3

AVA'S POV

Speak of the devil. 

Right in front of me stood Carson. His raven black hair fell down his back in a coordinated slick. However, one strand stood out, clinging to his forehead with a curl to it. His ocean blue eyes darkened the instant it met mine. 

A chill braced me. 

“Tell me this is all a joke, Carson. Tell me."

I dragged my drained legs towards him. I needed him to tell me this was all a joke. A prank or anything logical but as I drew closer to him, the irritation gleaming in his darkened eyes grew clearer. His face morphed into a smile. A dark one. 

The pressing weight of his gaze on my shoulders made my knees wobble. I tried to hold on to his shoulders for support but like he did last night, he nudged me off like I was a pound of dust.

I crashed into the floor, wincing as sharp pain shot into my veins. “Why did you do this to me, Carson? What did I ever do to deserve this?” I shook.

"Why did I do what, Ava? Don’t play dumb. Everyone knows the only reason I married you was for your money and the connections that came with it. We're both familiar with business Ava. In order to get the fame, wealth and connections that you had, I had to risk an exchange. An alliance. Our marriage. Everyone know our marriage was a sham from the onset.” 

Jason paced towards me, his polished black shoes making a sound that made my heart threaten to stop beating. His scent grew closer, twisting my stomach. I tried to crawl backwards but he got to me faster than I could scooch.

His fingers raked against my jawline before he gripped it. I gasped, feeling the heath of his breath as he lowered himself to my level. 

"If it still isn't clear yet Ava Malcolm, I used you. You were the smokescreen for my affairs. One clear fact, I never loved you. I used your connections to get myself condos for my lovers. When Giselle finally gave in to my demands, I tossed you aside under the guise of a business trip."

My jaw dropped. So all the while I was trying to be his perfect wife, he was busy touring around with his lover? So all he saw me as was a replacement. A mere replacement for his first love and now that he had gained all the connection he wanted, he was kicking me to the curb despite all the love I showed him.

My heart palpitate in my chest I uttered, “Why would you do that to me after all these years? You want to throw away all my years of loyalty just because of her?” 

Just as I mentioned the word ‘her’, the door opened and from where I sat, I flashed my gaze to the figure of Giselle. Her face twisted into a mask of discomfort as she walked close to David and pulled him towards her for a kiss.

My chest heaved. Panic settled deep into my veins. The nurse in the room moved over to help me back up to my feet. She stretched her fingers and just as I was about to grip it, Giselle stepped in and slapped my hand off.

The nurse tried to speak but she nudged her off with a daring glance. “You may leave.” She muttered and like a robot, the nurse walked out of the room while I stayed on the floor with sweat trickling down my face.

“If anything, Ava. You deserve to stay right there. On the floor.” She chuckled mockingly and my stomach churned.

I shifted my gaze to Carson’s direction. I tried to reason with him but he brushed off my gaze as if I didn't exist. 

“Please don't do this to me, Carson. Please. I have a lot planned for us and I think we can rekindle the flame in our marriage—”

Halfway through my speech, David's voice beamed in. Sharp and chilling. “Flame? The only flame I can see in this marriage is the flame of separation.”

Giselle who stood beside him giggled as her voice rolled in next, “By the way, today, while Carson made sweet love to me on your matrimonial bed, I discovered something hidden beneath the neatly tucked sheets. This document.”

Just as she said the words, a dark grin tugged at Carson's lips as he stepped closer to Giselle. His fingers gripped her waist. "Show it to her, baby."

My heart thumped wildly in my chest as I got up on my feet with the little surge of energy I could summon up and I flashed a glance at it.

The inheritance transfer papers.

I had to get it back.

“How did you get it— hand it over!” I pushed towards Giselle before Carson stepped in and blocked me away from her. 

“Get your hands off her this instant.” his eyes flared with rage and over-protectiveness. It hurt to see he didn't feel the same way for me too. 

“How could you do this to me, Carson? You have the audacity to do this to me even after I willed off all my fortune to you. This is how you repay me?” 

I waited for a response but instead of that, he simply nodded and with a turn towards the door, he beamed, “Thanks for the fortune, Ava—guess you were good for something after all. Expect the divorce papers soon.”

I couldn't believe it.

He was actually walking out on me with all my wealth in his hands. 

I tried to run after them but he locked the door after they stepped out and all I could think of after that was my inheritance. I had to get it back.