The CEO’s Regret Came Too Late Novel – When I was three months gestational, my husband, Lamont Ochoa, handed me a divorce agreement. He said he wanted to marry his first love, Josie Dawson—because she was also expecting a child. He didn’t want her to be judged by others or face gossip for having a child outside of marriage. So, he chose to let me go.
In my past life, I had refused the divorce. We fought endlessly. The consequences were devastating—both for me and the child I carried. But this time, I had seen through it all. Without hesitation, I signed the papers. That night, I quietly went to the hospital and made a decision to start over completely. Some time later, Lamont came back, holding some supplies in his arms and looking hopeful. When he saw me, his gaze fell on my stomach, puzzled.
“Where is our child?” I met his eyes and answered calmly, “You gave up that future the day you gave me that agreement.” …… “Shyla, just give me some time,” Lamont had said before. “Once Josie delivers her child, I’ll come back to you. I promise.” The moment he said that, I realized I had returned to the past. It was the same expression. The same tone. The same betrayal. But this time, I wasn’t the same woman. I pushed his hand away, the divorce agreement fluttering to the ground.
His face darkened, and Josie beside him looked on with glassy eyes. “Shyla, please,” she said softly. “I’m not trying to take anything from you. I just want my child to have a name… I’ll kneel if that’s what it takes.” She bent slightly, but her tears were more calculated than genuine. Lamont, distressed, held her close. He comforted another woman right in front of me, his legal wife.
I took a breath and looked at them with a calm that surprised even myself. “I only suggested a temporary separation to help Josie save face,” I said. “Because she once helped me. But now I see I was the one being naive.” Memories of my past life surged up. Back then, I had resisted with everything I had. I cried, pleaded, and refused to sign anything. That only pushed Lamont further away. Unable to marry Josie, he turned on me—fabricating rumors that shattered my reputation.
I was labeled something I wasn’t, and no matter how I explained myself, no one believed me. I tried to reach him. But he blocked me. In the end, I had lost control of the wheel and everything else. Back then, in the cold water and darkness, I finally realized he never intended to protect me at all.
His voice still echoed in my mind: “Shyla Gamble, either sign the papers, or I’ll make sure you have no choice.” This time, I wouldn’t wait for things to spiral again. I smiled faintly and said, “No need to force me. I’ll sign right now.”