Sad truth

The next morning, Ava came to the foundation and received an invitation from the City Music Association for that evening. With everything going on, she was in no mood to attend any event but she also knew it was a crucial time for the A&D group and how much she and Daniel needs to socialize to extend their contacts and channel. So After thinking for a while she decided to attend it.

Ava's arrived at the venue at 7.00 p.m, in a simple but elegant light green evening gown. She put on light makeup as always and curled her hair which gave her a sophisticated look. Since she was attending as Mackie she got a warm welcome from the people at the association. Many people were interested to talk to her, getting to know her more, and understanding her views about music. However the event was too boring for Ava, she was surprised to see how everything has changed in the music industry. There were a lot of new faces around that Ava was not familiar with. Since she was out of the country for a few years, she didn't keep herself updated about the music industry here in China. She was surprised to see how people turned pure interest and love for the music into a commercial need. Nowadays people want to be a musician not because they have talent or they love music but because they want to be popular and become rich. This sad truth made Ava feel heartbroken. Most of the young musicians she met were ambitious but fake, it was clear that they were the kinds of people who would only make friends with you if they think they can benefit from you. Or maybe that's how things were supposed to progress and she was the one who couldn't keep up with the pace.

After socializing for a while and talking to some known people Ava decided to take a break. She already had a few drinks so she also needed to use the lady's room. Ava went to the toilet but after using it she didn't get out right away, instead, she put the toilet cover down and sat there quietly. She never liked these crowds, having meaningless conversations, and faking smiles were too much of an act for her. So she needed some time alone. However, that alone time was short-lived because two women came to the lady's room clicking their heels and talking very loudly. If it was another time Ava would ignore them and get out of there, however, what made her furious was that they were talking about her and Daniel. Ava stayed quiet and listened to them.

"Sister, who is this woman, Mackie? I was trying to get the attention of the vice president of ABC Music but god knows from where she came in and interrupted my conversation with him. I was this close to convincing him to go out with me but that woman ruined it for me." One of the women said in an annoyed voice.

"What Mackie? She is Ava Knight! She was Oliver Knight's wife, or should I say, Ex-wife. Mr. Knight left her so now she found another businessman. What a cunning woman, she is such a player." The other woman said with disdain.

"Really! Maybe that's why Mr. Knight left that woman, who would want to have such an unfaithful partner? They are the high and mighty, they definitely wouldn't want to ruin their reputation by having such a woman by their side. But didn't she fall off the cliff and died a few years ago? Oh, and I also heard Daniel Sherman is an illegitimate child of his father and only got acknowledged by the Sharman family a few years ago. Can you believe it!" The first woman said.

"Well, then it's not surprising that Ava and Daniel found each other. After all who would want to be with a woman like her except for some illegitimate son of a wealthy family? They seem like a perfect match." The 2nd woman said and laughed out loud.

Ava couldn't hear the conversation anymore, her blood start to boil when she heard what the two women were saying. She was speechless at how people will make an assumption and turn it into a lie then spread rumors so confidently. They didn't even know her, she didn't do anything to them yet they keep speaking ill of her. If it was before she would have rushed outside and given them some peace of mind. However, she was not that person anymore, she was calmer and more collected. She knew it was a waste of her time and breath if she tried to fight these women. So Ava got out of the toilet elegantly holding her head high and came to the wash basin to wash her hands. Then she touched up her makeup and lipstick, the whole time she didn't even look at the two women who were standing there awkwardly. After she finished she turned around to leave, however before she reached the door, she turned and looked at the two women and said with an indifferent expression and cold smile, "Isn't it refreshing to gossip about others? However, let me give you a piece of advice, you should be more careful about spreading fake rumors and talking nonsense about people you don't know, especially in public. Because, who knows you might get arrested for slandering people." Saying that Ava left without turning back. Her mood already improved looking at the women's ashen faces.

The two women were dumbfounded when they saw Ava coming out of the toilet. They realized she must have heard what they were talking about. They looked at each other embarrassed but didn't have the courage to say anything. After all, Mackie and Daniel both were renowned people, on top of that she was Oliver's ex-wife who was the powerful almighty. They couldn't afford to offend any of them. But when Ava said those words, blood completely drained from their faces realizing she could actually send them to jail for what they had just said. They wanted to apologize but Ava was already gone.

After coming out of the lady's room, Ava didn't go back to the main hall where the event was held, instead, she walked around and reached the back of the hotel, where she found a beautiful garden full of flowers, the moon was shining and spreading it's silver light on the flowers making the atmosphere look very dreamy. Ava walked into the garden and stood there admiring the beautiful night. The bitterness and anger she felt a while ago were long forgotten. Looking at the various and rare flowers Ava suddenly recalled Oliver's greenhouse at the back of his villa. He also used to breed some rare flowers there. She still could vividly recall the morning she heard him playing violin for the first time in the greenhouse. However, that also brings her the memory of Melody. Melody told Ava how she and Oliver came close because of their interest in violin and music. Ava closed her eyes and swallowed back the lump that formed in her throat. She thought she had moved past all that but Oliver's betrayal still felt fresh to her.

When Ava was admiring the flower garden she didn't realize someone was there with her, silently watching every move she made and every expression on her face. When he saw her in a trance he took the chance and approached her slowly and stood in front of her.

As Ava was lost in her thoughts, she didn't see or hear anyone coming toward her. It was not until the tall man stood in front of her that she realized she was not alone there anymore. However looking at the man her eyes widen, this was the least expected place where he could be. Why was he here?