She comes first

It was hard to feel anything anymore. When the same eyes that looked at Avia like she was his world were staring at her like she was nothing.

A bitter pill she had to swallow. The feeling was choking her, making it hurt to breathe.

Staring at Joem, watching him watch someone else. It tore her heart to pieces. It was hurtful when he spoke harsh bitter words to her. When he went out of his way to get her to feel down but what hurt the most is watching him look at another woman with so much love in his eyes.

Avia didn't want to admit, she had lost him completely. His love for her was gone. His abhorrence was all that was left between them. Other than the feelings of hatred, Joem had no other feelings for her.

"Your phone," Avia reached out the phone for Joem to take. Joem flinched at her voice.

The voice that felt so warm and familiar to his heart once, pricked like a thorn present. Opening up old wounds in seconds.

Joem clenched his fists. He hated how one person's voice could make him relieve all the painful memories of his past.

A buzzing sound interrupted the silence between them. Joem twirled around strongly without warning covered the distance between them and grabbed the ringing phone from Avia's hand.

Without checking who the caller was. He wasted no minute answering the call. "Hello," he sounded. His voice was ice cold.

Avia raised her gaze to him. Shivering in fear, the man seemed pissed and she could think of only one person that was responsible for his mood. A vein was about to pop in Joem's forehead. His voice was harsh and stern.

Her eyes almost popped out of her sockets when she noted the phone he was holding. She lowered her hand to see that she was still holding Joem's phone with her. This meant that in anger, Joem grabbed her phone and received her call.

She panicked.

"What is the meaning of this?" a male voice sounded on the other end of the call.

"Who is this?"

Joem inquired.

"I should ask you that seeing as you are answering my bride-to-be's phone," the caller spoke out enraged.

Joem brought the phone to his sight and examined it. He flashed his eyes over to his wife and raised his eyebrow at her.

His lip stretched into a devilish smirk. A look that Avia was getting accustomed to seeing on his face since they met once again. It wasn't her favorite look on his face. As it promised that she was up to something that was eventually going to break her apart.

"Avia can't come to the phone right now. She is getting ready for a party to celebrate her wedding," Joem answered.

"What?" Nathan was beyond shocked. He had seen the news but wasn't able to believe it, to hear someone confirm that indeed his fiancee had eloped from their wedding venue anf gotten married to someone else. The butter truth hit home.

"Since you seem to be important to the bride. I'll do you a favor and send you an invitation to the party. As the wedding was rushed there are few people on the bride's side. Hope you'll find time to come," Joem ended the call without hearing from Nathan.

He turned his attention to Avia who was pale. Avia thought of all the ways that Joem could humiliate her at a party and the methods were endless. Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach at the thought of what awaited her at the party.

"You made my love angry and ruined my mood, I'll return the favor," Joem claimed and tossed her phone to her.

Avia panicked. In her attempt to catch her phone from falling to the ground. She accidentally forgot that she was still in possession of Joem's phone and let it go.

The phone hit the ground, the screen protector cracking by the second. Avia exhaled in solace after catching her phone. Her eyes cast to the ground, catching a glimpse of Joem's phone.

Life drained from her eyes.

Joem bent down and picked up his phone. His fingers clenched tightly around it while he glared daggers at Avia.

"Is it because my eyes are open to who you really are or have you always been this bad luck?" Joem asked.

The question cut deep into Avia's heart. The one who always considered her to be his lucky charm was staring her in the eyes and calling her inauspicious.

A tear trickled down her face. The phone was an honest mistake. She didn't mean for it to drop just like she didn't intend to interrupt Joem and Beabianca. When she saw that it was his mother calling, she figured it was important.

In the past, she could recall that Joem always put everything at a standstill whenever his mother called him or needed him. He placed his mother above all else in life, a quality that was admirable on his part.

"I'm so..sorry," she nervously let out. "Your mother called and I got the phone for you. I know that she comes first before anyone else in your life and I didn..."

"Beabianca is the most important person in my life. She comes first before everyone else," Joem rudely interrupted her. "Don't make the mistake of thinking you understand me based on who I used to be," he added.

His voice was sharp and fierce. Before Avia could let out a word, he walked around her and headed into the house. Avia followed him with her eyes. Wondering if he was the same person she once knew and loved or if she was staring at a carbon copy of the man she once admired.

"Throw this away," Joem handed the phone to a servant. "It's dirty," he spoke out locking eyes with Avia. She swallowed bitterly.

The servant took the phone, she made eye contact with Avia before nodding in response to Joem. The man headed to the house without looking back. Once he was out of sight, the servant hurried over to Avia.

"Are you okay?" she asked with a concerned look on her face.