Chapter 8
When my mother fell ill, I had to quit my job as a pastry chef so that I could take care of her. She needed me home at all hours of the day to ensure that she was well-taken care of, especially since my father wouldn’t care for her.
Now that she was being treated by medical professionals, my help was unneeded. I had the opportunity to start working again, and I needed a job if I wanted to pay Ethan back for all that he had done for me.
I took the time to send out resumes to every pastry shop I could find close to Ethan’s house. It was my dream job and I finally had time to pursue it properly.
It only took a few days before I was called in for an interview. The shop was a high-end pastry shop in the business district of the city. It was the chance of a lifetime.
The manager had me bake and decorate a cake as part of my interview, to show I truly knew what I was doing. He sliced it and took a bite right in front of me to judge my skills.
“This is amazing!” He complimented, taking a second bite of my cake. I was all smiles as he continued to praise my work.
The manager called and offered me a job the very next day, making almost twice what I was making at the shop I worked in before. I accepted it immediately - I’d have to be a fool not to. Beyond grateful for the job and the salary, I worked tirelessly every day to impress my boss and coworkers.
During a particularly busy shift, I was cleaning off a table when I heard my name being called from behind me. I turned around, unsure of who would recognize me in this neighborhood, to find a girl I knew from school waving at me from her table.
Her name was Silena.
She was a nasty, jealous girl during our time in school together. She was almost as bad as Dora in the way she treated me. She’d laugh at my clothes, ruin my school books on purpose, and even go as far as tripping me in the hallways because it made her friends laugh.
“Hi Silena!” I greeted in a polite, customer service manner. “How nice to see you.”
“Ava,” Silena’s eyes were pointedly sharp. She smiled unpleasantly at the sight of my apron. “So nice to see you working.”
“Thank you,” I took out a pad and paper to take their order.
“I’m so surprised, since your father’s an alpha, that you’re working as a waitress.” She added quickly. “Though, I guess I’m not too shocked about it. Are you still woofless? Or did you outgrow that?”
She was making fun of me in front of a table of her friends. I had to remain cordial, though, so I wouldn't lose all the hard work I’ve put into this job.
“I’m happy here, are you working?” I asked, dodging her question.
“I am,” She beamed, excited to boast about herself. “I actually work at the corporation next door. I make a lot of money there. I mean, a lot of money!”
Her friends murmured a few congratulations and one went so far as to pat her on the back.
“Don’t suppose you’ve heard of it? It’s the Blue Moon Group. We just got a new CEO and he is so handsome. He’s in the media all the time.” Silena twisted a strand of her hair around her finger. I was surprised to hear that Ethan worked in the building next door to mine and I never even realized.
Her friends giggled at the mention of the CEO and whispered among themselves at how Silena would surely woo him if she was going to be working there so much.
Annoyed by her bragging and her friends’ mindless compliments, I decided to just let her have her moment of glory and take their orders.
“Well then,” I smirked. “Since you’re making so much money, I’m sure it would be nothing at all for you to treat your friends here to some sweets.”
Silena’s face fell slightly, but she recovered and nodded her head.
“Of course! Whatever they want.” She declared.
Since she was being so generous, I started recommending my favorite desserts to the group. I told them about our very expensive crystal macaroons, twenty-four carat gold-flake cupcakes, and the restaurant’s own version of strawberries arnaud. Each friend wanted one of each.
Silena’s face went pale when she heard her friends place their orders. I felt the urge to laugh, but didn’t want to appear unprofessional.
I rang up the order on the computer, and went to tell my supervisor about the sale I made. I couldn’t wait to hand Silena the check.
Ethan’s Pov
The past few weeks, Ava came home exhausted, often falling asleep on the couch without even making it to the room I set up for her.
Tonight was one of those nights.
When I got home, a pounding migraine reverberated through my skull. Between work and the pressure of rebuilding my father’s empire, and seeking revenge on who wronged him, the headaches only grew worse as the days carried on.
Work itself was never easy. I often get so caught up in my work that I forget to eat, and when I have time to eat I’m not hungry because I’m too tired from work.
There was only one meal that ever seemed to satiate my odd appetite, and the cafe that used to sell it stopped serving it. Since I couldn’t have it, I didn’t want anything else.
Coming through the door, I caught a small whiff of Ava’s perfume wafting through the doorway to the living room. Unintentionally, a small smile turned my lips and I followed the smell but she wasn’t there. Her scent was like a ghost, starting to haunt and cover the areas in my house she frequented.
I sat on the recliner by the window. The house was quiet, but the quiet did nothing to soothe my pounding head. I closed my eyes and wished it would go away.
The front door slamming shut startled me awake. Apparently I drifted off.
Ava trudged into the living room, her eyes half shut. She kicked off her shoes and fell onto the sofa. She didn’t even acknowledge me. I wasn’t sure she even knew I was there.
She curled into a ball, her black hair pouring over the cushions like ink. She looked exhausted, just as she had for many nights now. There was a blanket on the chair I was sitting on; I took it and draped it over her sleeping form.
Part of me, perhaps the possessive part, wondered why Ava had been coming home so late and why she was always practically dead on her feet every night.
I left the room so Ava could sleep peacefully and called my beta, Tristan, to express my concerns about her whereabouts. I wanted to know who she was spending time with, where they were going, and why.
It didn’t take Tristan long at all to deliver me a portion of the answers I wanted. The next afternoon he texted me pictures of Ava in a restaurant. Her face was flushed pink and she was standing next to another man, laughing.
A pit formed in my stomach at the sight. Did she have a boyfriend before marrying me? I never thought to ask, I assumed she would tell me.
When she got home that night, I confronted her.
“Ava,” I was waiting for her by the front door, my voice startled her.
“Ethan!” She jumped. Her face fell when she saw my expression. “What’s wrong?”
I looked away from her, nervous to see how she reacted when I asked, “Are you seeing someone right now?”
Her eyebrows furrowed together, “Ethan, I would never disrespect you like that. Of course I wouldn’t see someone while I’m married to you.”
I felt a little relief at her words, but the picture flashed across my mind. I pulled out my phone and brought up the photo.
“Explain this to me then.” I demanded, holding the screen to her face.
