Ex-Husband's Regret (Ava and Rowan) novel Chapter 131

I shrug “Sure, if that’s how you want to take it”

“One word from me and Rowan will be on your ass…we’ve danced this game before Ava. You know all I have to tell Rowan is that you’ve been rude to me and he will blow up on you”

Before, that would have made me bow down. I desperately didn’t want to have any more problems with Rowan, so I would let her humiliate me. She would revel in it. Feeling powerful that she was able to reduce me to nothing.

I give her a smile. “Go ahead. I honestly don’t give a fuck. In fact, why don’t you take your phone out right now and call him?” I challenge her.

“You think I won’t?”

“I’m counting on you doing it” I reply smugly.

Slowly by slowly, the self-esteem I thought I had lost after Ethan betrayed me was starting to come back. Never will I allow a man to make me hit rock bottom again.

“What’s going on here?” a stern voice says.

I look up to find Corrine staring between us. We weren’t friends, more like acquaintances or business partner. Her father’s construction firm is the one I use when building Hope Houses. She is the owner of this restaurant. The construction firm is a family company and she was a shareholder, but the restaurants were all hers.

“This woman here is causing a disturbance, I suggest you kick her out” Anita rushes to speak. “We were just minding our own business when she started calling me names”

I smirk. Folding my hands across my chest as I watch her make a fool of herself.

Everyone knows who Corrine is. No one though, knows that we know each other. I was waiting for the show to start. Unlike Rowan, Corinne wasn’t easily fooled.

“Is that so?” she asks, her voice low.

I never let myself get too close to her. She wanted us to be friends, but at that time I thought that no one would want a loser like me as a friend. Instead I kept her at arm length. Only talking to her when business was involved.

Anita nods her head. She gives her friends a small signal and they all agree with her. What a bunch of idiots.

“Do you think I’m stupid? Do you think this entire place has no cameras?” he asks them. “I saw everything and then you dare lie to me?”

I see the moment Anita realizes she has fucked up. She swallows hard, panic etched on her face.

“What?” she snaps.

“You're no longer welcomed at any of my restaurants. That goes for you friends too”

I smirk when her mouth falls open in shock. She then stomps away. Her friends hot on her heels. Cursing her for getting them banned.

“Thank you for that, Corrine. She was starting to get on my damn nerves” I humph.

“It’s okay…it was no problem” she gives me a small smile.

I go to tell her something more, when my name is called.

“Ava?” I freeze at the sound of her voice.

I turn around to find Rowan’s mom standing behind me. Next to her with tears in her eyes, is the woman I thought was my mother. The woman who called me her daughter, but treated me like I was nothing.