The Bride He Abandoned

The rain fell in heavy sheets, hammering against the streets of North California, mirroring the storm brewing inside the Montclair estate.

Ashley stood at the gates of the Montclair family manor, drenched to the bone, nothing but a single bag hanging from her hand, tears rolling down her cheeks uncontrollably.

Today was supposed to be the happiest day of her life, instead, it had become her worst nightmare.

A sob tore from her throat as her hand travelled to her stomach, rubbing slow, soothing circles, whispering sweet words, as though the tiny life within her could feel her touch… hear her words.

She had only just found out today she was pregnant. The test results were real.

Her child… their child… was growing inside her. A heartbeat had flickered on that screen as she sat in Doctor Rain’s office. And for the first time in her life, she had felt hope. Hope that things could finally change between them. Maybe this child, their child, was the miracle she needed to fix the pieces of her broken marriage. That maybe, just maybe, Caleb would finally look at her.

She had spent the entire ride back home rehearsing ways she could break the news to him.

But as she stepped foot into the house, everything had changed.

Caleb had shoved the divorce papers in her hands before she could even speak. Before she could break the news to him.

Ashley’s cries grew louder under the stormy rain as the memory replayed in her mind.

“W-what is this Cal? What’s this divorce agreement? What does this mean?” her voice had trembled, even though she already knew the answer. Her heart pounded loudly, dreading his response. He couldn’t possibly want a divorce… right?

“Are you dumb? Don’t you understand the contents of these papers? Must I spell it out for you?” Caleb had replied with disdain, his cold eyes piercing into her fragile heart and shattering it into a million pieces.

Ashley’s hands shook as she clutched the divorce papers, as though this was nothing other than a bad nightmare. “Don’t you dare call me dumb, I didn’t ask what these papers are, I only asked what they are for!” Despite her fear of him, Ashley stood her ground for the first time since stepping foot into the Montclair family manor.

For her sake and that of her unborn child, she wasn’t going to back down anymore. She was tired of the Montclair family looking down on her and acting as though they were above her.

And how dare he call her dumb? Wasn’t he the one who had stopped her from working at the family company? The one who took away the position given to her by patriarch Gerald? He had forced her to abandon her dreams and turned her into a housewife with no ambitions. And now he was handing her divorce papers and acting as if she was nothing.

“Don’t you dare talk back to me in that manner, woman! How fucking dare you!” Caleb sneered, his voice dripping with venom and causing her to shrink back in fear. Ever since she stepped foot in this elitist family, her confidence had been crushed bit by bit. The Montclair family made sure to constantly belittle her dignity at every turn.

“Fine, since you’re too clueless to understand, I’ll make it simple… from this moment on, this marriage is over. Sign the papers… and let’s end this for good.” Caleb stated coldly, without a hint of emotion.

Ashley’s legs gave away and she collapsed to the grounds. This couldn’t be real, right? Deep down, she had always known this day would come. But she thought if she showed him just how much she loved him, maybe, just maybe, she could break through his walls and melt the ice around his heart.

And today… when she found out she was pregnant, she thought this was it. The moment everything would change.

Finally, she would reach him.

But what she hadn’t expected… was for him to hand her divorce papers before she even had the chance to tell him.

What would happen to her now? What about the sacrifices she had made just to win his heart? And… what about their child?

“Why? Why are you doing this to me Caleb? What have I done to deserve this treatment? I’ve done nothing but obey your every word.

I gave up on my position in the family company because you asked me to. Even when your family treated me like a servant and insulted me I still stood by your side.

I became the wife you wanted. I did everything right… so how can you throw divorce papers in my face now? How can you be this cruel?” Ashley sobbed as the pain in her chest grew with every word.

Marriage with Caleb had been nothing short of a nightmare for the past three years. She had done everything she could to win his love, yet he had never once looked at her. And now, what was her reward? Divorce papers and an unborn child who might never know its father? How could he be so heartless?

“Cruel? You really want to talk about cruelty? Do you even know what that word means? Do you have any idea what you did to Vanessa? She will be stuck in a wheelchair for months because of what you did, we don’t even know if she will be able to walk again. If you hadn’t stabbed her in the leg and pushed her down the stairs out of malice, would such misfortune have befallen her? You should be grateful you are not sitting in jail right now!”

Caleb barked with venom in his voice, wanting nothing but to strangle the woman in front of him with his bare hands. How dare she talk about cruelty when she was the very embodiment of that word?

“W-what?” Ashley choked as she slowly rose to her feet. So this was why he was giving her the divorce papers? Because of her. Hasn’t she already proven her innocence to him? Why was he still blaming her after everything?

“Caleb, you have to believe me, I didn't stab or push her down the stairs. I would never do that to you, why won’t you believe me?” Ashley tried to explain as she had already done several times in the past and rushed towards him, holding his arm.

She could never do something so vile, not even to her worst enemy. So why would she do that to a woman she knew her husband loved. The thought had never crossed her mind, not even once.

Seeing the impassive look on his face and knowing he still didn’t believe her, Ashley’s thoughts went back to why she had rushed here in the first place, hoping it would help make a difference. “Caleb, please believe me… I… I’m…”

“Get your fucking hands off me!” Caleb snapped, cutting her off and jerking her hands off his body. “Just sign the papers and let’s be done with this! My mother will be here anytime soon with Vanessa. I do not want to see you here by then. I don’t want her to see you and be frightened. She’s already traumatized enough.” He said coldly, thrusting her a pen.

Ashley’s legs buckled under his words, her vision blurring with tears. She couldn’t believe this was really happening. Caleb’s words felt like a punch to the gut, knocking the breath out of her.

She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say a single word, the door to the living room swung open and a group of six people walked in with a blonde haired lady sitting in a wheelchair.

“What is the meaning of this? Why is this wicked witch still in my house?” Caroline, Caleb’s mother exclaimed as she entered the house, her face twisted with fury.