My Ex-Husband Begged Me to Take Him Back - Chapter 66

Chapter 66: Relentless questions

Ava lay sprawled on her bed, the incident of the day replaying in the back of her mind. She couldn’t shake the image of those goons dragging her to the van. She shuddered to think what might have happened. Gratitude toward Nicholas filled her chest. She would never forget his favor.

But it was disappointing that Gianna had managed to escape.

“I hope Nicholas catches up to her before she slips away,” she muttered under her breath, gripping her pillow.

Ring-Ring-Ring…

Her brand-new phone she had just purchased rang loudly, breaking her trance. Glancing at the screen, she saw Lola’s name flashing. A small smile crept onto her face as she picked up.

“Congratulations, Ava; you are finally single,” Lola exclaimed with delight. “Let’s celebrate! Shopping, and then we hit the bar. It’s long overdue.”

Ava was too tired for all this. “Not today, Lola; I am tired. Maybe someday.”

“I won’t hear anything,” Lola wouldn’t deter. ” The get-together party is this weekend! Let’s go shopping. Help me choose a dress.”

Ava rubbed the back of her ear. She had been so caught up in everything that the party had slipped her mind entirely. Hearing Lola’s enthusiastic words, she couldn’t turn her down.

“Alright, let’s go shopping, but I’ll skip the bar. Instead, we can have dinner together.”

“Okay. Dinner sounds good. I’ll come pick you up.”

As Ava hung up, a tiny spark of excitement flickered through her tiredness. Shopping and dinner might be just the escape she needed. “Let’s go get ready, Ava…” She rolled out of the bed and went to freshen up.

Several minutes later, Lola arrived, and Ava hopped into her car.

“How does it feel after finally being single?” Lola asked cheerfully.

“I don’t know.” Ava tried to return the enthusiasm but managed only a half-hearted shrug. “I just went through the process. There is a three-month cooling period before it’s final.”

She turned away from her. A familiar pang stirred as she thought about her failed marriage. When she married Dylan a year ago, she believed she was the luckiest woman on the planet. She had hoped to live a happy life with him, but it all had crumbled into something cold and hollow. Now that it was over, she couldn’t say if she felt relieved or numb.

Sensing her distress, Lola reached out and clasped her hand. “Don’t be upset. You did the right thing, Ava. Staying in a loveless marriage isn’t fair to you or anyone. You deserve someone who sees your worth—unlike that gloomy Dylan.” She flashed a reassuring smile at her, hoping to lift Ava’s spirits. “And who knows? Maybe this party will bring you a little unexpected fun, or maybe you may find someone!”

Ava chuckled, shaking her head. “Oh, no. A new relationship isn’t on my list right now. I’m just going to enjoy being single.”

“That’s even better. You and I will have fun together.”

As they headed to the mall, Ava felt her heart lighten, comforted by Lola’s unwavering optimism. As soon as Lola parked the car in front of the mall, she turned to Ava with an excited grin. “Alright, here we are! Let’s go and find the perfect dress.”

They had barely stepped out of the car and started toward the entrance when a sudden wave of reporters descended upon them, shoving microphones and cameras forward, almost boxing Ava in. She froze, taken aback, as questions started pelting her from all sides.

“Miss Ava, is it true you’re divorced from Mr. Dylan Brooks? Did he leave you?”

“Why did he divorce you all of a sudden? Is he upset with you?”

“Someone informed us that you hired some local thugs to kidnap Miss Gianna. Is it true? Is that why he ended things?”

“What did you do to push Mr. Brooks to divorce you?”

Their relentless questions overwhelmed Ava. Each one of them shouted, demanding answers. Ava’s mind went blank, the surroundings blurring in front of her eyes. She thought she would pass out.

Sensing the situation was getting out of control, Lola wrapped an arm around Ava’s shoulders and began pulling her away. “Come on, let’s get out of here,” she whispered urgently. Guiding Ava back toward the car, Lola tried to shield her from the horde of reporters.

By then, the mall guards sprang into action, creating a barrier to hold the crowd back. Lola practically pushed Ava into the car, slamming the door before the reporters could get closer. She jumped into the driver’s seat and hit the gas, speeding away from the chaotic scene.

“What the hell was that?” Lola cursed, furious. “Didn’t Dylan already clear things up for you? Why can’t they just leave you alone?” She cast a sidelong glance at Ava and saw her staring blankly out the window.

Her expression softened as she could clearly feel her friend’s distress. “I am so sorry, Ava.” She placed a comforting hand on Ava’s shoulder. “I feel awful for pushing you to come out today.”

Ava heaved a sigh, looking down at her fingers in her lap. “It’s not your fault, Lola. You didn’t know,” she murmured, her heart twisting with every unfair accusation thrown at her.

She couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that Dylan was behind this humiliation. If only she had the recording to prove Gianna’s deceit – she could’ve shown the truth and stopped the accusations. But for now, all she could do was wait for Nicholas to retrieve it.

“Take me home,” she said slowly.

Lola nodded and drove straight to Ava’s place.

Gianna leaned back in her plush armchair, a smug smile spreading as she listened to the jubilant voice on the other end of the line.

“She was speechless,” the woman recounted, practically giddy. “She looked so lost, so stunned. Her face was pale. She couldn’t say a word and just fled the scene.”

Gianna’s lips curled into a sly smile.

“The news will be everywhere tomorrow,” the woman added confidently. “Just wait and see how we tear her down part by part. She won’t find a place to hide her face.”

“I can’t wait to see that,” Gianna said delightfully. “More exciting news is yet to come. I’ll let you know.”

Gianna’s excitement bubbled over as she hung up the phone, her grin stretching impossibly wide. She reveled in the thought of Ava hiding in shame, unable to walk down the street.

“So what if Dylan hasn’t sent you to jail?” she mused, the corners of her lips curling into a cruel smirk. “The world will brand you a villain, and the shame will be unbearable. You’ll be the one everyone blames for my suffering.”

The glee in her heart surged as she added, “Dylan will never find out the truth and continue hating you. Soon, he’ll destroy your family business and bring you and your father to the road.”

She laughed, throwing her head backward. With Brian escaping the country, Gianna was overconfident that her lies would never come out. She had already told the goons to disappear for the time being. Nobody, not Nicholas or Dylan, would find out what had transpired that day.

“No one will believe you, Ava. Even if you try to speak up, your truth will simply appear as a desperate fabrication.”