My EX Wants me Back!

GWEN

“You can't give me a child. So why would I stay married to you?” He asked me cruelly. Okay, Ethan and I weren't best friends or a couple in love, but I figured after all these years… He'd at least be a little nicer to me!

I could feel my eyes filling with tears as my vision blurred. I just couldn't tell if it was sadness, anger, or both.

"But, I can…" I tried to say, but of course, he cut me off.

“No! If you could, we would already have had a child, after three years of marriage!” He yelled at me and the tears were streaming down my face now. I was naive to think he might have feelings for me, even though our marriage wasn't our own choice.

"Ethan, I... The doctor said there's nothing wrong with me..."

"So there's something wrong with me? Is that what you're trying to say?” He asked me scornfully. I hated it. I could hear not only contempt, but disgust and mockery.

“No! That's not…”

“Forget it. Of course there is a problem with you. But don't worry, I solved that problem. Darla is pregnant, so I don't need you to keep trying anymore.”

The way he said it was what got me out of my self-pitying state and into seeing things clearly.

"Are you telling me you cheated on me?" I asked, still trying to absorb what he had just said.

“I never liked you in the first place. It was just business.” The last stab in my heart.

How could a man be so mean? But then, maybe that was for the best, because at that moment, I thought his words were what I needed to finally understand one thing: our marriage was a lie, our marriage was not going to get better. Ever.

We got married because our grandparents had an arrangement. They made a promise to each other. My grandfather lent a large amount of money to Ethan's family in exchange for a marriage between the two families, within no more than two generations. If the deal fell through, his grandfather would have to pay back a large sum of money and that would destroy the company at the time.

Of course, the deal wasn't legal. No one could make you marry someone else like that. But it was all about honor. As Ethan's grandfather was very sick and everyone thought he was going to die, Ethan accepted it. He had plans to divorce me as soon as his grandfather died. But the old man got stronger by the day and was alive until that very day.

“So what? We are married and you got another woman pregnant!” I screamed. I couldn't take it anymore. “You know what? I want a divorce.”

That's when I started pushing Ethan Lennox out of my heart. I asked for a divorce to maintain what little self-respect I still had for myself.

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*TWO YEARS LATER* 

“You?” I asked in astonishment.

Finally, I was back, after two years abroad, studying, working and building myself, because I always lived for others, as everyone said, but never for myself.

Being married for three years made me wonder: why the hell do I need to stay in that life, like that, just serving and never getting a smile or even a ‘thank you’ in return? Well, I didn't and one day, it just happened.

I was, a few minutes ago, driving down that road that was so familiar to me, bringing back some memories I wanted to forget. But my mind couldn't think much about the past, because in the present I saw a car on the side of the road. He had hit a tree and, without thinking twice, I stopped my vehicle and went to help whoever was inside. My phone in my shaking hand was ready to call 911.

The problem was, I didn't expect it to be him. I had to laugh. Life was so funny sometimes!

"Gwen?" He asked, confused. His forehead was bleeding.

“Yes, me. Well, I'm calling the ambulance,” I replied and I could hear my voice a little rough. Whatever! I was already helping him, I didn't have to be adorable as well!

“No…Call Brandon.” I noticed he didn't say ‘please’, which meant he was ordering me around, as usual. Well, I was letting this one slide just because he was hurt.

‘But not dying…’

“I don't have his number.” I was trying to keep my tone calm and not goad the *ssh*l*. We were wasting time. He had hurt his head! He might not die, but there was a risk of going insane. Even more!

He then slowly reached for his phone in his blazer. His movements were terrible though, and I reached into his clothing, using Ethan's thumb to unlock the screen. I went to check his contact list and found Brandon's number.

“Hey, Ethan! I was just about to call you, man! Guess what…?”

"No time for this! Your friend is hurt. He asked me to call you!”

“Who the hell…?” Brandon asked, looking confused.

I just handed Ethan the phone, holding it to his ear.

"Hospital...but d-discretion," he said and waved his hand, motioning for me to get on the phone.

"So how are we going to do this?" I asked Brandon, already irritated.

"Where exactly are you? I'll go get him,” he said in an awkward tone and I gave him the instructions. After that I turned off the phone and recorded Brandon's number on my own device in case Ethan's phone died. After all, his battery was almost running out.

We waited for what seemed like an eternity! I couldn't believe how unlucky I was. So many people lived in that town, but he was the one I had to meet first!

I shook my head. He'd been relentless with me the last time we'd seen each other, and now, here I was, worried about his well-being. Darn it! And no, not because I loved him. But because he was someone needy, hurt, and no matter who he was, I could never ignore someone needy like that. Even when that person was Ethan.

After a while, a car came so fast I thought it was going to crush me, but luckily, it stopped in front of me, just a few inches away.

A tall, blond man got out. Brandon. I knew that one. He was the womanizing doctor who was one of Ethan's best friends. In fact, they were four. One more reserved, one being Ethan himself, and the other two, both womanizers, party animals. I never understood how they got together and were such good friends.

Brandon walked over to us really fast, his eyes almost bugged out.

“What happened?” he asked, already going for Ethan's seat belt. He knew very well that it wasn't good to move someone who had an accident without proper help, but since he was a doctor, I had to trust him, right? And anyway, it was his friend who needed help, not me. If Ethan was okay with that, who was I to argue?

“I know as much as you do. There's a tree, there's a car,” I said flatly, pointing at the scene.

Brandon finally looked at me and raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Wait... Gwen?" He looked me up and down.

“Frankly…” I whispered. “Now, your friend. Is there anything you need me to help with? I asked and he nodded.

I helped him move Ethan from one car to another. By this time, I could see that Ethan wasn't doing so well. He was almost unconscious.

"Can you come along?" Brandon asked, frowning. "I think someone needs to hold him so he won’t fall."

"Of course," what else could I say? Refuse to help? If I were to refuse, I would have already done so and let the heartless b*st*rd die. Not that I thought he was going to die, actually, but whatever. That was just a detail.

GWEN

Once at the hospital, I was conflicted between leaving and forgetting I ever knew him, just living my life normally, or staying there waiting to find out how he was doing.

My mind made me choose the second option. I could never sleep peacefully thinking that he might have had a complication and died. Or lost leg movements. Or something like that. Yes, sometimes I'm dramatic. But what can I do? That's how I am.

Brandon came walking towards me and I, who was sitting in the chair in the waiting room, got up to hear the news.

‘Please, good news!’

"How is he?" I asked and anxiety was in my voice and, I suspected, also on my face. Brandon, on the other hand, seemed pretty…neutral. D*mn it! I couldn't read anything in that face of his!

“He's stable. No bones broken. He just hurt his head and we're doing some tests to see if there are any complications,” he said and I sighed in relief.