Ava sat in her living room, staring at the letter from her ex-husband. Her mind raced with memories of the abuse she had suffered during their marriage. She had thought she was finally free from him, but the letter proved otherwise.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. She quickly hid the letter and composed herself before answering. It was her neighbor, Mrs. Jenkins.

"Hey, Ava. How are you doing today?" Mrs. Jenkins asked, her kind eyes full of concern.

Ava forced a smile. "I'm fine, thanks. How are you?"

"I'm doing well, thank you. I just wanted to check on you. I saw your ex-husband's car outside earlier," Mrs. Jenkins said.

Ava's heart sank. She had hoped he wouldn't come looking for her in Boldo. "He sent me a letter," she said, finally admitting the truth.

Mrs. Jenkins nodded. "I'm sorry to hear that. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Ava sighed. "I don't know. I just feel so...lost."

Mrs. Jenkins put a comforting hand on Ava's shoulder. "It's okay to feel that way. But don't forget that you have friends here who care about you. And you're not alone in this."

Ava nodded, grateful for Mrs. Jenkins' words. She knew she had to be strong, but it was hard when her past was constantly haunting her.

The next day, Ava received another letter from her ex-husband. This time, he had included a photo of them from their wedding day. Ava couldn't believe he had the audacity to send it to her.

She decided to go for a walk to clear her mind. As she walked down the street, she bumped into her friend, Mike.

"Hey, Ava. How's it going?" he asked, noticing her troubled expression.

Ava showed him the photo and explained the situation. Mike listened patiently, anger visible in his eyes.

"He has no right to do this to you," Mike said firmly. "You need to stand up for yourself and let him know that he can't keep treating you like this."

Ava nodded, feeling a sense of empowerment. Mike was right. She couldn't let her ex-husband control her life any longer.

She went home and wrote a letter back to him, standing up for herself and making it clear that she wouldn't be manipulated anymore. She also contacted a lawyer and began the process of getting a restraining order.

It wasn't easy, but Ava knew she had to take control of her life and stop letting her ex-husband have power over her. Her friends in Boldo continued to support her, and she began to feel like she could finally move on from her past.