CHAPTER MI
#25 BONUS
CHAPTER 042
JASON’S POV
I stood there frozen in place, my blood running cold.
Ava… at the hospital? Why hadn’t I known?
The
photos on my phone stared back at me. I swiped through them, my fingers trembling. They weren’t just of Alex holding her in the restaurant anymore.
I came across photos that were clear as day, showing Ava outside the hospital. She looked sick and vulnerable.
I stared at the pictures, my throat tightening and my chest felt like it was being twisted by a knife.
How had I missed this?
I hadn’t even noticed these photos when they came through earlier. All I had seen was the one of Alex holding her. That’s what made my blood boil.
The sight of them together being that close had triggered something deep inside me. That’s when I stormed out to confront Alex.
I had been so fixated on Alex, so consumed with jealousy and anger, that I didn’t even notice the bigger picture. Ava was in pain, and I wasn’t there for her!
What kind of husband am I?
I called the person I had hired to follow Ava. My voice was tight, demanding answers. “Is she still at the hospital?” I asked, trying to keep my frustration in check.
The voice on the other end replied, “No sir, she left with a woman. A young lady with blonde hair.”
Blonde hair? I already knew who the lady was it was Sally
“Okay,” I replied, hanging up the phone.
I couldn’t stand it anymore, I had to see Ava to be sure she was okay. I had to talk to her, to fix things, even though I wasn’t sure how.
I drove to Sally’s place, my heart pounding in my chest. The door swung open, and Sally stood there, arms crossed with a frown on her face.
“What do you want?” She asked sharply, glaring at me.
I knew Ava would have already told her what had transpired between us so I couldn’t blame her for her expression. As much as I was her boss, her friendship with Ava comes first and I respect that.Y
“Sally, I need to see Ava. Please.”
She let out a cold, humorless laugh. “See Ava? Like you care about her now? You let Laura sneak into her life, ruin her work, ruin her peace, and now you want to act like a good husband, act like you care? Spare me, Mr. Campbell.”
My stomach twisted, I was short of words because I didn’t know how to convince her to let me see Ava.
I sighed, “Sally you have every right not to allow me in, I know I messed up, and I want to fix it. Please just let me talk to her.”
CHAPTER 042
I was desperate at this point, I couldn’t leave without seeing Ava.
She rolled her eyes. “You don’t deserve her Jason, go to Lata that’s who you deserve.”
“I’m begging you, Sally,” I said, my volce almost breaking I can’t lose her.”
She was about to respond when Ava’s voice came from inside. “Sally, it’s okay.”
She looked worried, “Ava are you sure?”
“I’ll handle it,” Ava said firmly.
i
+25 BONUS
Sally hesitated but finally stepped aside entering her apartment, leaving me face to face with Ava at the door. Ava’s expression was cold and pale and I felt a sharp pain in my chest on seeing her red puffy eyes she looked like she had been crying
I took a deep breath and cleared my throat. “Ava,” I said, my voice soft. “Please, can
we talk?”
She looked up at me then, her eyes tired, red, and cold. “Talk about what?” she asked, her voice quieter than I expected, almost resigned.
“Talk about…”
“If you really want to talk to me, you have to do something first,” she interrupted.
Do something first? I wondered what it was. But at this point, I could do anything just to have a conversation with her.
“What’s that?” I asked, my voice tight.
“I want you to fire Laura,” she said suddenly, turning to face me.
The request hit me like a slap in the face. “What?” I asked, my voice rising in disbelief.
“You heard me,” she said firmly. “Get rid of her.”
“Ava, I can’t just ”
Ava’s gaze hardened. “Why not? You’ve done it before, so it shouldn’t be hard to do it again. She’s caused enough trouble for both of us.”
I flinched at her words, my chest tightening. She was right, and I hated myself for it.
“I know,” I said, my frustration rising, “but she’s pregnant Firing her would make things worse. I don’t want to stress her out. It’s… it’s complicated.”
Ava scoffed, clearly unimpressed. “Complicated? You’re really going to let that be the reason you keep her around? You can’t even make the right choice for once.”
I felt a knot form in my stomach. She was right – there was so much more I should have done, so many things 1 should have said. But I was trying to make sense of it all, and it was slipping through my fingers.
“Lcan’t just throw her out like that,” I said, my voice faltering. “I’m trying to do what’s best for everyone, including you. But… you don’t seem to see that.”
Ava stood straight suddenly, the anger in her eyes barely contained. “Do what’s best for me?” she repeated incredulously. “By keeping her around? By letting her play games with our lives?”
“I get it, okay?” I said, my voice quieter now. “But firing her… that’s not the solution. I’ll do something for you,
CHAPTER 042
for us. I’ll buy you anything you want, I’ll take you somewhere nice, but I can’t fire Laura. Not like this.”
+25 BONUS
Ava scoffed, “You think buying me a gift will fix everything don’t you?” she asked bitterly. “Do you honestly think that’s all it takes?”
“Ava, I didn’t mean it like that. I was just…” I cut myself off, realizing I didn’t have a good excuse. There was no simple fix for what had happened
Ava’s gaze turned cold, and for a moment, I thought I saw the slightest trace of tears in her eyes,
She didn’t say anything, she stepped back and I was about to follow her in but she slammed the door in my face.
1 stood there stunned. But I couldn’t leave. My legs felt rooted to the floor, it was like if I moved, everything would collapse around me.
What if she doesn’t come out again?
I ran a hand through my hair, my palms were sweaty, and my heart was pounding a little too hard.
Some seconds later, the door finally opened again, Ava walked out, holding a folder in her hand.
Before I could say anything, she threw it at my face. It landed with a soft thud, and I looked down at it in confusion. “What’s this?” I asked, my hands trembling as I picked it up.
She didn’t answer. She had already walked back into the room, shutting the door behind her and leaving me alone
I opened the folder, my heart skipped a beat as I read the words on the first page.
Divorce Agreement.
My world stopped
