HIS REGRET (Ex-Husband wants Me Back) novel Chapter 85

**Shadows of the Past – By Emma Clarke**
**Chapter 85**

“Why do you have to run away?”

The question hung in the air, unexpected and piercing. Althea’s heart skipped a beat as she turned her gaze toward Chase, her mind racing with confusion.

“So… that’s why you resigned? To vanish from Daven Callister’s sight now that he’s suddenly resurfaced here?”

Althea’s eyes dropped to her coffee cup, the dark liquid swirling like a tempest within. She felt an overwhelming weight in her chest, a mix of fear and determination.

“I just want to protect my son—and the life we’ve built together. I can’t allow that man to meddle in our lives again. If staying here means putting Josh in danger, then leaving is the only choice I have.”

Chase nodded slowly, his expression devoid of judgment. He could sense the enormity of her struggle, the battles she had fought in silence. Whatever demons Althea had faced, he knew they were not something anyone would willingly revisit. She was making a monumental choice, one that would alter the course of her life, all to avoid a confrontation with a man who had caused her so much pain.

Yet, a nagging thought lingered in his mind…

“I’m not going to pressure you to stay, Althea. But if I’m being honest, you’re far too valuable to simply walk away from all of this. And I still don’t quite understand—why should you be the one to disappear? After everything you’ve done… have you truly thought this through?”

Althea remained silent, her thoughts a whirlwind of doubt and resolve.

“Have you spoken to Josh about any of this?”

Her silence was deafening, a wall that seemed insurmountable.

“I know it might sound cliché, just another hollow phrase, but this isn’t a decision you can make alone. Josh is part of this too, isn’t he?”

Althea’s gaze flicked back to Chase, weighing her options carefully. It wasn’t that she was unwilling to share this part of her life with him; it was more complicated than that…

“If you’re not comfortable, I won’t push you, Althea,” Chase said, his smile faint yet sincere. There was a flicker of disappointment in his eyes, but he remained steadfast, offering silent support, even if he couldn’t fully grasp the depth of her turmoil. At least now, he was beginning to understand the rationale behind her abrupt resignation.

“It’s not that,” Althea finally murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. “It’s just… I’ve never opened up about this before. It feels… humiliating.”

Her eyes fell to her hands, which were tightly clasped around the warmth of her coffee cup. But as the moments passed, she felt a shift within herself. Chase Miller had always been trustworthy, never one to cast judgment. Maybe, just maybe, she could let him in this once. Share a sliver of the life she had lived before arriving in SunCity.

“I married Daven Callister because I had to. If it hadn’t been for that accident, I probably would have never become his ex-wife.”

A bitter laugh escaped her lips, laced with a mixture of irony and sorrow. “I didn’t want that kind of responsibility in my life. All I yearned for was to give my mother a proper burial. But Daven’s grandmother insisted he take full responsibility—me included.”