Chapter 61 The Brother and the Sister-in-law
As dawn broke, Ava stirred from her slumber to find the other side of the bed vacant.
A glimmer of hope had clung to her heart the previous night, a hope that Alexander might choose to stay by her side.
But alas, he was nowhere to be found. The man was an enigma, a storm that had swept in, driving her friend away, only to dissipate himself.
Yet, it was she who had asked him to leave, and he had complied. So why did she feel this pang of discomfort?
Just as she was mulling over this, the bathroom door creaked open, and Alexander emerged.
Seeing her awake, he approached. "You're awake."
Taken aback, Ava stammered, "Why are you here?" She had assumed he had departed.
"I had planned to return home after you fell asleep, but exhaustion overcame me, and I dozed off in the chair. When I awoke, it was already morning."
"Oh." A cocktail of emotions swirled within Ava upon hearing his explanation.
He hadn't intended to stay.
Observing Alexander's haggard appearance, she surmised that he hadn't slept well.
"You should go home and rest."Before Alexander could reply, his phone trilled.
He answered with a terse, "Hello?"
His expression swiftly morphed into one of annoyance. "How could this happen? How could you fail to handle things properly? I'm on my way!" He ended the call abruptly.
"Ava, an urgent matter has arisen. I must leave. Someone will be here soon to attend to you. Also, the divorce papers will be delivered today. If everything is in order, sign them."
Ava's heart fluttered. The inevitable was unfolding.
Despite his sporadic kindness, it was all a mirage.
His heart belonged to Isabella.
As Alexander reached for his coat, Ava called out, "Alex."
He paused, "Yes?"
"Are you going to see Isabella?"
A simple grunt confirmed her suspicion.
"She's running a fever."
"Oh. Well, go ahead then." Ava forced her voice to remain steady. Here she was, his wife, confined to a hospital bed, while he rushed off to care for another woman. How considerate.
It was a pity that Isabella wasn't his wife yet. Otherwise, his actions would seem justified.
With his back to her, Alexander spoke softly, "You said yourself that you see me as a brother, so that would make Isabella your sister-in-law, wouldn't it?"
Ava couldn't help but chuckle. She was surprised to find that such words no longer provoked her anger. They seemed amusing now.Her heart had hardened from the countless times this man had caused her pain.
Before Ava could retort, Alexander had already vanished, his footsteps echoing in the distance.
Ava buried herself under the covers, her sobs muffled by the blanket.It seemed that even the most resilient hearts could still ache, and nothing was truly invincible....
Alexander hadn't left the hospital premises when he spotted a familiar figure in the distance.
Upon closer inspection, he recognized Amelia, clad in a nurse's uniform, engrossed in her duties.
Frowning, he strode over, "Amelia, what are you doing here?"
Startled by the voice behind her, Amelia spun around, her smile strained, "Mr. Mitchell, you're still here?"
"I'm asking you, do you work here?" His surprise was evident.
"I... yes. Is there a problem?" She could feel her heart pounding.
Alexander was about to question why she hadn't informed him, but he stopped himself.
Why should he care if Amelia worked here? What did it have to do with him? Yet, something felt amiss.
"What's the matter? Is there a problem with me working here?" She could feel her heart pounding.
Was he suspecting her of using her position to conceal his wife's pregnancy?
Alexander's expression was stern, but he couldn't identify the source of his unease.
With urgent matters concerning Isabella, he had no time to delve deeper and turned to leave.
Amelia shuddered.
