Chapter 173 His Indifference
A sudden recollection struck Ava. "Oh, right," she said, her voice carrying a tone of casual revelation. "Alex mentioned to me today, on our way here, that we won't be pursuing a divorce for the time being." She was determined not to give Isabella the satisfaction of seeing her marriage crumble.
Isabella felt as though she had been hit by a bolt of lightning. Her eyes widened in shock as she stuttered out, "Alex..."
Alexander, however, turned his attention to Ava. "Could you wait for me in the car? I'll join you shortly," he requested.
"Of course, take your time," Ava responded. She had no desire to engage with either of them any longer and promptly rose to leave the room.
As soon as Ava was out of sight, Isabella seized the opportunity to move closer to Alexander, taking the spot Ava had just vacated. She reached out, her hand trembling slightly as she grasped his arm. "Alex, what's happening? Is it her who's refusing the divorce again?" she asked, her voice laced with desperation.
"No, Ava wants the divorce. But this time, I told her I'm not going through with it," Alexander replied, his voice steady and calm.
Isabella's tears fell freely. "How could this be?" she cried. "Why would you say that? Your grandmother already gave you the divorce papers. She agreed to your divorce, why won't you proceed with it?"
Alexander sighed. "My grandmother is unwell. Divorcing Ava would undoubtedly distress her. Moreover, even if I divorced Ava, I couldn't openly marry you right away. It wouldn't be fair to you. It's better to wait."
Isabella's frustration was palpable. "Wait for what? Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for you to get divorced? You have the divorce papers, everything is ready, and now you're backtracking. Where does that leave me? Why do you always have so many excuses?" she lamented, feeling deeply wronged.
Alexander's expression hardened, his voice turning icy. "Are you implying that my concern for my grandmother is just an excuse? She's elderly. Is it wrong for me to consider her feelings? Or is it because she's not your grandmother, so you don't care about her feelings at all? You still believe that she orchestrated the surgery!"
Isabella was taken aback by Alexander's cold indifference. "Alex, why are you acting like this? Even though your grandmother said she wasn’t responsible for the incident, but..."
Alexander cut her off, his voice firm. "There's no 'but' about it," he said, preventing her from saying anything further that he might find disagreeable.
"If grandma says she didn't do it, then she didn't do it. Grandma wouldn't lie," he stated with conviction.
The reason he hadn't probed or investigated the matter earlier was due to the fear of what it might mean if his grandmother had indeed been involved. If it meant going against his beloved grandma, that was something he couldn't bear. But if she was indeed responsible, he couldn't just pretend it never happened.
Now that he was certain she hadn't been involved, he felt a sense of relief.
"Alex, you—" Isabella began, her anger making it difficult for her to articulate her thoughts.
"Let's leave it at that for now," Alexander interrupted. "You're not in good health, you need to take care of yourself. We can discuss my situation with Ava later. And, unless it's absolutely necessary, refrain from addressing me so casually."
With that, he rose and left the room.
Ava sat in the passenger seat of the car, waiting for Alexander. She scrolled aimlessly through her phone until he joined her, the car door slamming shut with a resonating thud.
Ava glanced at him, but remained silent.
"Now that everything's been cleared up, let's not bring up the whole resort incident next time," Alexander broke the silence.
Ava, her attention still on her phone, responded nonchalantly, "Whether or not I bring it up, it doesn't make much difference."
Alexander furrowed his brow, "What do you mean by that? Haven't I explained it to you before?"
