Chapter 232 Evading the Subject
Ava had settled into her new house.
She was staying there temporarily, taking it one step at a time since she still needed to find a permanent place.
With her consent, William installed a secure password lock with anti-burglary features for her.
If the door wasn't unlocked with a fingerprint within a set time after entry, an alarm would sound, automatically alerting the police station nearby, which was just five minutes away.
"William, I can't thank you enough. I don't know how to show my gratitude.”
William had been a great help, busy taking care of things for her.
"It’s okay, no need to be so formal with me."
While they had established they were good friends, he always felt that Ava wasn’t as comfortable with him as she was with Amelia Bennett.
But that made sense; she had known Amelia for a long time, while he had known Ava for less than a month. To have come this far was already significant progress.
Ava was about to offer to take him out for a meal when a ringtone interrupted her, "Sorry, I need to take this call."
William nodded, acknowledging with a "Hmm."
Ava pulled out her phone from her pocket, and upon seeing it was her grandma calling, she quickly answered, "Hello, Grandma."
After their conversation ended a short while later, Ava put the phone back in her pocket and turned to William, "That was my grandma. She wants me to come over for dinner tonight. Plus, I need to break the news to her about my divorce from Alex."
She felt a pang of guilt for not having told her grandmother about her divorce from Alexander beforehand.
"Sure thing," William glanced at his watch and said, "I've got things to take care of at the office as well. And hey, if you're heading over to your grandma's place tonight, promise me you'll take a short nap first. You look like you hardly slept last night; your eyes are a bit red."
"Mhm," Ava hummed in agreement, feeling truly exhausted.
After William had left, Ava collapsed onto the sofa with a deep sigh, overcome by fatigue. She lay down right there, grabbed a throw blanket, covered herself, and stared blankly at the ceiling. Before she knew it, she drifted off to sleep.
...
Come evening, Ava arrived at her grandmother Scarlett’s house.
Scarlett was still in the dark about the divorce, and her face lit up with joy at the sight of Ava.
"Ava, you're here! I've been so worried about you. I called Alex earlier, and he said he had no idea where you were, so I gave him an earful."
"Grandma, it was just me hanging out at a friend's place. My phone died, hence he couldn't reach me," Ava explained.
"Which friend?" Scarlett inquired.
"It’s...," Ava searched for an answer, then said, "You met her during my wedding to Alex. Her name's Amelia, but she didn't speak with you at the time."
"Oh, Amelia," Scarlett felt relieved on hearing it was a girl’s name.
Ava told another lie to her grandma, leaving a sour taste in her heart.
"Ava, what would you like for dinner? I’ll have the kitchen make it for you," Scarlett offered warmly.
"Grandma, there’s something I have to tell you," Ava guided her grandma to sit down on the sofa and gently held her arm.
Scarlett smiled, "No rush, we can talk after dinner. For now, let's chat. Tell me, have you come across anything interesting lately?"
Ava could tell her grandmother suspected something was up. Scarlett was sharp; sometimes, just by looking into someone's eyes, she could discern what was on their mind.
Ava tugged at the corners of her mouth, "Nothing interesting, Grandma, you know, I'm not working right now, so..."
"Speaking of jobs, have you considered working at the bank? Since you studied finance, it would be right up your alley."
If Ava took that job, Scarlett would rest easy, glad that someone would be there to look after her and prevent her from being bullied. Although Mia could be a bit cold, she wasn't a bad person.
"I..." At that moment, Ava didn't want to have anything to do with a company affiliated with the Mitchell family.
She was happy to visit her grandmother often and keep her company, but when it came to the rest of her life, she wanted to steer clear of the Mitchell family.
Seeing Ava's hesitant look, Scarlett's smile faded slightly, "What's wrong? Are you not willing?"
"Grandma, I'll figure out the job situation on my own, you don't have to worry about me. Do you really think I can't find a job without your connections?"
Ava pouted, clearly unhappy.
But her unhappiness was just for show.
Scarlett quickly explained, "That's not what I meant, dear. I know you're the smartest. I just want to help you, to make things easier for you."
"Grandma, I'm not suffering, I'm really happy. Thank you for taking care of me all these years, I'm doing well now."
That was the honest truth.
She couldn't let her past romantic entanglements with Alexander Mitchell overshadow the kindness her grandmother had shown her for a decade. She managed to keep the two separate in her mind.
"Ah," Scarlett let out a sigh, "You are such a kindhearted child. Strictly speaking, your parents’ accident was also because of SK Corporation's chemical plant malfunction. Yet, you never blamed us."
"Grandma, it was an accident," Ava said, "No one would wish for such a thing. It was just fate. I believe my parents are in heaven now where they have no worries."
"Yes," Scarlett mused, "Your parents were good people. If it weren't for them, many more would have been harmed. And you're a good child. Your aunt, on the other hand, is heartless—spending all the compensation meant for your parents and then abandoning you. Who would have thought she was capable of that?"
Back then, Ava was just ten, and the compensation from SK Corporation couldn’t be given directly to a child.
Per the regulations, the money was to be managed by her guardian.
At the time, many distant relatives came forward, wanting to be her guardian for the sake of the money. But in the end, it was her aunt who became the guardian, as she was the closest family Ava had.
"Sigh," Scarlett lamented with a hint of guilt, "It's grandma's fault for not investigating thoroughly and rushing to offer compensation. If I had known what kind of person she was, no matter how troublesome, I would have definitely adopted you directly. You wouldn't have had to live with your aunt and watch her squander your parent's settlement money. You must have suffered a lot, and she surely wasn't kind to you."
Ava forced a small smile. "It was alright, I guess."
Living with her aunt for a year, Ava truly did suffer. Her aunt had a gambling problem and a nasty temper, often lashing out at her. Ava practically played the role of a maid, cooking, cleaning, and laundry were all up to her, not to mention the frequent outbursts she had to endure.
Sometimes, when her aunt drank too much, Ava would feel terrified. She'd retreat to her room, lock the door, and her aunt would bang against it furiously in her drunken rage.
