Chapter 39 - Untold Truth

Ava

I blanked out after hearing the doctor utter those painful words. It felt like someone just came and snatched all of my dreams of being a mother and mercilessly squashed them underneath their feet.

This had to be a cruel joke. No way. It's not possible.

"Are-are you serious?" I asked with great difficulty, as my throat felt extremely dry. My heart was pounding loudly in my chest.

"Yes, I'm serious, Mrs. Valentino. I'm really sorry to let you know about this. I know all of this must be hard for you to accept," Dr. Ronald replied.

I stared at Vayden, and my eyes started watering. This wasn't fair. I wanted a baby. I wanted to start a family of my own. I had so many dreams...

Ace, me, and our child...

It's unfair. I don't accept this!

How could my whole life be so perfect only to end up here? A dead-end? With no child of my own? With no one to take after me and Ace? Maybe it's because of my diet? Maybe it's the extensive beauty care I did? Maybe it's my age? Am I too old? Was it something I did that—

"Mrs. Valentino, are you still there?" Dr. Ronald called out, and I snapped out of my train of negative thoughts.

"Y-yes, yes, I'm here," I choked out.

I heard him sigh. "Please don't blame yourself. It's not your fault. It's a genetic hormonal issue. I suppose your mother also had complications during your birth. As you have said, you have always had irregular menstruation, is that right?"

"Yes." My dad had once told me that the survival chances of my mom were low when she gave birth to me. In fact, it was even risky for her to have me in the first place, yet she had insisted on bringing me into this world.

"Did your previous doctor not mention this to you at all when you had checked up?" Dr. Ronald asked.

"No, he never did."

My dad's side of the family doctor never mentioned anything like that. Ever since I hit puberty, I have had irregular periods. At first, I thought it was normal. But when I talked to my friends, they said it wasn't. So I asked Dad to show me a doctor, and our family doctor did.

But I was told that it was nothing serious. I was only prescribed medicines. Nothing else. I always had a gut feeling that it wasn't the entire truth. But I never imagined it would be something this severe.

Wait a minute...

Did my dad know all that? Did he know that I could never become a mother? Did he just marry me off like that despite knowing the truth?

"Oh, my God!" I gasped as I realized that my dad tricked Ace. No, it couldn't be Dad alone. Since I was his daughter, I bore the same crime. After all, I was the one who was infertile. We tricked Ace into marrying me without him knowing that I could never give him any offspring.

"Mrs. Valentino, are you alright?" Dr. Ronald asked over the phone.

"No, no, I'm not. I just... Never mind. Thank you so much for telling me. Please don't tell anyone else about this," I quickly said and hung up the call.

I was about to head upstairs to my bedroom, but one glance at Vayden told me that I couldn't leave him here. I texted Liliana that I was going out and to come home quickly. I told all the maids to take special care of Vayden as I headed to my room.

Once I was inside, I broke down into tears.

What had I done? I destroyed Ace's life. My dad and I cheated him. We tricked him. This was a fraud!

I glanced at our bed and a memory from about three months ago flooded into my mind.

It was past twelve at night, and yet, Ace wasn't home. He was always home on time, but today, he wasn't.

I was lying under the blanket, shivering in terror. I couldn't sleep alone at night. Although it wasn't dark, I couldn't sleep alone. I had all the lights on, yet I was terrified.

For the last few months, it had become a habit to hold Ace while sleeping. Even before we were married, Ace would stay on a call with me until I fell asleep. I was so grateful to Ace for that. How did I not realize during all those times how important he was to me?

But now that he isn't here yet, I couldn't sleep. I was so scared.

I was clutching the blanket tightly when suddenly it was pulled away from me.

"Ava, what's wrong?" Ace's face came into my vision, and relief washed over me. I sat up with a jolt and hugged him tightly. He was surprised, but he reciprocated the hug and patted my back in assurance.

After a few minutes, when I was calm, Ace pulled me apart and gently asked, "What happened, Ava?"

I looked down, feeling ashamed. I was a grown woman scared of being alone at night, after all. But this was Ace. I could tell him anything.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't sleep without you. You know, we used to be on calls before we got married, and then... I always hold you when I'm sleeping... Since you weren't home yet, I was scared and couldn't sleep."

"Ava..." he called my name softly and sympathetically. "Why didn't you go to Mom's room? Or even Em's?"

I shook my head. "I didn't want to bother them. Plus... it's embarrassing."

Ace pulled me into his chest and caressed my hair. "It's not embarrassing. You are allowed to be scared of things. It's okay. I promise I will never let you be alone at night."

"Really?"

"Yes, baby, I promise that no matter what, I will always come home on time so that you never have to sleep alone or be scared."

Since my mind was still in a haze, I asked, "You also promise that you will never leave me?"

"I promise that I will never ever leave you, Ava. I love you so much, after all."

After that night, Ace was always home on time. He was never late.

That night, Ace had promised he wouldn't leave me. But what if I left him?

Even if I loved him just as much as he did, he didn't deserve to be with a woman like me whose father had tricked him into this marriage. I was sure no man would ever marry a woman, knowing that she could never give him offspring. Everyone wants a child of their own.

Ace deserves better. It would be easier for him if I left him since he was tied by that promise.

Yes, I will leave Ace forever.