My Ex-Husband Begged Me to Take Him Back - Chapter 103

Chapter 103: He is emotionally unstable.

Ava felt a sinking heaviness settle in her stomach. She had been hoping to steer the conversation away from her problems with Dylan, but Lilianna seemed determined not to be deterred. Ava was torn—her instinct was to protect Lilianna and her unborn child from the painful truth.

She parted her lips, but the words caught in her throat.

“Look, Dylan was devastated after our parents’ death,” Lilianna started. “He was angry, heartbroken, and grieving. And yes, he said some harsh words to your father back then. But it was all born of misunderstanding. Your father came to apologize to us later, explained everything… It was a tragic accident. He wasn’t responsible.”

Ava’s gaze dropped to her hands, her fingers twisting nervously. “I know. He would never hurt his best friend.”

Lilianna nodded, her eyes still on Ava. “It affected Dylan more deeply than anyone realizes,” she continued, a hint of sadness crossing her face. “He has been emotionally unstable ever since, fighting depression and the emptiness it left behind. He became aggressive and impulsive. Maybe he treated you coldly, not giving you emotional support. But he never can hurt you and your father. I trust my brother.”

Ava felt an ache rise within her. ‘He did hurt me and my family,’ she mused but didn’t say it.

Lilianna reached across the table and took Ava’s hands in hers, her gaze pleading. “Please don’t misunderstand him. I know my brother has flaws, and he struggles to express himself. But he does care about you, even if he can’t show it.”

Ava smiled when she looked up and met her gaze. “You’re worrying over nothing. There is no problem between Dylan and me. We are good.”

Lilianna let out a soft laugh, relieved. But a flicker of doubt still lingered in her eyes. “Are you telling the truth?”

Ava nodded eagerly. “Absolutely. Let’s get you settled in first, and then you can talk to him yourself.”

Lilianna’s smile widened. “Perfect! I can’t wait to see him.” She quickly rose from her seat, her enthusiasm so bright that Ava felt a pang of guilt, but she brushed it aside, choosing instead to keep the moment light.

Ava guided Lilianna out of the café and toward her car. Once inside the car, Lilianna texted Dylan: ‘I’ve landed and am heading home. See you there!’

Dylan’s attention drifted from his laptop as his phone chimed, displaying a message notification from Lilianna. He quickly unlocked the screen and checked the message. As soon as he finished reading, he closed the laptop and stuffed it in his bag. With urgency lacing his steps, he went out of the office.

Justin appeared in the meantime. “Everything is ready for the meeting,” he announced. “It’s set to start in thirty minutes.”

“Cancel it,” Dylan commanded. “I am going home.”

“En?” Dumbfounded, Justin thought he heard it wrong. “But this meeting is…”

“Lilianna is here,” Dylan cut him off. “Reschedule everything for today.” With that, he stormed away, leaving Justin frozen in his place.

“This meeting was important,” Justin mumbled, completing the sentence.

Dylan drove back home, his thoughts a turbulent mix of hope and apprehension. He hoped that Lilianna, with her good bond with Ava, would manage to convince her to give him a chance. But as much as he clung to that hope, he was worried too.

How would his sister react once she learned of everything he had done, the hurt he had inflicted on Ava? Would she turn her back on him as well?

In his obsession with seeking justice, he had directed his anger at Ava, done many wrong things that he shouldn’t have done, and hurt her knowingly and unknowingly. It was this relentless suspicion that had made him cold and distant, driving a wedge between him and Ava. But now he started doubting his own suspicions, prompting him to investigate further.

Anyone would laugh at him if he told them he had changed his mind because of some nightmares and his feeling of rebirth.

“Rebirth!” he mumbled in a daze. It was illogical, almost laughable. And yet, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had been reborn.

It felt as if some mysterious force had given him a second chance like he was living a life he had already lived and was now being pushed toward redemption.

“Will Lilianna believe me?” he wondered.

Dylan’s mind was still spinning with thoughts of Ava and Lilianna when something unexpected jolted him back to reality. A man darted across the road right in front of his car, moving urgently as if he were escaping something or someone.

Dylan’s eyes widened. He instinctively slammed his foot on the brake, the tires screeching loudly against the asphalt as the car jerked to a stop just inches from the man’s crumpled figure sprawled on the road.

Dylan’s face darkened as he leaned out of the window and shouted, “Hey! Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

The man scrambled to his feet and moved his gaze to Dylan. For a split second, their eyes locked.

Dylan felt a pang of recognition but couldn’t remember where he had seen him. The man broke eye contact, stumbling briefly before sprinting down the road, vanishing around the corner.

Dylan frowned, watching the man disappear. He looked in the direction from where the man was rushing out but saw nothing suspicious – no sign of a pursuer or any hint of trouble.

“Maybe I am thinking too much,” he murmured, brushing off the suspicion. He pressed down on the gas pedal and sped away.

Dylan stepped into the house, his mind still swirling with everything he wanted to say to Lilianna. But as he crossed the threshold into the hall, he froze, his eyes widening at the unexpected scene before him.

There, seated on the sofa, were Lilianna and Ava, laughing and chatting like they always did. Their smiles and easy warmth filled the room, and for a moment, Dylan could only stare, taken aback.

‘When did Ava get here? Did she already know Lilianna was coming?’ The questions buzzed through his mind.

Lilianna looked up first, her face lighting up. “Dylan, you’re back!”

Before he could reply, Ava stood from the sofa, turning to him with a smile that seemed to radiate from within. It was the kind of smile that reached her eyes, the kind he hadn’t seen in a long time.

His heart skipped a beat, and he felt an inexplicable warmth blossom in his chest. The bright expression on her face stirred something deep within him, leaving him momentarily breathless. He felt a smile tugging at his own lips, almost instinctively.

He watched her close the distance between them, every step making his pulse race faster. He had no idea what had brought about this change in her, this softness he had feared was lost forever. But he couldn’t deny the faint glimmer of hope it sparked.

As Ava came to a stop in front of him, he could see the light in her eyes, and in that instant, everything else faded away. All his regrets and anxieties dissolved, replaced by the simple, heartfelt wish that she might be willing to start anew.

“You didn’t tell me you asked her to come here,” Ava spoke softly, sounding intimate. “I wouldn’t have known if Lilianna hadn’t called me.” With a familiar gesture, she reached for his briefcase, taking it from his hand just as she used to.