---- Chapter 13 No.13 Meanwhile, in New York, Ava's father drove her directly to her new apartment after picking her up from the airport. He informed her that he had arranged a place for her, close to the university, so she could either live on campus or at home. He handed her a set of keys. | have a few other properties, he said. "I'll send you the addresses. You can go to any of them, anytime. They are all your home." His voice was low, filled with remorse. "I'm sorry | couldn't be there for you all these years." Ava couldn't bear to hear him say that. She remembered blaming him as a child, but as she grew up, it was replaced by a sense of longing. She remembered her mother pinning all her hopes on her, forcing her to learn dance because her own stage career was cut short by Ava's birth. Ava was not a natural. Her mother's expectations turned to disappointment Only her father would hold her and say, "It's okay if you can't dance. You'll find something you love, and I'll support you." ---- When she was younger, she was afraid her mother would stop loving her father. As she grew older, she understood her mother's frustrations and tried to please her. When her family went bankrupt, her parents fought constantly. Ava blamed herself, clumsily trying to mediate. They divorced. Ava didn't understand the concept, only that her father didn't want her anymore and her mother was taking her with her. She had resented her father for abandoning her. Only as she grew up did she understand that many things were beyond his control. She learned to forgive him. She told herself to be independent, but then Ethan had forcefully entered her life, and she had unconsciously come to rely on him. She realized that a person couldn't become independent overnight. They needed a lifeline. Ethan had been her lifeline Now, she had figured it all out. It's all in the past, she comforted her father. "Things will get better from now on." They arrived at the apartment. After showing her around, her father left. Ava looked out the window at the street scene below, a sense of peace settling in her heart. ---- She had been a drifting weed. This apartment wasn't a home yet, but she was no longer bound by anyone's restrictions. She fell asleep in the bathtub and was woken by the cold water. She quickly took a hot shower and burrowed under the covers, but in the morning, her head was heavy and her ears were ringing She remembered there was a hospital nearby, so she got dressed, grabbed her wallet, and went out. Just as she opened the door, her vision swam, and she stumbled into a tall, imposing man.