AVA'S POV The moment Laura walked out of the dining area, the room grew quiet, but the silence didn’t last long. Everyone’s attention turned to me. I could feel their eyes on me some envious, some whispering to the person beside them. "So Ava is the CEO's wife? OMG! That's so shocking. She's so lucky," a colleague whispered to the next person sitting beside her. I'm not sure how I even heard that since they were whispering but somehow I did. It's one of those strange things about me being able to hear whispers that no one else can. But no, she was wrong. I wasn't lucky at all. I thought I was but the past few months have made me realize I wasn't. Their stares felt heavier than ever, making me want to shrink into my chair. Jason's eyes met mine for a brief moment but I quickly looked away. Wait... was this what he meant by proving he loves me? Announcing our marriage now? It was too late. His words didn’t mean anything to me anymore. Nothing he did could change my mind.
AVA’S POV I ignored him and walked past him with steady steps. Sally stayed right beside me. I could feel his eyes on my back, heavy and intense, but I refused to turn around. A few months ago, I would have hesitated, unsure of how to act around him, afraid of upsetting him. But not anymore. I had accepted things as they were. Jason could stare all he wanted, but I wasn’t going to react the way he expected. As we reached the volleyball area, the sound of laughter and cheering filled the air. The golden sand was warm beneath my feet, and for a moment, the lively atmosphere made me feel lighter. “Ava.” I looked up to see Alex approaching with a relaxed expression and a smile etched on his face. “How are you feeling?” he asked, his voice warm with concern. “Are you okay now?” I tilted my head slightly, surprised by his question. I didn’t remember telling him anything was wrong with me. But then I recalled – at the cocktail party, he had noticed how tense I was, and I had
JASON'S POV I stood there, frozen, my hands clenched into fists at my sides. I couldn’t believe what had just happened. Ava my wife had yelled at me in front of everyone – in front of my employees. Not just yelled at me, but looked at me like I was nothing like I had done something unforgivable. And all because of Alex Grey. I could still see it so clearly. The way she rushed to his side, the way she touched him, the way she helped him up like he was the only one that mattered. And worst of all she didn’t even look back at me. How could she tend to another man that way in my presence? I had just revealed to everyone that she was my wife and she does this in front of the same people I just told about our marriage. Lines creased my forehead as anger boiled beneath my skin. The whispers around me were getting louder, but I couldn’t make out the words. I didn’t need to. I knew what they were saying. I gritted my teeth, my jaw tightening. I wanted to shut them all up, to make the
AVA'S POV I walked back to the beach with Alex and Sally after helping Alex with his injury. My heart still felt heavy from what had happened earlier. I knew Jason had deliberately hit the ball so hard towards Alex to hurt him, and I had a feeling it was because of me. That's why I felt responsible for making sure he got treated. But now, as I glanced at Alex beside me, I could see he was still in pain, even though he tried to act fine. “You really should be in bed resting,” I said, frowning at him. “I told you to stay back.” Alex chuckled lightly, shaking his head. “And miss all the fun? Nahhh...I’ll be fine, Ava.” I sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing. He was stubborn, just like Jason. But at least Alex listened sometimes. Jason… Jason only does what he wants, without listening to anyone. The crowd on the beach was still gathered around, some playing, some talking while others were relaxing and enjoying the cool ocean breeze. Alex excused himself and went to joi
ALEX'S POV I didn't think. I didn't hesitate. The moment I saw Ava collapse I ran, ignoring the pain still aching from the impact of the ball Jason threw at me. She lay motionless on the ground and my heart stopped. She was pregnant...I knew she was pregnant. And now, with everything that had just happened, I couldn’t stop the fear that gripped me. I was scared for her. I was scared for the baby. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw Jason. He had walked right past Ava, leaving her on the ground like she didn’t matter with Laura in his arms. Who does that? Ava was his wife – his wife! And yet, he left her lying there like she was nothing. My jaw clenched. How could he see her on the ground like this and still choose Laura? I couldn’t make sense of it. Ava had told me Jason didn’t know about the baby. But even so, it didn’t explain why he’d left his wife behind, lying on the sand, and rushed to tend to Laura. Even now I wouldn't be surprised if Laura was pretending to be
AVA'S POVI felt a dull throbbing ache in my head as I slowly opened my eyes. My body felt heavy as if I had been asleep for days. The bright lights stung my vision, making me blink a few times before my surroundings became clear – I was at the hospital. The first thing I saw was Alex. He was sitting beside my bed, his elbows resting on his knees, his hands folded together. His face was tense, his eyes dark with worry. He looked like he hadn’t moved for hours. My throat felt dry, and I swallowed hard before speaking. “Alex…” My voice was weak, barely above a whisper. His head snapped up the moment he heard me. He let out a deep breath of relief and his shoulders fell as he leaned closer. “Ava… You’re awake,” he said, his voice filled with emotion. I tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through my stomach, making me wince. “Careful,” Alex said, reaching out to help me. “Don’t push yourself too much.” Before I could say anything else, the door burst open, and Sally came in
AVA'S POV I stared at my reflection in the mirror and was finally satisfied. After what felt like hours of frantic searching, I had finally found a dress that would perfectly complement the earrings. Yes, those earrings – the ones I discovered hidden in Jason's pocket this morning. A pair of delicate and luxurious pearl earrings adorned with diamonds It was created by my favorite designer, Kokichi Mikimoto, one of only five such earrings in the world. Jason is so thoughtful that he would secretly buy the jewelry I like and give it to me as a surprise on our wedding anniversary. Yes, I was sure he would give this gift to me tonight. I kept checking my dress and makeup in the mirror, and couldn't help imagining how stunning I would look in those earrings. My hands smoothed down the fabric of the dress, which clung to my body in a way it hadn't just a few weeks ago. I turned to the side, my eyes drawn to the slight, but unmistakable curve of my abdomen. A secret I had
Ava's POV Liar. He said he would be back soon, but he left me waiting all night. I dragged myself to Campbell Group where I work. The company is owned by Jason’s family, and Jason is the CEO and my boss. Sally Parker, my best friend and colleague, greeted me with concern the moment I walked into my office. “Ava, are you okay? You don’t look well.” Forcing a smile, I nodded. “I’m fine, just tired.” She looked at me skeptical but decided not to press further. “Well, you’ll be pleased to hear that today they’re announcing the new design director. It has to be you, Ava. You’ve worked so hard for it. Congratulations in advance.” “Thanks, Sal. I appreciate your support.” I am somewhat calm because I knew the position would be mine. Jason had assured me and I was ready to take on the responsibilities of the design director. I noticed everyone's phone buzzing with a new notification including mine. “I know it must be the appointment notification.” Sally hurriedly checked her
AVA'S POVI felt a dull throbbing ache in my head as I slowly opened my eyes. My body felt heavy as if I had been asleep for days. The bright lights stung my vision, making me blink a few times before my surroundings became clear – I was at the hospital. The first thing I saw was Alex. He was sitting beside my bed, his elbows resting on his knees, his hands folded together. His face was tense, his eyes dark with worry. He looked like he hadn’t moved for hours. My throat felt dry, and I swallowed hard before speaking. “Alex…” My voice was weak, barely above a whisper. His head snapped up the moment he heard me. He let out a deep breath of relief and his shoulders fell as he leaned closer. “Ava… You’re awake,” he said, his voice filled with emotion. I tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through my stomach, making me wince. “Careful,” Alex said, reaching out to help me. “Don’t push yourself too much.” Before I could say anything else, the door burst open, and Sally came in
ALEX'S POV I didn't think. I didn't hesitate. The moment I saw Ava collapse I ran, ignoring the pain still aching from the impact of the ball Jason threw at me. She lay motionless on the ground and my heart stopped. She was pregnant...I knew she was pregnant. And now, with everything that had just happened, I couldn’t stop the fear that gripped me. I was scared for her. I was scared for the baby. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw Jason. He had walked right past Ava, leaving her on the ground like she didn’t matter with Laura in his arms. Who does that? Ava was his wife – his wife! And yet, he left her lying there like she was nothing. My jaw clenched. How could he see her on the ground like this and still choose Laura? I couldn’t make sense of it. Ava had told me Jason didn’t know about the baby. But even so, it didn’t explain why he’d left his wife behind, lying on the sand, and rushed to tend to Laura. Even now I wouldn't be surprised if Laura was pretending to be
AVA'S POV I walked back to the beach with Alex and Sally after helping Alex with his injury. My heart still felt heavy from what had happened earlier. I knew Jason had deliberately hit the ball so hard towards Alex to hurt him, and I had a feeling it was because of me. That's why I felt responsible for making sure he got treated. But now, as I glanced at Alex beside me, I could see he was still in pain, even though he tried to act fine. “You really should be in bed resting,” I said, frowning at him. “I told you to stay back.” Alex chuckled lightly, shaking his head. “And miss all the fun? Nahhh...I’ll be fine, Ava.” I sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing. He was stubborn, just like Jason. But at least Alex listened sometimes. Jason… Jason only does what he wants, without listening to anyone. The crowd on the beach was still gathered around, some playing, some talking while others were relaxing and enjoying the cool ocean breeze. Alex excused himself and went to joi
JASON'S POV I stood there, frozen, my hands clenched into fists at my sides. I couldn’t believe what had just happened. Ava my wife had yelled at me in front of everyone – in front of my employees. Not just yelled at me, but looked at me like I was nothing like I had done something unforgivable. And all because of Alex Grey. I could still see it so clearly. The way she rushed to his side, the way she touched him, the way she helped him up like he was the only one that mattered. And worst of all she didn’t even look back at me. How could she tend to another man that way in my presence? I had just revealed to everyone that she was my wife and she does this in front of the same people I just told about our marriage. Lines creased my forehead as anger boiled beneath my skin. The whispers around me were getting louder, but I couldn’t make out the words. I didn’t need to. I knew what they were saying. I gritted my teeth, my jaw tightening. I wanted to shut them all up, to make the
AVA’S POV I ignored him and walked past him with steady steps. Sally stayed right beside me. I could feel his eyes on my back, heavy and intense, but I refused to turn around. A few months ago, I would have hesitated, unsure of how to act around him, afraid of upsetting him. But not anymore. I had accepted things as they were. Jason could stare all he wanted, but I wasn’t going to react the way he expected. As we reached the volleyball area, the sound of laughter and cheering filled the air. The golden sand was warm beneath my feet, and for a moment, the lively atmosphere made me feel lighter. “Ava.” I looked up to see Alex approaching with a relaxed expression and a smile etched on his face. “How are you feeling?” he asked, his voice warm with concern. “Are you okay now?” I tilted my head slightly, surprised by his question. I didn’t remember telling him anything was wrong with me. But then I recalled – at the cocktail party, he had noticed how tense I was, and I had
AVA'S POV The moment Laura walked out of the dining area, the room grew quiet, but the silence didn’t last long. Everyone’s attention turned to me. I could feel their eyes on me some envious, some whispering to the person beside them. "So Ava is the CEO's wife? OMG! That's so shocking. She's so lucky," a colleague whispered to the next person sitting beside her. I'm not sure how I even heard that since they were whispering but somehow I did. It's one of those strange things about me being able to hear whispers that no one else can. But no, she was wrong. I wasn't lucky at all. I thought I was but the past few months have made me realize I wasn't. Their stares felt heavier than ever, making me want to shrink into my chair. Jason's eyes met mine for a brief moment but I quickly looked away. Wait... was this what he meant by proving he loves me? Announcing our marriage now? It was too late. His words didn’t mean anything to me anymore. Nothing he did could change my mind.
LAURA'S POV Jason’s words echoed in my head, each word felt like sharp blades cutting through me. For a second, I thought I’d heard him wrong. But no, the truth was painfully clear. He had just announced his marriage to Ava in front of the entire company. My hands gripped the edge of the table so hard that my knuckles turned white but I forced my face to remain calm, even though anger was building up inside me like a storm. How could he do this to me? Humiliate me like this? Everyone in the company thought I was his secret wife. Now, what would they think of me? A mistress? A desperate woman chasing another woman's husband? My jaw tightened, and my nails dug into the table. The dining area buzzed with whispers and shocked murmurs, but all I could hear was the pounding of my heart.After refusing to touch me last night and even calling Ava's name while drunk, as if that wasn't enough he had to do this to me. Jason stood there, calm and collected like he hadn’t just shattered m
AVA'S POV It had only been a minute since I’d passed his room and seen Laura lying on his bed dressed in a seductive nightwear and now here he was, in my room, asleep, as if nothing had happened. I didn’t know what to feel – anger, confusion, or something else. But one thing was for sure: I was pissed. How dare he lie in my bed with his filthy body? I couldn’t take it anymore. My hand moved before I even thought about it, and I slapped him hard across the face. The sound of it echoed through the quiet room, sharp and deafening. Jason shot up in bed, his eyes wide with shock, trying to process what had just happened. The look on his face showed he couldn't believe I could slap him. "Ava… what..." His voice was still heavy with sleep, and he rubbed his cheek where I’d slapped him, looking at me like I was some kind of puzzle he couldn’t figure out. I crossed my arms, trying to keep my cool, but it was hard. I could feel my fist clenching, the anger I felt was boiling inside
AVA'S POV Last night had been one hell of a night. I had avoided Jason all through, I didn’t want anything to ruin my evening, so I focused all my attention on Alex. I didn’t even realize when Jason and Laura slipped away from the party. It didn't matter I told myself it was just one more thing that proved he wasn't going to change and that he didn't deserve a place in our lives, mine and the baby's. Somehow, I was grateful Alex came to the party. His presence was like a balm to my bruised heart. Talking to him made me forget everything that was bothering me, even making me laugh wholeheartedly. I can’t even remember the last time I felt that good. Alex was indeed a perfect gentleman who knew how to treat a lady properly. Sally knocked on the door, snapping me out of my thoughts. “Ava? Are you awake?” I winced from the pain in my head. I didn't know why it hurt so much since I hadn't drunk any alcohol last night. "Yeah, come in." She pushed the door open and stepped ins