Chapter 522 Variety in Friendship
"Anger, upon each occurrence, carried grave consequences, as it propeled me to confront you unabashedly, provoking your ire, eliciting tears, and possibly inflicting harm. Portraying myself as a victim, yet I was fully aware that these circumstances were of my own making. It was I who, for another woman, initiated the divorce with you, who abandoned you for the promises made to someone else. By what right do I criticize your closeness to William?"
"Even if you have cultivated a close relationship with him, what of it? I am the one who lost you, and subsequently, you encountered a man who tenderly cared for you, stood by you in distress, and protected you. Naturally, you would be moved. Ava, tell me, is it William's devotion that has stirred such sentiment in you, prompting the evolution from mere friends to kindred spirits willing to go to great lengths for each other?"
Ava was silent for a while, then nodded. "Yes, he moved me a lot."
Her heart was not made of stone. William's kindness towards her couldn't leave her unaffected. Although this feeling was not love, there were many kinds of love in this world. Love for family, love for a partner, and love for friends. These were all forms of love.
"Yes, being moved, how wonderful. At first, I was very angry because you told me you were friends, but I didn't believe it. I always felt there was something between you two. But later, I realized it was my dirty thoughts making everything seem dirty."
"You are the kind of person who embraces the desire to reciprocate and return double kindness. Thus, your benevolence towards William, your concern, support, and care, all stem from the previous instances where William extended his care towards you. When I hurt you deeply, it was he who shielded you by your side, and I, in turn, facilitated such circumstances for him. Yet, in the end, I found myself pointing fingers at both of you."
"I was narrow-minded and foolish, so I thought that since you said you were friends, you shouldn't be so close. You should keep your distance. But a few days ago, I watched a movie about family, friendship, and love. I saw a deep friendship between a man and a woman in the movie. When the man was on his deathbed, as a friend, the woman gently touched his face, gave him a deep kiss on the forehead, and with tears in her eyes, she told him, 'I love you.' And the woman's husband was also there, holding his hand, without a hint of jealousy, not feeling that they shouldn't say such things or make such intimate gestures."
"After the movie ended, I suddenly thought a lot and felt enlightened. It turns out that friends are not as simple as I thought because there are many types of friends, including acquaintances, ordinary friends, close friends, and best friends."
"I don't know to what extent you and William have reached, but I am sure you are no longer ordinary friends. How could ordinary friends make such sacrifices for each other? Only close friends and best friends would do that."
Alexander continued, "Ordinary friends might just check on you when you're sick, but close friends would stay up all night to take care of you. Ordinary friends might curse a jerk with you and have a meal together when you're hurt, but best friends would be willing to do anything to prevent you from being hurt by that jerk again."
