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."

little thing, catches that quickly. "What are

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

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

as if a light bulb

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

alien from space. I, on

Ava Sharp, though you changed your last name. Your foundation is worth

like a sponge absorbs water. Anything to do with money,

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

shrugged like it wasn't

a billionaire when + grow up and in order to

eyes turned to me and I almost froze. The

"Actually, anything

this?" my mother-in-law

in her way? Anything I can do to support and help

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

that he was a grown-up man.

from the cold man I was

this side of him when we were together? Why now when I wanted nothing to do with him?