06

KELLAN'S P. O. V

I was turning into a machine.

A machine that ran on caffeine, adrenaline, and the relentless need to keep my company the success that it is. 

If I paused, if I flattered, someone would uproot it from the ground and burn it to ashes before my very eyes. And so, for three weeks, I've been here, there and everywhere.

At first, it was Denver. I had a meeting with some investors who wanted their hands on a new tech we were developing. 

After that was Dallas. I made an important stop there, I wanted to stay longer. Dallas was the city I was born and grew up in, the city I met her.

My darling Ashley.

She was the princess of Highland Park, the beautiful girl with golden brown hair destined to marry a prince perhaps, or maybe a son of the upperclassmen.

Ashely was off-limits for a working-class man like me. I was paid to mow their lawn, but every time I caught sight of her, my breathing stalled, and every time she pretended like she wasn't watching me. I felt seen. It wasn't long before we started talking in secret, and then sneaking around like teenagers.

A long sigh heaved out of my lips. Those were the years, the beautiful and painful times. Beautiful because she had a way of making everything around her blossom, painful because our love was condemned, threatened, and almost destroyed.

I had sworn I would make enough money to quiet everyone who thought I wasn't worthy enough for her. To give her the life her parents cut her off from when she chose to move to Austin with me, marry me— the poor boy from Pleasure Grove, and start Lockra with me.

I adjusted my cufflinks, as my driver came to a stop at my private jet terminal. I was needed in New Jersey yet again.

God, I needed a break. 

I needed to take a week off and chill in my new penthouse with Ash. We haven't had time for each other, but it would all be fine. Lockra was doing well; we didn't have to stick to ramen noodles for dinner anymore, no tiny apartments, and nobody longer mocked Ashely for leaving her prestigious family to marry me.

It was all thanks to Lockra.

“Martins,” I muttered as I climbed the steps of my jet. “Tell Jeremy to shift the investor dinner I have in Prague to next week. I’m flying back home after New Jersey.”

“Yes, sir. Will do,” Martins nodded. “I’ll have the penthouse ready by the time you land.”

The corner of my lips quirked. Just what I needed. A more luxurious home to impress Ashely and spend some well-deserved time together.

I should send her flowers before I return home, or better still, I could buy her a more beautiful ring and convince her to change that cheap faded one I had gotten years ago.

I always made sure she had everything. She had the best clothes, the best car, a private jet at her disposal, a black Amex with no limit, and jewelry worth more than most people’s homes. Everything.

I promised her the world, and I wouldn't stop until I gave it to her.

“Sir,” Martins returned, holding out my phone. “You might want to catch up on these.”

I took it, swiping past dozens of emails and unread messages. Then I saw three missed calls and one voicemail from Ashely.

That's weird. She rarely ever leaves voice calls. I pressed play.

And the world…stopped.

‘I'm pregnant. Or at the moment, you can say I was because.... because I'm losing the baby, our baby Kellan.’

I stumbled back on my feet, swaying. My hands tightened on the phone.

“This can't be right,” I whispered and replayed the voicemail again. It was Ashley's voice, she was crying bitterly.

Her words suddenly hit me like a bolt of lightning, splitting my heart into two. 

Pregnant? Losing the baby?

I stopped breathing. My body turned numb, cold, and hot at the same time.

“How?” I croaked out. “We were expecting and I didn't... I didn't know. And she was losing the baby?!”

“No” My voice was raw, guttural. 

“Start the jet for Austin now.” I barked, my eyes turning red. The cabin crew and pilot hurried about. Everything blurred. 

I pressed play again. My body shook with a heart-wrenching pain as I listened to Ashley. Each word was more pained, more angrier than the last.

‘You're not here, Kel. You were supposed to be here…’

A metallic taste flooded my mouth. I fisted a hand over my mouth as a pained howl crawled out.

‘I only ever wanted your love and time and affection. And now, I'm dying and you're not even here to witness it.’

“Baby, Hang on tight” My words were raspy. “I'm on my way”

Pregnant. My wife was pregnant. And she was bleeding. And I wasn't there for her. Because I've been too busy for everything but her when she is the one person who matters most.

‘I hate you, Kellan Langston…’

My heart shattered. She had screamed those words. She didn't mean it. I would fix this. I will find a way to fix this.

 The phone slid out of my hands.

“I'm on my way, Ash.”

~~~

I ran through the hospital like a madman.

The front desk nurse couldn’t even finish her sentence before I found Ashely's door and shoved it open.

There she was, my wife. She was pale, and her beautiful chocolate eyes were hollow. She turned towards me, and my heart hammered into my chest, she turned away like she hadn't seen me, and it shattered.

“Ash—” I choked, rushing to her side.

Ashely didn't look at me, she kept her face away. 

Pain sliced through my bone. I was away traveling the world while my wife went through hell, losing our baby before I even got to know of its existence 

“Ashley, please.” My voice cracked. “I didn’t know. I swear to God, I didn’t know.”

Finally, she turned, but not in the way I hoped. Her eyes weren’t full of tears or pain. They were full of anger and disappointment.

That hurt more.

“I want a divorce,” she stated flatly.

My head drew back. The words were too glided with shock to fully sink in. I knew what a divorce meant, but I didn't know what it meant for us.

Divorce? Like leave her and go separate ways. Among things that were impossible in the world, that ranked number one.

“I don't understand, Ash. Baby, you're hurt and grieving. We'll get over this together. I promise I'll be with you every....”

A cackle slipped out from Ashely. She shook her head sideways. “One hundred times you make a promise to me, and you break them one hundred and one.”

Her words hurt more than a stab to my chest. “That’s not true. I love y....”

“Don’t,” she cut sharply. “You love Lockra. You love the power, the attention. You loved me when I was part of your struggle. But you don’t see me anymore.”

My heart was suddenly beating too fast. “I can fix this. Just—just let me try.”

“I don’t want you here.” She whispered then turned to the doctor standing awkwardly nearby. “Can you please have security remove him?”

“Ashley, please,” I begged reaching for her hand.

She flinched and pulled away, and I died instantly a little more on the inside

Two guards entered quietly. “The patient wants you to leave sir.”

I waited, trying to touch her again. Ashely flinched away from me. That gut deep.

“I am never letting you go, Ash,” I told her, my voice deep and hollow

  

“You are my wife. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted. I made a mistake, a big one. I was chasing the wrong thing, but I’ll fix this, Us. I’ll fight. I’ll...I won’t stop. Not until you forgive me. Not even if God Himself asks me to stop.”

She hissed out a bitter laugh, pulled that ring she loved so much from her finger, and threw it right at me with pain etched on her face. I caught it instinctively.

The doors closed, blocking Ashely away from me, only temporarily. 

I sank to my knees, my heart too heavy, my brain too tired. 

How had it gone so wrong so fast?

I thought I was building an empire, something that I would hand over to our children so they wouldn't suffer like I did, something to enable me to give Ashley the best life. 

But I wasn't a hero; I was just a man. Standing in the debris of the chaos he caused and begging for a second chance from the one person who truly matters, who should have mattered all this time. 

And by God, I'm going to make this right, At any Price.