Chapter 208 A Guilty Conscience
Victoria returned to her room to rest, leaving William alone in the house. Boredom soon took hold of him, and he decided to venture out. Upon his return, he found Victoria waiting for him, her tone laced with a sense of injustice. "I'm back now, aren't I?" she retorted.
William merely shook his head, resigned to his sister's often muddled train of thought.
"Leave the food alone," he cautioned her before disappearing into the kitchen.
Unfazed, Victoria placed her bag on the floor and trailed after him. "Will, where's Ava?" she inquired.
"In her room," he responded curtly.
"I'll go find her then."
William's stern command halted her in her tracks. "Don't disturb her."
Victoria scoffed, "What's the big deal? She's not made of glass."
William's overprotective instincts toward Ava were becoming increasingly evident. Victoria couldn't help but think that such care was usually reserved for one's own spouse, not someone else's.
"Something's happened, and she's very upset right now. Don't make it worse," William warned. He knew Ava's emotions were fragile in such situations, and any misstep could exacerbate her sorrow.
Victoria's curiosity was piqued. "What happened? I was only gone for a few hours. Did you do something to her?"
William's defensive reaction only fueled her suspicion. "What are you talking about?" he retorted, raising his hand as if to reprimand her physically.
Victoria recoiled, clutching her head in fright and stepping back. "Otherwise, why would she be so upset? The angrier you get, the more it seems like you're hiding something."
Despite her timid demeanor, Victoria was stubbornly persistent with her words.
William dropped his hands, sighing helplessly, "She's getting a divorce tomorrow."
The news hit Victoria like a ton of bricks. The events of the past few hours were overwhelming. Her brother had brought home a married, pregnant woman, treated her with utmost care, and the child wasn't even his.
Now, this woman was about to divorce her husband. If she was involved with William, she should be thrilled about leaving her husband. So what was really happening?
Victoria couldn't shake off the feeling that her brother might be nursing unrequited feelings for Ava.
And Ava, it seemed, was still in love with her good-for-nothing husband.
'Women do love the bad boys,' Victoria mused.
William, noticing the confusion on Victoria's face, guessed her thoughts. "Don't jump to conclusions—it's not what you think."
"Then what is it?" she demanded.
Busy with the soup on the stove, William took a moment before responding. He glanced around to ensure they were alone, then lowered his voice, "Her husband's been mistreating her, and now he wants to divorce her for another woman. He doesn't even know Ava's pregnant. Do you understand now?"
Victoria's face was a picture of shock. "Oh my God, that's just awful. Who is her husband?"
"You don't need to know that," William replied coldly. "I told you this so you'd understand to leave her alone. She's not like those carefree girls you hang out with. Be careful with your words around her."
Victoria persisted, "But you have to tell me who her husband is. If she won't tell me and you won't tell me, is he some kind of ghost?"
William, hearing Victoria mention that Ava hadn’t disclosed her husband's identity either, felt even less inclined to reveal it, especially since Ava had chosen to keep it to herself.
"There's nothing to say about him. He's a jerk. Knowing his name just adds another jerk to your mind, which is pointless."
Victoria was taken aback by his blunt justification. The more Ava and William withheld, the more curious she became about Ava's husband's identity. However, she realized she couldn't extract any more information from them.
