The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex Wife

Ivanna Robinson

I stare at the paper in my hand, my eyes filling with tears. The knot that has been lodged in my throat for the past two years finally loosens, and a sob escapes me.

"Is this real?" I ask my friend, still unsure how to process the news.

Viena looks just as emotional. She takes my hands in hers and nods, a soft smile on her lips.

"Yes, Ivy. You're pregnant. You finally did it."

I pull her into a tight hug as reality crashes over me. And how could it not? After so long trying to conceive, knowing that I'm finally carrying the child of my marriage is, at the very least, overwhelming.

"Now I need to plan something special to tell Shane," I say with a breathless smile, because if anyone is going to be happier than me, it's my husband.

Viena nods in agreement.

"I'll help you. Shane deserves it."

I nod and stand from the bench where we've been sitting outside the gynecology office.

I tuck the envelope with the best news of my life into my bag, and as we walk down the hallway, I run into Abigail Allen. A grimace of distaste tugs at my lips, though I quickly mask it when I see she's accompanied by my mother-in-law-something that happens far more often than I'd like to admit.

"Ivanna, dear, what a pleasure to see you. It's been a while-how have you been?" she says, her smile as bright as it is fake.

And despite her sugary tone laced with unmistakable cynicism, what truly catches me off guard is the swell of her belly. She's pregnant. I freeze for a second, stunned, but say nothing.

Then I hear my mother-in-law's voice.

"You're not the only one, dear Abbi. My daughter-in-law not only makes sure to stay away from me, she's also managed to drag my son along with her," she says in that hypocritical tone she always uses with me, looking me up and down as if I were something beneath her. "What are you doing here? Finally decided to get tested so you can prove to Shane you have no future with him?"

Bile rises in my throat at her words-words that have been my weak point for years. Thanks to her, above all else.

"And does Shane agree with you?" Viena cuts in, and I want to pinch her to keep her quiet. I don't want a confrontation-not today, not when I'm this happy, when soon we'll finally prove this woman wrong about me. "Because your son, much to your disappointment, is completely in love with Ivanna. Whatever poison you're feeding him clearly isn't working."

But Aurora Robinson doesn't glare at my friend the way she usually does. Instead, her eyes gleam with something far worse-something that makes my skin crawl.

"Is that what you think?" she shoots back, then looks at me again. "Then you must already know everything, right?"

I frown, confused. I have no idea what she's talking about, but Abigail's sudden shift doesn't go unnoticed.

"Aurora, no, please. You know what Shane made me promise-I can't betray him like this," she says in a meek, almost distressed tone that leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

What the hell is going on?

I narrow my eyes at her.

"What do you have to do with my husband? You know he barely gives you the time of day-"

Abigail laughs, smug and satisfied, and something in that sound warns me I'm not going to like what comes next.

"That's what you'd like to believe, isn't it?" she says. "To save your marriage-I get it. I'd be possessive too if I couldn't give my man what he wants most. But deep down, you know you can't hold onto a man as intense, rough, and relentless as Shane. When he sets his mind on something, he gets it. And I'm sorry to tell you this, dear, but you'll find out soon enough anyway."

She rests a hand on her belly.