Divorced With My Husband And Son

An Opportunity

Ava’s Point of View

As Sophie and I stepped out of the music store, we found the guy who saved my life leaning against Sophia's car, his hands were slid into his pocket, and as soon as he sensed our footsteps, he turned to us.

“Miss Styles, can I please talk to you?” His voice was deep, his tone devoid of emotions.

I cleared my throat, clenching my handbag closer to my shoulder. “Umm, I'm Ava Smith.” I swallowed the awkwardness rising in my throat. “Julian and I are getting divorced.” There was no need for anyone to keep calling me Miss Styles. I wanted nothing to do with Julian; I didn't even want his first name linked with mine.

His gaze lingered on me for a few seconds before he stood up straight. “Well, if you don't mind, Ava, can we meet up later? There's something I'd like to discuss with you, it's business-related.”

I blinked at his words. He wanted to discuss business with me? What do I know about business? Yes, I agree that I do own a music store, but I had no idea how business worked. That's why I handed everything over to Sophia.

“If you are interested, please meet me at the Rosey Dining restaurant, then we can discuss everything over dinner.”

His words brought me out of my daze. I stared at him blankly. “Okay,” I heard myself say. I didn't even know what I was agreeing to, but I was sure it was worth it. Maybe this was an opportunity for me to start my life afresh. “At what time can we meet?”

“Anytime that suits you,” he said calmly.

I nodded. “Okay then, let's meet at seven o'clock,” I said.

His gaze locked into mine, and for a second, I felt my heart banging against my chest. His gaze was so intense, sharp, and blank at the same time. It felt as though I recognized these blue eyes, but I couldn't remember where I'd seen them.

I averted my gaze, uneasiness passing through me. “See you later, Mister,” I waited for him to tell me his name.

“Ethan Lane,” he said. I tried to remember where I'd seen this guy, but I couldn't figure it out. I was certain that I knew him from somewhere. “See you later, Ava.” Before I could even get a chance to utter a word, he was already walking away, leaving Sophie and me exchanging glances.

Unexpectedly, my nosy friend didn't say anything. Instead, she walked to the car, swung the door open, and stepped in. I followed suit, settling next to her. I placed my handbag on my thighs before she started the engine and drove off.

She stole glances at me, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. I ignored it at first, but I couldn't anymore. I knew what she was thinking, but she was wrong.

“Stop staring at me like that and wipe that smirk off,” my voice was laced with annoyance, but Sophie burst into laughter. “I don't know him, okay? He saved my life, and I couldn't say no to him. I'm just trying to be nice. Don't have any wrong ideas,” I continued.

Sophie's laughter intensified, and I knew there was no point in explaining. I can't stop her from having these silly thoughts in her head, but I was certain of one thing. I was done with relationships, marriage, dating, and all. I just want to focus on rebuilding my life. I'm sure at age twenty-six, I can still achieve a lot in life and make up for all the time I wasted in that worthless marriage. I just hope for the divorce process to be over soon so I can get rid of Julian out of my life for good.

Later That Day

I set the lipstick on the counter, staring at my reflection in the mirror. My long black hair was combed over my shoulder , cascading gently behind my back. My black eyes stared back at me through the mirror. I got so engrossed in trying to please Julian that I even forgot about myself. I rarely remembered the last time I dressed up and looked this beautiful.

A deep breath escaped my lips. Rising off the chair, I grasped my handbag, taking my phone and bank card. I shoved them in my bag before I made my way out of the room. I found Sophie seated by the fire, with a bowl of popcorn in front of her, the television light flickering in front of her.

“I'm leaving, Sophie. See you later,” she turned to me, a smile stretching on her lips.

“You look beautiful. Don't forget to buy a condom on your way,” she teased. I grabbed a pillow on the couch before I threw it at her.

“You are so dirty-minded,” I shook my head in disbelief. Grabbing the car key from the table, I stormed out of the apartment.

A few minutes after driving, I parked the car in the parking lot. Stepping out, I slipped my handbag under my arm, striding inside the restaurant.

“Good Evening, Miss Styles,” the manager at the entrance greeted.

I offered him a tight smile, deciding not to correct him. “Can you please take me to Mister Ethan Lane’s table?”

His brows furrowed, but he turned his eyes on the tablet, going through the names before he forced a smile. “Please follow me,” he started making his way inside, and I followed him in.

As soon as we stepped in, I noticed Ethan sitting at one of the tables. He was wearing a simple golf tee and white trousers, and his black hair was styled perfectly. Although he was dressed informally, he still looked elegant and dashing.

He rose from the chair, and my eyes widened slightly as he pulled a chair for me. I was used to doing it myself since my husband never did it for me. It was quite shocking. I masked my surprise with a smile that didn't even reach my eyes.

“Hello, Mister Lane,” the fake smile never left my lips. I placed my handbag on the table, turning my attention to him already seated on his chair opposite me.

“Miss Smith, I will get straight to the point,” his expression was calm but serious.

I stared at him, waiting for him to continue. “Julian Styles is my business rival. I don't like him one bit, and our enmity is bigger than that. And I need your help in taking him down. In return, I will offer you five percent in my company and make you a member of the board since my company and Julian's are combined. This is a great opportunity for you to grow your business and gain more clients.. “

My eyes were wide open, never leaving his. This was too much to take in. I mean, Julian did treat me badly and all, but I don't wish ill upon him. He's still the father of my child, after all.

“I'm not going to kill him, but I just want to touch him where it hurts. He needs to realize how all of his actions affect other people,” Ethan continued, pulling me out of my thoughts.

The memories of all the bad things he's done to me left a bitter taste in my mouth. I swallowed, unable to decide if I wanted him to feel the same way.

Before I could utter a word, I heard the sound of Lily’s voice calling out my name. My brows furrowed when I saw her walking towards us. I wondered why she came here. She'd just humiliate me in front of all these people.