Ex-Husband’s Regret by Evelyn M.M

I increase my steps when I hear his footsteps behind me. I was out of a home so I needed

to get that shit sorted out first.

Getting into my car, I think I’ve lost Rowan, only to be surprised when he opens the

passenger door and plants his large body in my car.

“What the hell are you doing?” I shriek in disbelief.

“You’re upset, there is no fucking way am I allowing you to be on your own he puts his

seatbelt on as he replies.

“Get out I snap.

+15 BONUS

He ignores.

“Get out of my fucking car, Rowan”

He levels me with a cold look. “It’s either you start driving or we sit for however long it

takes….your

choice”

I glare at him, but he doesn’t budge. We have a stare down for a couple of minutes.

Eventually, I give up when I realize he wasn’t going to leave.

“What about your car?” I ask as I start mine.

I knew that he must have driven here or had his driver drive him. Rowan wasn’t the kind of

man

who takes cabs.

“Dennis can drive my car back home….I’ll call him when I need him” he mutters just as I

reverse

mine and then drive off.

“Home…I no longer have that” I whisper sadly.

“It’s going to be okay”

“Is it?” I ask sadly.

For some reason I felt that it wasn’t going to be okay. That the worst was yet to come.

Taking out my phone I call my real–estate agent. He picks up on the first ring.

“I’m so sorry, Ava. I saw what happened to your house” he says in a high pitched voice.

“It’s okay” I pause. “Please tell me you have something for me, anything really, given I’m

now

homeless”

I didn’t like the idea of staying in a hotel for whatever period of time. I don’t know what I

will do if he tells me he has no house on offer.

“I have one and it’s perfect for you. I’m sure you’ll love it” he says and I sigh in relief.

“Okay, good please send me the address now, I want to check it out. If I like it then I’ll take

it.”

He agrees before I hanging up

“So you’re getting a new house? You know I have properties which you’re entitled to. You

could have just picked one and I would have given it you” Rowan says startling me a bit.

+15 BONUS

He’d been so quiet and I had been so focused on getting a house that I had completely

forgotten

that he was with me in the car.

“No thanks… I can buy myself a damn new house and that is exactly what I will do. I don’t

need or

want your help” I snap.

He mutters something under his breath, but it’s too low for me to hear.

We’re quiet for a while. The atmosphere in the car awkward.

“I’ve been wondering how you got wealthy. The last time I checked, your father cut you off

from his will” he asks breaking the silence.

At first I thought of ignoring him, but then I realized what he was doing. As much as he

was probably curious, he also wanted to distract me from my thoughts. To distract me

from the fact that I had lost completely everything in the fire.

“I somehow knew our marriage wouldn’t last. It was given either I would give up and ask

for a divorce or you would. Personally I thought it would be you. I knew it was only a

matter time before Emma came back and you left me” He takes a deep breath at her

name.

I didn’t know what happened between them yesterday after I left, but I didn’t care. It was

after all, none of my business..

“I also knew I didn’t want a single dime from you except what was Noah’s. I wanted to

continue providing Noah a life he was used to and I couldn’t do that on my teacher’s

salary, so about four years into our marriage I took all my money and invested it in a new

company” I pause before continuing.

“The bank told me that it was risky, that the probability of that company succeeding was

small. They were sure that I would lose my money in the end. Tom’s logistics proved them

wrong and flourished”

I smile at the memory. Tom’s logistics was a big company and very successful in its field. I

was still a share hold but a silent one.

“I started earning from my shares and it felt great. I took a part–time business course, just

to know the ins and outs of managing a business. From there, I started investing in startup

companies. Those who needed capital and couldn’t get them from the bank, came to me. I

went through their business proposals and if it had potential then I invested.”

+15 BONUS

So far, I have not made a bad investment. After the companies grow, they either buy me

out or I

remain as a member of the board.

I give him a side way glance, just to gage his reaction. He looked impressed.

“And this has been going on for more than five years?” he asks quietly.

“Yes…when I made my first million, I was so excited to tell you, I wanted you to be proud

of me. To

see that I wasn’t just a loser” my mind goes back to that day. “I remember I waited for you

to come home, but you didn’t so I kept the news till morning, still excited to tell you. When

I saw you in the kitchen the next day I sat down next to you and told you that I had

something to tell you”

I pause to swallow and take a deep breath. The memory was burned into my brain.

“Instead of listening you turned and looked at me coldly and told me that you didn’t care

what I had to say. That you didn’t care about my life or what I was doing. You cruelly then

told me that I could drop dead right then and there and even then you wouldn’t care, so

instead of wasting your time and ruining your morning why don’t I just go and pester

someone else”

The silence that settles over the car is heavy. I see his Adam apple bobble as he swallows.

“Ava…” he begins gruffly but I cut him off.

“So, I never said anything after that morning and since you made it clear you weren’t

interested in anything I did, I kept quiet about anything and everything that concerned my

life”

The memory still hurts, but just like with everything that happened with Rowan, I’m

learning to live with it. One day I know it won’t hurt so badly.

We fall into silence again. When I couldn’t take it anymore I move to put on the radio just

as his phone rings. He picks it up.

“Yes, I’m with her right now” he says.

He listens before answering. “Sure, we’ll be right there”

He then hangs up the phone and turns to me. “The chief wants to see you at the police

station”

“Why?”

“Because of the fire he wanted to see us before he leaves for an important meeting, so

you’ll have to reschedule viewing of the house”

+15 BONUS

I don’t even think when I turn my car around and head in the direction of the station.

“Why did he call you?”

“Because I have a personal interest in this particular case” that’s all he says.

“I told you I don’t want or need your help. I would prefer if you stay out of my life” I groan

in

annoyance.

What was so difficult to understand? We were done so he shouldn’t be up in my business.

“You’re the mother of my son, Ava. There is no fucking way I’m going to sit back when

someone is

targeting you” 3

Since the station wasn’t that far, we get there quickly. I don’t have the time to answer

before he’s jumping out of the car.

I quickly follow him and catch up to him just as he is entering the station. We head

straight to chief’s office. 1

“Take a seat” he says once we’re inside.

“What do you have for us?” Rowan immediately asks, his eyes fixed on Brian.

“There’s no way to say this, but we are treating the fire as arson”

I could hear him, but for some reason my mind wasn’t processing anything.

“What do you mean?” I ask slowly, my voice coming out shaky.

“I mean that someone deliberately set you house on fire” he pauses. “We believe that

whoever it is thought you were inside and burned your house with the intention of killing”

a

My mind goes completely blank after that. His answer sending chills down my spine.

Deep down I know. I know that if it wasn’t for the early morning meeting I had with Mary, I

would have been burned alive. If it wasn’t for that meeting, I would probably be dead right

now,

I was able to escape death yet again, but how long can I outrun it before it catches up to

me?