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

so I started helping the best way i could fetarted with one boy in my class, then another, and another Behere kurmit I hat mote dono dozen children t was helping That’s where I got the

safe haven for thein A place where they did

I started with buiding The Hope House and God blessed

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expanded The Hope Houses and we are proud to say

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

foundation is to help them. 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. To back them up as they make their way through

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

away from the podium.

to appreciate her. They continue to clap until she steps down

for today, please have a wonderful

would have thought that there was so

underneath her surface?

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

at their table, but Ava was talking to some kids who had been waiting for her. One of them

the shocked look still plastered on his

was still hard to grasp. It was like she had this whole secret life that I never knew about. I never

drops on the seat that Christine had exited. I turn to glare at them only to find

Ava’s family right?” she asks and Travis numbly

anything else, just picks up her tablet and begins

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

Does he know

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

familiar

At only twenty,

about him taking my number one spot as the top entrepreneur in the country. The boy was giving a lot of the other business men a

money.

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

at her. Each of us trying to absorb

words you’re saying she’s taking advantage of

I’ve had

with the fucking snide remarks” I growl, hitting the

at them. Emma looks at me like she’s never seen me before, but

you been living?” Mary asks Emma in a sneer. “Ava doesn’t need anyone to make ber rich,

you talking