Echoes Of The Hearts

“Is this how I die?” Tears rolled down Ava's cheeks as the cold hands of death slowly gripped her soul, causing her chest to tighten, her muscles quivering as she gasped for breath. “If only I could get another chance…just one more chance.” *** “Dad, Peter really needs the contract, it has been his life-long dream to work with the AirDroid group of companies, just award it to him, please.” Ava pleaded with her father. She grabbed her father's hands and stared into his eyes, throwing him a warm gaze that he couldn't escape. Mr Smith took in a deep breath, glanced at Ava and sighed. “Alright. For your sake, I will consider him.” He replied to her with a smile. Ava's heart raced with joy, she bounced happily on her toes, and a wave of warmth rushed through her chest. “Thank you dad.” Ava squealed, her eyes beaming with ecstasy. She wore a bright smile and alighted the stairs. “I will catch up with you later, I have something important to attend to now.” She mumbled as she ran to her car, opened the door, and sat inside. She looked into the mirror, satisfied with herself for being able to convince her father. She had been married to Peter exactly three years ago, and she knew one of the things he wanted most was to have a contract with the AirDroid group of companies, which he didn't know that belonged to her father. Her father had come to New York for some business deals, and he took the initiative to meet him and discuss personally with him. She turned on the car and drove off to a reputable mall. The day was her marriage anniversary with Peter, and she needed to get him a gift. “I would love to have those pairs of shoes.” She pointed to the exquisite Flair's classic, which cost thousands of dollars. “Alright ma’am. I will wrap them for you.” The shop attendant said to her, She patted her fingers on the desk, and glanced at the Malls relaxation center which was just some feet away. It had a big swimming pool, and a spacious playing ground for couples. The relaxation center was somewhat silent, except for some lovebirds kissing each other passionately. Ava smiled, and as she was about to withdraw her gaze, her eyes caught a hold of someone familiar which sent shocking waves down her spine. She staggered as her feet wobbled on the floor, and her chest tightened that she could hardly breath. She carried her heavy legs, and slowly approached the lovebirds who were so invested in their actions that they didn't realize her presence. “Pe…Peter?” Ava called out, her shaky voice expressing a tone of disbelief, sadness and betrayal. Her eyes became reddened with tears that threatened to pour down her cheeks. There was a sudden disconnection in the kiss, Peter’s heart skipped a beat as she noticed Ava's presence, but he was quick to compose himself before letting out a sigh. “Not this witch again.” Matilda mumbled, slapped her forehead with her palm and slowly rose from Peter's laps. “What are you doing here? And why do you have to interrupt my moment with her?” Peter snapped at her, shaking his head in disgust as he gently pulled Matilda back to his embrace. Ava opened her mouth to talk, but only a silent gasp found its way out of her throat. Her heart raced, and she battled fiercely with the tears that were gradually filling the corners of her eyes. “Oh! That's right, you just saved me the stress of me going to find you.” Peter shrugged his shoulders, reached for his backpack and took out some documents. “I am tired of you, and this marriage. Your presence in my life has not benefited me in any way. Why don't we just end this and part ways? That way, we will both be happy.” Peter threw some papers at her. Matilda made a wimp, and deliberately pressed a kiss on Peter's forehead just for Ava to see. Ava glanced at the papers, and was stunned to see that it was a divorce agreement. She threw a sharp glance at Peter, and hurriedly moved closer to him, grabbing his hand. “No Peter, we can still make this work, we will be happy together. We don't need to get divorced. Besides, we’ve come this far, we shouldn't separate because of…” she swallowed hard, pointing her fingers at Matilda. Matilda threw her a sore gaze and hissed loudly. “Can’t you hear? I said I am tired. You’ve not made any impact in my life, I have nothing to lose or gain without you being in my life. But it's a different case with Matilda, she can help me win the contract with the AirDroid group of companies, don't you know how reputable her father is?” Peter yelled at her, throwing her wrist off his hand that made Ava nearly fall. “Is it because of the contract? You will definitely get it, trust me. You don't need her help to…to win the contract, you have everything…you have all that's required to get the contract, so why her?” Her voice trembled as her heart hammered against her chest. She stared warmly into his eyes, hoping that he would reconsider his decision. “I don't care, Ava. It's not even about the contract alone, I need a child too, and since you’ve failed to provide me with one, Matilda has proven her worth as a woman and she is now carrying my baby.” Peter snarled, rolling his eyes as he exuded a sharp breath. “Just sign the papers, Ava. It's all over.” He muttered, his tone reeling of finality. Ava's leg trembled, and her blood froze. She had been noticing some closeness between Peter and Matilda in the past months, but she never knew it could escalate to them cheating on her, up to the point of pregnancy. The way Peter held Matilda in his arms made her wonder if she was just a housewife to him. She could count the number of times he had touched her over the past three years, and the last time he did, which was a few weeks ago, was void of love and emotion. She glanced at them as Matilda bounced happily on Peter's laps. They both got up, and headed towards a private room in the relaxation center. Ava was still stunned, her eyes darted sideways as she watched them walk away. Suddenly, an idea struck her mind, she needed to prove her love for him, she couldn't give her love away to Matilda just like that. She swiftly ran after them, grabbed Peter's hand, and pulled him back, pressing her lips against his' and interlocked their tongues, giving him a warm, romantic kiss. She channeled all her energy into the kiss, and caressed Peter's body while the kiss lasted. She held on tightly to Peter that no amount of struggle by him could free him from her grip. She ensured Matilda witnessed the whole scenario as she showcased her dominance and right as the legal and only wife of Peter. Matilda watched in agony as she also tried separating the two, but her efforts were futile. Ava poured all her energy and emotions into the kiss, hoping for a reconsideration. As the struggle continued, Peter, with great force, pushed Ava away, which made her stagger backward, hitting her head on the floor, rendering her unconscious as blood gushed out with great force.