Drowning Him In Regret

Chapter 1 A Pathetic Joke

Right after college, I kicked my penniless boyfriend to the curb and ran off to some fancy country with a silver-spoon prick. Worst call ever.

Two years down the line, that rich bastard ghosted me, leaving me to slink back home, broke and humiliated. And who was sitting pretty now? My ex, of course- loaded, famous, the whole damn deal.

Then he went full psycho, pulling every shady trick to make me his wife. Everyone bought the bullshit. "Oh, he's so in love, letting bygones be bygones." What a crock.

The second we said "I do," he started banging his way through a carousel of floozies, each one a jab to my ribs, his sick way of evening the score.

He'd get in my face, eyes wild, spitting venom. "What's your fucking deal? Why don't you care? Not even a little jealous?"

I'd just smirk, staring him down until he flinched. Because I was halfway to the grave, you bastard. Why waste tears on a world I was about to leave behind?

******

Our third anniversary came crashing in, and where was Jude Carson-my dear husband? Lighting up the damn beach with fireworks, draped all over that snake, Vivian Miller.

I was curled up on the couch, a pathetic mess, clutching my phone like it was my lifeline. I dialed him over and over, like some desperate fool who thought he'd actually pick up.

Straight to voicemail. Every. Single. Time.

That cold, robotic beep taunted me one too many times, and the world started spinning. My chest tightened, the room blurred, and then-lights out.

I woke up to sterile hospital lights burning my eyes. The doctor hovered, his face

screaming bad news he didn't know how to sugarcoat.

I didn't flinch. Just asked, voice dead, "How much time's left?"

He switched to that bullshit doctor-speak. "Surgery now, followed by regular

chemo, and you've got a fighting chance."

I stared at the ceiling, blank. "This is my second go-round with this crap."

Pain clawed at my chest, sharp and relentless, while sweat prickled my forehead.

"Ms. Watson," he pressed, "there's a new drug that could keep the cancer in check. Fifty grand a shot."

He trailed off, tossing out some faint hope about sticking with it post-surgery for six months.

Yeah, right. He knew I was flat broke.

I was married to the big-shot CEO of Carson Group, and I couldn't scrape

together pocket change. If I had cash, I wouldn't have let this disease chew me up this long.

I hauled myself off the bed, smoothed my wrinkled clothes, and muttered, "Book the surgery."

A few grand for the operation? I'd figure it out. Had to.

My fingers grazed the pendant dangling at my chest, and a sour pang twisted my gut.

Back at the apartment, I swung by to thank my neighbor.

"Oh, sweetie, don't thank me," she said, her eyes soft with that pity I hated. "Thank Toto. That dog was raising hell with his barking-saved your ass.

"Lucky the ambulance hauled ass to get here. You kids gotta stop running yourselves into the ground."

Toto's my Lab, my stray-turned-soulmate.

A year back, barely a month into this sham of a marriage, Jude had the balls to bring some chick into our bed.

I walked in, and they didn't even pause just kept at it, loud as fuck, like they were daring me to make a scene.

When it was over, he smirked and hit me with, "Karma's a bitch, huh? I begged you to stay, and you didn't give a shit. This is what you get."

We tore into each other, screaming until I couldn't breathe. I bolted, heart in pieces, wandering nowhere-until Toto found me.

He was dumped at a vet clinic, shaking, half-gone from distemper. The vet was bitching as he lugged him inside, but Toto's eyes met mine, and fuck, it was like a knife to the chest.

We were the same-broken, barely hanging on, too damn stubborn to quit but too tired to dream.

Two lost causes.

I hocked my gold necklace to pay the vet to pull him through. They did.

And now, he'd returned the favor.

He nuzzled my leg, tail wagging like I was his whole universe. My throat closed up, and I couldn't even touch him.

"Hey, ma'am," I choked out, "I'm gonna be laid up in the hospital for a while. Can you... look after Toto?"

Her golden retriever passed last year, so I knew she'd step up. Sure enough, she waved me off, telling me to focus on getting myself together.

As I watched Toto trot away with her, tail wagging like he didn't have a care in the world, I let out a shaky breath. A knot loosened in my chest. If I didn't make it through this, at least he got someone who would love him.

But when I dragged myself home, reality slapped me hard—I'd been lying to myself all along. The surgery? Tens of thousands of bucks. I didn't have a single dime to my name.

Jude had the whole "generous husband" act down pat. My closet? Stuffed with designer dresses, handbags that cost more than most people's rent, and jewelry that could blind one.

To the world, I was Mrs. Carson, all glitz and untouchable charm.

But behind the curtain? Every gown I wore to those swanky galas, every necklace that sparkled under the chandeliers, needed his stamp of approval. His secretary would unlock the safe from god-knows-where, like I was a prop in his perfect little show.

"You've never done shit for this family," he'd spit. "You don't get to raid the vault just because you feel like it."

I flicked open my phone. The company gossip chat was still lit up, dissecting Jude and Vivian from the day before.

[Is Mr. Carson actually serious this time? Doesn't he cycle through his flings every month?]

[Oh, it's legit. Vivian's been on his arm for, like, three months straight.]

[Yesterday was 2/14, yeah? They were lighting up the beach with fireworks. Fucking storybook shit. Did you see that diamond necklace on Vivian? Damn near scorched my retinas.]noveldrama

[Wait, wasn't Jude's wedding on 2/14? Didn't we all get wasted at the reception?]

I let out a dry, bitter chuckle. My coworkers had our anniversary burned into their brains, but Jude? He didn't give a damn.

I'd spent all of yesterday psyching myself up to face him, to demand the heirlooms my mom left me so we could cut ties and be done with it.

But when I saw the dinner I'd cooked sitting there, cold and forgotten on the table, something snapped. I snatched my keys and bolted.

I didn't need him anymore. I needed money.

At Carson Group, Vivian was soaking up the spotlight, surrounded by a pack of brown-nosers hanging on her every word.

"Vivian, Jude's treating you like royalty. That necklace's gotta be worth a mint!"

"What kind of dollar-store vision you got? It's Moriano's newest piece. Six figures, minimum."

Vivian tossed her hair with a smirk that screamed self-satisfied. "It's no big thing. I liked it, he grabbed it.

"I told him it was too much, but he said anything less wouldn't do me justice."

I leaned against the office doorway, watching her preen, a cold, gnawing pain clawing at my insides.

It was almost too absurd to stomach. There I was, staring down a death sentence with no way to scrape together the cash for surgery, while Jude was tossing six- figure baubles at his sidepiece like they were candy.

Then Vivian's eyes snapped to mine-her first time ever seeing me. She raked me up and down, her gaze slicing through me, all sneer and superiority. "Who the fuck are you? What, they don't teach manners in this dump?"she said.

A couple of her hangers-on caught sight of me and grabbed her sleeve, whispering, "Vivian, chill. That's Mr. Carson's wife. Ada."

She froze for a split second, her confidence wobbling like a bad tightrope act. But

then her smirk slithered back, sharper, nastier, like she'd just found a new toy to break.

"So this is Ada, the so-called campus goddess?" she snorted. "What a fucking letdown."