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

pay this much attention to a speech

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 idea to build a

thein A place where they did

started with buiding The Hope House and God blessed me by bring in

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began four years ago, we have expanded The Hope Houses and we are proud to say

country. 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 the tables at the center which were full of kids ranging from all

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 life. So from the bottom of my heart I want to

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

away from the podium.

up to appreciate her.

after takes the podium. “That’s all for today,

would have thought

underneath her surface?

was the founder of the largest children’s organization” Travis mutters, his eyes darting

at their 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

shocked

secret life that I never knew about. I never miss a thing, yet I completely missed this whole

I turn to glare at

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

say anything else, just picks up

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

he know

It was on the young

familiar

back. He is the youngest CEO and already has made a name for himself in the business world. At only twenty, he was

was vain, I 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 business men a run

money.

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

stare at her. Each of

snorting. “So in other words you’re saying she’s taking advantage of the kids under her care

time I’ve had enough

the fucking snide remarks” I growl, hitting

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

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

talking about?” Travis