Chapter 7
Emily swaggered away, pulled out her phone, and sent Sarah a message: "Mission accomplished!"
Just like that, she locked Ava on the balcony.
Ava felt her pockets - no phone.
She felt like crying, but had no tears.
At this hour, Howard was already asleep. Howard had insomnia problems, and once woken up, he'd have trouble falling back asleep. She didn't dare shout loudly, as it would wake Howard.
Ava sat down against the door, hugging her knees tight.
She couldn't help wondering what William and Sarah were doing right now. She laughed at her own stupidity - what else would a couple do after just ending a long-distance relationship?
The wind picked up at night. Ava felt exhausted, physically and mentally. After what happened last night, and then being tormented by him when she got back, she was completely worn out. Leaning against the door, she drifted off into a drowsy sleep.
"Ava? Wake up, Ava..."
Unable to tell if it was a dream or reality, Ava felt herself falling into a warm embrace. She opened her eyes to see a chiseled, nearly perfect jawline and a prominent Adam's apple like a mountain peak. She couldn't help reaching out to touch it.
"Don't move, you have a fever."
Ava timidly pulled her hand back. She'd always been obedient.
Carried back to the room and wrapped in thick blankets, she gradually felt warmth returning to her body.
William left and came back a few minutes later with medicine and water. Looking at the small pills he squeezed out, Ava's heart pounded. Not sure if there was a baby in her belly, she probably shouldn't take medicine, just to be safe.
She stared at William blankly and asked tentatively, "Could you run me a bath? I'd like to soak."
After saying it, she felt a bit foolish. How could William help run a bath? Did she even deserve that?
Unexpectedly, the next second, he handed her what he was holding, his voice cold as usual,
"Take it yourself, don't make me serve you."
Perhaps because she was sick, she got special treatment. William stuffed the water cup and medicine into her hands, turned, and went into the bathroom. The sound of running water started - he was running hot water.
Ava took the chance to hide the two pills and drank the whole cup of water.
A moment later, William came out of the bathroom and glanced at the empty cup on the nightstand.
"You took the medicine?"
"Yeah."
"Take off your clothes and go wash. The water's ready."
William pulled a clean bath towel from the closet and walked toward the bathroom. Ava was puzzled about what he was doing. Before she could ask, she heard him say,
"Come in, I'll help you wash."
Blood rushed to Ava's face. In their three years together, they'd always made love with the lights off. She didn't have the courage to bathe so openly in front of him, let alone let him help wash her.
William put the towel in the bathroom and didn't see her follow. He went back and saw Ava leaning against the headboard, lost in thought.
He curled his lips and teased,
"What are you being shy about? What haven't I seen or touched? I'm just worried you'll fall asleep in the tub and drown. Don't overthink it."
Ava's face turned red enough to drip blood. "We're divorced, it's different now. Please leave."
Being reminded multiple times in one day that they were divorced, William wasn't too pleased. He pulled off his tie and tossed it on the bed, rolled up his shirt sleeves to his forearms, then lifted the blanket and carried her toward the bathroom.
"The divorce paperwork isn't done yet. I'm still your husband. When something happens, remember to come to me first, okay?"
He was talking about the robbery from two nights ago, but Ava didn't appreciate it.
"So when are we going to finish the official paperwork?"
Ava's question directly angered him. William had planned to set her down by the tub and help her undress, but now he just let go.
Caught off guard, Ava fell straight into the water, splashing water all over his shirt.
The only nightgown Ava wore clung tightly to her skin. At this point, wearing it or not made no difference.
She wiped the water from her face and looked at him calmly, fearlessly asking again,
"When are we doing the paperwork? I can't take it anymore."
William was so angry his insides churned. "Am I really that unbearable to you? Or are you in a hurry to find your Joseph?"
He actually cared about Joseph, that person who may or may not exist.
Ava smiled bitterly,
"When can we finish the divorce paperwork? Can you give me an exact time? Today, your sister locked me on the balcony; tomorrow, she might just kill me."
William didn't believe her explanation.
"Getting locked out there was your own stupidity. Didn't anyone teach you in kindergarten to fight back when you're bullied?"
He leaned closer, his large hand gripping her chin,
"Do you even know you call out Joseph's name in your dreams every night? Every time you do, I want to pin you down and really mess you up."
"Like yesterday?" Ava shot back.
William had forced himself on her against her will, and now he was twisting the knife in her heart.
William seemed to remember something, his gaze stopping on her injured arm.
The wound had gotten wet. It must hurt a lot.
His anger subsided a bit. He released his grip on her. Ava's cheeks now had several more finger marks, especially noticeable on her porcelain-white skin.
"Are you really that eager to divorce?"
Ava looked away, suddenly not daring to meet his burning gaze, feeling there was something bewitching in it. She lowered her eyes and answered flatly, "Yes."
"Tomorrow morning at ten, city hall."
He threw out that line and slammed the door on his way out.
Only then did Ava calm down. When it really came to the divorce, she found she wasn't as calm as she appeared on the surface. Three years of feelings - people aren't machines, how could she just turn them off? Her heart still ached terribly.
Let it all end quickly.
William sat in his car and smoked a cigarette. After a while, he called his friend Daniel Wilson.
"Come out for drinks."
Daniel had just left a bar. He checked the time,
"Why are you only calling now? I've already finished one round. Shouldn't someone with a wife be making love at this hour?"
"Cut the crap, meet you at the usual place."
Daniel arrived at Imperial Lux Club. William had already drunk himself into a tipsy state.
"You're out messing around this late, won't Ava punish you when you get back?"
William acted like he'd heard some intolerable joke, pulling at the corner of his mouth to ask back,
"What are you talking about? Is Ava someone you can call by name?"
"You bastard, you're not this mean to Ava at home, too, are you?"
Daniel joked around a bit, then grabbed a glass to pour himself a drink. When he picked up the nearly empty wine bottle and examined it carefully, he started wailing,
"My '95 Romanée-Conti! I saved it for a year and couldn't bear to drink it, and you just finished it off like that, you bastard?"
"I'll pay you back with two bottles another day."
William downed his glass in one gulp and told the server to get more wine from the cabinet.
Daniel's heart ached. At this rate, the wine he stored here wouldn't last. He might as well drink freely, too - couldn't let this bastard have it all to himself.
William held his glass between his fingers, gently swirling it. "Sarah's back in the country. I'm getting divorced tomorrow."
Daniel choked on his drink,
"Ava wants to divorce you, so you're here drowning your sorrows?"
William scoffed,
"Which eye saw me drowning my sorrows? Besides, I'm the one who asked for the divorce. I'm celebrating, okay!"
Daniel looked him over but couldn't see a trace of joy on his face. Instead, there was some loneliness, like he'd been dumped by a woman. He couldn't help needling him,
"Celebrating, huh? I'm good at that. Tomorrow, after you finish the divorce paperwork, I'll set up a fireworks show for you in the suburbs. How about that? Bring your lover to watch."
"Are you nuts?"