My Ex-Husband Begged Me to Take Him Back - Chapter 18

Chapter 18: I don’t need your help.

Ava crumbled onto the bed, her tears spilling over as sadness and frustration intertwined, gripping her chest like a vice. “Why can’t you just let me go?” she muttered. “What should I do?”

Her mind swirled with confusion and despair until a sudden memory flashed—Dylan’s harsh accusation that her father had killed his parents. Ava stopped sobbing. ‘Could that really be true?’ she thought, her heart pounding as her brow furrowed in disbelief.

It didn’t make sense. The Williams and Brooks families had been inseparable for as long as she could remember. They always supported each other. People in town would talk about their strong bond with admiration.

“No, this can’t be true,” she mumbled, her eyebrows knitting. “Papa can never kill his best friend. Something is amiss.”

The sharp ring of her phone shattered her thoughts, jolting her out of her reverie. She glanced at the screen and saw her best friend’s name.

“Lola!” A fleeting smile appeared on her face, but the smile was quickly replaced by tears as emotions surged within her. It had been so long since she had spoken to her best friend.

In her past life, Ava had abandoned everything—her family, her career, and even her friendships—all in a desperate attempt to win Dylan’s attention. But what had she gained? Only heartache and betrayal.

This time, she would take control of her destiny—a future where there was no Dylan and his manipulations.

Blinking her tears away, she took a deep breath and answered the call. “Hello? Lola? How are you?”

“Thank goodness you still remember me. I was starting to think you had forgotten I even existed.”

“How could I forget you? You are my bestie!”

“Yeah, bestie in name only,” Lola retorted. “Ever since you married Dylan, you’ve barely spoken to me.”

Ava’s heart ached at the truth of it. She could hear the disappointment in Lola’s voice, and she knew her friend had every right to be upset. “I am sorry,” she said apologetically. “I know I’ve been distant, but I won’t make that mistake again. Can you come and see me? Please?”

There was a pause on the other end of the line, and for a moment, Ava feared Lola would turn her down. Her chest tightened at the thought, but she stayed quiet, waiting.

“Since you’re asking so nicely, I’ll come. Where are you now? Should I pick you up from work?”

“I am at the city hospital?”

“Hospital?” Lola’s voice shot up in alarm. “What happened to you? Are you okay?”

“Nothing serious. Don’t worry. Just come. I’ve got so much to talk to you about.”

“Alright, I’m coming.”

The call ended abruptly, but the brief conversation with her friend lifted the weight of sadness a bit. The anticipation of meeting her bestie thrilled Ava.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dylan came to the office and immediately instructed Justin to bring Gianna over. As he sat behind his desk, he attempted to immerse himself in his work, flipping through files, but his mind kept drifting back to Ava. Her fiery glare haunted him.

He had never seen her that angry before. Ava, who had always been so gentle, so submissive, had completely transformed. But now, she talked back to him and didn’t hesitate to yell at him. And then, she had practically pushed him out of the hospital.

How could someone be changed so drastically?

Frustrated, Dylan slammed the file shut. He shot to his feet, pacing to the large floor-to-ceiling window. His hands found their way into his pockets as he stared out at the city skyline, reflecting on what had transpired in the last few days.

Ava’s sudden defiance had shaken him. It stirred emotions he thought he had long buried, piercing through the cold wall he had meticulously built around his heart.

He had never cared before, never worried about how she felt or what she wanted. Yet now, all he could think about was her.

The idea of losing her gnawed at him, filling him with a deep sense of panic—something he had never experienced before. As if, without realizing it, she had become the most precious thing in his life.

How did this change happen? Dylan’s brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of it. Was it her newfound strength that drew him in? Or was it something else?

Knock-Knock…

“Dylan, you wanted to see me!”

The sound of door knocking, followed by Gianna’s honeyed tone jarred Dylan from his brooding thoughts. He, however, didn’t even turn to welcome her. His back remained stiff; eyes still fixed on the city beyond the window.

Gianna quietly shut the door behind her and moved toward him, excited that Dylan wanted to see her while his wife was still at the hospital. The earlier sting of disappointment, from watching him carry Ava out of the restaurant, had faded. As long as he didn’t care about Ava, there was still a chance for her to get close to him.

“Is everything okay, Dylan?” she asked, feigning concern and hiding the joy bubbling inside her. “I saw you carried Ava out of the restaurant. Is she okay?”

“What do you think, Gianna? Were you hoping she’d be hurt?” He finally turned to look at her, his eyes were filled with icy disdain. The look chilled her to the bone.

Gianna’s pulse quickened. She knew something was wrong, but she kept up her act of innocence. “What are you talking about? Why would I want her hurt? I’m just concerned, that’s all.”

Dylan’s grim expression didn’t falter as he faced her fully now. “I know what you did, Gianna. Don’t try to play with me.”

Gianna’s heart dropped, her hand flying to her chest. It turned out that Dylan had found out about her little trick but she scrambled to salvage the situation. “Dylan, I’m sorry,” she stammered. “I was angry at her, I just wanted to teach her a lesson.”

“Teach her a lesson?” Dylan’s eyes darkened, his scowl deepening. “She could have been raped. You’re a woman—how could you even think of doing something like that to another woman?”

“No, no… you’re misunderstanding me,” Gianna said desperately as she scrambled to twist the truth. “Mr. Moore wouldn’t have gone that far. It was just a setup to make you think Ava was cheating on you so you could finally get out of this marriage. I was trying to help you, Dylan—to free you from the relationship you never wanted!”

Her words only fueled Dylan’s growing rage. His eyes blazed with anger as he spoke. “I don’t need your help. Ava is my wife, and I won’t let anyone bully her. Only I have the right to do what I want with her. You don’t get to decide her fate.”