“Hey, Ariella. You promised that we’ll check this place out any time we come by. We have to do it today,” Mariam was bouncing on her feet excitedly as she looked at Ariella with expectation.“I…Mariam, you know that we cannot…”“Come on, Ariella,” Mariam groaned, “Don’t get started on me about how this place looks so expensive and it would be wrong to keep using Kelvin’s money on expensive things.”“Well, you took the words right out of my mouth,” Arialla said as she spun around to keep walking.“Hey, hey,” Mariam grabbed Ariella’s forearm to stop her, “You promised me, remember?”Ariella placed her free hand on her forehead. She could already feel an oncoming headache. Mariam was not one to give up easily. How the hell did they even walk right through this place? Right. Mariam tricked her into it and because Ariella had forgotten about this place and her promise, she walked right into the trap.“Look, you’ve got to stop feeling guilty about spending Kelvin’s money, he’s your husband
Since they went out for a walk in the evening and ended up having a lengthy discussion in the restaurant where Mariam did not hold back from ordering almost everything on the menu, it was a very long list, it was nighttime before they could set out to the house kelvin rented for them for their vacation. The same house that Mariam had been trying to convince Ariella was not a rented one. “You really don’t feel like throwing up?” Arielle asked Mariam for the umpteenth time since they left the restaurant and began to go home.She’s never seen Mariam eat this much before. They were both models who had to eat little to keep fit and maintain their shapes and stature. Ariella only started eating more because of her pregnancy, but Mariam was not pregnant so it was scary the amount of food she swallowed today.“I do not feel like throwing up. How many times have I got to tell you to stop worrying about me? I’m fine. Their food was just too delicious, I could not help myself.”“And I told you
“You are here?” Ariella asked in a breathy voice as her heart, which had begun to race after she heard that someone broke into the house, slowed down.She was already painting different scenarios in her head of whom the person might be and what they would want. Ariella was already thinking of the expression on Kelvin’s face when he would say, “I told you so,”.He’s tried to employ a bodyguard to watch them, but she refused, saying if she were to go on a vacation and enjoy it then she wouldn't want anyone watching her every move. She could take care of herself, she was a grown woman. Those words would come back to bite her in the butt.To say that she was surprised to see Kelvin here was an understatement. Since they got here he has not visited, and she did not want him here, Gladys had done so only once, and it was the first time Ariella refused to go for therapy.She wondered why he was here and hoped that it was not for something bad. She would end it well if she got another bad new
“Oh my God,” Ariella gasped as tears filled her eyes. “I’m so sorry,” now she felt like the devil for asking him what he knows about grief and for also making him think back to the past. “No need for an apology. Listen to what I’m going to tell you. Pay close attention.”Ariella nodded eagerly then Kelvin continued.“While all of this was happening, my mother was mourning the loss of her husband and trying to find a solution for her only child who was at the verge of madness. When I realized this, I wanted to be well just for my mother, but it never happened. I went to therapy and still nothing, I nearly had to be sent to the psychiatrist. It wasn’t until I opened up one day and told her therapist that I blamed myself for my father's death that she told him if I wanted to be well, I needed to forgive myself. “She said that it was the first step. She made me understand that I could not have known that he was going to die that day. We always went to get ice cream at exactly that time
Arialla groaned as she sat up on her bed and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. A loud scream left her mouth when she raised her head and saw a tall figure leaning against her door. She abruptly slammed her mouth shut when she realized that it was Kelvin standing there.“What a lovely way to greet me.” Kelvin told her with a smirk, “Morning to you too,”Ariella patted her chest with her hand, “Good morning. I did not expect to see you there,”“I was not expecting to see myself here either,” he pushed himself off her door and walked to stand over her by the bed, “I wanted to check up on you before I leave this morning.”“Huh?”“Huh,”“Why are you being so sarcastic this morning?” Ariella could not help but ask. She felt like he was coming for her throat. She’s not seen him since that night they took a walk by the beach, and it’s been two days. According to Mariam, he was always up before her and she was always in bed by the time he got back.“Am I?” He jerked his chin at the w
One minute she was meditating in the warm water that had now gone cold and the next minute she was snapped out of it by a knock on the door. Ariella landed on her bottom with a splash, and she screamed when her leg twisted at the wrong angle and hot pain shot through her. “Ariella, I’m coming in now,” Kelvin said as he twisted the door handle. Even with the painful feeling in her leg, Ariella’s eyes widened in fear as she looked at the door, “No, please don’t come in. I’m fine,” even her voice betrayed her pain. Kelvin ignored her words and opened the door, “No, you are not fine,” he said as he stepped into the bathroom and hurried over to the bathtub. “It’s just my leg. Allow me to come out by myself,” “Let me help you,” Without even thinking twice Kelvin shoved his hand inside the tub and pulled her out into his arms then he hurried out to sit her on the bed in the room. Kelvin knelt in front of her and lifted one of her legs, “Which one of them is twisted?” “Not the one you
“I…” he cleared his throat awkwardly, avoiding her eyes. “I'll get something in the closet for you to wear.” He didn't even wait for a reason before rushing over to the closet.Ariella watched him with an amused expression. He scampered through the wardrobe, shaking his head with incoherent complaints. Deciding to ease his stress, Ariella wrapped the sheets around her body and pushed herself out of bed. A small cuss fell off her lips as soon as her feet touched the ground. She sucked it in and walked towards the closet to pick something to wear.“What do you think you're doing? Go back to bed, I'll pick something for you,” he tried to shoo her away. “You're not exactly doing a great job, Kelvin. If I leave you to it, my legs would be all swollen by the time you're done and even then, we will never make it to the hospital because you will still be deciding if it suits my skin tone,” she stated. A frown settled on his face and she sensed a protest coming up. Surprisingly, he said n
She had been so focused on leaving that she didn't remember that Hannah knew her body very well and would tell her was pregnant if she looked closely. Her baby bump was not very big and she had baggies on, but she had been friends with Hannah for so long. The woman could tell if there was a slight change in her body. Coupled with the fact that she had her hand on her stomach when she came out. Ariella's eyes drifted to the door as she calculated how to escape, but as if Hannah read her mind, she grabbed her hand. “Answer me, Ariella. Who got you pregnant?!” She demanded. Ariella panicked and struggled to free her hand, all to no avail.“Let go of me!” Ariella cried, but Hannah’s grip only tightened. “You are not leaving until you tell me who put that thing in you!” Hannah told her with a hard look.“It’s none of your goddamn business. Leave me alone.” Ariella gritted out.As much as Ariella wanted to yell at Hannah, she knew that Kelvin was outside so she brought her voice down.
“So how was it?” Mariam's excited voice came from the other end of the phone. “How did the dinner go?”“Uhm, everything went well,” There was a voice in Ariella’s head asking her to tell Mariam everything that happened during the dinner with Kelvin’s family but another voice was asking her to say nothing. Mariam would hate Kelvin and since Marin was someone who hated pretending, Kelvin would begin to suspect that something was wrong. She did not want him to know that she knew everything he was doing. Her first thought in the toilet after Jade spilled everything to her had been to run away but she has neither the energy nor the resources to run off and stay hidden. Kelvin will find her within a day. She could not disappear without telling Mariam too and Mariam will be the first person Kelvin will go to if she goes missing. She won’t be putting her friend in such a position. She will have to think of another plan.After much struggle, she went with the most dominant voice which was th
Ariella has been staring at Kelvin’s card that was lying in the middle of her bed since forever. She was contemplating if she should do what was on her mind or if she should try to find a new hobby so she won’t be bored out of her mind.Being home and alone have made her thoughts run wild. She realized that there was nothing she liked doing in her free time and that was mostly because she’s never had free time since her father died.When her father was alive, she hung out with her friends but the said friends now wanted nothing to do with her, not after they nearly got in trouble a couple of times because of her.She could not really blame them. It was not fun to be chased around by loan sharks because you were friends with a girl whose father could not borrow from the banks so he decided to go to loan sharks instead.Ariella has never liked reading but that was okay, she could start now that she was free. She knew how to draw a little, maybe she could buy a sketchbook and pencil cray
Kelvin shoved his hand inside the breast pocket of his suit and produced a black card which he stretched out to her. “What? What’s that?” Ariana croaked out, staring at the black card that was lying on his palm as if she did not know what it was. “It is my card. You can use it to get anything you want while I’m away,” “I can leave the house?” Arielle asked, still staring at the card. “Why?” Kelvin asked in surprise, “I’ve never stopped you before,” “But…” Yeah, right. He has never stopped her from going out before but she would like to think that he would stop her now after that accident. Was he not supposed to be scared that something bad could happen to both her and the baby? Seems like she was deluding herself when she thought that he cared about the baby. Maybe… no, she was not going to think about anything. “But what?” He asked with raised brows. “Uhn… nothing,” Arielle shook her head. Kelvin stared at her for a few minutes as if hoping she would change her mind and
During the period of her accident, Maria’s younger sister was sick so Kelvin let her leave to take care of her sister. Maria took just a few weeks off but her sister did not recover, Kelvin then asked her to stay with her sister until anytime she recovers. Maria was not back until now.With Mariam who had traveled to another state to walk the runway, Gladys and Kelvin who had gone back to bury themselves in work, Ariella was left to her own devices.Before Kelvin left for work this morning, he went to Ariella’s room in search of her. His lips widened in a smile when he met her still buried under the covers with only her face out but with her eyes wide open.“Not ready to get up yet?” He asked as he dropped on the bed and reached out a hand to push her hair back from her face.Ariella grumbled something unintelligible under her breath as she turned her face into his hand that was now cupping her cheek. Her action made the smile on Kelvin’s face increase.It did not use to be like this
“So how was it?” Mariam's excited voice came from the other end of the phone. “How did the dinner go?”“Uhm, everything went well,” There was a voice in Ariella’s head asking her to tell Mariam everything that happened during the dinner with Kelvin’s family but another voice was asking her to say nothing. Mariam would hate Kelvin and since Marin was someone who hated pretending, Kelvin would begin to suspect that something was wrong. She did not want him to know that she knew everything he was doing. Her first thought in the toilet after Jade spilled everything to her had been to run away but she has neither the energy nor the resources to run off and stay hidden. Kelvin will find her within a day. She could not disappear without telling Mariam too and Mariam will be the first person Kelvin will go to if she goes missing. She won’t be putting her friend in such a position. She will have to think of another plan.After much struggle, she went with the most dominant voice which was th
After Jade said her piece and walked out, Arielle felt so shaky she had to walk back into the toilet and sit on the toilet seat because she felt like if she remained standing for even a second more, she would drop to the floor in a heap.Arielle massaged her forehead with her hand, she could feel an oncoming headache. Who was it that anytime she thought the worse has passed, more will come?When Judy had said she shouldn’t be called if news about her pregnancy got out,Arielle did not take it to heart because she’d already told herself that she was ready for anything and everything that would happen. She was not going to hide anymore because it won’t help her in the long run. She could not live all her life in hiding because of something she never wanted to happen. Hannah was the one who is supposed to go into hiding and not her.Arielle thought that everything was moving well now but Jade telling her all these things made her know that she was living in a fantasy she created with he
After using the toilet which was a little hard for Ariella to find even after the whole directions Gladys gave to her, she sighed in relief and stepped out to wash her hand. She has been holding back her pee since she got here and the whole issue from Judy and Jade just made everything worse.As she was washing her hand, she heard the bathroom door opening and raised her head and stared into the mirror to see who was behind her. She cursed in her head when she saw who was walking inside and she immediately had a flashback of when she was in the bathroom of that hotel abroad and Hannah walked in. She just knew that Jade being here was bad.Ariella looked down and washed her hand properly before reaching out to wipe her hand with toilet paper.“You know, Kelvin would never fall in love with you,” Jade said as she came to stand beside Ariella. “I do not care about how you managed to climb onto his bed and get yourself pregnant but Kelvin will never settle for someone like you when he onc
The way everybody’s character was taking a three sixty degrees turn was giving Ariella a whiplash. First it was Judy who was acting nice then later turning into a vicious snake and now, it was Kelvin who had been acting like he was not there but was now defending her.“I asked you to get out, Jade,” Kelvin said again, his voice was calm but Ariella could hear the underlying anger.“You can’t send her away,” Judy snapped.“Oh yes, I can and I’m asking her to leave now,” Kelvin took his eyes from Judy and placed them on Jade who flinched and ducked her head in fear.She reached out with shaky hands and clutched her mother’s hand, “Mommy,” Judy turned to Alexander, her face red with anger, “Dad, better do something,”“Jade should leave. This meeting was supposed to be for the adults only but I let her stay because I thought she would be reasonable and would comport herself, I thought wrong.” “What is wrong in what she has said? She is just trying to make us know the type of person we
“So how far along are you, Ariella?” Alexander, Kelvin’s grandfather asked once they were all seated and ready to have dinner.“Ehh, six months,” Ariella answered with a small smile on her face.Alexander beamed at her, “That’s wonderful. In a few more months we will be getting a mini version of Kelvin. How I wish that my son, Kelvin’s father, Hunter was here to see his first grandchild but no, someone just had to kill him off at such a young age,”If Ariella noticed the way Gladys and Kelvin stiffened beside her, she said nothing and acted like she did not notice anything.Everything was moving well so far. Kelvin’s family was cool. His two uncles and his auntie were here and they have been nice to her so far. Kelvin’s aunty’s first daughter, Jade was here too but she has not said a word. No matter how her mother poked her to greet Ariella, she stubbornly refused and kept her mouth shut. She kept glaring at Ariella.Alexander showed his excitement about having a great grandchild but