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

elites pay

my heart, so I started helping the best way i could fetarted with one boy in my class, then another,

A place where they did have

started with buiding The Hope House and

+15 BONUS

#

have expanded The Hope Houses and we are proud

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 the tables at the center which were

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

single donation. I pray for more blessings upon you” she finishes

away from the podium.

room as people stand up to appreciate her. They continue to clap until she steps down

soon after takes the podium. “That’s all for

mesmerized. Who would have thought that there

underneath her surface?

she was the founder of the largest children’s organization” Travis

was still seated at their table, but Ava was talking to some kids who had

right?” Gabe adds, the shocked look still plastered on

life that I never knew about. I never miss a thing, yet I

I turn to glare at them only to find

just exhausted, you’re Ava’s family right?” she asks and Travis

doesn’t say anything else, just picks up her tablet and begins typing something on

+15 BONUS

begins. “Isn’t that Caleb Kingstone of Kingstone technologies? What’s

Does he

on the young man with

familiar

made a name for himself in the business world. At only twenty, he was already a success story. His techs were

would have been worried about him taking my number one spot as the top entrepreneur in the country. The boy was giving a lot of the other

money.

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 gave her shares in Kingstone technologies. Ava is the second largest

shocking revelation. We stare at her. Each of us

“So in other words you’re saying she’s taking advantage of the kids under her care to make herself

time I’ve had enough of

the fucking snide remarks”

to us but mind their business when I glare at them. Emma looks at me like she’s never seen me before, but I

in a sneer. “Ava doesn’t

are you talking