Ex-Husband’s Regret by Evelyn M.M

39. Underneath the surface

“What?” Emma whispers besides me in shock

The whole room is quiet. Everyone is completely surprised. No one saw this coming. No one

imagined that Ava would be the founder of such a large organization.

Hell, I was married to the woman and I had no clue That leaves a lot to be fucking said about me if

I didn’t know this about Ava

‘Did you know this?” Gabe asks, eyes and mouth wide.

“No” I growl pissed that I had missed such a thing.

I watch as she pushes back her chair She stands up and Ethan stands up with her while offering

her his hand with a smile she places her hand on his and he walks her towards the stage. I

clench my jaw when he places his hand on her exposed back when he helps her up the stairs.

Once she’s there, he steps down. She gives Mary a hug before she steps up to the podium

She smiles before clearing her throat

“Hi” she chuckles nervously “For some reason it’s easier for me to address a room full of rowdy

teenagers than a room full of adults”

This earns her a couple of smiles and laughs from people.

I don’t think there is anyone here who doesn’t know me and it there is, my name is Ava Sharp

Like Mary said, the reason we are here today is to celebrate all of you for your continued help in Hope Foundation Being a teacher, you see a lot of things at school Kids with bruises inflicted by abusive patents, kids going hungry because they don’t have lunch money, kids with tattered

clothes and shoes because their parents are so poor that even coming to school is a luxury and

kids who are homeless and live on the streets” she says, hei voice captivating her audience

seen the elites pay this much attention to a speech

fetarted with one boy in my class, then another, and another Behere kurmit I hat mote dono dozen children

where they did have to

Rids I started with buiding The Hope House and God blessed me

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#

began four years ago, we have expanded The

We have helped thousands of kids get into universities. We even have some in prestigious ones such as Harvard and Princeton. We have thousands of more under our care all ranging from a few months old to eighteen. We make sure that they don’t lack for anything and we even give the older ones allowance” She pauses before pointing to

To give them hope for a better future. To give them hope that it doesn’t matter where they came from, they can still make it.

pray for more blessings

away from the podium.

as people stand up to appreciate

“That’s all for today, please

Who would have thought

underneath her surface?

dream did I imagine that she was the founder of the largest children’s organization” Travis mutters, his

table, but Ava was talking to some kids who had been waiting for her. One of them was a young man and he looked quite

know right?” Gabe adds, the shocked look still

whole secret life that I never knew about. I

exited. I turn

you’re Ava’s family right?”

else, just picks up her

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Caleb Kingstone of Kingstone

he

look at where her gaze was directed. It was on the young man with

familiar

the youngest CEO and already has made a name for himself in the business world. At only twenty, he was already a success story. His techs were increasingly popular and he had earned himself

taking my number one spot as the top entrepreneur in the country. The boy was giving a

money.

a beneficiary of the Hope Foundation. He’s an orphan and Ava took him under her wings. She’s the one who noted that he’s a tech genius. She encouraged him to start something with his talent. When he came up with the idea of having his own company, Ava backed him up. She gave him the startup capital he needed. No one believed in him back then, except for Ava. Now his company is fast growing and it’s earning him millions. As a thank you to Ava, he

Each of us trying

other words you’re saying she’s taking advantage of the kids under her

had

stop with the fucking snide remarks” I growl, hitting the table

glare at them. Emma looks at me like she’s never seen me before, but I was just

living?” Mary asks Emma in a sneer. “Ava doesn’t need anyone to make ber rich, the woman was a millionaire.”

talking about?”