Dear Ex-husband, I'll Make You Beg

Regret 1

Julian sat in his car, his face bowed. Different emotions he couldn't name settled in his chest. Confusion, disbelief, anger, and...regret.

His mind had been a complete mess ever since he left the club. Every word Felix and Zane said kept replaying in his head over and over again, refusing to leave him alone.

“Sophie did.”

That one sentence had shattered something inside him.

He had spent eight years believing Serena was the one who saved his life. Eight years of loving her because of it. Eight years resenting Sophie because he believed she was jealous, selfish, and cruel toward the sister who had supposedly risked her life for him.

But now…

None of it made sense anymore.

"Why didn't she say anything?" He thought.

If she truly was the one who saved him and was the victim between her and Serena, she should have spoken up. She never tried to defend herself and just went with what everyone said.

That confused him. Surely if she were being wronged, she would have fought to be heard.

"There must be something I'm missing." He muttered.

After a while, he came to the conclusion that the only way to find out the truth would be to confront Serena.

The trip to the Monroes' residence took him fifteen minutes. He was easily let in by the guards and was asked to wait in the living room while Serena was being called.

Julian couldn't sit. He paced the living room, hoping Serena had an explanation that was good enough to convince him.

"Julian!" A familiar voice called out. When he turned, he saw Serena strutting down the stairs with a wide smile on her face, clearly happy to see him.

As he watched her, he couldn't help the ache in his heart. A part of him hoped she really was the angel he had thought she was for years because it would break him if it all turned out to be a lie. He wasn't even sure he would be able to ever forgive her.

"You didn't say you were coming to the house." She grinned, throwing her hands over his shoulders and standing on her toes to kiss him.

Before, he would have welcomed the kiss, holding her in his arms like she was all that mattered. Now, he couldn't even touch her.

"Miss me much?" Serena smiled, running her hand over his chest flirtatiously.

Julian stared at her silently for a few seconds like he was studying her face to see if she still looked as innocent as she once used to look.

She didn't. Not anymore.

After a while, he finally spoke. "We need to talk."

Something in his tone made Serena uneasy. He hardly got angry at her and since she returned, he had not even frowned at her.

Her smile faded completely. “What's wrong?”

Julian’s eyes stayed fixed on her face. He studied every tiny movement carefully, almost like he was trying to see through her.

“I'm going to need you to be very honest with me, Serena." He started, looking into her eyes as he hoped this would all turn out to be a misunderstanding.

"Why did Sophie push you that day at the hospital?”

Serena blinked in surprise. For a split second, something flashed across her face before she quickly hid it behind confusion.

“What?”

“At the hospital,” Julian repeated calmly. “Why did she push you?”

Serena let out a small nervous laugh and shook her head. “I don’t know,” she murmured softly. “Sophie has always been jealous of me. Maybe seeing you with me upset her again.”

She lowered her gaze and forced out a bitter smile. “Honestly, I’m used to it already. It's not like she needs a reason to be mean to me. You know this already, Julian."

Julian felt his chest twist painfully. Not because he believed her but because of how easily she lied. There was no hesitation or guilt. If he hadn't already seen the footage, he would have easily believed her.

He suddenly laughed but it was cold and humorless.

Serena c****d her head to the side, confused. "Why are you laughing?"

Julian slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. "Because that's strange." He said quietly. "I saw something completely different."

Serena’s expression stiffened, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

Once the video started to play, Serena's face lost all color immediately. Julian watched the panic appear in her eyes and felt his stomach sink.

That reaction alone already told him enough.

“You want to explain this?” he asked coldly.

Serena stared at the screen speechlessly. “I…” she stammered.

Julian’s voice suddenly rose. “Explain it, Serena! You said she pushed you. Why does this video show something else?"

She flinched at the anger in his tone but before she could speak again, footsteps echoed from upstairs.

“What’s going on?” Jada asked as both parents hurried downstairs. They had heard loud voices from their room and rushed down to see what the commotion was all about.

Her father frowned in confusion after noticing the tension in the room. “Julian? What's going on?"

Julian turned sharply toward them, his expression darker than any of them had ever seen before.

“No,” he said harshly. “You people are going to tell me the truth today.”

Jada frowned immediately, looking between them. “What truth?”

Julian turned back toward Serena, his jaw clenched tightly. “Tell them,” he snapped. “Tell everyone the truth.”

Serena’s heartbeat quickened. “Julian…”

Frustrated, he threw his fingers into his hair and then turned to her. "Tell me. You weren't the one who saved me that day, were you?"

The entire room went silent.

Serena froze completely and even her parents looked confused now.

"What?" Her father asked slowly, looking at Serena who looked like she had just seen a ghost.

Serena swallowed hard before forcing out a nervous laugh. “Why are you suddenly asking something like this? That was eight years ago. Why are you going back to the past?”

Julian stepped closer, his eyes red with anger. “Think carefully before you answer,” he warned coldly. “Because I already know the truth.”

Serena’s breathing became uneven.

Her mother looked between them anxiously. “Serena? What is he talking about?”