Chapter 146 Let's Get the Divorce
"I simply fell for the wrong person," she murmured, her gaze locked onto the documents clutched in her hands.
Distractedly, she reached into her pocket, seeking solace in the digital glow of her phone. But it was lifeless, its battery drained.
Observing her, William quickly offered, "I have a charger. Let me power it up for you."
Ava nodded her gratitude, her mind still a whirlwind of thoughts.
With a swift motion, William connected her phone to the charger, allowing it to regain some life.
"What's the time?" Ava queried, her voice barely above a whisper.
William glanced at his wristwatch. "One in the afternoon. Do you have somewhere to be?"
A confession slipped from her lips, "I was too impulsive back at the resort. I refused to divorce him out of spite. Now, I regret it. I should finalize the divorce so I don't have to face him again."
Her anger had been a wildfire then, consuming her rationality. She had spat out those words, refusing to make it easy for them. It had seemed like the perfect retaliation. But now, with her fury extinguished, she realized her stubbornness had only wounded her further.
What did she gain from this marriage? Besides the hollow title of Mrs. Mitchell, keeping Isabella at bay, and barring them from a public relationship, what was the point? She was no victor in this game.
Once her phone had absorbed enough power, Ava switched it on, only to find several missed calls from Alexander.
His phone had been reachable all this while, but now, in a cruel twist of fate, hers had been off. It was as if they were destined to miss each other, never meant to align.
Taking a deep breath, Ava dialed Alexander’s number. It was answered promptly.
Before Ava could utter a word, Alexander's voice filled the silence, “Ava, where are you?”
“I was about to find you,” Ava replied, her tone icy. “Meet me at the City Hall steps. I want this marriage dissolved by five today.”
A lengthy silence ensued before he asked again, “Where are you right now?”
“You don’t need to concern yourself with my whereabouts. Just be at the City Hall steps within an hour so we can finalize this and move forward,” she insisted.
Another pause, then Alexander’s voice echoed, heavy yet resigned, “Alright.”
With that, the call ended.
The way Alexander had said, "Alright,” was like a thorn piercing her heart.
The divorce was imminent, which should have been a relief.
Then why did it still ache?
Perhaps it was because she had loved this man for a decade, a lifetime. It was akin to a knife lodged in her heart, a pain she had grown numb to over the years. But now, as she prepared to extract it, the agony was unbearable.
Yet, it was alright. The pain was temporary. Time would mend her wounds.
She turned to William and said, “Thanks, William, but let’s forgo lunch. I need to rush and settle the divorce with Alexander—I might not return in time to eat.”
Comprehending, William signaled the household staff to halt any lunch preparations.
“Won’t you eat then?” Ava asked, puzzled.
She was departing, but William still needed sustenance.
“I’ll drive you to City Hall. How else were you planning to get there?”
She paused. That’s when it dawned on her—she didn’t have her car.
This was an affluent neighborhood, luxury cars adorning every driveway, with hardly a taxi or subway station in sight.
William added, “The City Hall is quite a distance from here. I'll take you.”
“Won’t that be too much trouble for you? And you haven’t eaten lunch,” she expressed her concern.
“It won’t make much of a difference. I can skip a meal. You’re pregnant. You can’t skip eating. Just give me a moment.”
William rose and, after a brief absence, returned with a few bags of milk and sandwiches and some fruit. “I'll drive you, and you can have some of this on the way. We'll get a proper meal tonight.”
Ava nodded, "Okay then, I appreciate your help."
"No problem," he replied, a hint of joy seeping into his voice at the opportunity to assist Ava.
Together, they embarked on their journey to the city hall.
Seated in the city hall, clutching the documents, Ava felt a knot of anxiety tighten in her stomach.
