Episode 1122: Because Of You

“I can imagine why,” Ava responded, taking the seat opposite Justine, albeit only the edge of the seat, she had no intention of getting comfortable and staying any longer than necessary, already running behind thanks to how long she’d been kept waiting. Now there was a possibility that she would again be late getting home to Sebastian. She didn’t want to have to explain what had kept her away so long.

Ava hoped to take care of the book store’s issues without Sebastian ever knowing there had been a problem. She didn’t want him to feel like he’d been such a burden that everything had fallen apart. Her actions were responsible for this situation. She’d tried to maintain a friendship that she deep down knew her husband was incapable of tolerating. She should have been more sensitive to Sebastian’s vulnerabilities, if she had been none of this would have happened, she wouldn’t carry all of this guilt, he wouldn’t have been hit by a car and their store wouldn’t be virtually unrecognizable.

“If this is about visiting Sebastian more often to lift his spirits or something, I’m doing the best that I can,” Justine said, defensiveness evident in her voice. “I’m doing the best that I can. I have kids and a husband and my job here, it’s a lot of responsibility and-”

“And you’ve been looking after the book store, too, right?” Ava put forth, “at least that was what I was told, that I could devote all my thoughts to your brother’s recovery and not have to worry over the store because you had my back.”

“I did. I do.” Justine sat straighter, hands clasped atop her desk, the defensiveness even stronger in her voice. “I do have a life of my own. I couldn’t keep on with the day to day of the store, not for this long. I guess I probably should have told you that but it’s fine, I left the store in better financial shape than it’s ever been in. You really have nothing to worry about, you can keep being Bassie’s caregiver and just collect the profits without having to-”

“It doesn’t even look like my store anymore, Justine. I don’t mean to be ungrateful for you stepping in but you should have warned me about what was going on-”

“At first I did fight to keep things the way you had them, Ava but the longer Bassie was hospitalized the more apparent it became that you needed a different business plan, one that is more streamlined and higher earning. You have hospital bills and you want to be at home with Sebastian not running out to handle store events so this model is for the best, we did you a favor.”

Episode 1123: Misunderstood