It was day 99 after my divorce from Ethan Cole when he shamelessly begged to see me.

I was home, just finishing dinner, when an unknown number called.

“Hey, Ava? It’s Mike… Ethan’s friend? Listen, Ethan’s really drunk down here at The Riverfront Grill. He’s making a scene out front, refusing to leave. He keeps saying he needs to see you.”

I hung up without a second thought. Less than three seconds later, he called back.

“Look,” I said flatly, “Ethan and I are divorced. If he’s causing trouble, you should call the police.”

“Ava, please, I’m begging you. Just come see him. Just for a second. Even if you just come yell at him… I’ve never seen him like this. And it’s freezing out here, man, he’s gonna get sick or worse. He was coughing like crazy earlier when we were inside…”

I’ve always been a sucker for a sob story. Hearing Mike plead like that, something deep inside me twinged.

“Ava, please? Can you just come take a look? We’re right by the entrance to The Riverfront.”

I knew I shouldn’t, but I heard myself reply clearly, “I’ll be there in an hour.”

After hanging up, my hand trembled uncontrollably. Ethan… we promised we’d never see each other again. Why are you crashing back into my world?

When I got there, I spotted him immediately. He was definitely wasted, head down, slumped on the edge of a concrete planter box near the entrance. He looked nothing like the polished CEO I knew.

As soon as Mike saw me, he ran over like I was the cavalry. “Ava, thank God you’re here! Ethan’s just sitting there, I can’t get him to budge.”

He basically pushed me towards Ethan. Ethan slowly looked up, and then suddenly threw his arms around my waist, burying his face in my stomach.

“Baby… baby, you came… I missed you so much…”

It was peak dinner time. People were constantly coming and going, throwing curious glances our way. I struggled frantically, trying to push him off. He might not care about making a scene, but I certainly did.

“Who’s your baby? You’ve got the wrong person.”

But his grip was as strong as ever, locking onto my waist, refusing to let go, all while rambling like a lunatic.

“Baby, don’t leave me… how can I live without you… baby…”

I couldn’t break free. I looked around for Mike, desperate for help, but he’d vanished. Typical.

Just then, I heard gasps from nearby.

“Holy crap… isn’t that Ethan Cole? From Cole Enterprises?”

“Yeah, it is! What’s he doing? Drunk and clinging to some woman? Is he married? Since when?”

Hearing that, I immediately pulled my coat collar up over my face and hissed down at him, “If you don’t want to end up dead in a ditch, get in the car. Now.”

Ethan looked up at me, his eyes wide and watery. “Will you leave me again?”

He’d never looked at me like this before. I forced myself to stay calm. “No.”

“Okay then.”

He let me help him up, leaning heavily on me. But after two steps, he stopped, squinting with a sloppy grin. Shamelessly, he slurred, “I can’t walk.”

I took a deep breath, fighting the urge to deck him right there on the sidewalk. “Then what do you want?” I asked through gritted teeth.

“Need my baby close to walk.”

I swear, I almost choked. God knows what he’d been drinking, but it clearly wasn't just alcohol to make him act like this – a sight pathetic enough to make a dog shake its head.

Seeing I wasn't complying, Ethan started to yell again, “Ba— Mmph!”

I quickly clamped my hand over his mouth, half-coaxing, half-dragging him into my car.

“I must owe you big time from a past life,” I muttered, slamming his door shut. “Where do you live now?”

The man in the back seat suddenly went quiet. “I don’t have a home.”

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. “Yeah, well,” I scoffed, layering on as much scorn as I could muster, “serves you right, doesn’t it?”

He didn’t answer. We sat in silence for a moment. I watched the colorful city lights blur past the window, and a small part of me felt maybe I’d been too harsh. I glanced in the rearview mirror.

Ethan was already asleep.

This damn man!

After a moment, I sighed. Might as well take him to the place we used to share. Assuming he hadn’t sold it yet.

2

I drove steadily down into the underground parking garage of our old building. Turning off the ignition, I turned around and gently shook Ethan’s shoulder.

“Wake up! We’re here.”

No response.

Annoyed, I leaned closer, intending to tap his face, but seeing his peaceful expression… I hesitated. This face. I’d touched it thousands of times. Seeing it so close now just felt… wrong. Complicated.

While I was lost in thought, Ethan suddenly pulled me into his arms. His breath was hot against my hair as he murmured huskily, “Ava…”

For a split second, I was transported back, back to the days when things were good between us, his warm hand sliding onto my waist like a spark on dry tinder.

But reality snapped back instantly. I shoved him away with all my strength, glaring. “I knew you weren’t that drunk! Stop pretending! Get up!”

He started whining again, a smirk playing on his lips, refusing to get out of the seat like dead weight. Furious, I got out, opened the back door, and tried to physically drag him out. He grabbed my arm, pouting like a child. “Baby, let’s go home together.”

I nodded curtly. “Fine. Just get out first.”

He obeyed, getting out of the car but keeping a death grip on my hand, giving me no chance to escape.

We stumbled towards the elevator, basically attached at the hip. Inside, besides us, were an elderly man and a young woman. They both eyed Ethan clinging to me – the old man shaking his head slightly, the girl stifling a giggle.

A mischievous thought popped into my head. I sighed dramatically. “Honestly, honey, you know you have… issues. Why do you drink so much?” I lowered my voice conspiratorially. “Yes, I know you’re hurting, but the doctors said, people with your condition really shouldn’t drink. Look at you, clinging to anyone and calling them ‘baby’. Tsk, tsk. So embarrassing. Looks like I’m stuck with you for life, huh?”

Hearing my tall tale, the other two passengers shot me sympathetic looks. As the old man got off on his floor, he patted my shoulder. “You hang in there, dearie. Make sure he gets the help he needs. Don’t give up!”

…Guess there are still good people in the world.

I felt a little sheepish, but hey, I never claimed to be one of them. Once the elevator reached our old floor, I pushed Ethan towards the apartment door. While he fumbled for his keys – assuming he still had them – I quickly wrenched my hand free and bolted for the stairwell. I ran down two flights, paused to listen – no footsteps pursuing me – then ducked back into the stairwell and took the elevator down to the parking garage.

Me? Go back inside that apartment? I just couldn’t find the courage…

3

Ethan and I were married for three years. He was the CEO of Cole Enterprises, a global top 50 company. I was a director at a relatively well-known firm. From the moment we started dating, problems swirled around us – his parents’ disapproval, my friends’ warnings. We weathered it all, or rather, I weathered it all.

Somehow, we still got married. No big wedding, no crowds of family and friends. Just the two of us, holding hands on a beach, looking at the blue sky and white clouds. No vows, no tears. It was exactly the kind of wedding I loved.

Afterward, Ethan was good to me. For the “coziness” I craved, he bought a separate house, just for us. He called it “home.”

Our home.

If only time could have stopped there. But feelings, like food, have expiration dates. People talk about the seven-year itch, but sometimes three years is enough to show the cracks.

He started getting annoyed when I had late meetings. He hated when I went out for drinks or dinners for networking. He even got jealous if he saw me talking business with a male client outside the office. At first, I found his possessiveness almost… quaint. But over time, it grated on me, becoming suffocating.

He tried to use his status to pressure me. He even pulled strings to get my company to fire me. The day it happened, I came home to find the entire living room filled with roses. He’d prepared an elaborate dinner and presented me with a necklace worth a fortune. “Ava,” he’d said, smiling, “welcome home. From now on, I’ll take care of you.”

That was the moment my heart turned to ice.

He wanted me to be a stay-at-home wife. To give up everything and just be… his. A docile little kitten he could control. He believed he had the power to orchestrate everything – and honestly, he did.

But I wasn’t a kitten.

If I lost my job, I lost the last shred of standing I had beside him. I couldn’t build my future on love alone, especially not this kind of love.

That night, I smashed a wine glass. I started packing a bag, ready to walk out, but Ethan stopped me. And that’s when his true nature, the one lurking beneath the surface, fully emerged.

He snatched the suitcase from my hand, threw me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, carried me into the bedroom, and tossed me onto the bed. Then he ripped off his tie and used it to bind my hands securely.

“You’re not leaving this house,” he said, his voice cold.

I started shaking uncontrollably. He’d never, ever been rough with me like that before.

I cried for a long time that night. After that, the smiles disappeared from my life. I screamed, I raged, I threw tantrums day and night, trying desperately to wear down his patience, to make him let me go.

He was unbelievably stubborn. Most of the time, he just endured my outbursts in silence. When he couldn’t take it anymore, he’d kiss me forcefully, silencing me, reminding me who was in control.

Eventually, the tears dried up. All I wanted was escape. When he was out, I secretly hid a small paring knife from the kitchen. The next time he came home, I held it to my own wrist.

“If you don’t want to see me bleed,” I said, my voice trembling but steady, “let me go.”

For the first time, I saw real pain in his eyes. Maybe he hadn’t expected me to go that far. Or maybe, just maybe, he was tired of the fighting too.

After a long, heavy silence, his eyes red, he finally choked out, “Fine.”

And just like that, we got divorced. The day we got the papers finalized, I told him, “Ethan, let’s never see each other again.”

He didn’t say anything. Just stood there, watching me. I walked away, and he remained standing in the same spot.

He hadn't forgotten. Neither had I. Seeing him tonight brought it all flooding back, drowning us both. But the chasm between us was too deep now. No way forward, no turning back.