Chapter 73 Ice Cold
Upon setting her eyes on Alexander, Ava was overcome by a wave of unfamiliarity. Yet, the realization that he was unscathed brought a sigh of relief from her lips. She was determined not to let her heart ache once more, so she responded to his presence with an icy detachment, "Why are you here?"
Alexander's brow furrowed at Ava's cold reception, "I came to see you. Aren't you getting discharged?"
"Thanks," she replied, her tone formal and distant.
A flicker of irritation crossed Alexander's face as his gaze landed on William. The man was like an unwelcome shadow, always lurking. "Mr. Bennett seems to have a penchant for befriending other men’s wives," he remarked, his voice laced with sarcasm.
"Mr. Mitchell, if I'm not mistaken, Ava mentioned to me that you two have already signed the divorce papers," William retorted, his voice steady.
The mention of "Ava" ignited a spark of anger in Alexander's eyes, "What did you call her?"
"It was me who agreed to be called that," Ava interjected, stepping forward and pulling William behind her, "We're friends, and I won't be Mrs. Mitchell much longer. Isn't it normal for him to call me by my first name?" Her words were a clear indication that Alexander had no right to be upset.
Alexander's gaze fell on the roses in his arms, their vibrant color suddenly seeming to taint his vision with a bloody hue. He snatched the roses from her arms and replaced them with the lilies he had brought, "These are your favorite, lilies." With a swift motion, he tossed the roses onto the nearby sofa.
Ava's anger was palpable. She placed the lilies next to the discarded roses, carefully rearranged the roses, then turned to William with an apologetic glance. William nodded with a smile, a silent reassurance that eased Ava's tension.
"Mr. Mitchell, if you've come to see me, you've seen enough. I'm being discharged now. Anything else?" she asked, her voice firm.
Hearing the formal address "Mr. Mitchell," Alexander responded indifferently, "Sorry, I forgot to tell you something."
"What is it?" Ava asked, her brow furrowing in confusion."The divorce papers, my father tore them up. He's insisting we don’t go through with the divorce." Alexander's face betrayed little anger, but a hint of satisfaction was evident. Meanwhile, Ava felt her annoyance surging.
She had already heard the news from Amelia, who had shown her a video, but her attention had been focused on Isabella being with Alexander, a fact that had hurt her deeply.
"You've been saying we'd divorce, then there was a typo in the papers, dragging our feet with the proceedings, and just when we finally signed, the papers are torn up. Are we getting a divorce or not? Are you doing this on purpose?" Ava's voice echoed with frustration.
"Me, on purpose?" Alexander scoffed. "I initiated the divorce. I wouldn’t stall it intentionally. My father tore up the agreement. If you don’t believe me, ask him. There's no need for me to lie to you. In any case, we’re still legally married, so you better keep your distance from other men. If my grandmother hears of it, she won’t be pleased."
"And what about you and Isabella? Aren't you worried that if your grandmother hears about that, she won't be pleased? How long do you intend to keep up these double standards?" Ava shot back, her patience wearing thin.
She was tired of his double standards. While he could play Romeo with Isabella, professing undying love, if she so much as befriended another man, in Alexander’s eyes, she was practically promiscuous, on the verge of infidelity.
Alexander clenched his fists, the knuckles crackling ominously.Amelia, sensing the tension, quickly intervened, "Ava just got discharged from the hospital. Can you not fight right now?"
Alexander knew she was right. Swallowing his fury, he said, "Let's go home." He didn't want to argue with her on the day of her discharge.
Ava, too, longed to put an end to this ordeal. She turned to William and said, "Mr. Bennett, I'll be heading home now. In a couple of days, let's grab dinner. Thanks for the flowers, I'll make sure to display them at home."
