Chapter 85 Don't Overthink It
With a sense of precision, Ava folded the clothes in her hands, placing them neatly on her lap.
"It's fine, you deal with it. I don't want it," she said, her voice steady and clear. The atmosphere in the room was thick with tension, the need for clarity and understanding pressing heavily on them both. There was no room for ambiguity, no space for blurred lines.
Alexander, his brow furrowed in confusion, withdrew his hand. "You don't want the bracelet just because you think Isabella wanted me to buy it for you," he said, his voice filled with frustration. "Let me make it clear. I bought it myself. Isabella didn't know at first. She just happened to see it, mentioned it would suit you well, but it wasn't her suggestion that made me purchase it."
Ava paused, her mind racing back to her previous conversation with Isabella. The words that Isabella had spoken were a stark contrast to what Alexander was now telling her. It was almost laughable, the ease with which a few words from Isabella could cause such upheaval, perhaps a testament to her deep-seated disappointment in Alexander."
She saw the gift you bought for me," Ava said, her voice laced with a hint of sarcasm. "Seems like you two are quite chummy, she gets to lay her eyes on all your stuff."
Alexander's expression shifted, irritation creeping into his features. "Ava, I'm trying to have a genuine conversation here."
"And so am I," Ava retorted, her voice firm. "You made it clear that buying the gift was your idea, not something Isabella suggested. Well, let me be just as clear. Isabella explicitly told me, you asked her advice on what to get for me. She was the one who proposed the idea of a bracelet, and only then did you buy it. So, who am I supposed to believe when both of you are telling a different story?"
Deep down, Ava knew she trusted Alexander. He had no reason to lie to her, but the effortless way Isabella had sown seeds of doubt, that was all because of the bracelet.Alexander was so closely tied to her, yet even if their words contradicted, it didn't change the fact that they were entangled in each other's lives.
Alexander's expression shifted dramatically, "You're misinterpreting Isabella's words. She only mentioned that she saw the bracelet and thought it would suit you. You've got it all wrong."
Ava chuckled, "I got it wrong? My apologies, I did attend school, you know. I'm pretty sure I understood her just fine. I know exactly what she meant."
Alexander retorted, "I've talked to her about this. She told me that she saw the bracelet and simply remarked that it was pretty and a good fit for you. Ava, don't badmouth her out of jealousy."
The accusation of slander hit a nerve, and Ava rose to her feet, dropping the clothing she held, "So, you'll take her word over mine? You think I'm lying?"
"That's not what I'm saying." Alexander tried to keep his composure. "What I mean is, you've got it all wrong about her. It's normal for things to be misconstrued in those kinds of situations."
"I didn't misunderstand her," Ava said, not wanting to argue with him, but today she was set on getting things straight. "Whether her words were ambiguous or not, I understood them perfectly. She told me outright that you didn't know what to gift me and suggested you buy me a diamond bracelet. It's that simple, and I'm not an elementary school kid. How could I have gotten it wrong?"
"You mean to say Isabella deliberately lied to create discord?" Alexander's expression was clearly running out of patience.Isabella seemed to be his bottom line. To him, she was someone who couldn't be slandered.
"Exactly, that's what I'm saying. She's sowing seeds of trouble."
"Ridiculous! She wouldn't do such a thing. I'm already divorcing you, why would she bother to stir up trouble over a mere bracelet? She's not that petty."
Seeing Alexander's unconditional belief in Isabella left Ava feeling powerless. She was almost numb from all the drama, unable to laugh or cry, "Yeah, right, I'm the petty one."
"I didn't say that. Don't overthink it."
