(ARIELLE'S POV) The ride home was one of the most annoying experiences I have ever had. Sofia did everything possible to upset me, by fussing and being all over Jared. She was either dabbing his face with a handkerchief or playfully throwing her arms around him. And while at it, she ensured to give me jeering looks through the rearview mirror. “Can you play some music, Jared? I'm bored,” her loud voice suddenly sounded, breaking the silence in the car. “What do you want to listen to?” “That song we used to listen to in high school, 'I will always love you,' by Whitney Houston,” Sofia said. “I don't have that song anymore,” Jared said, his eyes fixed on the road. “Why wouldn't you have a song that meant so much to us?” Sofia pouted, appearing hurt.He shrugged and chuckled, and I felt a sting. He always seemed relaxed around her, something that felt oddly reserved when it was just the two of us.Sofia shot him an exaggerated sigh before pulling out her phone, acting as if her wh
(ARIELLE'S POV)I shot Jared a confused look, expecting some sort of explanation, but he just brushed me off.What the hell? Don't tell me Jared agreed to accommodate Sofia in our home without informing and discussing it with me?“Agreement?” I repeated, this time, my voice was firmer and demanding. “Tell me, what agreement, Jared.”“Watch your tone, wifey.” Jared narrowed his eyes at me before glancing over at Sofia. “We talked about it earlier.”“Talked about what?” My patience was wearing thin. “You can’t just invite someone to live here without discussing it with me first. I’m your wife!”Sofia stood up, her hand still on her stomach. To garner sympathy, I guess. “Jared, tell her,” she said, holding his hand. “We agreed that I could stay here until I get back on my feet, and get a place of my own.”“Back on your feet?” I exclaimed, incredulous. “You're pregnant Sofia, and not handicapped. You need to be thinking about the future, and not freeloading off us!”Her face flushed with
(ARIELLE'S POV) I was roused from sleep by a gentle tap. My eyes fluttered open and I saw Jared peering down at me."Dinner is served, Mrs. Smith," he said, his voice warm and teasing as he pressed a light kiss to my forehead. "Dinner? I was startled and sat up. "What time is it?" I inquired, looking at the window, and I realized outside looked dark, but the room was illuminated by the bedside lamp. Jared chuckled. "You have been sleeping for four hours. Come to think of it, you never slept this much. Are you alright?" "I'm fine," I quickly replied and got off the bed. I was sure my recent weakness and proclivity for sleep was because of the pregnancy, but I was not about to admit that to Jared. "Alright," Jared said with a nod. "Shall we?" I nodded back, and we both walked out of the bedroom. As we strolled to the dining room, I asked, "So, what's for dinner?" "Roasted potatoes, broccoli, and chicken," Jared replied with a smile. I stopped to stare at him in surprise. "How co
(ARIELLE'S POV) I knew what I was about to do was wrong, as it went against my principles, but I couldn't help myself. My hands moved involuntarily as I typed in a password. Jared had mentioned in the car that his password was my name, right? Well, it was time to find out. I typed my name, and to my amazement, the phone unlocked. I clicked on the message box, and on Sofia's messages. “Hey, are you done bathing?” “Will you come keep me company after you're done?” “Why aren't you responding? Is Arielle awake?” “Are you ignoring me?” “Jared!!!!” “I can’t sleep. Come down, and let’s go outside and look at the stars, just like we did when we were teenagers.” “You promised me at the hospital's garden that we would stargaze, remember?” Angrily, I muted the phone and dropped it back on the couch. How shameless can Sofia be? She should be asleep, and not texting a married man to go out at night to stargaze with her. I returned to the bed, disturbed. Sleep had fled my eyes at this po
(ARIELLE'S POV) I felt Jared's body tense beside me, his arms freezing in place. I knew I had said something I couldn't take back. The question was, how would he respond? “Oh, I think I might have used your shampoo accidentally,” Jared spoke up after a while, trying to sound nonchalant. I felt a raw searing pain in my chest. It was always painful whenever Jared lied to me, and it hurt even more because I knew he was lying to me. The fragrance of the shampoo was vanilla, and I didn't use vanilla shampoo. I used lavender. That fragrance was from no other person but Sofia. He probably got it when she leaned her head on his shoulder. “Is anything the matter, Arielle?” Jared asked. His voice was soft.What could I say? What was left for us to say? I could almost hear his voice in my mind if I dared to ask him. The soft pleading, the reasoned excuse—anything but the truth. I was so tired of his “good friend” routine. Tired of the endless dance we did around everything, pretending the
(ARIELLE'S POV) At the close of work, Jared was already waiting outside the restaurant to drive me home. “Your Mr. perfect is here,” Rebecca announced, her head peeking through my office door. “Go away, Rebecca,” I replied smiling. “Alright, alright,” Rebecca giggled and left. I hurriedly parked up as I would rather not keep Jared waiting. Walking outside, I met him leaning on his car, waiting for me. “And how was work today, Mrs. Smith?” He asked, the moment I got to him. “Hectic as usual.” “You wouldn't stop if I asked you to, right?” He teased, taking my handbag. “Not in this world,” I responded. My job was my life, and I couldn't imagine life without my profession. “Here, let me help you get in,” he said, outstretching his other hand. I took it, and got into the set beside the drivers. Jared got in beside me, strapping his seat belt in place. I expected him to start the car, but he turned to me instead, a serious expression on his face. "Arielle," he began, his voice
(ARIELLE'S POV) I stormed into the house, and Sofia was seated in the living room watching a reality show on the TV. She stared at me momentarily and returned her attention to the TV. Well, if she wanted to play the ignore game, then I was up for it too. I continued on my way, ignoring her as well, as I made for the stairs. I was just about to ascend, when I heard her exclaim “Jared!” I stopped in my tracks and turned back around. Jared had just stepped into the living room, and she had shot up from the couch to lurch into his arms. “I have missed you. Are you okay? Are you stressed?” She fussed, trailing her hands all over his body.Jared didn’t move. His voice was sharp, a command. "Stop it Sofia. Mind your actions."But his stillness only made it worse—he wasn’t pushing her away. He wasn’t rejecting her. My stomach churned.Disgust was suffocating me. My eyes met with Jared, a clear guilt in his eyes, and I quickly averted them, hurrying upstairs. I was too tired to worry abo
(ARIELLE'S POV)Awed!That was how I felt when Jared pulled into the hotel. As I looked around inside the car, I couldn't help the gasp that escaped my mouth. The building literally glittered as the soft dashboard light illuminated it.Jared chuckled and turned off the car's engine. Then he alighted and opened the car door for me. I accepted the hand he provided as I stepped out.I couldn't help it as I took in more details of the hotel's surroundings properly. The building towered above us, its clear and sleek glass glinting. The entrance was a spacious archway, decorated by sparkling fountains and meticulously manicured flower lawns. Overall, the hotel's exterior spoke of immense wealth and sophistication.“I… I didn't know your family owned this hotel,” I stuttered, unable to hold my surprise.“Point of correction, it is under the Smith's corporation, but it is mine,” Jared said, his voice bearing a hint of subtle pride.I was stunned. I knew Jared was rich, and so was his family,
(ARIELLE’S POV)I was stunned by the question to say the least, but I braced myself. If I told him the truth, it would be hurtful. In the first three years of Maverick's life, his biological father was not present; who would he have thought to be more important back then when the only male figure he knew was Dwayne? No, I didn't think that this was a multiple-choice question because I never asked Maverick. I never saw the need to,and I don't see it now either .I didn't want to give my child such a difficult problem. But if he really had to choose, I didn't think Jared had a chance of winning either. It was just a tough path to take.As I stood there, silence hanging in the air like a cloud, I could feel Jared's eyes on me, waiting for an answer. I knew I had to say something, but the words got stuck in my throat. I didn't want to hurt him, but I also didn't want to lie to him or give him false hope about anything. Certainly not on this topic. He seemed to have realized my stance e
(ARIELLE'S POV)"So this is the situation. Can the four of us go to Maverick's Open Day together?" I inquired, holding Maverick's hand with my left, my right hand casually resting on the car door as I turned to face the company I had. In front of me stood Dwayne, who had just opened the car door with a smile that was too innocent coming from him, and for this gathering. Behind me was my mother, who was wearing a smug look that read, "I totally expected this and I warned you about it." I could sense her eyes on me as if anticipating how I would handle the situation.But there was no immediate response from either of them, and my eyes darted to Jared, who was seemingly sulking in his position, leaning on the car's bonnet and behind his sunglasses. I still couldn't fathom why he showed up in such intimidating glasses, like he was going on a deadly mission, rather than his son's school's open house party. It's been days since the scandal, and somehow, he and his PR team had done a goo
(ARIELLE’S POV)When Jared finally answered my call, I could sense the stress he was already going through from his voice."Arielle, I'm in the middle of something. Can I call you back?"I hesitated, unsure how to approach this. The news still echoed in my mind, and I could barely find the words. "I… just saw the news," I chose to ignore the part where I had heard his confession, trying to focus on what really mattered. "What's going on?"He sighed, and I could almost hear him rubbing his temples. "Everything's fine. It's just a misunderstanding. My PR team will handle it, and by tomorrow, no one will remember this made-up story."His words were a little reassuring. I tried not to stress him further, not wanting to add to his stress. "I'm not worried about you; I'm just afraid this will affect our son's open day.""Don't worry,” He smiled softly, “I have everything under control. The Open Day will go smoothly, and this scandal will blow over," he assured me.I nodded, even though he c
(Jared’s POV)I knew I had to get out of here before the situation grew worse. The frenzy was growing by the seconds, with Sofia's mother still yelling and weeping, throwing accusations at me left and right.I tried to step away amidst the crowd of reporters swarming around me, but they were relentless, shoving the mics close to my mouth, asking questions, and urging me to answer "Mr. Smith, is it true you drove your fiancee to attempt suicide?" One reporter asked, her voice loud and accusatory.“No. That’s not true.” I refuted simply, struggling to keep my composure. Every word I spoke felt like it was being twisted, and the situation was only getting worse. The best choice was to shut up.I pulled out my phone, my jaw clenched in frustration and anger. I didn’t know what the Golds were playing at, but they wouldn’t get away with this. If they thought they could destroy my reputation with lies and scandal, they were gravely mistaken.Oliver picked up on the first ring. “What can I d
(JARED'S POV) “Ma’am, you need to quiet down. You’re drawing so much attention to us,” Tiana rushed over to restrain her. “Let them hear! Let the world hear, Jared Smith, you wicked man!” Sofia’s mother screamed, her voice raw with grief and fury. “It’s your fault my daughter is in that ICU, fighting for her life! If anything happens to her, I swear to God, you will pay for this!” Her words were like a slap, each one stinging with a venom. I took a step back, trying to keep my own voice steady, trying to keep control. “Come on, ma’am, this isn’t the time for this. This isn’t the place for this kind of conversation.” “I’ll speak my mind whenever I damn well please, Jared!” she spat, her face twisted with anger. It was then that I saw him—the man standing at her side. Sofia’s father. I had no idea he was here. Wasn’t he supposed to be recovering from his illness? What was he doing here, in the same hospital as Sofia? Sofia’s father took off the oxygen mask he’d been holding against
(JARED’S POV.)The room was still covered in a cloud of smoke. I stood in a state of confusion, unsure whether to start cleaning the kitchen from the pan on the floor or the lump of burnt ginseng lying on the other side of the kitchen. Then there was the cooktop to clean out.Arielle shook her head and opened the windows wider to let out the smoke.“Oh yeah,” I cursed under my breath and beat her to open the sliding glass doors that led to the backyard.“What were you even cooking?” she asked, with an amused smile.“I was trying to cook some soup,” I replied like a child caught doing something silly.Dwayne, unbothered by the chaos, continued preparing his Caesar salad. “I told him to stick to stocks and shares, but he didn’t listen,” he chuckled, clearly finding this whole thing amusing.“This is all funny to you, right? Well, it’s all your fault. If you hadn’t riled me up I’d have kept my focus on the pan and none of this would have happened,” I pointed at him accusingly.Dwayne shr
(JARED’S POV)I couldn’t quite put what I was doing in the kitchen into the adequate words, but I felt my way through it. I pulled out a pan from the cupboard above me and placed it down on the cooktop. Moments later, Dwayne shuffled into the room.Arielle had fallen asleep on our watch— more like she’d asked us to give her space to rest from our bickering. It was always Dwayne instigating fights and bickering.“You’re not given up on seeking me out, huh?” I said to him with a little eye roll.He let out a scoff and walked past me to the other end of the kitchen. “You wish. I’m here for something better. You’re not worth my time,” he said.I bit back a sharp retort and pretended his words hadn’t sent a convulsing sting down my spine. He was clearly in the kitchen for some silly competition. But I was more than ready for him this time. Arielle was yet to touch either of our flasks which were cooling away in the fridge somewhere. So technically, we didn’t have any place making more food
(ARIELLE’S POV)I turned in my sleep. My left side was beginning to hurt from lying on it for too long. Morning sounds floated around me, and I dated a peek out the open window from my lying position. The lights hit my eye with such harshness that I shut them back and willed myself to go back to sleep. I was very grateful to be lying on my own bed, in my own room, under my own roof, far away from the smell of disinfectant and air freshener laced with a myriad of medicine smells. I felt nauseous at the mere thought. This felt good— being back in my room felt good.But apparently, fate had other plans because almost immediately I settled in for another round of sleep, the sound of the doorbell ringing through the house filled my ears and chased away whatever little tranquility I was trying to savor.The ringing didn’t stop no matter how hard I tried to will it away into nonexistence. I let out a weak sigh and gently threw the bed covers off my body. I swung my legs down to the floor wit
(DWAYNE’S POV)I paused in my tracks as I took some moment to take in the sight before me. Arielle was sitting up on the bed, while Jared sat at the foot, feeding her. Scanning the room further, I realized there was no sign of Mrs Meyers and Maverick.Where could they be? But the sight before me wouldn't let me dwell much on the thought. It was hard to ascertain how I felt at the moment. The scene playing out before me was proof that all my efforts have been wasted. I briefly stared down at the food package in my hand, and for a moment, I wanted to match over to Jared and haul him away from her.That was supposed to be me. How come he was here this early, earlier than I was? From the look of things, it seemed I wasn't the only one who had the plan of returning early to the hospital this morning.If only that traffic that occurred on my way here didn't happen, I probably wouldn't be in this position. And Jared wouldn't be having the time of his life smirking at me triumphantly.“I dou