Ex-Husband’s Regret by Evelyn M.M

"Hi" for some weird reason, I squeaked the word.

Coming face to face with Ava was like coming face to face with your secret crush. I was all of a sudden sweaty and nervous. Instead of answering, she pulled me into a tight hug. It was a warm hug. It felt like hugging a soft and fluffy teddy bear.

"It's nice to officially meet you, Harper. Welcome to the family" she whispered right before she stepped away.

Gabriel then led me to the out-door setup that had multiple foods on the table. He moved me so that I was sitting right beside him.

Did he get that I hated his proximity for a reason?

Within seconds, everyone was digging in.

"So, Harper, what do you do?" Gabriel's mom asked.

I swallowed, when everyone turned to look. I hated it when attention was focused on me.

"I'm an interior designer," I replied, while trying to maintain eye contact.

If there was one thing my mother taught me, it's that eye contact was important, especially when it came to people from our world. The rich and influential viewed avoiding eye contact as a sign of weakness. My mother instilled in us to never show that weakness, no matter what.

"That's just perfect," Ava added. "I've been dying to change things in a few of the Hope houses. Maybe you can help with that."

thing, catches that quickly. "What are

"She's the

just how proud he was of his mother. You could also see the love he had for her. It seemed that both father and

then her face clears as if a light

in the

space. I, on the other hand, was quite proud of my

wonder you looked so familiar," Lilly told Ava. "You're Ava Sharp, though you changed your last name. Your foundation is worth millions of dollars and you're the richest woman in

in information like a sponge absorbs water. Anything to do with money, Lilly probably knows all

about all this, sweetheart?" Gabriel's dad asked after the shock

like it

+ grow up

to me and I almost froze. The keyword

numbers" I added, "Actually,

encourage this?" my mother-in-law

Anything I can do to support and help her with achieving them, I will

see she was fighting back tears. "She's just like her daddy. Gabriel also

and for a moment I forgot that he was a

this, so different from the cold man I was used

he be like this when we were married? Why didn't he show me this side of him when we were together? Why now when I wanted nothing to do with