I Gave Him Freedom ,He Came Crawling Back in Tears

When I walked into the break room at the office and saw my husband with the intern, tangled together in front of the mirror, I didn't lose my mind. I didn't scream or take photos for evidence. I didn't swallow it down and plot my revenge in silence.

Instead, I went to the legal department, had a divorce agreement drawn up, and sat in his office waiting for them to finish.

When they finally came out, Damien Ashford had the girl wrapped up tight, shielded behind him like something precious.

"I lost control. That's on me," he said. "Tell me what you want. Just don't go after her."

I stared at the way he stood in front of her, protective, fierce, like she was the most important thing in the world.

Exactly the way he'd stood in front of my parents ten years ago, fighting for me.

"You won't pay for her treatment? Then I will! It's just cancer! I'll sell everything I own to save her! You don't want her? Fine. I do. From this day forward, I'm the only family she has!"

The memory cut through me like a blade.

I smiled through the ache in my chest.

Calmly, I slid the divorce agreement across the desk toward him.

"Consider this my way of repaying the debt I owe you for saving my life. After this, we're even."

……

The girl's trembling, breathy moans had announced the end of their little session.

Damien had strolled out with Joanna Mason on his arm, taking his time.

When he saw me, a flicker of panic crossed his face.

It vanished just as quickly.

He pulled Joanna, still unsteady on her feet, onto the couch beside him and settled back, expression flat.

"I was planning to find the right time to tell you. But since you found out on your own, I'll just be straight with you."

"The passion between us is gone. All that's left is habit. As long as you can make room for her, nothing has to change."

His words sliced through my heart like a knife.

I never imagined he'd sleep with his secretary.

And I certainly never imagined he'd confess to it so casually, as if cheating were no worse than telling a small lie.

My fists clenched at my sides. My voice shook.

"How long."

He twisted the wedding band around his finger.

"A year and a half."

That was when I'd finished my last round of chemo.

I opened my mouth to say something.

Before I could, Joanna clutched her stomach.

"Mr. Ashford, I... my stomach hurts."

Damien didn't bother asking what I'd been about to say. He called the family doctor immediately.

Dr. Toby Dickerson arrived within fifteen minutes. After checking her pulse, his expression turned uneasy. His gaze drifted to me for just a moment before he spoke.

"Ms. Mason is pregnant. The frequency of intercourse likely caused some irritation. She should go to the hospital for a proper exam."

Joanna's eyes reddened. She swatted at Damien's arm, half-pouting, half-scolding.

"This is your fault. You didn't use protection last time. And just now you were so rough, going so many rounds even after I told you to stop."

Damien lowered his head as if no one else existed in the room.

"My fault. It won't happen again."

The tenderness in his voice sent a tremor through me.

He hadn't spoken to me that gently in a very long time.

I dug my nails into my palms to keep the tears from falling.

Only then did Joanna seem to notice I was there. She pulled away from his embrace, putting on a wounded expression.

"Mr. Ashford, please don't act like this in front of her. She'll be hurt. And this baby... maybe we shouldn't keep it. It's not exactly proper, is it?"

Damien's brow furrowed. He caught her hand and held it tight.

"What do you mean, 'shouldn't keep it'? I chose to be with you, and I'll take responsibility. You focus on carrying this baby to term. Don't worry about anything else."

"We're going to the hospital. Now."

He scooped her up and rushed toward the door.

As he swept past me, the gust from his coat knocked me off balance. I stumbled backward.

His stride faltered for half a second. He didn't turn around.

"Go home. And don't come by the office unless you have to. She gets nervous around you."

The pain I'd been holding back for so long spread from the place where I'd been knocked aside, flooding every inch of my body. Tears streamed down my face, one after another, and he never once looked back.

I knew I was no longer the woman whose single teardrop could send him into a panic.

I stood there, alone in his office, surrounded by traces of a younger woman everywhere I looked.