Chapter 1141

Ava’s expression turned heavy, and it was the first time Madeline had ever seen such an ironic, exasperated, and lonely expression on her friend.

Madeline thought about her parents and how they had also hurt her so harshly before.

Still, blood was thicker than water.

Not to mention that Eloise and Sean truly regretted and felt bad about their actions after. However, they were now…

‘Mom and Dad.’

Madeline’s eyes burned as she thought of her late parents.

Ava looked up to meet Madeline’s reddened eyes and thought of Eloise and Sean as well. She quickly changed the subject. “Let’s not think about sad things anymore, okay, Maddie?

“Didn’t you say you want to buy Ryan a birthday present? Let’s go pick something out from a branded store. I want to buy something for Dan as well.”

Madeline snapped back to reality and stared at Ava with a serious look. “There’s no reason why any mother wouldn’t love their child, Ava.”

“I know what you’re trying to say, Maddie. I also want to believe that my parents do love me. But after what they’ve done back then, this so-called repayment they’re doing now is just them trying to make themselves feel better. I don’t need such repayment.”

Ava was stubborn. Whatever she had been through, it must have been bad.

Not knowing how to persuade her, Madeline did not raise the topic anymore. She had no idea what Ava’s parents did either, which made reconciliation difficult.

Ava took Madeline’s hand and went toward the branded shelves. “Although, Maddie, won’t Jeremy get jealous with you buying gifts for Ryan?”

Madeline shook her head. “He won’t. I’ve already talked to Jer about it.”

“Jeremy this, Jeremy that. You sure are calling his name sweetly now.” Ava teased with a mischievous smile. “You’re finally enjoying the happiness after all that pain, Maddie.”

The happiness after the pain.

Madeline wished that this was the happiness after the pain.

However, she could not help but remember how Jeremy had hid the ball of tissue from her.

While in a daze, Ava seemed to have wrapped up the conversation with the clerk. The clerk had now gone to take the accessories from the storage behind so that Ava could confirm the order.

As they waited, both Madeline and Ava’s eyes fell on the accessories in the display case.

The Jones family was hardly short on money. Such branded items were nothing more than daily necessities to him. Sweeping her gaze over them, Madeline settled on buying a watch.

Madeline was about to pull Ava over to look when she heard an arrogant and mocking voice sounding from behind. “I never knew you would shop at these places. Aren’t you afraid of the shame if the people here realize that what you’re wearing are all fakes?”

Madeline looked in the direction of the voice to find a young lady donned in hefty jewelry. Her arms were crossed as she stared at Ava with an intent smile.

A clerk by the side then approached the woman with a pair of high-heels and handed them over courteously. “The shoes you ordered are here, Miss Mendez. Let me help you try them on.”

Miss Mendez?

Madeline quickly thought of the Naya Mendez Ava had mentioned to her before.

This Naya was one of the Graham family’s future daughter-in-law candidates, the daughter of a rich man.

Madeline had thought nothing much of Naya when Ava first told her about the other, but it was evident that there was more than met the eye after hearing Naya’s mocking tone.