11

Ava's Big Day

Harper stared at Lucian in frustration, her jealousy simmering beneath the surface. Ava hadn't even worn too much makeup, yet people wouldn’t stop gushing over her beauty. That only made it worse. No matter what, she told herself, a broken piece could never match one that's whole. She suddenly smiled at the thought.

When they arrived at the venue, the place erupted in excitement. People with various physical challenges had gathered, each one trying their best to catch a glimpse of the remarkable woman who had always shown them kindness. A woman with a big heart, who dreamed of ending street begging and giving every differently-abled person the chance to be self-reliant through a trade or profession.

Despite the warm welcome, Ava couldn’t bring herself to step out of the car. Her chest had been pounding all morning, overwhelmed with emotion.

As Arabella reached for the door, Ava grasped her hand tightly, her eyes glistening.

Arabella smiled gently and said, “Come on, sweetheart. Today your dream comes true.”

Ava forced a smile and looked at Arabella, her voice trembling.

"Arabella, I don’t know what’s happening to me. My heart won’t stop pounding. I’m scared… I’ve waited for this day all my life, but now that it’s here, it feels like something is about to go wrong—like…”

Arabella quickly covered her mouth with her hand and shook her head, signaling her to stop.

“Don’t say that, darling. There’s nothing but good things waiting for you today. You are a blessing to others who struggle like you. Now come on, pull yourself together. I’m sure everyone’s just waiting for you to arrive.”

She ended with a warm smile.

Ava returned the smile. As Arabella stepped aside, the driver came around and opened the back door of the Camry for her.

Ava’s legs, protected in cover shoes, slowly appeared as she stepped out. Arabella quickly stepped in to support her.

Ava looked up at the building....the one she had dreamed of her whole life. She smiled with emotion, then turned to Arabella and said, “I can’t believe it. This dream I’ve carried in my heart for so long... it’s finally real.”

Arabella took her hand again and replied, “Yes, sweetheart. And you deserve every moment of it. Now let’s go. I know they’re waiting for you.”

Ava smiled again, and they walked toward the crowd as Sam’s security team helped them through.

From where Jaxon sat in his wheelchair, he watched them approach. Those faces....he could never forget them. The three people whose faces haunted his every waking moment.

His eyes landed on Adrian, the man he once saw holding a gun. Now, there he was laughing and happy with his wife.

Next, his eyes shifted to Lucian. The man who had been the first to strike him, the first to push him toward disability. Now he stood tall and confident, looking healthier and stronger than ever.

And then… the one he despised most of all....the man responsible for tearing him away from his happiness with Lily. The man who had thrown him into a darkness he feared he'd never escape.

Jaxon stared, lost in memory. The sound of the gunshot that ended Lily’s life echoed in his head. Her screams, their final phone call—it all played on repeat. He didn't care what the event was about. All he could see were those three faces. And in his heart, a deep, burning rage.

He felt like choking them one by one, to make them stop breathing....just like they’d done to Lily.

***

Mount Pleasant

Bella burst into the house in tears, her hand red and blistered from a burn.

Bella, who had been rolling dough, dropped her rolling pin and ran toward Dahlia, alarmed by the sight of her scorched hand.

Dahlia cried out, “Aunt Bella, please help me! She said she’ll kill me if I don’t bring her Leo’s money. Please hide me. Just tell her I’m dead so I can be free... please have mercy on me!”

She collapsed into fresh sobs.

Bella rushed to her, hands trembling. How had the world come to this? Would stepmothers always be a source of pain? Would people ever realize that a child belongs to both parents, not just one?

How long would selfishness and greed rule people’s hearts?

When would we stop devaluing our daughters?

When would people understand that a child...whether raised by biological parents or not...is a sacred responsibility?

Yes, being human comes with enormous challenges.

Just then, there was a loud bang.

BAM! The door flew open.

To Bella's shock, it was Willow storming in, dragging her husband along as she shouted curses. She accused him of allowing “that wretched daughter” of his to stay in this house with its indecent people.

Hearing her voice, Dahlia had already hidden herself among large cartons. Bella didn’t even notice when she disappeared....just blinked and realized she was gone. She knew Dahlia must still be inside the house, but hiding somewhere....just to avoid Willow’s wrath.

“Well then, the queen of all hypocrites should bring out our daughter, since we never handed her over to any brothel. Bring her out now!”

Willow shouted as she clapped her hands loudly, acting like she was putting on a show.

From outside, Mason could hear the chaos Willow was causing. Strangely, something compelled him to leave the market and return home. And there he was, walking into a scene where Willow was storming around, cursing and ranting, demanding that Bella bring out her daughter.

Mason cleared his throat and looked over at Bella. “Are you sure Dahlia didn’t come into the house?” he asked.

“Mason, are you actually buying into what this woman is saying?” Bella snapped. “If she sees Dahlia, let her take her then. She’s just causing drama. The girl’s being abused...what’s stopping her from running away?”

Dahlia’s father was crying uncontrollably, insisting, “My Dahlia didn’t run away. She’s here. She wouldn’t run.”

Mason shook his head, full of sympathy for Dahlia’s father. He placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him softly. Meanwhile, Willow was still raging, yelling that they had to produce her daughter.

Eventually, she began searching the house herself, checking every corner—even the kitchen. But by some miracle, she never thought to check inside the large cartons. They completed their search and found nothing.

Mason noticed Bella’s calm demeanor and suspected she knew something about where Dahlia was hiding.

But Willow wasn’t one to give up easily. She and her husband stormed off straight to the Village Head’s house, convinced that Bella was hiding Dahlia.

At the Event Venue

The event was progressing smoothly and peacefully. After speeches from various dignitaries, they began distributing gifts to every person with a disability who had attended. That was when the crowd really came alive.

In the middle of all the excitement, Sam’s phone began to ring. The caller ID read Lavinia. He didn’t know why, but an uneasy feeling hit his chest the moment he saw her name. He hadn’t spoken to her all day.

Quietly, he tried to excuse himself from the crowd, slipping through the people. At that exact moment, Harper and Lucian exchanged a glance...one only they understood. Lucian quickly followed Sam.

As he approached, he saw Sam frozen in place, taking the call, visibly distressed and muttering under his breath.

Lucian hurried up to him and asked, “Sam, is everything okay? What’s going on? Who’s hurt?” He fired off the questions quickly.

Sam abruptly ended the call. “Aunty, I’ll be right there,” he said over the phone before hanging up. Then he turned to Lucian, speaking fast. “Lavinia had an accident on her way here. She’s unconscious in the hospital. Her mom just called me.”

Lucian felt a sharp pang in his chest. He shook his head, sighing deeply, trying to process the news.

Harper had just arrived and overheard them. She burst into tears, crying, “Uncle, what happened to Lavinia? Please tell me she’s okay. Don’t tell me something bad happened to my best friend. We were just together yesterday....she even told me she was coming today for Ava’s event. Uncle, where is Lavinia?”

Her crying intensified. Sam quickly pulled her into a hug, trying to console her even though he was barely holding himself together.

He gently stroked her hair, whispering, “It’s okay, sweetheart. Lavinia will be alright. Please don’t cry, okay?”

She nodded silently, unable to speak.

When Lucian informed Granny of what happened, she insisted they had to go to the hospital right away. They couldn’t just sit around.

Ava, too, was visibly shaken and wanted to go with them, but Sam asked her and Arabella to stay and finish the event. She reluctantly agreed, though it was clear her heart wasn’t in it anymore.

Lucian was equally affected by Ava’s distress. He didn’t like seeing her cry, and he wasn’t even sure what exactly he felt for her, but he knew he didn’t want to see her in pain.

He moved closer to her, speaking softly to comfort her. “Ava…” he said gently.

She looked up at him, eyes watery.

“Everything will be alright, okay? Just stay calm,” he continued.

She nodded, wiping her tears. “Please keep us updated, Uncle Lucian…”

He nodded earnestly. “I will, I promise. Just take care of yourself.”

They parted ways, and Lucian quickly followed Sam and the others to the hospital.

Sam wanted Adrian to take Harper home because of how upset she was, but she insisted on going to the hospital too. She wanted to see Lavinia and know she was alright.

Her stubborn determination moved Adrian deeply. Despite the coldness between them the past few days, today he found himself feeling sorry for her. He pulled her into a comforting hug, assuring her Lavinia would be okay.

If you looked at Sam, you’d feel nothing but sympathy. He was driving, but clearly his mind wasn’t present. Even he pitied himself. Please let Lavinia live, he whispered in his mind, trying not to cry as he wiped away the tears forming in his eyes.

Lucian, sitting quietly beside him, bowed his head. His heart ached with empathy for Sam.

Back at the Venue

Since they left, Ava hadn’t been herself. Though she remained at the venue, her mind was elsewhere. Volunteers and staff were still going around distributing aid, but Ava couldn’t focus. She felt she couldn’t stay until the end.

The woman managing the center...her late mother’s best friend...was informed by Arabella about Ava’s state. She agreed it was best they leave.

As they made their way out, the crowd of disabled individuals began clapping enthusiastically the moment they saw Ava.

She walked slowly, her steps unsteady, almost limping. Just then, her phone began ringing in her bag. As she fumbled to pull it out, people kept calling out greetings to her.

In her distraction, the phone slipped and fell to the ground.

Just as she bent to pick it up, someone else reached for it at the same time. Her heart skipped. She looked at the hand, then at the person helping gather the scattered pieces of her phone.

Once he was done putting it all together, he looked up...face to face, their eyes met.

To be continue...