My Husband Chose His Ex I Became His Regret novel Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Lila

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After the gala

I made a quiet promise to myself.

This would be the last time he humiliated me.

The last time he chose her.

And the last time I stood where I wasn’t wanted.

Present moment

“Going somewhere, Lila?”

Mark stood in the doorway like he owned the air I was breathing. Suit still crisp. Cufflinks still shining. Not a single crack in his perfect composure. Sienna lingered just behind him, half-hidden, lips curved in a smile that didn’t bother pretending to be kind.

I tightened my grip on the duffel bag.

“Yes,” I said.

My voice surprised me. It didn’t shake. It didn’t beg. It landed between us, solid and final.

Mark’s brows drew together slightly, as if he hadn’t expected that answer. As if I’d missed my cue to apologize.

“For what?” he asked coolly. “Another tantrum?”

Sienna laughed softly behind him. “She’s dramatic when she’s embarrassed,” she said, tilting her head. “Don’t take it personally, Mark.”

Embarrassed.

The word burned.

I stepped forward, stopping just short of him. The hallway lights cast shadows under his eyes, lines I’d never been allowed to notice before.

“I’m leaving,” I said again. “Tonight.”

Mark’s lips pressed into a thin line. “You’re not thinking clearly.”

“I’ve never thought clearer.”

He glanced at the bag, then back at my face. “You humiliated yourself tonight,” he said flatly. “Running away won’t fix that.”

15:1 Tue, May

Chapter 4

Something snapped.

“You humiliated me.” I said.

The silence that followed was sharp

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Sienna’s smile faltered for just a second before she recovered. “Oh please,” she scoffed. “You stood where you belonged.”

I turned to her slowly. “Say that again.”

She lifted her chin. “You’re his wife on paper, Lila. That’s all. Everyone knows it.”

Mark didn’t deny it.

That was the moment.

Not the gala. Not the whispers. Not the way he held her hand like it was something precious.

This.

I laughed.

It startled all three of us.

“For years.” I said quietly, “I cooked for you, cleaned for you, waited for you. I learned how you liked your coffee. I learned when to stay quiet. I learned how to disappear so I wouldn’t inconvenience you.”

Mark’s jaw tightened. “What are you trying to say?”

“I’m saying,” I replied, lifting the bag slightly, “I finally learned the one thing that matters.”

Sienna crossed her arms. “And what’s that?”

“That loving you,” I said, looking straight at Mark, “has been the biggest mistake of my life.”

The words landed hard.

His eyes

flashed. “You think you can just walk out?” he snapped. “You have nothing, Lila. No status. No power, Everything you have-”

—was never yours to give me,” I cut in.

He stared.

I took another step forward, close enough to see the faint scar near his temple. The one I’d cleaned when he came home drunk and angry a year ago. The one he’d never thanked me for.

“I was your wife,” I said. “Not your maid. Not your shield. Not the woman you hid behind while you chose someone else.”

15:15 Tue, May 12

Chapter 1

Sienna laughed again, sharper this time. “Listen to her. She sounds brave now.”

I turned my head slightly. “You can have him.”

That wiped the smile off her face.

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“Every cold word. Every public humiliation. Every night you shared his bed while I cried in that room” I nodded toward the guest room. “Take it all. He was never mine anyway.”

Mark’s voice dropped. “You’ll regret this.”

I met his gaze. “I already did. For a year.”

He reached out, grabbing my wrist.

The touch sent a jolt through me, but not fear.

Disgust.

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