HIS REGRET (Ex-Husband wants Me Back) novel Chapter 255

Althea smiled—no, she laughed. A low, scornful laugh that only sharpened the edge in her eyes.

“Your grandson? How sudden of you to say that. Interesting. When I was married to your son, did you ever treat me like family? Did you ever acknowledge me as the Callisters’ daughter-in-law? Every attempt I made to step into your circle met with nothing but sneers and belittling words. You even went out of your way to hide my existence as Daven Callister’s wife, didn’t you? Is that what you call family?”

Kate let out a restrained growl.

Althea leaned in closer. “You rejected me outright. How many times did you say I was nothing but a burden to the Callisters? That I never should’ve been part of your family at all—if not for Grandmother Evelyn’s compassion. And when she passed, you treated me like a stain that sullied the Callister name.” Her lips curled into a mocking smile. “That’s what you call treating someone like family?”

“This is different. Josh is my grandson, Althea.”

“Where are you getting that from, Mrs. Kate Callister?” Althea folded her arms across her chest. “I am his mother. The one who carried him, gave birth to him, and raised him with love. I won’t deny that Josh is Daven Callister’s biological child. But there’s one thing you need to understand.”

She shifted in her chair, leaning in until she was almost face-to-face with Kate.

“Your precious son divorced me. He severed every tie between us. He threw me out without a single cent from your family. And if I had wanted to, I had every right to claim my share as Daven’s former wife—whether it was the house, or marital assets. But what did you all do instead? Surely you haven’t forgotten?”

Not satisfied, Althea pressed on.

“To me, Daven contributed nothing more than his seed. After you cast me out, your son had no hand in our lives. And in these past eight years, did I ever once come crawling to you?”

Kate’s silence was damning. Every word Althea spoke landed like a strike.

“Think hard,” Althea continued coldly. “Maybe my memory fails in some places, but I’ve never stooped so low as to seek you out. I’ve never begged for help, never asked for support, never even demanded recognition from Daven as Josh’s father. I would never degrade myself like that.”

Althea rose to her feet, her voice cutting like a blade. There was nothing left to say.

Kate’s lips parted, but no words came out. Everything lodged in her throat, choked back by the weight of Althea’s words. All she could do was clench her fists, powerless to fight against the truth hurled at her.

“Maybe God is showing me kindness,” Althea continued, her tone laced with bitter irony, “or maybe He’s simply settling every wound I once carried—one by one. Because here I am, dragged into some pathetic little drama with your precious daughter-in-law. What a surprise. She turned out to be remarkable, didn’t she? And yet, thanks to her, Daven finally learned about the son I never intended the world to see. Why should I? His world and mine could never be more different. The Callisters are a family of stature, while I… I was nothing but an ordinary woman.”

She took a step closer, her gaze unwavering. “But from the womb of that ordinary woman came the Callister heir. And what became of her? She was tossed aside like trash. Isn’t that what you do with garbage? You throw it away and never pick it back up. Never look at it again. That’s what you should’ve done with me, Kate. The same way you did before—no guilt, no pity. Just sit back and enjoy the choices you made.”

Reaching for the bag she had left on the table, Althea straightened her shoulders. “I only treat you the way you treated me. I hope you understand that.”

She walked toward the door, her fingers closing around the handle with a calmness that betrayed the storm in her chest. “There’s nothing more to discuss between us. This ends here.”