THE STRANGER NEXT TO ME

Chapter Two

It was almost time for boarding when Ava finally gathered the courage to check her phone.

The moment the screen lit up, her breath hitched.

Thirty-two missed calls.

Her chest tightened painfully as she scrolled. Most of them were from Jim—her brother. The rest were from Vincent, her best friend. A few unfamiliar numbers were mixed in too, but she already knew who they belonged to.

Ray.

Her fingers trembled as she clutched the phone. The realization hit her then—she hadn’t told anyone what had happened. She had simply fled, carrying the weight of betrayal alone.

She tapped Jim’s name and raised the phone to her ear.

He picked up on the first ring.

“Ava! Jesus Christ!” Jim’s voice came through loud and frantic. “What happened, sis? I’ve been trying to get through to you since you arrived in Singapore!”

The sound of his voice shattered the fragile control she had been holding onto.

Ava’s lips quivered. Her vision blurred instantly.

“He’s married, Jim,” she cried, the words tumbling out as her body shook. “He’s married…”

“What?” Jim’s voice sharpened with disbelief. “What do you mean he’s married? Where are you right now?”

“I’m at the airport,” she sobbed. “I’m coming home, Jim. I can’t stay here. I can’t—”

“Hey, hey,” Jim said gently, his tone softening. “Listen to me. You’ll be fine. Just be strong, okay? I’ll be there to pick you up.”

Ava sniffed, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.

“Vincent has been so worried about you,” Jim continued. “He’s been calling nonstop.”

“I’m too tired to talk,” Ava whispered. “I’m exhausted, Jim. It’s almost time for my flight.”

“Alright,” Jim replied. “Just get on the plane safely. I’ll see you when you land.”

“I love you,” Ava said quietly.

“I love you too, sis.”

The call ended, and Ava lowered the phone slowly, her heart aching yet comforted by the familiar presence of her brother—even from miles away.

She took a deep breath and rose from her seat, heading toward the boarding gate.

Ken’s POV

Ken leaned back in his seat, his fingers resting loosely against his temple, but his mind was far from calm.

After the incident with Jasmine, he couldn’t stop thinking about her.

The woman at the airport.

Ava.

Her tear-streaked face replayed vividly in his mind—the quiet dignity with which she endured humiliation, the way she didn’t scream or retaliate, the way she simply ran.

“What could be wrong with her?” he thought.

Even with how weary she had looked, how broken and exhausted, she was still… beautiful. Not in a polished, deliberate way like the women he was used to, but in a raw, unguarded sense that lingered disturbingly in his thoughts.

Ken was still lost in contemplation when movement caught his attention.

She walked past him.

His eyes followed her instinctively.

She looked even worse up close.

Her clothes were wrinkled, clearly slept in. Her hair was hastily tied back. Her eyes—God—her eyes were swollen and red, as though she’d cried herself empty.

She paused by a seat.

Right next to his.

Coincidence.

Ken straightened unconsciously as she sat down, her body curling slightly inward, as if she wanted to disappear. She pulled her phone out, and he noticed the screen lighting up repeatedly.

Call after call.

She declined every single one.

Something about that tightened his chest.

He thought of Jasmine.

Jasmine was his personal assistant—efficient, polished, ruthless when needed. They had traveled together for business countless times, and never once had she behaved so… cruelly.

I had no idea she could act like that, he admitted to himself.

Ken exhaled slowly. He owed Ava an apology. A proper one.

Before he could reconsider, he turned slightly toward her.

“Hey, miss,” he said gently. “Remember me?”

Ava blinked, startled, clearly not recognizing him at first.

Ken gestured faintly. “From the airport… earlier.”

Her brows knit together briefly before realization dawned.

“Oh,” she murmured. “Yes.”

“I’m really sorry for what my assistant did,” Ken continued sincerely. “I had no idea she’d behave that way.”

Ava looked at him for a moment, then gave a small, tired shrug. “It’s fine. It’s nothing.”

She forced a weak smile. “I’ve been through worse.”

The words were simple, but something about them struck Ken deeply.

His chest tightened unexpectedly.

“Ken Walker,” he said, stretching out his hand for a handshake.

She hesitated briefly before placing her hand in his.

“Ava Bernett,” she replied softly.

Her grip was light, almost fragile.

As soon as their hands separated, Ava turned away, clearly signaling the end of the conversation.

From across the aisle, Jasmine watched them with narrowed eyes, her lips curling in disdain.

Ava stared at her phone again.

Another unknown number buzzed.

She declined it.

Then another message appeared.

Baby please answer me. I promise it’s not what you think.

Ava let out a shaky breath.

“I can’t keep doing this,” she whispered to herself.

She opened her messages and began typing, her fingers hesitating with every word.

Ray…

Before she could finish, memories surged forward without mercy.

Flashback

Ray had been her boyfriend for three years.

She met him in New York, back when everything felt simple—back when love felt effortless. He was charming, attentive, and made her feel like the center of his universe.

She had fallen hard.

Jim and Vincent hadn’t.

“There’s something off about him,” Vincent had said once.

“He’s too smooth,” Jim had warned.

But Ava had been blinded by love. She defended Ray fiercely, convinced everyone else just didn’t understand him.

Then, last year, Ray got a job in Singapore.

“It’s temporary,” he’d promised. “We’ll make it work.”

And they did—or so she believed. They talked every day. Video calls. Late-night messages. Plans for the future.

She missed him terribly.

So when internship applications opened, Ava applied to companies in Singapore without telling him.

She wanted to surprise him.

She still remembered the excitement buzzing through her as she arrived at his apartment, her suitcase in hand, her heart racing with anticipation.

Ray had opened the door and frozen.

“Ava?” he’d said, stunned. “What are you doing here?”

“Surprise!” she’d laughed, stepping inside.

He didn’t look happy.

She hadn’t noticed the large family portrait hanging on the wall. She was too busy staring at him, too busy imagining his joy.

Then a small voice echoed from down the hallway.

“Daddy, come help me with my painting!”

Ava’s world tilted.

“Daddy?” she whispered, staring at Ray.

His face was drained of color.

Before he could speak, a woman walked into the living room—beautiful, confident, smiling warmly.

“Baby,” she said sweetly, wrapping an arm around Ray. “We have a visitor and you didn’t mention it?”

She turned to Ava. “Who’s she?”

Ava’s knees nearly gave out.

Her legs felt weak.

The room spun.

“Miss?”

The flight attendant’s voice jolted her back to reality.

“Miss, are you okay?”

Ava blinked rapidly. She hadn’t realized tears were streaming down her face again.

“Yes—yes, I’m fine,” she lied.

Her throat tightened painfully.

“I just… need a moment.”

She rose quickly from her seat and rushed toward the washroom, her heart pounding violently in her chest.

She needed to pull herself together.

Because the past was behind her now.

And whatever awaited her on the other side of this flight—she would face it alone.

When Ava returned from the washroom, she felt slightly more like herself.

She had splashed cold water on her face until the redness faded just enough, dabbed a thin layer of powder over her cheeks, and smoothed a little lip balm across her dry lips. Her eyes were still swollen from crying—there was no hiding that—but even so, she looked… soft. Fragile. Beautiful in a quiet, unassuming way.

Pain hadn’t erased her grace.

She walked back to her seat slowly and sat down, resting her head briefly against the headrest. A long, shaky sigh escaped her lips, as though she had been holding her breath for hours and was only now releasing it.

Ava reached into her bag and pulled out her phone.

Ray’s messages still stared back at her.

Apologies. Promises. Pleas.

Her fingers hovered over the screen for a moment. Her heart squeezed painfully, but she didn’t let herself hesitate too long. She typed carefully, deliberately—each word final.

Ray, please don’t contact me again. I saw everything. I heard everything. Whatever we had ended the moment you lied to me. I wish you well, but I’m choosing myself now. Goodbye.

She stared at the message once more, then hit send.

Without giving herself time to second-guess it, Ava blocked his number—then his email, his social media accounts, every possible way he could reach her.

Every tap felt like closing a door.

It hurt.

But it also felt necessary.

She locked her phone and leaned back again, her gaze drifting toward the small window beside her seat.

She didn’t notice Kenneth watching her.

Not at first.

He had noticed everything—the way she returned calmer, the subtle confidence in her movements, the softness restored to her face. Even with swollen eyes, she looked striking. Real. Unlike the perfectly curated women who usually surrounded him.

Kenneth found himself unable to look away.

There was something about her silence that pulled at him.

Across the aisle, Jasmine noticed too.

Her jaw tightened as she followed Kenneth’s gaze, irritation flashing across her face. It was obvious now—painfully obvious. Ava wasn’t doing anything overt, wasn’t even trying, yet Kenneth’s attention lingered on her.

Too long.

Jasmine shifted in her seat, smoothing her dress, angling her body toward him deliberately. She leaned closer than necessary, brushing her arm lightly against his.

“Do you need anything, Ken?” she asked softly, her voice syrupy.

He barely acknowledged her.

His eyes flicked back to Ava.

Every now and then, Ava felt his stare. At first, it made her uncomfortable. Then curious. Finally, she met his gaze—just briefly—and offered a small, polite smile.

Nothing more.

But that smile lingered with him.

The flight passed in a strange, quiet tension—unspoken glances, thoughts left unsaid, emotions hovering just beneath the surface.

When the plane finally touched down, Ava felt relief wash over her.

She unfastened her seatbelt and stood, ready to leave everything behind.

Kenneth rose too.

Without a word.

No goodbye. No backward glance.

He simply picked up his bag and walked away, disappearing into the stream of passengers.

Ava watched him go, surprised despite herself.

She didn’t know why she expected more.

She shook the thought away, telling herself it didn’t matter. He was a stranger. Just another passing moment in a life already filled with too many memories.

Still… something about his sudden departure lingered.

She pushed it aside and followed the crowd out of the plane.

The moment Ava stepped into the arrival terminal, her eyes scanned the crowd instinctively.

Then she saw him.

“Jim.”

Her breath caught.

She dropped her bag and ran.

Jim barely had time to react before Ava crashed into him, her arms wrapping tightly around his waist. He held her just as fiercely, pressing her head against his chest.

They stayed that way for a long moment—silent, unmoving—while the world rushed past them.

She finally broke.

“I’m home,” she whispered, her voice cracking.

Jim kissed the top of her head. “You’re safe now.”

They pulled apart slowly, and he took her bag without a word.

“Let’s go,” he said gently.

As they walked toward the exit, Ava didn’t look back.

She didn’t know that somewhere in the terminal, Kenneth Walker had paused—just once—his eyes searching the crowd before he continued on.

And she didn’t know that this wasn’t the end.

It was only the beginning.