Chapter 310: The True Purpose
Scarlett spoke softly, "Child, don't hold it against your mother-in-law."
Ava nodded, "Grandma, I won't blame her. I've got nothing to argue with her about. I think she's quite lonely too."
"Yes, your mother-in-law is a pitiful soul. If I could do it over, I would have never let her marry your Grandpa Mitchell. But when I tell you not to blame her, it's not because she's pitiable—it's because there's another reason she was harsh with you."
Ava looked at her grandmother with confusion, "What do you mean by that, Grandma?"
"What did you see when your mother-in-law was being mean to you?"
"I..." Ava faltered, "I saw my mother-in-law being mean to me."
Scarlett chuckled, tapping Ava lightly on the forehead, "You silly girl. I'm asking what resulted from your mother-in-law's meanness?"
Ava rubbed her forehead, a little dazed from her grandmother's flick, "It resulted in..."
She pondered, then spoke uncertainly, "It resulted in Alex arguing with her."
"That's right," Scarlett said with an encouraging nod. "You're finally catching on."
"You know, Alex argued with his own mother to protect you. Now, what's Mia after, really? She's a smart cookie; why would she go out of her way to pick on you for no good reason? Only a fool would do that, and I'm sure you don't think of your mother-in-law as a fool, right?" Scarlett's point made Ava Anderson realize something she hadn't before. "Grandma, do you mean that my mother-in-law acted harsh on purpose just to see how Alexander Mitchell would react?"
"Exactly," Scarlett affirmed. "Now, think bigger. Take a wild guess."
The more Ava thought about it, the more astonished she became. "Grandma, was she trying to show me Alex's reaction?"
When you put it that way, it explained why Mia Thompson suddenly seemed like a changed person.
Mia Thompson was a formidable woman—intelligent and capable. She could be stern and distant, but she was never petty or mean without reason.
"Right," Scarlett said. "Your mother-in-law wanted you to see that when you are mistreated, Alex will still stand up for you. She was also making an effort, even if it meant being misunderstood by you, to try and salvage the relationship between you two. However, she didn't anticipate the argument with her son escalating the way it did, nor did she expect Alex to bring up things from his childhood."
"Grandma, how do you know all this?" Ava asked, puzzled.
Scarlett wasn't present when it all went down, but her confident tone made it seem like she knew everything that had happened.
"It's not hard for a grandmother to find out what she wants to know," Scarlett said candidly.
Ava understood immediately and nodded, choosing not to pry further. She figured that the staff or the butler must have filled Scarlett in.
"Grandma, by that reasoning, wouldn't my mother-in-law be quite upset? She was very emotional when she left, and my father-in-law went after her. I don't know what happened to them afterward," Ava admitted, clearly worried.
Scarlett picked up her smartphone, typed a brief message, and sent it. Ava received a notification and turned to Scarlett, who said, "This is your mother-in-law's apartment address. You could go see her."
Ava hummed in acknowledgment. "Alright, I'll give her a call before I go."
"There's no need; just go. If you call her now, she won't pick up, and she'll just reject you outright. She must be heartbroken after the conflict with Alex. I've made inquiries; she hasn't gone to the bank, working from home instead. She'll be there. Surprise her and have a good heart-to-heart."
