Chapter 39: Joshua, I Want to Live, Is It Possible?
What are these two kids thinking about?
"Mommy, tell us!" Finn and Cleo looked at Ava expectantly.
Ava was embarrassed. "Finn, Cleo, who told you that they both like me?"
"We figured it out ourselves!"
Ava tapped their cute little noses. "You two, what goes through your heads all day? Gilbert is my colleague, and he has someone he likes. As for Ryan..."
Ava suddenly thought of the image of Ryan sharpening his knife and couldn't help but feel a tremor in her heart. "I guess he's like a brother to me. So you two stop talking nonsense about who likes who."
"Hmph, that's because Mommy is too dumb to see it." Cleo whispered to Finn.
Finn totally agreed with Cleo. "Exactly."
"What are you two little ones whispering about behind my back?"
"Nothing, nothing. Cleo won't tell Mommy that Cleo just said Mommy is dumb!" Cleo blurted out without thinking.
"..." Ava was speechless. "Cleo, I didn't hear that clearly. Come on, say it again."
Cleo quickly covered her mouth. "Not saying it, not saying it."
"Naughty."
"What about Daddy?" Finn suddenly asked, tilting his little head up to look at Ava, curiosity in his eyes.
Joshua?
At the sudden mention of Joshua, Ava felt an inexplicable tightness in her chest.
As for Joshua, Ava used to really like him, really really like him. She liked him so much that when she found out she could marry him, she was so happy she couldn't sleep for several nights.
She liked him so much that she gave up her dreams, gave up her social life, became a housewife, the perfect wife, revolving around only him.
She couldn't deny that he was the only man she ever liked, fell in love with, and wanted to spend her whole life with.
But later...
Just thinking about it made Ava feel sad.
Even though she was blind and foolish to love the wrong person.
But today, for a moment, she actually saw a hint of concern for herself in Joshua's cold-hearted eyes.
She was even dazed for a moment by that hint of concern.
When he stood up for her and put Mia in her place, she wondered if he had even the slightest bit of feeling for her.
But as soon as that thought appeared, Ava immediately crushed it.
How could he possibly like her? If he had any feelings for her at all, he wouldn't have thrown down divorce papers and a check years ago, forcing her to get an abortion.
Ava took a deep breath, pushing all her emotions down, and when facing the children, her smile remained gentle. But she always chose to avoid this question. "Alright, you two, what kind of weird questions are going through your heads all day? Time for bed. I'll tell you a story."
Finn and Cleo couldn't resist the temptation of Ava's beautiful voice telling them a bedtime story. They obediently lay down. Cleo hugged her favorite doll, Finn tucked himself in, and both closed their eyes, ready to sleep.
Ava's gentle, soothing voice began, "Once upon a time..."
The Thomas Villa.
Seeing Joshua return, Hayden jumped up from the sofa. His usually carefree face was unusually serious. "Joshua, I have something important to tell you."
For the great cause of getting Joshua and Ava back together, and to expose Mia's true colors, he had personally sat here waiting for Joshua until midnight. Look how hard he was trying!
"Joshua?"
Joshua went upstairs with a cold face, showing no reaction.
Hayden was speechless.
Hayden tilted his head, looking questioningly at Samuel, who was following properly behind Joshua.
Samuel pressed his lips together and made a throat-slitting gesture to indicate to Hayden just how scary Joshua was right now.
Hayden shuddered and looked again at Joshua's expression.
Joshua irritably loosened his tie, the coldness around him like blue ghostly flames that, once unleashed, would destroy everything.
Hayden swallowed hard. "Joshua, what's wrong? Who upset you?"
Hayden gritted his teeth and followed Joshua upstairs.
"Joshua, I really have something important to tell you."
Hayden's answer was the study door slamming shut.
The doorframe shook with the door, and Hayden's heart shook too.
"..."
Did he have to be so heartless?
Hayden pressed himself against the door like a gecko, ears perked up listening for any movement inside, but there wasn't a sound.
Hayden was determined not to give up until he told Joshua. "Joshua, I'm coming in?"
No response!
"I'm really coming in?"
He tested again, still no response.
The main thing was, he didn't tell him to get lost either.
Usually, if he didn't tell him to get lost, it meant he could go in.
"Joshua, I'm coming in, I'm coming in."
"Good luck." Samuel gave Hayden encouragement with an expressionless face, but his eyes seemed to carry a bit of worry mixed with pity.
Hayden swallowed and the moment he pushed the door open, something came flying through the air with a sharp cold wind, heading straight for his face.
Hayden's eyes trembled. He reacted quickly and dodged by turning his head.
The glass shattered against the wall, breaking into pieces, fragments flying everywhere.
Hayden clutched his chest, his brow trembling. "Joshua, I'm your brother."
What good does killing me do you? If you kill me, no one will help you win Ava back!