My Ex-Husband Begged Me to Take Him Back - Chapter 101

Chapter 101: It’s time for us to let go.

Dylan felt everything slipping out of his grip as he watched Ava head toward the door. His world crumbled around him, and he could do nothing to stop it. Desperation surged within him as he darted forward, blocking her path.

“No, you can’t leave me.” He looked her in the eyes, hoping that she would understand him. “You promised to give this marriage a chance. The three months aren’t over yet.”

Ava’s face was set like stone, her gaze cold and distant. “It’s over for me. It’s now clear why you have been so harsh with me. After knowing that you are planning to hurt my family, I can’t be with you.”

“Listen to me. I can explain.” Dylan’s voice softened as he reached for her hands.

But Ava wasn’t ready to hear any explanation. She knew his intention all too well. Because of his vengeance, she had lost her father in her past life. She wouldn’t let the same tragedy repeat itself.

“It’s time for us to let go. Let’s end this peacefully.” She gently pulled her hands free from his grasp. The distance between them seemed to deepen.

“No, I am ready yet,” he exclaimed, his hands trembling as he cupped her face, his eyes pleading, raw with anguish. “I know I’ve made mistakes. Let me make it right, Ava. Don’t believe Gianna—she just wants to drive a wedge between us.”

“This isn’t about Gianna,” Ava countered, meeting his gaze fiercely. “I understand perfectly. Back then, I was foolish, letting you hurt me. But that ends here.” She pushed his hands away and took a deliberate step back, increasing the distance between them.

She paused, struggling to find her composure amid the rush of memories and pain. “I am grateful that you saved me,” she added, her voice breaking. “I owe you for that. I forgive you for everything that happened before. Consider this my way of repaying that favor. But…”

She trailed off, choking with emotions. She lifted her chin slightly, steeling her heart. “But the pain you’ve caused me… I can’t just forget that.”

Tears filled her eyes as she recalled those painful moments. “With those memories, I can’t imagine a future with you. I don’t want to live that life.”

She tried to walk past him, but Dylan reached for her again, his grip gentle but desperate. “Ava, please.” For the first time, he was begging her. “Don’t leave me.”

Ava’s gaze shifted down to his hand on her arm, and with quiet resolve, she pried his fingers away one by one. Her face was set, her decision unwavering, as she turned and walked away with Lola.

As Lola steered the car through the winding roads, she cast a worried glance at Ava, who sat slumped in the passenger seat, her gaze distant as she stared out the window. Her expression was vacant.

“Are you okay?” she asked, concern etching her voice.

Ava let out a shaky breath. “No, I am not okay,” she whispered. “When I found out that he saved me, I let my heart soften. I thought… maybe I should give him a chance. But I forgot how much he had hurt me before.”

She pressed her lips into a thin line, fighting back the tears that stung her eyes. “I just can’t trust him again, Lola.”

Lola’s gaze softened, and she reached over to squeeze Ava’s hand in a quiet gesture of comfort. “Don’t let yourself dwell on him. It’ll only bring you more pain.” She offered a small smile, hoping to lift her friend’s spirits. “At least now, Gianna’s lies have been exposed. She finally got what she deserved.”

Ava managed a faint, fragile smile and nodded. “You’re right. And it’s all thanks to Nicholas. He is the one who gave me the proof against her.”

“He is a nice guy,” Lola beamed, her face lighting up with approval. “Maybe… you should think about him.”

Ava’s gaze drifted back out the window. “Right now, I just need to focus on myself.”

“Time will heal the pain,” Lola assured, “and you will soon find happiness again in your life.”

Ava glanced back at her with a half-hearted smile. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever be able to let go of the pain that lingered.

Dylan stood frozen as he watched Ava step into the car and disappear down the road. His chest tightened painfully as if someone had reached in and torn his heart straight from his ribs.

He had planned this evening so differently in his mind, envisioning her warmth, her gratitude, her forgiveness. He had wanted to tell her the truth—that he was the one who had provided the evidence against Gianna, hoping it would bring them closer and grant him a second chance. But things had not turned out as he had anticipated.

Ava hadn’t even given him a moment to explain.

Staring into the empty road, Dylan’s throat tightened, and a heavy sadness washed over him, a feeling he couldn’t control. He blinked, and to his surprise, his eyes stung. Slowly, he raised his hand to his cheek and felt the warmth of tears sliding down.

“Am I crying?” he mumbled, looking at the teardrops on his fingertips.

Dylan couldn’t even remember the last time he had shed a tear. Maybe it was when he had lost his parents. He let out a hollow laugh, bitter and empty. “I never thought I’d cry for you, Ava. Can you see it? Do you know what you’ve done to me?”

‘You are falling for her.’ Those words of James’ rang in his mind.

Dylan squeezed his eyes shut, rubbing his brow in frustration. He had denied it and scoffed at the idea. But now, he realized he had developed feelings for Ava. “I am in love with you, and I’m not giving up on us. I won’t let you go.”

With a smile, which was not a smile, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, fingers hovering for a moment before dialing a familiar number. The line rang for a long time, and finally, a voice answered.

“What is it, Dylan?” The woman on the other end sounded tired, her tone rough with sleep or perhaps irritation. “Why are you calling me so late?”

“Lilianna!” He breathed. “I need your help.”

There was a pause on the other end. Her tone shifted immediately from annoyance to alarm. “What’s wrong, Dylan? What happened?”

“Come here,” he mumbled, holding back a flood of emotions he could barely control. “I’ll explain everything when you arrive.”

“Alright, alright…I’ll book the next available flight and come to you. Just hold on, okay? Don’t do anything rash.”

He let out a long, weary sigh as the call ended, slipping the phone back into his pocket. Lilianna was his last hope, the one person he trusted to help him make sense of this mess. He was counting on her, believing that his sister could bridge the gap between him and Ava.