Chapter 403 No Escape
"Mom, please stop saying that. He doesn't love me!" Ava's voice wavered, her emotions teetering on the edge of control. "If he truly loved me, he wouldn't have forsaken our marriage for Isabella. He wouldn't continually place his trust in her, causing me such pain. He simply doesn't love me!"
"It's because Alexander is a fool!" Mia said. "He lacked love when he was young, so he doesn't understand what love is. He's confused himself! I met with him today with the purpose of having you two meet and talk things out, to find out who he really loves!"
"So, you arranged this meeting for me and Alexander?" Ava took a few steps back. "No, I cannot face him. I've made it abundantly clear that our paths should diverge. I simply cannot..."
"Hold your tongue!" Mia interjected, seizing Ava's arm. "Why do you cower so, Ava? What harm can a mere meeting inflict?"
"He harbors no love for me. A meeting would serve only to humiliate me further! He cast me aside for Isabella, and under no circumstances can I reclaim his heart."
Despite the ache that gnawed at her heart, despite her lingering love for Alexander, Ava knew she could not endeavor to win him back.
"If he dares to belittle you, I'll take him to task! Can you not afford yourself another chance? I see your suffering. It mirrors the torment Alexander and I endured, reminding me of our past with his father. Yet, I maintain that your situation with Alexander differs from ours. You two share a bond of love that is unparalleled!"
Mia's words, typically laced with frost, were now tinged with warmth. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, hinting at a memory that had caused her great sorrow, a memory that allowed her to empathize with Ava and Alexander's current predicament.
"A bond of love?" Ava shook her head vehemently. "What significance does that hold? If it were truly of importance, Isabella would not exist. Mom, I apologize, but had today's meeting not been about your conversation with Alexander, I would have had no need to attend."
"Ava!" Mia's voice echoed behind her, "One last time! At least hear him out. Reflect upon this, has he ever explicitly stated that he doesn't love you?"
"His words hold no weight. His actions are what truly matter. I judge him based on his deeds," Ava responded, her voice barely above a whisper. "Therefore, I have no desire to hear him speak further."
"Ava, you coward!" Mia approached her, her voice laced with anger. "So what if he doesn't love you? Does that frighten you? Look at yourself, shrinking away like a timid turtle. Just because a man doesn't love you, you can't face him? Why can't you stand before him with confidence, like a self-assured woman, and show him that even without his love, you can thrive! By evading him in this manner, you're merely providing Isabella with a reason to ridicule you!"
"Mom, don't force me to take action!"
"I'm just stating the facts. The home we're visiting today should have been yours. Alexander had already gifted it to you. If you're too frightened to reside there, that's one thing. But now, you're even too scared to pay a visit. Do you truly wish for the child within you to inherit your weakness? The type of mother you are will shape the type of child you raise. Do you wish for your child to emulate you, forever fleeing from adversity?"
Mia's words struck Ava like a dagger to the heart.
Ava lowered her gaze, her hand instinctively caressing her belly. She closed her eyes, lost in thought for a moment, before turning to face Mia.
"I'm not running away, Mom. Since you've framed it in such a manner, I'll confront her. I believe the outcome will remain unchanged."
"Regardless of the outcome, at least you faced it instead of fleeing. He is the father of your child. Do you intend to keep this a secret from your child for the rest of their life? And from Alexander as well? You may believe that your actions display strength, but in reality, you're being unjust to your child. If you choose to bring them into this world, then there are truths they have a right to know."
Mia placed a hand over her heart. "And I, I've been concealing this from everyone, and it feels as though I'm betraying my own conscience."
It was only then that Ava understood the burden Mia had been shouldering by keeping this secret. After all, she was the child's grandmother, yet she had been forced to withhold this truth from her own son, a sacrifice that went above and beyond.
"Let's go." Mia walked up, grabbed Ava's wrist, and led her to the car.
