HIS REGRET (Ex-Husband wants Me Back) novel Chapter 183

**Shadows of the Past – By Emma Clarke**

**Chapter 183**

“Damn it!” Vanessa exclaimed, her voice a mixture of anger and despair as she wiped away the relentless tears that streamed down her cheeks. “Bastard!” The word hung in the air, a futile echo in the oppressive silence that surrounded her.

No one was there to hear her cries. The stillness felt like a heavy blanket, smothering her. Her legs buckled beneath her, and she crumpled onto the cold, unforgiving floor. Tremors coursed through her body, her hands shaking uncontrollably. As she looked around, the chaos of the room struck her like a physical blow: chairs lay overturned, shards of glass glinted ominously in the dim light, and her foot was slick with crimson, blood pooling beneath her.

“No. No, this can’t be happening. I don’t want to be alone,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, filled with a haunting loneliness.

The wreckage surrounding her was a reflection of her own turmoil, a chaos she had orchestrated. Yet, despite the turmoil she had caused, the tightness in her chest and the rage surging through her veins refused to subside. Vivid images flashed before her eyes, relentless and unforgiving. Everything that should have worked in her favor had turned against her, rebounding with a ferocity she could neither comprehend nor control—a tempest that raged within her.

“Why is this happening to me?” Vanessa’s head hung low, her voice cracking under the weight of her anguish. “Why am I the one left alone?”

In her life, she had always been surrounded by people. The glow of fame had drawn admirers to her like moths to a flame. Her position as the wife of a prosperous businessman granted her influence, and as the daughter of Theo Blake—his name synonymous with power and respect—she had always found herself at the center of attention.

But tonight… tonight was different. She was utterly and completely alone. Even the servant who had attempted to help her bandage her wounds had fled in the face of the chaos. Deep down, a part of her longed to call them back, to plead for their presence, but her pride held her captive, refusing to let her voice rise above the storm of her emotions.

With trembling fingers, she reached for her phone, a lifeline in the suffocating darkness. With a frantic swipe, she tapped on the only name that echoed in her mind: James.

The dial tone rang out, each tone a reminder of her isolation, unanswered and hollow.

“Oh, come on,” she whispered, her voice cracking further. “Don’t you dare leave me too.”

Her sobs grew more desperate, shoulders shaking with the weight of her despair. She pressed the call button again, and again. James was the one person she could rely on in this sea of betrayal and abandonment. The thought of him turning his back on her was unbearable.

“Answer me, James. Please… just pick up.” Vanessa bit her lip, tasting the metallic tang of blood as she did so. “Don’t listen to my father. Don’t do what they want. Don’t leave me.”

But still, the line remained silent, a void where his voice should have been.

Her tears flowed harder, a torrent of grief so raw it clawed at her insides. Yet, she refused to surrender. She dialed once more, and again, her heart racing with each unanswered ring. Finally, a message notification blinked on her screen.

James:

Vanessa, I can’t just answer your call, let alone see you. I’ve seen the news. I saw everything.

Vanessa froze, her heart plummeting into the abyss. “What… what do you mean you can’t see me?” she typed frantically, her fingers moving as if possessed.

Vanessa:

James, I need you now. Don’t you understand? Everyone’s against me! My father left me, Daven cast me aside. You’re all I have left! Please, don’t abandon me too!

A response came almost immediately.

“Why won’t he answer me?”

Desperation consumed her. She dialed again. Once. Twice. Again and again. Silence was her only answer.

“Don’t leave me! I’ll do anything, do you hear me? Anything! Just don’t leave me, James! You promised—you promised you’d never leave me!”

But her phone remained dark, unresponsive.

“No! No! Don’t do this to me!” Her scream erupted, shattering the stillness of the empty room. In a fit of rage, she hurled her phone against the wall, watching it crack and fall uselessly to the floor.

Staggering to her feet, she stumbled barefoot across the shards of glass, blood trailing behind her like a haunting reminder of her pain. She didn’t care. Her gaze landed on the wine bottle left on the bar, a siren call in her moment of despair. With trembling hands, she seized it, tore off the cork, and pressed it to her lips. The bitter burn scorched her throat, igniting a fire within her chest.

“If that’s what you want… if you’ll only have me after I’m divorced…” Her voice was raw, hollow, and delirious. “Then I’ll do it. I’ll let Daven go. I’ll make him regret ever throwing me away. And then you’ll come, James. You promised. You promised…”

Her body gave way, sliding down against the wall as the bottle dangled precariously from her fingers. She collapsed onto the floor, sobbing uncontrollably, her shoulders shaking with the force of her grief. Her words morphed into an endless, broken chant.

“You promised… you promised…”

Outside the Blake estate, cameras continued to flash, the media waiting eagerly to capture her downfall. To them, she was already labeled a fraud, the drama queen of the year. But inside, Vanessa was unraveling—trapped in an endless spiral of obsession and fear, with no one left to catch her as she fell deeper into the abyss.