Chapter 56
Ava chuckled softly, "Sure, no problem."
She calmly pulled out that black card—first time she'd taken it out since putting it in her bag these past few days.
Beep—the transaction went through.
Sarah stared at the card in Ava's hand, her eyes sharp as knives, wishing she could shred both her and the card to pieces.
She'd seen William use that very card to buy things just recently, and now, after only a few days, it was in Ava's hands. They'd already signed the divorce papers—why would he still let that bitch use it freely?
Ever since William got drunk and spent the night at JadeDragon Bay Residences, he'd promised to give her an explanation. But she'd been waiting all this time without seeing any action from him. He'd even stood up for Ava over one small mistake she made, threatening her harshly.
Does a divorce really need to take this long?
The more Sarah thought about it, the angrier she got. Could he actually have feelings for that bitch? Remembering what Ella had told her—that Ava might be pregnant—her heartbeat became unsteady. Could that bitch really be pregnant?
Her hostile gaze swept over Ava's stomach, her mind racing with suspicion.
The sales associate had already wrapped the dress, tied it with a pretty bow, and handed it to her.
"What are you thinking about? Let's go."
Emily linked arms with Sarah and left the store. She couldn't wait to get away from Ava. She'd wanted to humiliate her but ended up being humiliated herself instead.
"Emily, don't you think Ava's stomach looks bigger than usual?"
Emily was pretty simple-minded, not one for scheming—nowhere near as calculating as Sarah. She was only good at running her mouth.
"She just got fat, didn't you see how the dress was stretched tight when she tried it on?"
"What if she's pregnant?"
Emily laughed mockingly.
"No way she's pregnant. She and my brother have been married three years—if she could get pregnant, it would've happened already. Three years without anything happening, my brother probably doesn't even want to touch her. She might still be a virgin for all we know."
Sarah still felt uneasy. She felt she needed to find a chance to test her.
After they left the store, Ava and Lucas stayed inside for a few more minutes.
The sales associate was even more courteous than before, bringing out the store's signature pieces one by one, displaying them before Ava like precious treasures. She figured if she kept these two customers happy, this month's sales target was in the bag.
The featured items in the store were quite expensive.
Ava shook her head, wanting to leave. She didn't want to spend too much of his money, in case it gave William ammunition when they divorced.
Just as she was hesitating, someone important walked into the store.
All the staff put down what they were doing and respectfully called out, "Welcome, Mr. Morgan."
Ava's heart seemed to skip a beat.
Through a row of mannequins, she saw two straight, long legs wrapped in neatly pressed dress pants.
The shoes were casual style, not William's. She breathed a sigh of relief.
"Ava, shopping for a dress, and you didn't give me a heads up?"
It was Michael's voice.
Ava came out from behind the mannequins, looking like she'd been caught doing something wrong. "This store..."
"It is a new brand under the Morgan Group. I'm specifically in charge of this division."
Ava felt embarrassed. Michael had helped her so many times, yet she didn't even know what area of business he handled at the Morgan Group.
No wonder this store's prices were so high. Now that she thought about it, being under the Morgan Group, it had the credentials. The Morgan Group's brand positioned itself as high-end luxury—nothing under it was affordable for ordinary people.
Michael glanced at the name tag on the sales associate's chest and gently instructed,
"Jessa, go get that black Hepburn dress."
This sales associate was fairly new and a bit nervous meeting the boss for the first time. Usually, at most, the store manager would stop by—the boss was so busy, why would he have time to visit their small store? The sun must be rising in the west today.
"Mr. Morgan, you mean the showpiece?"
Michael nodded. "Bring it out."
Ava exchanged pleasantries with Michael for a few minutes. Soon, the associate Jessa came out holding a box with both hands, as carefully as if carrying a fragile piece of porcelain.
"Want to try it on?"
Michael signaled for the associate to give the dress to Ava.
It would be rude to refuse, so Ava went back into the fitting room.
When she came out and stood in front of the mirror, even she was stunned.
She usually wore light-colored clothes and had never tried this style before.
The black dress contrasted beautifully with her porcelain-white skin. She'd been lazy today and hadn't washed her hair, just throwing it up in a messy bun before leaving—and somehow this hairstyle matched the outfit perfectly.
Michael raised an eyebrow, his eyes never leaving her.
"Well, does it fit?"
Ava cleared her throat and answered honestly, "It fits."
The fabric of this dress was also better than the previous one, fitting perfectly and feeling soft against her skin.
Lucas stood to the side, egging her on. "Ava, you have to buy this one. It would be such a shame not to."
Ava was torn. This dress probably cost several times more than the previous one. She quietly asked the associate,
"How much is this dress?"
The associate couldn't figure out Ava and Michael's relationship and didn't know how to answer.
This dress had been placed in the store with strict instructions from above to keep it stored away and not show it to customers. It wasn't for sale—meaning it had no price.
The associate looked to Michael for help.
Michael's eyes crinkled with a smile. "This dress isn't for sale. It was custom-made for the Morgan Group boss's wife."
The sales associates in the store were shocked, never imagining this low-key lady was actually the Morgan Group boss's wife. Good thing their service had been fine earlier, or they'd be getting fired.
Clearly, they'd mistaken Ava and Michael for a couple.
"Mrs. Morgan, please sit inside with your friend. I'll bring tea."
The associate immediately invited Ava into the lounge, ready to bring out all the best things in the store to serve her.
"Mrs. Morgan, next time you come, just let us know and I'll set aside any styles you like."
Ava was too uncomfortable with this kind of flattery. Everyone was just working—no one was better than anyone else.
"Don't trouble yourself, my friend, and I still have things to do. We'll be leaving soon."
The associate smiled warmly, her eyes moving between Ava and Michael.
Michael was instructing the associate again, "From now on, when this lady comes to the store, she doesn't need to pay for anything. She's the Morgan Group boss's wife."
The associate nodded repeatedly.
Ava felt uncomfortable being watched by a dozen pairs of eyes and wanted to leave.
Unexpectedly, Michael beat her to it. "I have things to do today. Next time you come by, call me and I'll take you to dinner."
Ava nodded, gripping the shopping bag in her hand. "You go ahead with your work. I'll definitely call you next time."
Outside the store, Lucas was still staring dazedly at Michael's retreating figure.
"My idol, my idol is so gentle."
Seeing his hopeless expression, Ava couldn't help teasing him.
"Forget it, he's probably straight."
Lucas protested, "How do you know he's straight? Even if he is, he could still like me."
Ava was stumped by his question. How could she be so sure he was straight?
Women's intuition, maybe. When alone with Michael, she always felt his gaze on her was strange. She wasn't a young girl—she understood that look in a man's eyes.
Yet his behavior was always proper, knowing exactly when to advance and retreat.
This made Ava feel like she was being narrow-minded. A noble and refined man like Michael must have plenty of women chasing him—how could he have those kinds of thoughts about his nephew's wife?
"Stop dreaming. A quality man like that won't lack women around him. You can't compete."