All Chapters of One night stand with my ex husband that Ruined me: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Chicago had a way of making loneliness louder.Ava Carter learned that on a cold October night, standing alone at the bar of a downtown hotel, nursing a drink she did not want. She had come for a work conference. In and out. No emotions. No memories.Then she saw him.Ethan Carter.Her ex-husband.Time did not erase him. It refined him. The boyish softness was gone, replaced by something heavier, something worn. His hair was slightly longer than she remembered, his jaw rough with stubble, his shoulders carrying a weight she knew too well.For a moment, neither of them moved.Years collapsed into seconds.Their last fight flashed in her mind. Raised voices. Silence. The door closing behind him. The sound of her own heart breaking while she pretended she was fine.“Ava…” he said quietly, as if afraid saying her name too loudly might make her disappear.She hated how her body reacted. The tightening in her chest. The warmth that rushed through her veins. The familiarity that felt like ho

Ava didn’t sleep.She lay on her side, facing the window, watching dawn bleed slowly into the sky. Ethan slept behind her, his arm draped loosely over her waist, unaware that everything was about to change.Her phone sat on the nightstand, screen dark, holding answers she was afraid to face.She slipped out of bed before he woke, retreating into the bathroom. The light was harsh, unforgiving. Her reflection looked pale, shaken, nothing like the woman she pretended to be.Her hands trembled as she opened the email.Positive.The word felt loud. Final.She sank onto the edge of the tub, pressing her palm to her mouth to stifle the sob that rose violently in her chest. Not again. Not after everything they had already lost.This wasn’t just a pregnancy.It was history repeating itself.It was fear with a heartbeat.When she returned to the bedroom, Ethan was awake, sitting up, eyes instantly finding her face.“What’s wrong?” he asked.She stood there, frozen.“Say it,” he urged gently. “W

Hospitals had a smell Ava would never forget. Disinfectant and fear. Sterile air layered over quiet suffering. It crawled into her lungs and stayed there, heavy and unforgiving. She sat beside Ethan’s bed, unmoving, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest. Machines beeped softly, indifferent to the chaos that brought him here. His face was bruised, a thin cut stitched above his brow, his hand wrapped in gauze where skin had split open protecting something far more valuable than flesh. Documents. Secrets. Regret pressed down on her chest so hard she could barely breathe. “You’re not allowed to leave,” she whispered, fingers tightening around his. “Not again. Not now.” A nurse passed by, pausing briefly to check the monitors. “He’s stable,” she said quietly. “But the concussion is serious. He needs rest.” Ava nodded, though rest felt like a luxury none of them could afford. Her phone vibrated. She ignored it. It vibrated again. And again. She finally glanced down.

Ava did not open the door right away. She stood frozen a few feet from it, the thin motel carpet rough beneath her bare feet, her heartbeat pounding so loudly she was sure her sister could hear it through the wood. “Ava,” the voice came again, softer now. “Please.” Ethan moved to her side, close enough that she could feel the warmth of him, solid and grounding. “You don’t have to do this,” he whispered. “I do,” Ava replied quietly. “If she’s here, it means something has already gone wrong.” She reached for the handle and opened the door. Claire looked thinner than Ava remembered. Paler. Her hair was pulled back hastily, eyes rimmed red as though she hadn’t slept. She looked nothing like the confident younger sister who once followed their mother without question. For a moment, they simply stared at each other. Then Claire’s gaze dropped to Ava’s stomach. “Oh,” Claire breathed. “It’s true.” Ava’s throat tightened. “Why are you here?” Claire glanced past her, eyes flicking b

The ringing phone echoed through the gallery like a pulse.Ava stood frozen as officers rushed past her, radios crackling, footsteps sharp against marble. Marianne was already gone, swallowed by uniforms and procedure, her fall from power abrupt and incomplete.But Ava knew better.This was not an ending.It was a misdirection.The phone kept ringing.No one answered it.Ava did.“Hello?” Her voice sounded steadier than she felt.“Impressive,” Grant said calmly. “Very impressive.”Her stomach dropped.“You’re not supposed to be calling,” Ava replied.“I’m not supposed to be arrested either,” he said lightly. “Yet here we are.”She scanned the gallery, heart pounding. “You’re nearby.”“I’m always nearby,” Grant replied. “Power doesn’t hide. It watches.”“You lost,” Ava said. “The evidence is out.”Grant laughed softly. “You misunderstand how evidence works. Information doesn’t destroy men like me. Timing does.”Her grip tightened on the phone. “You threatened my child.”“Yes,” Grant sa