All Chapters of my mum's billionaire husband: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

AVA TIME SKIP.......One year later, I stood beneath a ceiling strung with white lights, wearing a black graduation gown that felt almost comically heavy on my shoulders, and listened to my name echo through the auditorium.For a moment, I didn't move.Not because I hadn't heard it.Because I had.Ava.My name sounded different now.Less like something I had spent years trying to escape and more like something I had finally learned how to carry.The applause came in a swelling wave.I stepped forward.The stage lights were merciless, washing everything in gold and making the sea of faces below blur at the edges. Professors sat in the front rows, university officials beside them, families filling the seats behind.I searched the crowd instinctively.Then stopped myself.There was no one I needed to find.No mother waiting with a bouquet.No Alexander sitting somewhere in the shadows.No familiar face capable of turning this moment into something com

AVABy ten the next morning, we had somehow turned a simple vacation into a military operation.Nobody was prepared.That was the first problem.The second was that everyone had apparently decided they needed an entirely new wardrobe for a trip that would last five days."I need outfits.""You have outfits.""Not vacation outfits."I stared at my friend."What exactly is a vacation outfit?"She looked at me as though I had asked the stupidest question imaginable."Something that looks good in pictures."I laughed."So your normal clothes don't?""Not the way I intend to photograph them."That was how the shopping expedition began.Three hours later, we were still nowhere near finished.We moved through the shopping district like a small, badly organized parade, carrying bags until our arms ached. Every shop became an excuse to stop.Sunglasses.Sandals.Dresses.Swimwear.Jewelry.Hats.Beach bags.A ridiculous pair of oversized sunglasses that someone insisted were "essential."They

AvaBy the time we reached the place, I had already regretted agreeing to go out.Not because I wasn't having fun.Because my friends had apparently decided that getting ready for dinner required the same level of preparation as attending an international awards ceremony."You said casual.""I said casual.""This is not casual."She looked down at herself."What's wrong with it?""Nothing.""Exactly."I shook my head.The restaurant was only a short walk from the B&B, tucked between two hotels with balconies overlooking the water. Music spilled through the open entrance, warm and rhythmic, mixing with the murmur of conversations and the occasional burst of laughter.The entire place seemed alive.Tables occupied almost every available space.Lanterns hung from wooden beams.Candles flickered inside small glass holders.Beyond the railing, the ocean was almost invisible beneath the darkness, except where moonlight caught the waves.We found a table outside.My friends immediately order

AVAThe first thing I noticed when I woke were the several suitcases lying on the floor.The girls laid bundled agnaist each other clearly exhausted.For a minute i debated to wake them but the thought faded.I needed to tidy up.I dragged myself to the bathroom.Bythe time i was back the room was full of chaos"I refuse to pack."I smiled."Then leave everything here."A pillow flew through the open doorway."Not helpful."I laughed as i navigated my way back to my bed.The room looked as though a small hurricane had passed through it. Clothes hung from chairs, cosmetics occupied half the vanity, shopping bags leaned against the wall, and souvenirs were scattered across every available surface.Five days ago, we'd arrived with neatly packed luggage and entirely too much excitement.Now we were surrounded by evidence of how thoroughly we'd enjoyed ourselves.I folded the last few clothes into my suitcase.My small bracelet lay beside my passport.I picked it up and fastened it around

AVAMorning arrived without ceremony.No alarm.No frantic messages.No one pounding on my door demanding that I wake up.Just pale sunlight slipping through the curtains and the distant murmur of traffic beginning its daily argument with itself.I lay still for a moment, staring at the ceiling.Then I remembered.I was home.The familiar walls that had held my life together for the past year.And now I had to take it apart.I reached for my phone.The time was already later than I had intended to wake, but there was no reason to rush. I had deliberately kept today free.Today was for packing.I hated that word.Packing made everything sound deceptively simple.Put things into boxes.Fold clothes.Seal containers.Carry them away.As though a year could be dismantled with adhesive tape and a permanent marker.I pushed the covers aside and walked into the kitchen.The refrigerator was still practically empty.I stared into it."Pathetic."I opened the freezer.Even worse.There was hal