AVA'S POV
Mom woke me up once we got home, her voice soft. "Ava, we're here," she said, her hand on my shoulder as I blinked awake.
The car slowed to a stop in front of the house, and for a moment, I just stared at it. It looked the same but also… different.
I sighed, grabbing my bag and stepping out of the car. My mom gave me a worried look but didn’t say anything as I followed her inside. A maid appeared almost immediately, her hands clasped in front of her as she smiled politely.
“This way, Miss Ava. I’ll take you to your room,” she said.
I followed her up the stairs quietly to my room. The moment the maid left, I dropped my bag by the closet and started unpacking. I was halfway through hanging up a dress when my phone buzzed on the nightstand. Without thinking, I grabbed it and answered, “Hello?”
“Where the fuck are you?” The voice on the other end was loud, angry, and all too familiar. Canaan. My hand froze mid-air, the dress slipping from my fingers.
“I…”
He didn’t let me speak. “And what is this on our bed?” His voice was louder now, practically a shout.
I swallowed hard, my throat dry as I stared at the wall. “Divorce papers, Canaan,” I said flatly, my voice cold, well as cold as I could make it sound. It was obvious, wasn’t it? He couldn’t seriously be surprised. He didn't expect me to forgive him, right?
“What the hell is wrong with you? Do you even hear yourself right now?” he yelled. “I don’t know what’s going on in your fucked-up head, but you better come back home. Right. Now. Emma lost our child because of you, Ava. Do you hear me? Because of YOU. You better get your ass back here and apologize to her.”
Apologize? Apologize to her? My chest tightened, my own anger rising. I didn’t reply. I couldn’t. If I opened my mouth, I’d scream, and I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.
Instead, I hung up. My hands shook as I blocked his number and then powered off my phone, tossing it onto the bed.
I stood there for a moment, staring out the window. The sun was setting, but I couldn't appreciate the beauty of it. All I could hear was his voice.
They took everything from me. My child. My baby. A sob escaped before I could stop it, and I covered my mouth with trembling fingers.
They were going to pay. Both of them. For what they did. For all of it.
A knock at the door pulled me out of my thoughts. “Miss Ava?” a maid called softly. “Dinner is ready.”
“Be right there,” I said, my voice hoarse. I quickly put the rest of my things away, before going downstairs.
My parents were already seated once I got downstairs, my father at the head of the table and my mother beside him. They both looked up when I entered, their eyes scanning me like they were trying to figure out if I was okay.
I slid into my seat, and the moment I did, the questions started.
“What happened, Ava?” my mom asked gently.
I hesitated, my fingers curling around the edge of my napkin. This was the part I’d been avoiding but it was time they knew. “Canaan was cheating on me,” I said, my voice flat. “With my…well, my ex-best friend. Emma.”
My mom gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. My dad’s face darkened, his grip on his fork tightening. But I wasn’t done. “She was pregnant with his child,” I continued, staring down at the table. “And he… he killed our baby. After he beat me up because he believes I hurt her, making her lose their baby.”
My father shot to his feet, his face red with rage. “I’ll kill him,” he growled. “I’ll kill that son of a bitch. Where’s my gun? Liam, get my gun!” He yelled, his voice loud.
“Wait!” I shouted. This wasn’t what I wanted. I didn’t want my dad or my brother involved. They would kill him if they got their hands on him. This was my fight. “This isn’t how we’re doing this.”
My dad paused, his eyes narrowing as he looked at me. “What do you mean?”
I took a deep breath, meeting his gaze. “I’m going to destroy him,” I said, my voice calmer than I'd expected. “On my own.”
My mom gasped again. “Ava, sweetheart, you don’t have to…”
“Yes, I do,” I cut her off. “He took everything from me. Everything. And I want him to feel what that’s like. I want him to suffer.”
My dad slowly sat back down, his eyes studying me carefully. “Do you have a plan?” he asked, his voice calmer now.
I nodded. “I’ve been thinking about it all day. On the plane, in the car… I know what I have to do.”
“And what’s that?” my mom asked.
I looked at each one of them, “I’m getting married. Again.”
