Ex-Husband's Regret

"Hi" for some weird reason, I squeaked the word.

Coming face to face with Ava was like coming face to face with your secret crush. I was all of a sudden sweaty and nervous. Instead of answering, she pulled me into a tight hug. It was a warm hug. It felt like hugging a soft and fluffy teddy bear.

"It's nice to officially meet you, Harper. Welcome to the family" she whispered right before she stepped away.

Gabriel then led me to the out-door setup that had multiple foods on the table. He moved me so that I was sitting right beside him.

Did he get that I hated his proximity for a reason?

Within seconds, everyone was digging in.

"So, Harper, what do you do?" Gabriel's mom asked.

I swallowed, when everyone turned to look. I hated it when attention was focused on me.

"I'm an interior designer," I replied, while trying to maintain eye contact.

If there was one thing my mother taught me, it's that eye contact was important, especially when it came to people from our world. The rich and influential viewed avoiding eye contact as a sign of weakness. My mother instilled in us to never show that weakness, no matter what.

"That's just perfect," Ava added. "I've been dying to change things in a few of the Hope houses. Maybe you can help with that."

Lilly, ever the curious little thing, catches that quickly. "What are Hope houses?"

children who were less fortunate." Noah is the one that answers. "She's

could also see the love he had for her. It seemed that both father and

then her face clears as if a light bulb just

Hope Foundation. It's one of the biggest children's foundations in the country. No one knew who the founder

I, on

last name. Your foundation is worth millions of dollars and you're the richest woman in the country and the six

thing about Lilly, she takes in information like a sponge absorbs water. Anything to do with money, Lilly probably

this, sweetheart?"

it wasn't

to be a billionaire when + grow up and in order to achieve

turned to me and I

I added, "Actually, anything

you encourage this?"

why would I stand in her way? Anything I can do to support and help her with achieving them, I will do it in a

"She's just like her daddy. Gabriel also used to obsess

that he was a grown-up man. It's like he

different from the cold man I was used to, was overwhelming to