Chapter 142
"So I can ask for anything?"
William felt guilty toward her and naturally wanted to make it up to her properly.
"Go ahead, as long as it's within my power."
Ava didn't hesitate anymore.
"I want 5% of the Morgan Group's original shares."
As soon as she said this, William's expression changed dramatically. The Morgan Group made hundreds of billions in revenue every year, and the dividends from 5% of shares would be no small amount. Even William only held 20% of the original shares. Grandpa had a bit more, and Michael, along with William's parents, had some portions. The rest of the original shares were divided up by those old guys in the company.
Her demand was like a lion opening its mouth wide, directly asking for a quarter of his net worth.
William was surprised - she really dared to ask.
"Are you sure?"
Ava laughed coldly. "I'm sure."
Since he gave her this chance to speak up, Ava definitely wouldn't hold back. This was what he owed their two children - 5% was actually asking for too little.
That said, Ava figured he wouldn't agree. For someone of his status, you could ask him for money, ask him for property, but asking for shares was like asking for his company - that was the lifeline of a wealthy heir. He wouldn't let go.
The atmosphere fell into a brief silence.
"Okay, I agree."
William crossed his hands on his knees. "But we need to sign another divorce agreement. I need you to help hide this from Grandpa. Until I'm ready to tell him the truth, you're obligated to put on an act with me. You also can't announce our divorce publicly - it'll affect the Morgan Group's stock price. I'll have James prepare a share transfer document."
"Fine. When will we process the official divorce?"
"One month after signing the agreement."
William felt relieved. Giving it to her was no big deal. He was confident in himself - losing this 5% of original shares wouldn't shake his position at the Morgan Group.
By giving it to her, the guilt in his heart was gone, and he felt light and free.
She took the money, and they'd be even.
William immediately called James to prepare the divorce agreement, without delay.
Ava took a shower and changed into conservative pajamas. Coming out of the bathroom, she saw those three large boxes of condoms on the shoe cabinet and found it ironic.
"How are we sleeping tonight?"
She asked.
Two months later, bringing up divorce again, signing divorce papers again, they had to face the sleeping arrangement question once more.
They were getting divorced - sleeping together wouldn't be appropriate.
William loosened his tie.
"You sleep here. I won't be coming back tonight. When the divorce agreement is ready, James will bring it over."
Ava understood. He didn't even have the mood to sign with her, his mind completely focused on Sarah's bastard child.
Before he walked out, Ava couldn't help asking,
"William, I'm just curious - if I had our baby, would you like it? Would you stay because of the baby?"
William's hand was on the doorknob. Without turning his head, he said,
"No."
Ava's heart turned completely cold. She knew this would be the result.
Now she didn't need to struggle with whether to stay or go - she thanked him for making the decision for her.
Ava didn't sleep all night. She opened her burner account on Facebook and listened to the fetal heartbeat all night. She wouldn't allow her baby to be rejected by him. He wouldn't get that chance again.
The next morning, James knocked on the door to deliver the divorce agreement.
"Mrs. Morgan..."
James looked regretful. He didn't know what William and Ava were fighting about again. They had clearly been playing games well together and even kissed in public, then suddenly wanted to divorce again. James vaguely felt these two couldn't actually divorce - the young couple was just having a tantrum.
He spent more time with William than with his own fiancée. He could guess what William was thinking pretty accurately. William clearly couldn't leave Ava.
He glanced at the elegant Ava, thinking to himself that William was really being difficult.
Ava was straightforward, though. She took the divorce agreement from him and, without a word, flipped to the last page to sign.
James felt a tightness in his chest.
"Mrs. Morgan, don't you want to reconsider? Mr. Morgan, he..."
William was just being stubborn. Actually, he was 100% unwilling.
Ava's emotions were calm.
"No need."
After signing, she returned the document to James.
"Thank you, James."
James sincerely wanted them to reconcile. Ava appreciated this thoughtfulness. She just feared disappointing him - this marriage was beyond saving, even by the gods. Better to cut it off quickly while they were both still angry.
She shouldn't be trapped in this miserable whirlpool. She should have her own life, together with the baby in her belly.
That agreement was delivered to William's hands while he was drinking with a few good friends in a VIP room.
Daniel's sharp eyes caught the title "Divorce Agreement" on the cover of the document James brought, and he looked surprised.
"No way, you're getting divorced again? Is this why you called us here to drink for half the day?"
William ignored him, took the pen from James, and went straight to the last page to sign his name.
James didn't dare say more. He organized the signed documents, put them in a folder, and went out.
In the VIP room, Daniel kept talking.
"You dog, what's the reason for divorcing Ava this time? Don't tell me it's because of that angelic bitch Sarah. If it really is because of her, then we're done being friends. I don't make friends with scumbags."
William rubbed his temples and finally spoke with difficulty after a long while.
"Sarah's pregnant. It's mine."
Daniel wanted to throw his glass.
"You scumbag, total scumbag!"
So infuriating.
Daniel was breathing heavily with anger. His jinx of a mouth had actually predicted it - that angelic bitch really was causing trouble.
"Why did you sleep with her? What's she worth? Is it that anything you haven't eaten outside tastes good, even shit?"
Daniel was so angry that he was speaking without thinking.
William was rendered speechless by the scolding. He said helplessly,
"We only slept together once."
Terry, sitting to the side, spoke up.
"This isn't something to joke about, William. Are you sure the child is yours?"
His words woke up the angry Daniel. Using a child as leverage to climb into wealthy families was common in their circle.
"Right, how can you be sure the child is yours? Getting pregnant from just once - are you really that potent?"
William gave Daniel a cold look. This touched on a matter of male dignity.
He was puzzled. Why was everyone's first reaction to hearing about Sarah's child the same - saying the child might not be his? He had never doubted Sarah in this regard.
No matter how unreasonable Sarah was, she was still a simple girl without much scheming. She didn't have the depth to think up such a dramatic scheme to trick him.
Besides, that night they really did have sex.
Although he couldn't remember the details at all, a girl wouldn't joke about her own innocence.
He had witnessed Sarah's craziness. If he ignored her, she really could do something like taking two lives to show him.
But Ava was different. She appeared gentle on the surface, but was actually very resilient at heart. She wouldn't seek death over a failed marriage.
Weighing it all, he made this difficult decision.
But just now, as he faced his two buddies' questioning, he felt a moment of regret. He was wondering if there was another way to compromise.