going to make the best of it. No matter what.

CHAPTER TWO

Despair And Agony

I'm packing my stuff in my office when Irene comes in. She's my friend at work. We're not super close, but we look out for each other.

"What's wrong, Clara? Where are you going?" Irene asks. She looks worried.

I don't know how to tell her. How do I say my husband, who's also our boss, divorced me and fired me? And I'm pregnant with his baby? It's too much.

Tears fill my eyes. "I got fired," I say. I pick up a brown box with my things.

Irene's eyes go wide. "Are you serious? There must be some mistake. You're joking, right?"

I look at her and sigh. "Do I look like I'm joking? You see me packing, don't you?"

"But why? You're one of the best workers here. They can't just fire you like that," Irene says. She sounds so confused. I am too.

"You didn't do anything wrong, did you Clara?" she asks.

I can't hold it in anymore. I start crying. I put the box down and sob.

"Clara," Irene says softly. She rubs my back while I cry.

"I don't know, Irene. I don't know what I did wrong," I say between sobs.

Someone knocks on the door. Two security guards come in.

"We're here to make sure Miss Clara has packed her things," one of them says.

I laugh, but it's not a happy laugh.

"Can't you see she's packing? Give her a minute," Irene tells them.

"She has to leave now. Boss's orders," the other guard says.

"What?" Irene sounds shocked.

I wipe my tears. "It's okay. I'm going," I tell the guards. I pick up my box and walk out.

Mike must really want me gone, I think as I leave the building.

I drive home. When I get there, I see something that makes my heart stop.

All my stuff is on the ground outside. And there's Lucy, my half-sister, telling some men to throw more of my things out.

"What are you doing?" I yell. My heart is beating so fast.

Lucy turns to look at me. She's smiling, but not in a nice way.

"Oh, hello dear sister," she says. "A little greeting wouldn't hurt, would it?"

I'm so angry. "Answer my question, Lucy. Why are you here?"

She shrugs. "I'm just cleaning up. Your services aren't needed anymore."

I laugh, but I'm not happy. "This is my home! You can't throw me out of my husband's house!"

"Husband?" Lucy laughs. "We both know Mike was never really yours. He's mine. He loves me. If he has to choose, he'll pick me. Every time."

I want to slap her so bad.

"He still loves you after everything you did to him and me?" I say through gritted teeth.

Lucy smiles. It's an evil smile. "Too bad. Pack your things and leave. Don't even think about going home. No one wants you there."

She turns to go inside. I'm not done with her. I follow her and grab her hair.

"I'm not done talking to you!" I yell.

SLAP!

She hits me. I'm shocked for a second. Then I hit her back, hard.

Lucy stumbles back. She looks surprised. "Did you just slap me?"

"I'll do it again if I have to," I tell her.

She comes closer. She looks so angry. "How dare you touch me with your dirty hands?"

"What are you going to do about it?" I ask.

Lucy laughs. "You've got guts now, huh?"

"You're evil. I'll never forgive you," I say. I'm trying not to cry.

"Oh honey, I don't care if you hate me," Lucy says. "I have Mike's love. I have everyone's love. You have nothing."

I feel so weak. But I can't let her win.

"If Mike loves you so much, why did you trick him? Why did you drug me three years ago?" I ask.

Lucy doesn't answer. She just smirks and walks up the stairs. I follow her.

"You don't know what you're doing," I say. I'm thinking about my baby. What will happen to us?

"Would you just go away?" Lucy turns and pushes me.

I almost fall, but I grab the rail. I feel a pain in my stomach.

"My baby," I whisper. I touch my belly.

"What?" Lucy looks at me. Her eyes go wide. "You're pregnant?"

I just glare at her.

"Answer me!" she yells. "You're pregnant with his baby, aren't you?"

"Why should I tell you anything?" I say.

I start to walk down the stairs. Suddenly, I feel hands on my back. Lucy pushes me hard.

I fall down the stairs. When I hit the floor, I feel a horrible pain.

"I'm leaving. You better be gone when I get back," Lucy says. She walks past me like nothing happened.

The pain in my stomach gets worse. I look down and see blood. A lot of blood.

No, not my baby. Please, not my baby.

I'm crying and scared. I take out my phone with shaking hands. Who can I call? I don't have many friends. My family doesn't like me.

I call Mike. He's my baby's father. He'll help, right?

The phone rings and rings. He doesn't answer.

"Please, Mike. Please pick up. I need you," I cry.

I try again and again. Nothing.

Mike, how can you be so mean? I think.

I'm getting weaker. There's so much blood.

I have to save my baby.

"Someone help! Please!" I yell as loud as I can.

Where are all the workers?

I look at my phone. I can barely see now. "Mike, please. I can't do this alone," I say. I'm choking on my tears.

No one answers.

I try Mike's number one last time.

"Mike, I love you, please..." I can barely talk now. My voice is so quiet and weak.

Everything is getting dark. I feel so heavy.

The last thing I think before I pass out is: Why doesn't anyone want me?

CHAPTER THREE

Betrayal At Its Peak

I woke up feeling dizzy. The bright lights hurt my eyes. I smelled something clean, like soap. Where was I?

Then it hit me. The hospital. This wasn't a dream.

"My baby!" I yelled, sitting up fast. My whole body hurt.

I looked down. The blood was gone. Did something bad happen to my baby? I started to panic.

I tried to get up, but the door opened. A lady in a white coat came in.

"You're awake," she said with a smile. She helped me back into bed.

I grabbed her coat. "My baby... please, is my baby okay?"

The doctor touched my forehead. I held my breath, waiting.

"Your baby is fine," she said.

I let out a big sigh. "Thank goodness," I whispered. I rubbed my belly gently. Thank you for staying strong, little one.

"But," the doctor said, stepping back, "there are some problems."

My heart jumped. "Wh-what kind of problems?"

"You lost a lot of blood. That's not good for you or the baby."

Tears filled my eyes. This was all Mike's fault.

The doctor squeezed my hand. "We'll give you some vitamins to help. But first, you need to rest."

I nodded. "Okay."

As she turned to leave, I asked, "Who brought me here?"

"Someone... he asked us not to say who."

I wondered who it could be. Part of me hoped it was Mike.

After the doctor left, I turned on the TV. What I saw made me feel sick.

Mike and Lucy were on the screen. They were holding hands and going into a fancy restaurant.

My heart hurt. When Mike and I were together, we had to hide. But here he was, showing off with Lucy.

The TV lady said, "Love is in the air for the handsome CEO and his fiancée!"

I gasped. Fiancée? No, it couldn't be true.

Tears ran down my face. I couldn't believe this was happening.

A nurse came in with some food. "Are you okay, dear?"

I wiped my eyes. "I don't know."

I tried to eat, but I wasn't hungry. When the nurse left, I grabbed my phone.

No calls from Mike. Not one.

With shaky hands, I sent him a message: "I agree to the divorce."

I hit send, feeling sad and alone. I thought about all the good times Mike and I had. Now it was over.

The room felt cold. So cold.

---

Mike's POV:

My phone buzzed. It was Clara.

"I agree to the divorce," her message said.

I smirked. Finally, she agreed.

Yesterday was our third wedding anniversary. But I didn't care. I only thought about Lucy.

I started to reply, "Ok-"

"Baby, you've been looking at your phone forever," Lucy said. "Eat before your food gets cold."

I put my phone down and smiled at her. Lucy and I had been seeing each other in secret for months. Now she wanted everyone to know.

Lucy was my first love. I couldn't say no to her.

"Something's bothering you, Mike," Lucy said, sounding annoyed.

"No, it's nothing," I said, cutting my steak.

Lucy raised an eyebrow. "Is it about Clara?"

I put down my fork. "No, I'm not thinking about her. Only you."

Lucy blushed. I winked at her. "Let's eat, my love."

After our date, I drove home. The house was quiet. No one yelled "Welcome home!" or jumped to hug me.

"Clara?" I called. No answer.

In the bedroom, all her things were gone. Good, I thought. She knew to leave.

I saw 36 missed calls from her on my phone. Why did she call so much? She knew I wouldn't answer.

In the shower, I couldn't stop thinking about Clara. Her voice kept ringing in my head.

"I love you," she had said when I told her about the divorce. Why did she say it then? To trick me?

I got out of the shower, annoyed. Her voice wouldn't leave me alone.

"Mike, I'm your wife."

"Please, I'm begging you."

I tried to sleep, but I couldn't stop thinking about her.

---

The next morning, I woke up feeling worse. My head hurt, and my heart felt heavy.

I reached for my phone, half-hoping to see a message from Mike. Nothing.

A nurse came in to check on me. "How are you feeling today?"

"Like I've been hit by a truck," I said, trying to smile.

She laughed softly. "The doctor will be in soon. Try to eat something, okay?"

I nodded, but the thought of food made me feel sick.

After she left, I turned on the TV again. Big mistake.

There was Mike, giving a press conference. He looked happy, confident. Lucy stood next to him, beaming.

"I'm excited to announce that Lucy and I are engaged," Mike said, smiling at the cameras.

My heart shattered. It was real. It was happening.

I turned off the TV and cried. How could he do this? How could he throw away our marriage so easily?

The doctor came in and saw me crying. "What's wrong? Are you in pain?"

I nodded. "But not the kind you can fix."

She sat on the edge of my bed. "Want to talk about it?"

I hesitated, then told her everything. About Mike, the affair, the baby.

"I'm so sorry," she said when I finished. "You don't deserve this."

"What am I going to do?" I asked, feeling lost.

"First, you're going to focus on getting better. For yourself and your baby. The rest, we'll figure out."

I nodded, grateful for her kindness.

Later that day, a familiar face appeared in my doorway. It was Tom, Mike's brother.

"Hey, Clara," he said softly. "Can I come in?"

I nodded, surprised to see him.

Tom sat in the chair next to my bed. "How are you holding up?"

I shrugged. "Not great. Did you know about...?"

He shook his head. "I just found out. I'm so sorry, Clara. Mike's being an idiot."

"Was it you?" I asked. "Did you bring me here?"

Tom nodded. "I saw you collapse outside Mike's office. I couldn't just leave you there."

Tears filled my eyes again. "Thank you, Tom. I don't know what would have happened if..."

He took my hand. "Hey, don't think about that. You're safe now. Both of you."

We sat in silence for a while. Then Tom spoke again.

"Clara, I want you to know... I'm here for you. Whatever you need. You're family, no matter what Mike says."

His words touched me deeply. "Thank you, Tom. That means a lot."

As Tom was leaving, he turned back. "Oh, I almost forgot. I brought you something."

He handed me a small gift bag. Inside was a tiny onesie that said "Loved."

Fresh tears spilled down my cheeks, but this time they weren't all sad.

"Your baby is loved, Clara. Don't ever forget that," Tom said before leaving.

I hugged the onesie to my chest, feeling a tiny spark of hope for the first time in days.

---

Mike's POV:

I woke up with a pounding headache. Last night's celebration with Lucy left me feeling rough.

As I reached for my phone, I saw a missed call from Tom. Weird. We hardly ever talked.

I called him back.

"Mike, what the hell are you doing?" Tom's angry voice came through the speaker.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, confused.

"Clara's in the hospital, you idiot! Did you even know?"

My stomach dropped. "What? Why?"

"Because you left her bleeding on the floor of your office! She almost lost the baby!"

The baby. I had forgotten about the baby.

"Is... is she okay?" I asked, my voice shaking.

"No thanks to you," Tom spat. "How could you do this, Mike? How could you throw away your marriage for Lucy?"

"You don't understand," I tried to explain. "Lucy and I-"

"Save it," Tom cut me off. "I don't want to hear your excuses. Just know this: you're making a huge mistake. And one day, you're going to regret it."

He hung up before I could say anything else.

I sat on the edge of the bed, my head in my hands. Clara was in the hospital. She almost lost our baby.

Our baby.

For the first time, the reality of what I'd done hit me hard.

My phone buzzed. It was Lucy.

"Morning, handsome! Ready for our big day?"

I stared at the message, feeling sick. What had I done?

---

Back in the hospital, I was starting to feel a little stronger. The doctor said I could go home soon.

"But you need to take it easy," she warned. "No stress, okay?"

I nodded, but inside I was scared. How could I avoid stress when my whole life was falling apart?

As I was packing my things, there was a knock at the door. My heart jumped, thinking it might be Mike.

But it was Lucy.

She walked in, looking perfect as always. My heart sank.

"Hello, Clara," she said, her voice sickly sweet. "I heard you were here. I wanted to check on you."

I didn't believe her for a second. "What do you want, Lucy?"

She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I just wanted to make sure you understood the situation. Mike is mine now. He always has been, really. You were just... keeping his bed warm for me."

Her words stung, but I tried not to show it. "If you're so sure about that, why are you here?"

Lucy's smile faltered. "I'm here to warn you. Stay away from Mike. Don't try to use this baby to trap him. He doesn't want you or it."

I felt a surge of anger. "Get out," I said, my voice low and dangerous.

"Excuse me?" Lucy looked shocked.

"I said, get out!" I yelled, pointing at the door. "You don't get to come in here and threaten me. This is my baby, and Mike's baby, whether he wants it or not. Now leave before I call security!"

Lucy's face turned red with anger, but she stormed out.

As soon as she was gone, I collapsed back onto the bed, shaking.

Tom came running in. "I heard yelling. Are you okay?"

I nodded, still trembling. "Lucy was here. She... she said some things."

Tom's face darkened. "I'm going to kill my brother," he muttered.

"No," I said, taking a deep breath. "No more fighting. I'm done."

Tom looked at me, confused. "What do you mean?"

I sat up straighter, feeling stronger than I had in days. "I mean, I'm done being the victim. Mike made his choice. Now I'm making mine. I'm going to focus on myself and my baby. We don't need him."

Tom smiled, looking proud. "That's the Clara I know. What can I do to help?"

"Can you take me home?" I asked. "I need to start packing."

As we left the hospital, I felt a mix of sadness and hope. My life with Mike was over, but a new chapter was beginning.

I put my hand on my belly. "It's just you and me now, little one," I whispered. "But we're going to be okay. I promise."

For the first time in days, I actually believed it.

---

Mike's POV:

I sat in my office, staring at the wall. Lucy had just left, angry that I'd canceled our lunch plans.

I couldn't stop thinking about Clara. About our baby.

Tom's words kept echoing in my head: "You're making a huge mistake."

Was I?

I picked up my phone and scrolled to Clara's name. My finger hovered over the call button.

But before I could press it, Lucy burst back into the office.

"Mike, darling, I've been thinking. We should move up the wedding. How about next month?"

I stared at her, feeling suddenly very tired. "Lucy, I..."

"Yes, love?" She looked at me expectantly.

In that moment, I saw her clearly for the first time in months. The manipulative smile, the cold eyes. This wasn't love. This was... something else.

"I can't marry you," I said, the words tumbling out before I could stop them.

Lucy's face turned ugly with rage. "What did you say?"

I stood up, feeling stronger with each word. "I said, I can't marry you. This... us... it's a mistake. I'm sorry."

"You can't do this to me!" Lucy screamed. "After everything we've been through!"

"I'm sorry," I said again, and I meant it. "But it's over."

As Lucy stormed out, slamming the door behind her, I felt a weight lift from my shoulders.

I grabbed my coat and keys. I had to find Clara. I had to make this right.

I just hoped it wasn't too late.