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."

curious little thing, catches that

one that answers. "She's the founder of The Hope Foundation and those houses

You could also see the love he had for her. It seemed that both

if a light bulb just went on in

one of the biggest children's foundations in the country. No one knew who the founder

I, on the other hand, was quite proud of

name. Your foundation is worth millions of dollars and you're the richest woman in the country and

the thing about Lilly, she takes in information like a sponge absorbs water. Anything

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

it wasn't really

when + grow up and in order to achieve my dream, I need to study the rich and how they

to me and I

"Actually, anything to

encourage this?" my

Anything I can do

tears. "She's just like her daddy. Gabriel

a moment I forgot that he was a grown-up man. It's

the cold man I was used to, was overwhelming to

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 him? Standing up, I excused myself. "Excuse me, I need