My Ex-Husband Begged Me to Take Him Back - Chapter 43

Chapter 43: The injustice!

Justin, baffled, scratched his head. His boss, always so sharp and in control, suddenly sounded as if he had lost his sanity. “I… uh…don’t know,” he stammered, uncertain how to respond. “I think I should call the doctor.” He quickly rose, eager to find help.

“Justin,” Dylan called out, stopping him in his tracks.

Justin turned around and looked back at him, worry lines etching on his face.

“Don’t let anyone know about it, especially Ava,” Dylan said, his gaze pleading.

Justin hesitated, his face tightening with worry. “Alright,” he nodded reluctantly, but before leaving, he said, “But…there is something else you should know. People are still slandering Madam, especially Gianna’s fans. It’s getting worse. If this keeps up, things could get really ugly.”

Dylan exhaled heavily, his mind swirling with too many thoughts at once. He could barely make sense of his own condition, his mind trapped in the haze of reality and nightmares.

“This won’t end until Gianna clears the air,” Justin continued cautiously.

“I’ll talk to her,” Dylan mumbled, rubbing his head, which seemed to throb.

“I’ll call the doctor.” Justin left.

Dylan looked up at the ceiling. The vividness of the nightmare clung to him like a second skin, refusing to fade. His thoughts spiraled, faster and faster, as he tried to make sense of what had happened. ‘Did I really come back after death?’ he couldn’t help but wonder. It was absurd and illogical, yet the terrifying sensation of his life slipping away felt too real to dismiss.

‘And who was the woman?’ The eerie laughter of the faceless woman, echoed in his mind, sending a shiver down his spine. ‘Why did she say I’d die like Thomas?’

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

Gianna came to Ava’s room, hoping to find Dylan. But he was not there. Ava was alone in the room. The simmering anger that had consumed Gianna since she woke up began to cool slightly.

Dylan was not with Ava either. Maybe he had left for work. As long as he was not close to Ava, it was relieving.

Ava grimaced when she saw her. Gianna was still under suspicion. She might be the one who had spread the rumors about her.

“What are you doing here?” she asked fiercely.

Gianna moved in closer to her with a worried expression plastered on her face. “I came to see you,” she replied sweetly, though her eyes gleamed with a cruel satisfaction as they roamed over Ava’s injuries. “I heard what happened to you. It was so cruel.”

“Stop pretending, Gianna,” Ava hissed. “Dylan is not here.”

Gianna’s lips curled into a sneer as she finally shed her pretense of concern. With her arms crossed defiantly over her chest, she looked Ava up and down, a smug look crossing her face. “Those marks on your face look ugly,” she remarked with disdain. “It’ll take time to go away completely.”

Ava felt the sting of her words, each syllable designed to dig at her already fresh wounds. Clenching her jaw, she shot back, “Those women are already facing legal consequences. Soon, it will be exposed who asked them to attack me. Don’t be too pleased with yourself.”

“Hahaha…” Gianna laughed which made Ava’s skin crawl. “Oh, Ava! You’re so naïve. Do you really think the cops will ever find the mastermind behind this? No way, darling. As long as Dylan is alive, no one can touch his cousin.”

Ava stiffened, a chill creeping down her spine at the implications of Gianna’s words. The realization dawned on her. “It’s Erica!” she mumbled in a daze.

“Yes, it was Erica’s doing,” Gianna confirmed. “She told those women to teach you a lesson. And look at what they did to you!” A smirk danced on her lips as she reveled in Ava’s pain. “Dylan knows everything, but he won’t let anything happen to his cousin. To protect her from any legal consequences, he cleverly covered up her involvement and sent her abroad instantly.”

Ava’s eyes narrowed at the revelation, her insides twitching in rage. She realized why Ethan hadn’t uncovered anything about Erica’s involvement. It turned out that Dylan had been shielding her, just as he had shielded Gianna a few days ago.

Last night, she had thought that he might have changed a bit, but now all illusions shattered around her. The bitter sting of betrayal pierced her heart anew. Despite everything that had happened, a part of her still yearned for Dylan to care for her, and she despised herself for being so gullible.

Observing her sorrowful look and tears in her eyes, Gianna smiled with a twisted sense of satisfaction. “You know what, you should quit thinking that you can ever be able to win his heart. He doesn’t like you at all. You should divorce him.”

Ava’s nails dug into the mattress, fire sparking in her eyes. “Why don’t you go and tell him to divorce me, huh? Didn’t you say you love him? If he cares about you, then why is he still obsessed with me, refusing to let me go?”

Gianna’s smile disappeared, the flicker of anger igniting within her. Ava’s defiance, the bitterness in her words, had struck a nerve.

“You think he is obsessed with you?” she hissed. “Don’t flatter yourself, Ava. The only reason he is keeping you around is because it amuses him to watch you suffer. You’re nothing but a toy to him, something he can control whenever he wants.”

Ava’s eyes burned with unshed tears. Her throat tightened with the sharp sting of Gianna’s words, but beneath the pain, there was also a spark of something stronger—resolve.

“It doesn’t matter whether he likes me or not. The truth is, he won’t divorce me,” Ava declared. “But one thing is clear: he doesn’t like you either.”

An uncanny light shone in her eyes as a slow, calculated grin spread across her lips. “You are such a failure, Gianna. After all this time with him, you’re still just his mistress, not his wife.”

That was it. Gianna lost her cool. She wasn’t used to Ava talking back with such fire. She had expected Ava to break down, to crumble under the weight of the revelation, but instead, she was fighting back.

In an instant, she lunged forward, grabbing Ava’s injured hand with brutal force.

“Uh!” Ava gasped, the sudden shock of pain ripping through her body like fire. She winced, tears streaming down her cheeks. The pain shot up her arm, numbing her shoulder. She tried to push her away, but her strength failed her.

“He is mine, and I’ll make him mine soon,” Gianna hissed, leaning over to her menacingly. “And there is no place for you between me and Dylan. You’re nothing more than a shadow—always in the background.”

Meanwhile, Gianna heard footsteps approaching. Her ears perked up, and her expression changed. Through her peripheral view, she saw Dylan walking in.

Gianna released her grip and collapsed to the floor, acting as if she had been forcefully pushed. “Uh, my hand,” she cried out with feigned anguish.