(ARIELLE'S POV)“You don't mean it!” Ashley exclaimed over the phone. “I can imagine the look of shock on her face.”The instant I got to the office and settled in, I got on a call with Ashley to fill her in on the event of the morning. She was surprised and happy, and it reflected in her cheerful laughter.“For a moment, I feared she was going to lunge at me in anger. She was so shocked. I guess being turned down when she was used to having her way was not such a good experience for her.”“I know, right? Jared deserves a pat on the back. He should do that often. Let her know she can't always have her way,” Ashley squealed. “I wish he could continue this way,” I said, my voice suddenly losing some of its brightness. “It hurts to see him fluctuate all the time. This time he's defending me, the other, he's doing all her biddings.”“Come on, don't be like that. Didn't you say he was remorseful last night and apologized?”“He did, but–”“No buts, Arielle Smith. I'm sorry to have suggeste
(ARIELLE'S POV)Jared and I paused, exchanging surprised glances.“What's that sound?” I asked, fear now crawling into my features.“I don't know–” Jared started to say, but paused like he recalled something. And then he was sprinting into the house , yelling “Sofia!” I was stunned for a moment, but followed suit. We ran until we got to the sitting room, panting, and there was Sofia, lazily draped on the couch, watching a movie.“Have you lost it, Sofia?” I bellowed before I could stop myself. “What was the screaming for?”She didn't utter a word, instead she sized me up before returning her gaze to the TV. She didn't acknowledge Jared's presence too, I guess she was still mad at him for turning her down in the morning.“Sofia, you're being spoken to.” Jared began, his voice bearing a tinge of irritation. “Why will you scream that loudly?”Sofia finally looked at Jared, her gaze scornful. “And what does it matter to you?”“You made us fear for your safety –Arielle and I,” Jared res
(ARIELLE'S POV)Jared paused, and there was a momentary silence. “Why?” He finally asked.“Because I don't want to. You can go with Sofia, I'm sure she will be glad to take up the offer.”“But Sofia is not my wife, Arielle,” he protested. “You are.”“I have been questioning that lately as I no longer know my stance in your life. You let her do things and get away with them like she's the mistress here.”“Hey,” Jared called and approached me on the bed. “I'm sorry–”“That's the problem!” I exclaimed, threw the sheets off, and sat up. “All you say is sorry, sorry, and sorry. Yet, you make no efforts to change. I am sick and tired of listening to your apologies. You know why? Because your actions still repeat themselves.”“Arielle, she's pregnant–”“And that means her excesses should be condoned? You know what? I don't want to talk about Sofia anymore, because lately as husband and wife, we can't even talk without her being the subject of discussion. Good night, Jared," I said, and threw
(ARIELLE'S POV)“Shit! We're gonna be late,”Jared cussed as he threw his shirt on.I laughed heartily, watching him whine like a kid. “Well, if you've not been so needy in the bathroom, we wouldn't be late,” I teased.“You can't blame me, dear wife. You're just too irresistible,” he said, and I sucked my lips in to stop myself from blushing. I tried not to recall the sex in the shower, as it would make me blush more. Jared had suggested a quickie, and we ended going two rounds, and was almost on the third if not for my timely intervention.“Well you have to learn to,” I said and approached him, giving him my back. “Here, help with my zip.”You look lovely in this red dress,” Jared complimented as he worked on the zip.“Thank you–” I made to say, but gasped, when I felt his fingers trail my back.“We could ditch the party, what do you say?” He whispered.“I say that you zip my dress and keep your hands to yourself.”He scoffed. “You didn't have to ruin the fun.”I laughed as he zipped
(ARIELLE'S POV)My face fell as I scanned the empty space, realising that Jared and Sofia had gone in without me. I didn't have a problem with Sofia, but I did have one with Jared.I was his wife, and weren't couple's supposed to arrive at an event together? Hesitating for a moment, I contemplated going in on my own or calling Jared to come lead me inside.I felt really nervous walking into the bar without Jared, because despite being his wife for three years, I had never met his classmates and friends, mainly because I was busy with work, or an opportunity never presented itself.After a few seconds of indecisiveness, I decided to walk in alone. I took a deep breath, smoothed my dress, squared my shoulders and made for the entrance door.As I pushed open the door, the sounds of laughter and banter welcomed me, and I was immediately hit by the smell of expensive perfumes and alcohol.Woa! This was definitely a reunion for people that matters, I decided. I scanned the room, my eyes adj
(ARIELLE'S POV)The man's eyes dilated in shock, his mouth hung open. "You're...you're Jared's wife?" He stuttered.His partner looked equally surprised. "What? No way!"The first seemed to regain his composure, the surprised look on his face now replaced with a sly grin. "You think you can fool us, huh?" He asked, casting me a mocking look. "You're just one of those ladies crushing on Jared, and wishing for his love so badly."I gave off a low laugh, amused by the man's Ignorance. "Oh, really?" I asked, pulling out my phone. "Let me show you something, then."I unlocked my screen, revealing a photo of Jared and me on our wedding day. We were beaming with smiles, our arms wrapped around each other.The two men's eyes bulged as they took in the image. They gasped in unison, their faces paling.I winked at them, satisfied with the priceless look on their faces. "I think that settles it," I said, tucking my phone back into my purse.With that, I turned and walked away, feeling the eyes o
(ARIELLE'S POV)Gasps of shock rented the hall as Jared delivered blows upon blows on the man, that for a moment I feared he would kill him. I was stunned to see Jared in such a position; because for all the years we've been married, never for once had I seen him engage in a verbal exchange not to mention a physical scuffle with someone.I was appalled at the sight of his now red eyes, clenched fists and tightened jaws. His hair was now ruffled, and a button of his shirt had fallen off, giving him a wild and dangerous look.Regaining composure, I screamed at the people who stood on the side, watching two men fight without making any move to stop them. "Stop them!" But no one moved; it seemed like they were all scared to offend Jared."Are you all deaf? Stop them, please," I yelled. At this point, my eyes had grown misty at how battered the other man looked. Jared, on the other hand looked okay, save for his missing shirt button, scattered hair, and rumpled shirt.When no one made any
(ARIELLE'S POV) I hurried outside, running across the pavement as I rushed to catch up with Jared and Sofia. They were already seated in the cat, Jared's eyes fixed on the road ahead as he started the engine. I opened the door and slid into the backseat, trying to catch my breath. The car was silent and thick with tension as Jared pulled out of the parking lot. Sofia stared out the window, her expression unreadable. Jared on the other hand had an angry look, his grip on the steering wheel a tight. He drove so roughly that I feared for our lives. "Jared, can you slow down a bit? You're gonna get us killed at this pace," I yelled, when he almost bumped into a truck. "Don't tell me what to do," he hissed, his jaw clenching. I was taken aback by his words and the rudeness they conveyed, but I was not going to back down if I wanted to get home in one piece. "If you don't care about your life or mine, then you should care about Sofia's. She's pregnant, remember?" That seemed
(ARIELLE'S POV)After that round of activity was over, there were subsequent ones, and soon it was time for the talent show. In the talent show, parents anxiously watched as their kids and wards who were participating came on the stage. I was anxious as well, as Maverick was also participating.Minutes ticked by, and pupils trooped in and out of the stage for their performance, but there was no sign of Maverick. I shifted impatiently in my seat, wondering when his turn would be. His class teacher had earlier come to pick him up, citing that he had to get dressed in his costume in preparation for his performance, but there was still no sign of him.I was just about to turn to the others to voice my concern when Maverick emerged. He was the last to appear as others were already done with their performance. I sat up properly in my seat, curious about what Maverick would show. I turned to others to see if they were as anxious as I was, and that was when I found that Jared was no longer i
(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