(ARIELLE'S POV)"You will be fine, won't you? And hey, promise me you won't overwhelm yourself," Ashley said, concern perched on her face.We were parked in the restaurant's parking lot. It was Monday, and I was resuming work. Ashley had driven me as she wouldn't let me board a cab or Uber."I promise.""Good. Have a nice day at work today, " she said and hugged me tightly."Thank you. You too," I said, returning the hug. After we disengaged, I grabbed my bag and alighted, waving.As I walked towards the restaurant's entrance, a feeling of nostalgia hit me. It had been weeks since I'd been away, but it felt like months. I took a deep breath, excited about my return.Suddenly, someone threw their weight around me, nearly knocking me off balance. "Goodness, it's so good to have you back!" Rebecca exclaimed."I know, right? It's good to be back, and I missed you," I said, laughing and hugging her back.She giggled and grabbed my hand. "Let's go in. I'm sure Mr Stone will be excited to
(ARIELLE’S POV)The moment I heard those words, I knew I was in trouble, and had a lot of explanation to do. I took a deep breath, bracing myself for the conversation.“Calm down, Mom. Can we talk about it in person?”“In person? No, we're gonna talk right now, over the phone!”“Fine,” I puffed out air in resignation. “What do you want to hear?”“Everything. How are you divorced from your husband, and he's already flaunting pictures of himself and another woman?”I stifled a scoff. That was definitely Sofia’s doing. “Mom, it's a long story. But to cut it short, we parted ways because we realized we're no longer compatible.”“And what does that mean? How come you two didn't realize that in the three years you were married?”I paused, thinking of the proper way to let out the words.“Has the cat suddenly got your tongue? Keep talking, Arielle.”“He's in love with someone else. I just couldn't keep up,” I muttered.“The lady he's been flaunting?”I nodded, “Yes.”“That stuck-up billiona
(ARIELLE'S POV)"Let's keep walking," Ashley whispered, tugging at my arm.But Sofia had already spotted us and was calling out. "Arielle! Ashley!""Ignore her," Ashley whispered again.But it was too late; Sofia was already rushing towards her. "Hold on, you two."To avoid a scene, as people were already sparing us glances, Ashley and I reluctantly stopped. Sofia caught up with us, a smile I could tell was fake, plastered on her face."Arielle, Ashley? What a surprise to see you two. What are you doing here!?" She asked, her eyes conveying her surprise."We're here for a conference," Ashley responded."Oh, the independent women's conference? I'm here for it too," Sofia exclaimed. By now, Jared had joined us, standing beside her."Babe, Arielle, and Ashley are here for the conference, too. Isn't that a great coincidence?" She asked, placing a hand on Jared's shoulder.Jared nodded, his eye darting briefly to mine before avoiding eye contact. "Hi, Arielle. Hi, Ashley."Sofia continued,
(ARIELLE'S POV)As we turned around to find out why Sofia was screaming, our eyes widened in surprise. Sofia was bent, clutching her stomach, her face contorted in pain."Are you okay?" I rushed to her, concern on my face.Sofia didn't respond; she just kept groaning. I grew scared and beckoned Ashley to come closer. "I think she's hurt, let's help her," I whispered.Ashley hesitated before rushing to my side. "Arielle, are you sure? I don't know, but I don't trust her.""Let's just help her," I said, trying to help Sofia stand straight.Just then, two women approached us. I was relieved; more hands would be appreciated."What happened?" One of them asked.Sofia looked up at them, tears now brimming in her eyes. "She...she tried to hurt me. I'm pregnant, and she pushed me," she said, pointing to me.A loud gasp escaped Ashley's and my lips as we exchanged surprised looks. What was Sofia talking about?"How could you?" The first woman turned to me, her face turning red with rage. "You'
(ARIELLE'S POV)"I still can't wrap my head around what happened," Ashley huffed, flinging her handbag on the couch the instant we stepped into the living room. "That woman is unbelievable!""Ash, just let it slide," I sighed, slumping next to her. "I'm alright, and that's all that matters."Ashley turned to face me, her face serious. "You see, that's the problem. You're too soft and unproblematic, and that's why she picks on you all the time. She should be hiding her face with all she's done to you instead, she's still making trouble.""Ashley, no need to rehash things," I pleaded, rubbing my temples."But someone needs to remind you," she countered. "Do I list all she has done to you?" She asked, her eyes challenging.""No, don't bother," I replied, waving my hand.Ashley scowled. "You need to stop being nice to your enemies, Arielle. Sofia is your enemy; treat her as such. Imagine wanting to help her after all she's put you through."I sighed, feeling exhausted. "Ashley, drop it,
(JARED'S POV)I scribbled my signature on the last document, relieved that I had finally tended to the last of the paperwork stacked on my table for weeks. Just as I was about to put the papers away, a knock sounded on the door."Who is it?" I called out."It's Cristina, sir," my secretary replied."Come in."Cristina entered, looking a little flustered. "Apologies for disturbing your work, sir, but I'm having some trouble accessing the company's database."I nodded in understanding. Cristina is new, barely two days at the company. My previous secretary had resigned as she was relocating abroad with her fiance."Take a seat, and let me show you," I motioned to the vacant chair.Patiently, I showed her how to navigate the database. And a few minutes later, she had gotten a hang of it."Thank you, sir," she said, rising to her feet. "I really appreciate your patience.""You're welcome." As she turned to leave, I called out, "Cristina?""Yes, sir?""Are you active on social media? You k
(ARIELLE’S POV)I was getting vegetables and other cooking utensils ready when I felt a jolt in my stomach. I winced and grabbed the kitchen island, waiting for the wave to die down. I knew it would because it was a feeling I was familiar with.The feeling had started three days back, and at first, I had attributed it to what I ate. But it happened again, and again, and it's the third day already.I didn't read much meaning to it because it wasn't painful, just a sharp jolt that rippled through my abdomen like a tide of waves. And seconds later, it was gone like it never happened.Deciding it was nothing serious, I didn't bother telling my Mum or Ashley about it. They'd freak out and drag me to the hospital, and I hated hospitals. They reminded me of so many ugly memories. And so shoved the thoughts of it aside, deciding it would stop the same way it started. No need to worry anyone."Are you alright?" Rebecca inquired, looking at me closely.I forced a smile; I hadn't realized I'd p
(ARIELLE’S POV)“So, what are you gonna do with the packages?” Ashley asked when we were seated side by side on the couch watching Steve Harvey hours later.I whipped my head to face her, realizing the packages were still outside, on the porch. “I don't know,” I shrugged. “Probably send them back to her. Politely, of course.”“Um, um,” Ashley said, shaking her head. “You'll do no such thing. It's disrespectful.”“No, it's not,” I countered. “She has to know that I meant it when I said I do not need anything from her family anymore.”“Still, you should accept this one gift; maybe after it, you can tell her you do not want any more of them. Speaking of that, you should call her and let her know you saw the gifts.”“There's no point, I'm not accepting them,” I insisted stubbornly.“You already did.”“Really? They're gonna be there on the porch if you don't let me return them.”“And who said they are still on the porch? I brought them in already. They're in the store room so you better go
(ARIELLE’S POV)I turned swiftly, and my eyes met Dwayne's who was leaning in the door frame, his eyes boring into mine. "You scared me," I said, frowning."I'm sorry about that," he replied, leaving the door and walking towards me. "It wasn't intentional.""How long have you been standing there?" I asked, my eyes narrowing suspiciously at him."Long enough to make out a few details about your conversation," he said, sitting next to me on the couch. "And I saw the news."I sighed, feeling a bit uneasy about him knowing about Jared's situation. "What do you think is going on?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me."I think he's gotten himself into a mess. But that's not surprising, is it?"I raised an eyebrow, sensing something else beneath his tone. "What do you mean?""Come on, Arielle, don't act obtuse. You know one way or the other, Jared will always be entwined with Sofia and her family. ""I don't understand...""Alright, I'll make you. Jared's always been cautious an
(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, trying to keep my cool, but it was getting harder by the second. Realizing that I couldn't do this alone, I pulled out my phone and dialed Oliver's number, my jaw clenched in anger. I didn't know what the Golds were playing at, but they wouldn't win. If they planned to accuse me falsely and drag my reputation in the mud, then they better had a rethink.Oliver answered on the first ring. "What's up, Jared.""It's a disaster here," I explained, trying not
(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 chortled. He’d gone back to preparing his Caesar salad. “Told him to stick with his stock market and share valuation yada yada,” he said. “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. “In my defense, he made fun of my salad,” Dwayne s
(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
(JARED'S POV)"Are you in that much hurry to get rid of us?" I asked Maverick, raising a brow as I tried to stifle a grin. He chuckled, his eyes sparkling with more mischief. "Maybe. My mommy needs rest and she doesn't need two bodyguards watching over her."Dwayne and I exchanged puzzled looks. What was this kid saying? We were trying to protect his mother, not guard her like prisoners. As if on cue, Mrs Meyers, who was almost dozing off on her seat, stirred and opened her eyes. She tiredly stretched her arms, and then her eyes landed on us."It's time for you two to leave," she announced, her voice gentle but firm. "You should go home, freshen up, and have a change of clothes and proper meals. I appreciate you both coming, but I just have to insist that you leave."Dwayne and I protested in unison. "We're fine–" but she held up a hand, cutting us off."I mean it, you two. You can't stay here all night. Besides, I'm sure you both have work to attend to tomorrow." She glanced at t
JARED’S POV)I arrived at the office, intent on doing a little work before returning to the hospital. But concentration never felt like a Herculean task like it felt for me today. The more I tried to focus on work, the more my mind remained restless. My thoughts kept drifting back to Arielle, wondering if she was okay. And the other times, it wandered to Oliver, and if he has been able to get the drug from Sofia.Two hours later, as I sat behind my laptop, fiddling with the keys, Oliver returned. "I got the drug," he said, his face in a smile as he walked in and closed the door behind him.I sat up in my chair, my eyes conveying my curiosity. "That easy?" I asked, my tone skeptical.He sighed, taking a seat in front of my desk. "Miss Sofia refused at first–wouldn't even open the door," he explained. "But then Miss Tiana intervened, spoke to her privately for a while and that did the trick because the next minute, she walked out smiling, the drug in her hand."I frowned, my eyes dilat
(JARED’S POV) I lowered my head in remorse, and when I stole a glance at Dwayne, he had the same sober look on. Fair enough, I wasn't the only one facing the brunt of Mrs Meyer's chastisement. I tried to say something, to apologize for our juvenile display at least, but Dwayne beat me to it. "Umm...we will go get some fresh air," he said, his voice collected. "We will give you and Arielle some space." My brows knitted in a frown, as I felt the urge to snap and demand why he'd decide for us both. But I got in touch with my emotions real quick, taking an inward breath as I realized he was right. We're both grown men, and this wasn't the time for us to be at each other's throats. Not when Arielle was ill. We owe her that respect and decorum. So I nodded at Mrs Meyers in agreement. "Yeah, well step out now." She rolled her eyes, eyeing us both. "You had better." We took that as a cue and simultaneously turned for the door, but we bumped into each other as we went. I shot Dwayne a dir