Billionaire Mistake: Chasing My Gorgeous Ex-wife Back

I gripped my bag tighter, fingers digging into the strap as I stepped out of the hospital. My breath came in short, uneven gasps, and my legs hesitated for a moment before I could move forward.

I raised my hand to call a cab, but a sleek black car eased to a stop at the curb. My knees stiffened. I froze. Every muscle tensed, and my bag slipped slightly in my hands. I recognized the car before the door even opened.

My husband's driver stepped out before I could move. He opened the back door with a smooth, practiced motion, head dipping slightly in acknowledgment.

Ares sat inside, still as the leather around him. One knee rested over the other, hands folded loosely in his lap. His gaze did not flick away, pinning me in place.

My throat tightened.

"Ares… why are you here?" I whispered, barely audible.

The scent of a woman's perfume hit me immediately. I swallowed hard. That was not my perfume. The fragrance pressed in, as if the car itself was breathing the presence of whoever wore it.

"I told you I needed your signature this morning," he replied, his voice cold.

My knees trembled as I sank into the seat, careful not to brush against him. My heart raced with nervous energy in those moments.

Ares hadn't come home for days. I called him several times, but he didn't answer. Even his secretary wouldn't tell me the truth when I tried to find out where he was.

It wasn't until I ran into my sister at a nearby shopping mall that I saw him. Ares was there, smiling, holding the hand of a woman I thought was out of our lives.

I followed them and watched as they entered a hotel. I didn't have the strength to confront him, so I let it go, afraid he would be mad if he found out I had followed him. When he came home the next morning, he greeted me with a black folder containing the divorce papers.

"Why have you not signed the divorce papers?" His gaze stayed locked on mine, unyielding. "Do not test my patience. You know what happens when I reach my limits."

I opened my mouth a few times before managing to form words.

"I… I will sign them when we get home. But Ares, I came here today because… there's something I have to tell you."

His jaw tightened. "I am not interested in your excuses."

He pushed the door open and gestured toward the outside. "I expect the divorce papers to be signed when I get home. You will receive a quarter of my assets for two years of playing the role of my wife. Get out."

My hand shot up to stop the door. I shook my head repeatedly, tears threatening to spill. "Ares, please. You can't do this. You can't divorce me. Let's fix our marriage."

Ares tilted his head slightly and closed his eyes for a moment. When I still refused to leave the car, he signaled the driver.

The driver stepped forward and held my arm. "Ma'am, please get out. Mr. Montgomery has a meeting he needs to attend."

"Please, Ares!" I cried, reaching for his hands in desperation. "Ares!"

But he did not look at me. "Drive," he commanded, and I was lowered from the car.

"Ares! Please! I'm carrying your child!" I screamed, tears streaming down my face.

The car sped off, wind whipping my hair across my face. I sank onto the curb, shoulders trembling, tears sliding silently down my cheeks.

I had hoped, even prayed, that one day he might love me the way he once loved Astrid. I thought if I stayed by his side long enough, if I gave him everything I had, he would eventually forget her. I thought it would be that easy. But I was wrong. Two years of being his wife meant nothing now that Astrid had returned. He still chose that woman over me. It was as if he had forgotten everything Astrid had done when she left, and all the sacrifices I had made just to stay by his side.

My steps carried me forward, though my mind was elsewhere. I started to walk, my thoughts racing, replaying the day of our wedding over and over. Tears streamed down my face as I moved. I had been walking for nearly an hour and a half from the hospital to my home. My feet ached, but the pain in my chest was worse.

By the time I reached the Montgomery estate, my legs felt heavy and numb. When I entered, the housemaid Maria stopped and frowned, her eyes scanning me from head to toe.

"Mrs. Montgomery," she called softly. I lifted my gaze and noticed the uneasy aura around her. "You just arrived in time. Lunch is ready. And Ms. Astrid is here."

I froze at the mention of that name.

"Astrid?" I repeated. "Where is she?"

My eyes swept the house before Maria could respond. I walked straight to the kitchen, each step heavy with tension.

As soon as I entered, I saw her. Astrid was at the counter, pouring juice into a glass as if she owned the house. She moved with the ease of someone completely at home.

"You seem far too comfortable in my home. My husband isn't here," I remarked, my voice sharpened by anger.

"I'm not here for him," Astrid returned coolly. She perched on the counter, facing me.

"Then why did you come back? Why didn't you just stay in Canada?" I shot back, sarcasm lacing my words.

Astrid didn't answer right away.

I took a step closer and stopped right in front of her. "You already destroyed him once. Did you come back to ruin him again?"

"I made a mistake, I know that," Astrid responded, her tone steady though her hands trembled slightly. "I didn't come back for him. It just so happened that we met, and I realized he still loved me even though he was married to you. I couldn't let him go a second time. If I did, there might never be another chance."

I let out a short, bitter laugh. I stared at Astrid as if she had lost her mind. "Do you even hear yourself, Astrid? You walked away from him. That was your chance. Ares is not a toy you can pick up again!"

I clenched my fists. After Astrid left the country, chasing her dream career, Ares had become a man drowned in liquor. Night after night, he drank in bars, until one night he was too drunk to even stand. He stumbled into a fight he could not win. The men beat him, leaving his back badly injured and some bones broken. For almost two months he could barely walk. The wheelchair became his only way to move, and I became the legs he no longer had.

I had stayed. I had been there when he could not stand. Not Astrid.

"Do not pretend you love him, Winona," Astrid snapped. "You married him because his father paid your family. I know the truth."

I lifted my chin, restraining myself from striking her. "You know nothing about us. I love Ares. I have loved him, and I still do."

"Is that why your family is still receiving money from the Montgomerys?" Astrid taunted, folding her arms. "Tell me how much, and I will double it. Just sign the papers and leave Ares."

I grabbed the glass of juice from the counter and slammed it into Astrid's face. Before Astrid could recover from the shock, I struck her across the face.

"I do not need a mistress's charity!" I spat fiercely. "I'm pregnant. I'm carrying his child, and I will save my marriage. Get out before I have security drag you out!"

My heart pounded as I turned to leave, but Astrid's voice chased me.

"Carrying his child won't change a thing. You think a baby can stop me? He was mine first, and I'm taking him back."