Chapter 131 A Mother's Resolve
With trembling hands, she unlocked the box, lifting the lid to reveal a myriad of documents in various hues.
Ava rifled through them, her heart sinking as the documents she sought were nowhere to be found.
The box contained an assortment of other documents, among them a marriage certificate belonging to her grandparents. The certificate bore the weight of years, its once vibrant colors faded with time.
In those days, marriage certificates were adorned with black and white photographs.
Her grandparents appeared so youthful in their picture—her grandfather dashing, her grandmother radiant. Their smiles were a testament to their love, radiating pure joy.
The Mitchell family was blessed with good genes.
However, time is a relentless thief, and now her grandmother was left alone, treasuring these memories in this box. It was no wonder she kept it under lock and key.
For Ava and Alexander, even cherished memories seemed to slip through their fingers.
A year of marriage felt fleeting, so fleeting that reflecting on it was more bitter than sweet.
Refocusing, Ava continued her search for the elusive documents, but to no avail.
Her grandmother hadn't kept it in the box.
Where could it be? It wasn't anywhere in Grandma’s room. Could the housekeeper be safeguarding it?
Anxiety gnawed at Ava. Her carefully laid plans for the day had crumbled spectacularly.
Without the family register, leaving Alex seemed an impossibility.
With no other options, Ava meticulously replaced the box's contents and relocked it.
She returned the box to its rightful place in her grandmother's room.
In the stillness of the night, she covertly retrieved the key to the housekeeper's office and silently returned it.
By the time she retreated to her room, she was drenched in sweat.
Meanwhile, Alexander had absconded to Isabella's, shirking his responsibilities and leaving Ava to deal with the aftermath. He was the one who proposed the divorce, yet she was left to pick up the pieces.
'The nerve of that man—he has no right to be frolicking with Isabella. Especially now that our divorce can't proceed the next day. He is cheating on her!' Ava fumed.
Ava found it increasingly difficult to swallow her pride.
She retrieved her phone and dialed Alexander's number.
After what felt like an eternity, a voice answered, "Hello?"
"Alex, where are you?" Ava's voice wavered slightly.
"Alex, who's calling at this hour?" Isabella's drowsy voice intruded on the call.
Ava's mind seethed with rage. He was indeed with Isabella—he didn't even have the decency to deny it.
Alexander’s voice was tender as he addressed Isabella, "Isabella, go back to sleep. I'll be right there."
His tone turned frosty when he spoke to Ava, "What's up?"
"So, you actually went to Isabella's, didn't you, Alexander? Having a good time, I bet. Did she solve your problem?" Ava's voice quivered with a blend of sarcasm and tremors.
"If there's nothing else, I'm going to hang up. I need some rest," Alexander retorted, his voice laced with impatience.
"Fine, go to sleep. Snuggle up to Isabella and sleep soundly. Oh, and just so you know, I snuck out grandma's old box and used the key to open it, only to find that the documents we needed weren't there. Such a shame, we can't get a divorce just yet. Tell that to Isabella, ask her to wait a bit longer."
With that, Ava ended the call, her anger palpable.
She flung herself onto the bed, clutching the sheets as tears soaked her pillow, the self-reproach overwhelming.
'Ava, you're so helpless. Why did you even call him? Why subject yourself to humiliation again?
'Wasn't it him who said he was going to see Isabella? When has he ever lied about such matters? Why degrade yourself once more!
'I'm sorry, baby, is Mommy really that useless? I can’t seem to hold onto your dad.
'I'm sorry, I won’t cry anymore, don’t worry. I will be strong, and not waste anymore tears over that jerk.' Ava promised herself.
