My Ex-Husband Begged Me to Take Him Back - Chapter 37

Chapter 37: I am divorcing him.

Several minutes later…

“Dylan burst into the room with a storm of fury in his eyes. Erica rushed toward him, feigning innocence as she reached out.

“Dylan!” she cried. “Why are you locking me up? What is this all about? The guards said you ordered them to keep me here. What’s happening?”

“Stop pretending, Erica!” Dylan snapped. “You are exposed. Those women identified you.” He grabbed her hand, his grip firm. “You may have covered your face, but you couldn’t hide this.” He raised her arm, the blue diamond bracelet glinting under the light.

Erica felt the temperature of the room suddenly dropped several degrees. She shivered beneath his intense, furious glare. But her hatred toward Ava didn’t let her accept her mistakes.

“Yes, I told those women to beat Ava,” she snapped, jerking her wrist free from his grasp. Her eyes blazed with resentment. “And what of it? She deserved every bit of it. Because of her, Gianna suffered. Her injuries are nothing compared to what Gianna went through! Why are you so concerned about her?”

She tilted her head, narrowing her gaze as suspicion crept into her tone. “Have you forgotten who she really is? Let me remind you—she is Thomas Williams’ daughter. The man who killed your parents! Is your heart softening for her?”

Dylan’s jaw clenched, his fists tightening at his sides. The mention of his parents’ death ignited a firestorm inside him, fueling his already simmering rage.

“This is my battle,” he roared, his voice booming through the room like thunder. “And I will fight it my way. I don’t need you or anyone else getting involved in punishing Ava. She is mine. I’ll do whatever I want with her, but you”—he jabbed a finger toward her— “are not allowed to hurt her.”

Erica had the sensation that hot air was coming out of her ears as she heard his possessive remarks. His words left no doubt—Dylan was protective of Ava. Or maybe he had developed feelings for Ava.

“Are you falling for her?” The question escaped her mouth in a hurry.

“Whether I love or hate her, it’s personal – entirely my matter to look into,” he thundered. “It’s my matter to deal with, not yours. You have no right to question me about it.”

His words struck Erica like a whip, leaving her standing there, stunned and seething. At that moment, she realized that Dylan was getting weak for Ava. This was not a good sign.

“Mom will be very upset to see all this. You promised her that you would take revenge on Thomas Williams for killing her only brother! How are you going to explain that you’re actually falling for his daughter?” Her tone was sharp and accusatory

But Dylan wasn’t moved. “I am not a child anymore,” he let out a rumbling growl, his fists trembling at his sides. “I don’t need Aunt’s control, and I’m not some puppet who follows orders blindly. Thomas will pay for what he did—don’t doubt that for a second.”

Dylan stiffened, rage swirling in his eyes, but his heart was clearly conflicted. He undoubtedly hated Thomas, but he couldn’t be as cruel as he had intended to be with Ava.

“I’m sending you abroad,” he declared firmly, squaring his shoulders. “You’re not allowed to come back here.”

“You can’t do this to me,” Erica screamed, trembling in rage.

“Weren’t you about to flee?” Dylan hissed, stepping closer. “I’m just fulfilling your wish.”

“I was going to see my mom…” Erica tried to protest, but her words were cut off by the cold, unrelenting look in Dylan’s eyes.

“Enough.” He held up a finger. “I don’t want to hear another word. You’ve crossed a line this time, Erica. Do you really think Ethan and Thomas will just sit back and do nothing? They’re going to investigate this thoroughly. And once they find out you orchestrated the attack on Ava, they’ll sue you. I’m trying to save your ass. You are leaving right now. The guards will take you to the airport.”

With that, he dashed out the door.

Erica’s body trembled as helplessness and fury swirled within her like a storm. She felt utterly cornered, powerless under Dylan’s unwavering command. Hot tears of frustration spilled down her cheeks. She didn’t want to go to jail. She could do nothing but follow Dylan’s command.

But a burning hatred for Ava flared in her chest, consuming her thoughts. Her nails dug into her palms. “You are such a bitch, Ava! You might have won this round, but I’ll come back. And when I do, I’ll make you pay for everything.”

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

When Ethan heard that Ava was hurt, he rushed to the hospital instantly. As he headed toward her ward, he noticed Nicholas coming out. He paused in his tracks, stunned to see him there. However, Nicholas was indifferent as if he hadn’t noticed Ethan’s cold glare. He simply walked past him, holding his chin high.

Ethan blinked at his departing form, feeling a bit uneasy. He entered the ward and saw Ava in the bed. All his questions about Nicholas faded into the background as a wave of concern washed over him.

“Ava!” His stomach dropped as he studied her. He was at a loss for words at the sight of her bruised face and bandage in her hand. “Who were those people?” He snapped, his heart burning with resentment. “How could they hurt you like this?”

“Don’t fret,” she said calmly. “These are just superficial wounds. I’ll be fine soon. Don’t let Papa know about it, okay?”

“But you’re injured and in the hospital! How do you plan to hide this from him?” Ethan didn’t like the idea.

“I’ll talk to him.” She didn’t want to worry her father.

Ethan couldn’t shake the feeling of helplessness as he watched her try to dismiss her injuries like they were nothing. But he was resolved to help her at any cost. “How did this happen? Tell me everything clearly.”

Ava recounted the harrowing events, detailing how the confrontation at the restaurant had ignited Dylan’s fury, leading him to abandon Gianna alone in an unknown place.

With each word she spoke, Ethan’s chest tightened, his expression shifting from concern to hard, steely anger.

“Erica blames me because she thinks I angered Dylan,” she added. “She is convinced it’s all my fault. She threatened me, saying she would make me pay. I suspect she is behind the attack on me.”

Ethan frowned deeply. “Did you talk to Dylan? What did he say?”

“Huh?” Ava let out a humorless chuckle, her lips curling in disdain. “Why would I tell him all this? Even if I did, he wouldn’t believe me. So what is the point?”

“Ava, he is your husband, and he should know all this,” Ethan pressed. “You have to tell him how his cousin is bullying you. Don’t let this matter go unaddressed.”

“I am not letting Erica go unpunished this time,” Ava said resolutely, meeting his gaze. “But I am done expecting anything from Dylan. He’s too blind to see the truth. He didn’t stand by me when I needed him the most. I am here in this state at the hospital, and he is nowhere to be found. No, Ethan, I’ve had enough. I am divorcing him.”