CHAPTER 6: NO RIGHT CHOICE
1327 Words
AVA
My heart almost stopped beating.
She stood at the top of the staircase like a ghost from a nightmare. Racheal. The woman I never thought I'd see again. Her eyes locked on mine, sharp and cold.
The air felt too heavy.
Levi was beside me. But he had no idea who the woman walking down those steps really was to me. He had no idea about the storm that had just walked into the room.
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to breathe. She looked the same. Elegant, sharp and untouchable. Except her eyes… they carried a hatred she didn’t bother to hide.
But all of a sudden, her eyes flickered, her expression reformed, a faint smile tugged at her lips for a split second.
My stomach twisted into a knot. Only I knew the real deal behind that smile.
Her heels clicked sharply against the marble floor, echoing through the wide living room like a warning. My chest tightened with every sound, a part of me wanting to run—but another part froze in place.
She was dressed in black. Her hair was tied neatly, her lips painted red like blood. She didn’t smile. She didn’t frown either. Her face was calm in a way that made my stomach twist.
My heart pounded against my ribs. It had been years. Years since I last saw that face.
And here she was. Levi's mom.
She stopped at the foot of the stairs, her sharp eyes finding mine immediately. For a second, I forgot how to breathe. Her gaze slid over me slowly, not in shock or surprise—no. In calculation. Like someone staring at a puzzle they’d already solved.
I forced myself to stay still on the couch, my legs tucked together, my hands resting on my knees. She wasn’t going to see me shake.
Not now. Not here.
“Mother,” Levi’s voice broke the thick silence as he walked towards her.
Mother.
I already knew she was his mom, but hearing him say it made something cold rush down my spine.
Her face brightened up instantly, her gaze landing solely on Levi. She tilted her head and took the final step. “Is she–?” She was still talking when Levi cut in almost immediately.
“Yes.” He replied, his voice calm. Levi laughed a little, rubbing the back of his neck. “She's Ava, the lady I told you about.” He said softly, like this was a moment he’d waited for.
She glanced over his shoulders, her eyes locking with mine. Her face was unreadable. She didn’t blink. She didn’t even twitch.
But she didn’t smile back at him. Her attention lingered on me a little too long before she finally nodded. “I see.”
That was all she said.
Just two words.
But the weight behind them almost made me break.
She walked closer, her movements smooth and elegant, like a snake gliding on marble. She reached Levi, kissed him lightly on the cheek, then turned her cold gaze to me.
“You must be Ava,” she said.
I nodded once. “Yes, ma’am.”
Her lips curved slightly—not a smile. Something sharper. “Welcome.”
She didn’t give me a hug. She didn’t ask me how I was. She didn’t even shake my hand. She just walked past me, picked up a glass of water from the side table, and took a slow sip.
She acted like she didn’t know me. Not one crack showed in her voice. But her eyes… they were another story. They didn’t just look at me—they cut through me.
And I knew she remembered.
She always would.
My heart hammered.
Minutes later, Levi’s phone rang. I didn’t know what the caller said, but I saw the way Racheal’s mouth twitched slightly. A small, careful twitch that screamed she had things all other her control.
“Levi,” she said softly, setting the glass down. “There’s something I need you to handle for me. A small meeting. It’s important.”
My head clicked. A smart move to keep Levi away for the mean time.
Levi frowned. “Now?”
“Yes. Now.”
Her tone left no room for questions. I swallowed, fiddling with my nails.
Levi hesitated for a second, then nodded. “Alright. I’ll go.”
He kissed her on the cheek again and turned to me with a warm, fake smile. “I’ll be back soon,” he whispered. “Don’t let her scare you.”
I forced a small smile. He had no idea.
When the front door closed behind him, the air shifted again.
Colder. Darker.
My heart raced.
Racheal waited until the sound of his car faded. Then she turned slowly to face me. No mask. No warmth. Just that icy, sharp stare.
I stood up from the couch before she could ask. My legs were shaky, my throat dry. I couldn’t hide the trembling in my fingers anymore.
“You’ve got a lot of nerve,” she finally said, her voice quiet. Too quiet.
Racheal’s lips curved slowly, but it wasn’t a smile. “You’ve got a lot of nerve,” she repeated, this time softer. Too soft. The kind of softness that made my stomach twist.
“Walking into my house…” she dragged the words like a blade, “…after everything you did.”
My chest tightened. “Racheal, please—”
“Don’t.” Her voice cracked like glass. “You think time erases scars? You think I could ever forget you?”
I froze. My fingers were shaking, but I tried to hide it. She didn’t even raise her voice. She didn’t need to. Every word dug deep.
“You disappeared,” she said quietly, tilting her head. “Just like that. And everything collapsed… one piece at a time.”
I swallowed hard, my throat burning.
Her heels clicked closer. “Do you have any idea what that felt like?” she whispered. “Watching everything fall apart because of a little waitress who ran from her mess?”
My stomach flipped. She remembered. All of it.
“I swear I never—”
She let out a bitter laugh that cut me off. “Spare me.”
Her eyes darkened, and for a moment, something flickered behind them. Not just hate. Pain. Old pain.
“While you were gone, I learned how to survive. It was our only income, Ava. My husband almost died. I starved. I fought. I bled. All because of you.” she said. “I rebuilt what you broke. Alone.”
I couldn’t breathe.
“And then,” she added softly, “you walk back into my life wearing a dress, pretending to be in love with my son.”
My heart sank.
“So tell me, Ava,” she whispered, circling me slowly like a predator. “Is your engagement real… or another one of your little deals?”
I hesitated—but the truth fell anyway. “It’s… it’s a contract.”
Her mouth twitched. She’d expected that.
“I knew it,” she said slowly. “But this… this could be useful.” A mischievous grin crept to her lips.
Her face hardened. “You owe me, Ava. More than you can ever repay. And now…” she leaned closer, her voice like a knife against my skin, “…you’re going to pay.”
I stiffened while she straightened, her eyes a silent battle of wills.
“You’ll make Levi fall for you,” she whispered. “Completely. And then you’ll crush him.”
I flinched.
“If you refuse…” Her tone dropped lower, almost deadly. “…I’ll make sure he knows the truth. That you are the reason why his father is in a coma.”
The room spun. My heart hammered.
I had two choices. And both of them could destroy me.
- Writer
