Chapter 24
I walked next to Alex, my eyes still swollen from the tears I had just
shed. I had a hunch to trust him, afterall he had been so kind to me.
We got to my door and I glanced up at him. “I’ll give my private
investigator a call as soon as I can.” he said in a soothing calm voice.
“We’ll know Liam’s identity. Well investigate this.”
Thankful for his resolve I nodded. I said in a whisper “Thank
Alex.”
you
“Ava, everything will work out. Discovering the truth about your
divorce is one step closer to what actually transpired.” He said, giving
my hand a light squeeze.
His words caused a tiny flicker of relief as if the burden on my chest
had been lifted. Perhaps I wasn’t as isolated as I believed. Perhaps
there was hope after all.
“I’m not going to cry anymore.” I told him with a feeling of resolve.
“Enough crying for me. Alex you’ve been a huge help to me. I mean
emotionally and in other ways too.”
He gave a slight smile and nodded as though he comprehended.
1/6
Chapter 24
“Alright. Look after yourself Ava. Take a nap.”
I managed a tiny smile in return as I nodded. “Yes I will. Thanks a
lot.”
My thoughts continued to race as I attempted to make sense of
everything as he turned and left.
Liam. separation.
I was unable to recall that life. Through all of this confusion, Alex’s
generosity had given me a sense of security. A lot was happening and
I had a lot of questions and things to piece together.
But right now it was almost as if I could just close my eyes, put
everything out of my mind and trust that everything would sort itself
out. However, that wasn’t me. I was unable to do that.
Despite how painful it would be, I had to face the truth. And Alex had
given me the impression that I wasn’t traveling this path alone.
I drew in a deep breath and got into my room, closing the door softly
behind me. Compared to when Alex had been with me earlier, the
room felt colder. It was nearly unbearable to be silent.
The sunlight that had streamed in earlier felt far away as the day
2/6
Chapter 24
turned into evening but I still looked out the window. As my feelings
swirled within me the room appeared to grow darker.
I instinctively reached for the divorce papers that were still firmly in
my grasp. I had not wanted to look at them before. Not with Alex
around. But I was unable to ignore them any longer now that I was by
myself.
Why had we separated? What was it about Liam that had sparked this
and more significantly? Why was I unable to recall any of it?
A sharp pain in my chest was the only thing I could feel as I looked
down at the papers. I didn’t want to dwell on the life I had lost the
man I had loved or the man who had fathered my child.
In order to comprehend why things had gone so horribly wrong I felt
compelled to remember him. I clung to the papers but they seemed to
me only a harsh cold reminder of the parts of myself I had lost.
I couldn’t understand the memories of Liam, the divorce and the life
that seemed to belong to someone else. I wasn’t expecting the sudden
intensity of the throb in my head.
A sharp blinding ache swept through me causing a wave of dizziness
to crash over me. My vision became obscured. The room appeared to
be spinning as I reached for the door frame for support.
3/6
Chapter 24
1 could hear my own rapid shallow breathing as I reached for
something to steady myself. Desperate to find firm ground I
staggered forward and my hand landed on the wall beside me.
I felt somewhat grounded by the cool surface which sent a shiver
down my palm. I was still being attacked from the inside by the
illogical images that flashed in color and light.
Smells, faces and locations passed by in my head like ephemeral
pieces that I was unable to piece together. It didn’t help that my
fingers were clenched around the divorce papers.
As though the burden of the past were dragging me down they grew
heavier with each second that went by. I did not know the answers.
Only a few more inquiries. They were also choking me.
The feeling that the world was spinning faster than I could keep up
with persisted even though I had no idea what was going on. With my
other hand moving to my head and pressing against my forehead in a
fruitless attempt to calm the storm inside I leaned harder against the
wall and breathed in ragged gasps.
Suddenly the room seemed to change. At this point the flashes came
even more quickly overwhelming my senses. The world appeared to
melt away and I felt as though I had lost control of my own body and
was falling.
4/6
Chapter 24
I struck the wall with a dull thud and as my forehead struck it I felt a
sharp pain. I closed my eyes tightly hoping the feeling would stop as
VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABEL
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: The Stand In Wife's Revenge