Chapter 29
William walked over with a cold face. In those few seconds, Ava's mind raced through countless scenarios.
If he really heard her conversation with Lucas just now and knew about her pregnancy, then she'd call Sarah over, and the three of them could hash this out face-to-face.
Two pregnant women—he'd have to make a choice.
Even though her chances weren't great, she wouldn't let him do anything to hurt her baby. She had to give birth to the child in her belly. If he refused, then she'd have no choice but to die.
Or maybe she could take Sarah down with her, leaving him to grow old alone.
Ava narrowed her eyes, quietly watching him approach, as if waiting for his verdict.
She had mentally prepared herself enough, constantly comforting the two babies in her belly that hadn't fully developed yet.
"Don't be scared, babies. Mommy will risk her life to protect you. If Daddy doesn't want you, it's not because you're not good enough—it's because he doesn't deserve you!"
Time ticked by in her heart, second by second, like mental torture. Ava's heart was in her throat as she waited anxiously for what would happen next.
Surprisingly, when William came over, he just stared at her without saying anything.
His good upbringing prevented him from making a scene in public.
Ava knew him all too well.
The way his jawline was tensed right now meant he was angry—angry that she came to a couple's restaurant with Lucas, and that she was wearing full makeup.
He never liked her hanging out with Lucas, and he especially disliked her wearing such bold makeup outside.
His silence now was just the calm before the storm.
Ava suddenly felt she had nothing to feel guilty about. Wasn't he also at the couple's restaurant with his little mistress? Besides, everyone who knew Lucas knew his orientation—he didn't like women.
Whereas he and Sarah had an ambiguous relationship.
Compared to him, she was the one being honest, and she'd never done anything to wrong him.
With this thought, she straightened her neck and greeted him openly,
"Mr. Morgan, here with your girlfriend? What a coincidence."
She thought she no longer cared, but when she saw him sitting with Sarah ordering the couple's set meal, her heart still twisted with pain.
How much longer would it hurt before she could ignore him and her?
William narrowed his eyes but still didn't speak, only his thick eyebrows squeezed together, like a silent warning.
Just then, Sarah came clicking over in her high heels. When she reached William's side, she stopped, gently linking her arm through his with a radiant smile.
"Ava, what a coincidence. Is this your date? Aren't you going to introduce us?"
Ava's heart hurt so much she laughed. She stared at William without a word, wanting to see if her future brother-in-law had anything to say.
Lucas had a hot temper. If Ava could swallow this insult, he couldn't. He suddenly stood up with the momentum of someone ready to fight,
"Cut the fake act—who are you performing for? Want me to set up a stage for you? You lured your sister's husband into bed, and you don't have a clue? Been the other woman so long you think you're the legal wife now?"
Sarah never expected Lucas to call her out so bluntly in public, saying whatever harsh words came to mind. She stepped back, tears falling almost instantly.
"William, how can Ava's boyfriend say such things about me? Did I do something wrong to make Ava misunderstand? If so, I apologize to Ava. Ava, please don't blame me. I know I was wrong."
She tightened her grip on William's arm, blinking her big innocent eyes at him while sobbing softly.
This was Sarah's first time meeting Lucas, and running into him having dinner with Ava at a couples' restaurant, she couldn't wait to confirm their relationship on the spot to provoke William into divorcing her immediately.
William gave Ava an unfriendly look for a while. Everyone thought he was about to say something.
He just shook off Sarah's hand, pulled Ava toward the exit, and even remembered to grab her bag before leaving. He left the other two standing in the restaurant.
Ava was pulled along, having to jog to barely keep up with his pace. They walked all the way to his car, where he roughly pinned her against the car door.
"Why did you go to a couple's restaurant with him?"
Only then did he speak to question her.
Ava's waist hit the car door painfully. She instinctively covered her belly with her hand, but felt relieved inside.
He didn't mention the baby, which meant he hadn't heard her conversation with Lucas. The baby was still a secret.
"You went there with Sarah, too. Mr. Morgan, why is it okay for you to date your mistress but not for me?"
"Are you that bored? Coffee during work hours, dating men after work. Is this the confidence Grandpa gave you? Can't find Joseph, so you're getting desperate?"
Their thoughts weren't on the same track.
Ava felt insulted by his words. As if hearing the joke of the century, she couldn't help but laugh,
"William, just because you like cheating doesn't mean everyone else does, too. You know Lucas. We're completely innocent. How can you throw dirt on me like this?"
She had never done anything to wrong him or their marriage.
Yet he had gotten another woman pregnant. Without mentioning his own scumbag behavior, he righteously accused her. How could someone be so hypocritical? She wanted to ask,
'William, what gives you the right?'
'Does loving you mean I deserve to be bullied by you like this?'
'You've broken my heart. What more do you want?'
Ava just stared at him with her fox-like eyes, waiting to see what harsher, more humiliating things he could say to finally make her give up.
William had just seen her wearing delicate makeup, laughing and chatting with Lucas, her eyes and brows full of charm, in a relaxed and natural state she never showed in front of him.
But how could he blame her for that? Her looks were natural—she couldn't exactly close her eyes when talking to others, could she?
Since Sarah came back, Ava only spoke to him with sarcasm.
Her eyes showed nothing but distance and coldness, which he found unbearable.
Lucas didn't like women, but that didn't stop him from being jealous. William admitted he was jealous, and his temper flared up.
Now being talked back to by her, he realized his words had gone too far.
So what? He—William Morgan—would never admit he was wrong. How could his wife have dinner with another man at a couple's restaurant?
Even if she went to a couple's restaurant, the person beside her could only be him.
"Don't wear such heavy makeup anywhere outside SilkGrove Estates!"
He warned coldly, his thumb pressing hard on the corner of her eye. The delicate skin turned red, but couldn't wipe away that faint eyeliner.
Ava's eyes moistened with a layer of mist. The corners of her eyes naturally tilted upward—how could she blame the eyeliner? Now, with the red mark he'd rubbed on her eye corner, under the dim streetlight, it looked like smudged rouge, making her fox eyes appear even more seductive.
"Look clearly—I only added eyeliner and lipstick compared to usual."
William opened her bag, reached in and rummaged around for a while, then pulled out the offending eyeliner.
Crack.
The eyeliner broke in two. He used all his strength.
"Don't wear eyeliner anymore, and don't smile at other men like that, understand?"
Thinking of her laughing and chatting with Lucas, his heart felt stuffed with lemons, sour and swollen.
Ava was actually amused by his childish behavior,
"Why don't you just lock me up? I suppose I can't have friends anymore? Can't talk to other men either?"
William braced one hand on the car, trapping her completely in front of him, staring at her with deep eyes,
"You think I don't want to lock you up? How about locking you in SilkGrove Estates, or if you have somewhere you like, speak up. Pick any property under the Morgan Family's name."
Ava's back pressed tightly against the car, her head tilted back to distance herself from him. He was too close—close enough to feel each other's warm breath.
"If I choose JadeDragon Bay Residences, can you kick Sarah out? What right do you have to make these demands of me, Mr. Morgan? Don't forget we're divorced. After you marry Sarah, I'll be your sister-in-law."