Chapter 7: What happens next?

(Ava’s POV)

My phone kept buzzing, and my hands trembled along with it. That bastard wouldn’t stop calling. I stared at the screen, resisting the urge to scream and slam the phone against the dashboard.

Gregory had the audacity to call me after everything he had done? He had the nerve to dial my number with those sinful, cheating hands? He definitely needed to have his crazy head checked at a psychiatrist hospital, because this was a sure sign of mental illness. 

My heart pounded against my chest as I tightened my grip on my phone. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. Gregory didn’t deserve my tears.

I was sure Damon had noticed the repeated calls, but he remained silent. A part of me wanted to explain why I hadn’t changed the contact name from “My Love”—just so he wouldn’t misunderstand and assume I still had feelings for Gregory.

But then... I braced myself. Damon was nothing to me. He was just my sister’s husband. I didn’t owe him an explanation.

Gregory didn’t stop calling until I switched off my phone. The drive to the interview center was awkwardly silent. No one spoke, and I couldn’t stop thinking about why Gregory was calling.

What if he wanted me back? Maybe he wanted to apologize? What if he still loved me?

The thoughts rushed in and out of my head. If he came back, what would I say? Would I even have the strength to say no?

Gregory doesn’t even deserve to be forgiven!

“But... but what if he actually still cares and wants to fix things?”

“Ava! We’re here. Are you sure everything is okay?” Damon’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I gasped.

I turned to him, realizing from his expression that he had probably been talking for a while.

I couldn’t believe I had been sitting there, stressing over a man who had shattered my heart. Gregory was a complete jerk. He should rot if he wanted to.

The silence between Damon and me lingered, heavy and suffocating. And then, he chose to say the absolute worst thing possible.

“I wonder if Greg misses you. What if he realized you’re not as bad in bed as he said you were and now he wants you back?”

I froze.

Anger surged through me like wildfire.

I hated how Damon pried into my personal life.

Everything I had been trying to suppress burst out of me.

“Can you just shut up and mind your d*mn business for once?! The least you can do, Damon, is stay out of my life and stop acting like you deserve to know everything about me! Leave me alone!” I screamed, my voice shaking as a tear slipped down my cheek. I wiped it away before he could see more.

I pushed open the door and stepped out, gripping my bag tightly as I stormed toward the building. Damon followed behind me like a d*mn bodyguard.

Each step I took felt heavier. A wave of anxiety crashed over me. I was about to walk into an interview, but my mind was a mess. My entire body felt stiff, and it felt like my head was going to explode.

What if I messed up?

What if I wasn’t good enough? But who could blame me?

A man who was supposed to be my brother-in-law had just offered to sleep with me in exchange for money—like I was some common wh*r*. My sister, Adrianna, was probably cheating on that very same man. And to top it all off, I was single, heartbroken, and furious.

“Ava!”

I hadn’t realized how fast I was walking until I heard Damon’s voice behind me.

I stopped abruptly and spun around. “What?! What is it this time? What do you want? Can’t you just leave me alone?” I snapped, my voice laced with frustration.

People passing by stopped to stare at us. But instead of an angry reaction, or even a harsh retort, Damon did something else.

He smiled.

That stupid, perfect, smug smile.

For a second, I forgot how to breathe. His green eyes locked onto mine, holding me captive.

“Here,” he said, extending his hand. “Your glasses. They must have fallen out of your pocket in the car. You shouldn’t be without them. Straining your eyes will only make them hurt, and I really don’t want that.”

His voice was calm, steady—too steady. That deep, velvety tone did something to me, something I couldn’t explain.

But I refused to let him see it. I snatched the glasses from his hand, about to walk away when his voice stopped me again.

“Don’t even think about getting back with Gregory. There’s nothing to fix, Ava.”

His words lingered in the air as I turned away, pretending not to hear him. But deep down, my heart raced.

A part of me liked what he said, while another part of me absolutely hated that I liked it. Damon sounded possessive—like he didn’t want anyone else to have me.

I shouldn’t have been feeling this way, but Damon’s charm was too overwhelming. And then the guilt kicked in.

Even if Adrianna was cheating, I shouldn’t have feelings for him. It wasn’t right.

Lost in thought, I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going until—bam! Icollided with someone’s chest.

My heart nearly leaped out of my body. My heels wobbled. My ankles twisted.

I stumbled backward, trying to regain balance—only for my traitorous legs to give out completely.

I hit the floor—Hard.

My handbag crashed beside me, its contents spilling across the shiny marble tiles.

And then, the worst possible thing happened. A tampon— a d*mn tampon rolled out of my bag like it had a mind of its own.

I froze. Oh. My. God. The horror of the situation sank in.

I sat there on the floor, a tampon clutched in my hand, while the entire lobby stared at me. This was my first day here!!

And I had already humiliated myself beyond repair. What could be worse than my life? I wondered.