|Did he come back?|
.
|Ethan|
That night, Ethan returned home late. The scent of heavy perfume lingered on his clothes—Natalia's perfume. As he stepped inside, he saw Ava curled up on the floor, her head resting on the couch, fast asleep.
He paused at the sight of her.
Ava lay curled on the couch, fast asleep. Her face was pale, and faint tear stains still clung to the corners of her eyes. She looked small, fragile, and worn out.
For a moment—just a moment—something tugged in his chest. A strange ache. Maybe guilt. Maybe regret.
But he pushed it down. Like he always did.
He walked closer, knelt down slightly, like he might lift her into bed. His hands hovered, unsure.
Then he straightened, turned his back on her, and walked away.
A second later, the bedroom door slammed shut.
The loud sound made Ava jolt awake. Her heart skipped at the sudden noise.
She rubbed her eyes and stood, body still aching from the nap on the stiff couch. Quietly, she made her way to the bedroom.
The door was half open.
Ethan stood inside, his shirt half off, back turned to her. He tossed it onto the chair carelessly. Then she saw it.
A faint red mark near his collarbone.
And on his shirt collar… a deep red smudge.
Lipstick.
She stopped breathing for a second.
Her eyes dropped to his discarded clothes on the floor. She bent down, fingers brushing the fabric. The scent hit her immediately.
Strong. Sweet. Expensive.
Not hers.
It was hers. Natalia.
Ava's throat tightened. Another tear slipped out, silent and hot.
She backed away slowly, not wanting him to see her crumble again.
Inside, Ethan stood in front of the mirror.
The water ran. But he didn't move.
He stared at his reflection—the tired eyes, was it guilt? No. He doesn't wnat her and asked her for Divorce and she was the one who is clinging to him.
He splashed cold water onto his face. And this time when he looked at his neck, he saw it—the lipstick stain, a red mark Natalia had left. He scrubbed it hard with soap, but it wouldn't disappear as he just left it just like that.
What is the point when he knew Ava had alraedy know about his infedilty but still choose to stay silent and it fraustated him. He asked for divorce once but Ava behaved like she didn't even heard anything. He didn't know from when Ava had become like this? He sighed in annoyence.
Wrapping a towel around his waist, he sighed deeply. He hated the man he saw in the mirror.
He returned to the bedroom. Ava was on bed now and her back facing him. He gave a second glance and the next second his phone buzzed.
He answered quickly and walked to the balcony.
"Did you reach home?" Natalia's voice rang clearly through the speaker.
Ethan sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Hmm," he answered shortly, leaning back on the bed.
"What's wrong? You sound tired. Did something happen?" she asked with a concerned tone—one she used well.
"Nothing," he muttered. "Just… the house. I didn't want to come back, but I had to."
Natalia chuckled on the other end. "You could've just stayed here, you know. I wouldn't mind. In fact, I'd love it. We could've had so much fun."
Ethan smiled faintly, his lips curling despite the weight sitting on his shoulders. "Don't worry, baby. I think I'll keep the fun part for tomorrow morning. Alright?"
A playful laugh came through the line. "You're really naughty, Mr. CEO."
He chuckled, and the line went quiet as they shared their secret joke.
What he didn't know—what he didn't care to check—was that just outside the slightly open door, Ava can hear everything.
Baby.
Fun.
Tomorrow morning.
Each word hit her like a slap.
He didn't even bother to hide it anymore.
No locked phone. No quiet whisper. No guilt.
He was doing it openly. Freely. Like she didn't exist.
...…..
.
|Ava|
I woke up slowly, my body still heavy with sleep, but my heart even heavier. I turned to the side, reaching out, but the space next to me was cold.
Empty.
Ethan was gone.
Again.
I stared at the ceiling, not wanting to move. I was tired—not just from sleep, but from pretending. Pretending everything was okay. Pretending I wasn't breaking more every day.
The soft creak of the door made me sit up slightly.
Ethan walked in, dressed neatly in a crisp shirt and suit. He looked like he was heading out. I glanced at the clock.
8:00 AM.
"Ethan… today is Sunday," I said quietly. "Is it really necessary to go to the office today too?"
He barely looked at me. "Why? Do I need your permission to leave the house now?"
His voice was cold. Sharp.
I swallowed hard. "I didn't mean it like that. I just… I just wanted to talk. To spend some time. We never—"
"You want to talk?" he snapped, finally facing me. "Talk about what? How miserable you made me look every day? How you keep acting like the victim when I am the one who is sufferening?"
My chest tightened. "Why are you always so rude to me, Ethan? What did I do to deserve this?"
He stepped closer, eyes dark. "Ask yourself that. Ask why I can't even stand to be near you anymore. Maybe then you'll get your answer."
His words cut deep—deeper than any silence ever had.
Without another look, he turned around and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
I sat there frozen, the sound of the door still ringing in my ears.
Tears filled my eyes, but I didn't wipe them.
Because maybe, this time, I needed to feel the pain to finally see the truth.
.......
To be continued