chapter 5

Ava’s Point of View

The next morning, I stood in the middle of the room, my gaze darting around. Sorrow seeped into my bones, chilling me to the core. How I wish I could stay here a little longer, to give him one last chance, but I've reached my limits. It's time I start loving myself a little bit, choose myself, and respect myself. I deserve that at least. If I couldn't have his love, it doesn't mean I can't love myself. He's not the end of my world.

I shut my eyes tightly, tears sprinkling at the corners. I blinked them back, he didn't even deserve my tears. I exhaled deeply before I opened my eyes. With one last glance, I stepped out of the room; the maids had already taken my luggage outside.

My brows furrowed as soon as I stepped into the sitting room. Miss Styles was seated on the couch elegantly, her legs crossed on top of each other, her posture straight.

I couldn't help but wonder why she decided to come here today. She rarely visits, and when she does, she makes sure to humiliate me.

“I see you've finally come to your senses,” she got up from the couch, her eyes on me, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. “It's good that you've decided to free my son from the torture of seeing your pathetic face every day.”

Her gaze was laced with disgust as she scanned me from head to toe.

I blinked back the tears that wanted to spill out of my eyes, cleared my throat, and finally faced her. She was now standing a few steps away from me.

“I hope you find a perfect wife for your son,” my words were laced with bitterness, my stomach hardening with each passing second. “And please do take care of my son.” I walked past her, making sure not to put too much pressure on my injured leg. I decided to leave the crutches and walk on my own.

“Stop.”

I halted in my steps as Miss Styles’s sharp voice echoed inside the room. I exhaled deeply before I turned to her.

Miss Styles walked over to me, her brown eyes locking with mine. A gasp escaped my lips as she grasped the suitcase from the maid.

“You will not take anything that was bought with my son's money. You came here empty-handed, and you will leave just like how you came here.”

My chest hitched, overwhelmed by the weight of my emotions. She wouldn't even allow me to leave with the little self-respect I had.

“You are right,” my voice barely above a whisper, I slipped the ring off my finger, removed the necklace around my neck, and put it all in her hands. “The divorce papers are already signed. Please make sure your son signs them and submits them to the court. And don't worry, I don't want anything from you all.”

Before I could take any step to leave, Miss Styles grasped my arms, shoving me to the floor. I winced as a sharp pain cut through my leg, tears welling up in my eyes, but I didn't let them fall.

“Do you think you are doing us a favor by leaving this house, huh?” She lowered herself to my level and grabbed my injured leg, her grip tightening around it, increasing the pain. A gasp escaped my lips, trying to control the scream that wanted to escape.

“You are nobody. Even if you do leave this house, you will starve to death,” she scoffed, her grip tightening. “But I'm not that cruel to let an orphan be on the streets with nowhere to go. You can stay back after the divorce. I will offer you a job to become Caleb's nanny and pay you nicely.”

I felt a sharp pain cutting through my chest, rising to my throat as I let her words sink in. I was speechless, with no more words to say, except to stare at her, tears streaming down my cheeks.

“Ava is not all alone in this world.” My eyes shifted to the sound of Sophie's voice. I couldn't help but feel a surge of happiness rushing through me. She had come at the right time to save me from more humiliation. At this point, I was too hurt to even utter a word.

Sophie walked over to me, pushing Miss Styles away. She stumbled, falling to the ground, but Sophie didn't spare her a glance as she helped me rise off the couch.

“If you dare lay your hands on her again, I'm going to chop off your breasts, fry them, and feed them to the dogs. Trust me, I mean it.” Sophie's voice was laced with anger. Without saying anything more, I wrapped my arms around her shoulder as she held me closer, the two of us heading out of the villa.

Later That Day

My head rested on the couch, my leg up on the couch, and my arms wrapped around my chest. Sophie had been sitting opposite me for hours, none of us uttering a word. I wasn't ready to talk about it. I knew once I opened my mouth, I'd cry, and I didn't want to cry because of him.

“Signing those papers was the bravest decision you've ever made,” Sophie broke the silence. She moved to sit beside me, placing her hand over mine. “You chose yourself despite loving him so much. You chose to leave with your head held high, with your dignity intact. And I'm proud of you, no matter what people will say.”

The tears I had been trying to hold spilled out of my eyes, sobs breaking free from my throat. “I love him. That's why it hurts—” My voice cracked with sobs. Sophie pulled me into a tight embrace. “Is it a crime to love someone? Why did he do that to me? Don't I deserve his love too?” My body shook with sobs in Sophie's arms.

She exhaled sadly. “Ava, one thing you should know is that true love doesn't have to hurt. The fact that you are feeling like this means that it was not love, but you were trapped in love with the wrong person. You broke free from this trap, and you will find someone who will cherish you and appreciate your love. Julian isn't that person. Accept it and move on.” She smoothed my hair gently, and my sobs echoed inside the apartment. My heart was being ripped apart with agony. It was too much to bear.