Chapter 5—Ex-Husband and the Accident

MONIQUE

“Hello, Mon? Finally, you answered!”

Chelsea’s voice pulled me back from the quiet night air as I answered her calls. I was standing in the hospital parking lot, phone pressed to my ear, one hand absently rubbing my still-flat belly.

“Sorry, I turned off my phone,” I said softly. “I just finished the check-up and I’m heading to the car now.”

She let out a shaky breath. “Listen… Maxwell barged into my clinic earlier. He looked terrifying, Mon. Eyes wild, voice loud, demanding to see you. He wouldn’t take no for an answer. I tried to throw him out, but he kept pushing about the pregnancy. I… I ended up telling him you’re at the hospital for your follow-up. I’m so sorry.”

I stopped walking for a second. A faint, tired smile curved my lips even though she couldn’t see it.

“It’s okay, Chelsea,” I said quietly. “Really. I’ll handle it.”

“Monique…” Her voice cracked with worry. “He left here in a rush. He’s probably already on his way to you. Are you sure you’re going to be okay? I can call security at the hospital or—”

“I'm fine,” I cut in gently, my voice calm and steady. “I figured something like this would happen eventually. But Maxwell doesn't get a say in this anymore. We're divorced, and he has no right to meddle in my decisions. As if I'd listen to anything he has to say anyway.”

I lowered my gaze, my expression hardening. “What we had is over... and I'll make sure he never gets to see our child.”

“And how, exactly, do you plan to keep me from seeing our child, Monique?”

I froze mid-step as a deep, terrifying voice echoed across the parking lot.

A car door slammed shut behind me, followed by the steady, deliberate sound of approaching footsteps.

Maxwell.

My heart pounded violently in my chest.

“Chelsea, I’ll call you back later, okay? Bye.” I quickly ended the call before turning around to face him. “Maxwell.”

I wiped every trace of emotion from my face.

Meanwhile, his expression was dark with fury. Towering over me, he fixed me with a piercing glare, his eyes burning with barely restrained anger.

“You didn’t tell me you were pregnant, Monique Lohr.”

Lohr?

I frowned.

“I'm not a Lohr anymore.” I gave him a mocking smile. “And besides, you already have a child with Elise. Why would I bother telling you that I was carrying yours too?”

“Because it’s my right!” His voice rose immediately.

“Rights?” I scoffed. “You have no rights over me or the baby I'm carrying! You'll never get to know this child, because that's my decision!” I forced my voice to remain steady as I drove each word home.

His thick brows knitted into a deep frown.

“What are you planning to do, Monique? Keep my child away from me?” His voice dropped, hard and threatening. “Do you really think you'll succeed? Have you forgotten who I am?”

His eyes locked onto mine. “I'm Maxwell Lohr... and I always get whatever the hell I want.”

My blood boiled, and a sharp ache settled deep in my chest. I wanted nothing more than to hurl my phone straight into his arrogant face. But forcing my anger under control, I swallowed the impulse and struck back with words meant to hurt him just as deeply.

“Go ahead then! You can meet this child of yours in the afterlife!” I gritted my teeth in anger.

“What are you talking about?” He was caught off guard.

I hardened my expression, determined not to let him see through the lie.

“Weren't you asking how I planned to make sure you never saw our child? Fine. I'll tell you.” I forced out a cold laugh. “I'm going to have an abortion. If you want to meet your child so badly, then go ahead. I'll even give you a rope so you can hang yourself and meet your unborn child in the afterlife.”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?!” His face drained of color as he staggered back. “Have you lost your mind?!”

“Why?” I sneered. “Did you really think I wanted to carry your child in my womb? Ha! I can't start a new chapter of my life with your child standing in the way.”

I turned on my heel and walked away as fast as I could.

But he came after me.

Fear surged through me as I sensed the unfamiliar fury radiating from him. I broke into a run, racing out of the parking lot before he could catch me. Without looking back, I darted toward the busy street, frantically trying to hail a taxi.

“You’re going to abort our child?!” Maxwell shouted angrily as he caught up to me. 

He grabbed my arm and pulled me to the side of the road where there were no people.

“Stop it, Maxwell!” I shouted. “I already signed the divorce papers, didn't I? So stop interfering with my life! What I do from now on is none of your business!”

Of course, I wasn't really going to do it. I just didn't want anything to do with him anymore.

“Don't drag the child into our mess, Monique!” he shouted, his voice cracking with a storm of emotions. For the first time, I saw genuine panic in his eyes.

“F-Fine!” he choked out. “Just give birth to the baby. Elise and I will raise the child so you won't have to carry that burden!”

What? 

What did he just say?

It felt like tiny needles pierced my heart. My eyes immediately heated up and tears welled in them.

“Are you really insulting me like this?!” Tears streamed down my face as the pain became too much to bear. “Do you really want to destroy me completely, Maxwell? Wasn't it enough that you betrayed me for your so-called sister and her son? Now you want me to give birth to our baby just so you and her can raise him? So it can become part of your damned family?!”

“M-Monique, I loved you. But Elise is more important to me now, so—”

I forcefully yanked my arm back. “That’s exactly why I’m just going to abort this!” I shouted while crying and turned away from him.

Clutching my stomach, I hurried toward the road, desperate to cross it.

But Maxwell caught up to me and grabbed my wrist again.

“No, Monique!” he shouted. “I won't let you do something this foolish! We waited so long to have a child together—”

“What the hell?!” I struggled against his grip. “Let go of me! Stop ruining my life and just—”

The moment I tore myself free, I sprinted toward the road again, terrified he would chase after me.

“NO!”

*BEEEEEP! BEEEEEP!*

A deafening horn shattered the air.

I froze.

Blinding headlights flooded my vision. The car was right in front of me.

My mind went completely blank.

I couldn't move.

I could only wait for the impact.

“MONIQUE!”

A powerful shove suddenly sent me crashing onto the cold pavement.

I wasn't the one who got hit.

My eyes widened in horror as I looked up.

Maxwell's body rolled across the asphalt before coming to a stop.

Blood rapidly spread beneath him, staining the road a deep crimson.

“MAXWELL!!!”