ARIA’S POVThe twilight wraps the garden in a shroud of tranquil hues, the sky shifting from deep indigo to a softer blend of violet and navy. Each stroke of the brush seems to echo the delicate balance between day and night, capturing a fleeting moment of serenity that has always eluded me. The cool air whispers through the leaves, and the distant hum of crickets adds a gentle rhythm to my creative process. In this ethereal light, the garden transforms into a sacred space where time seems to slow, allowing me to lose myself completely in the act of painting.The garden has been my refuge, a sanctuary from the chaos that often swirled around me, both at Adam’s house and at work. During those dark days, when the world felt unbearably heavy, I would slip from my bed and seek solace beneath the open sky. The night’s embrace, with its veil of stars and moonlight, offered a respite from the incessant noise of my thoughts. I’d sit among the flowers and shrubs, the cool grass a soothing balm
ARIA’S POVCaroline’s attitude has curdled like spoiled milk, permeating every interaction we have with an acidity that’s impossible to ignore. It's as though, in Elodie’s absence, she believes she’s been promoted to some unspoken role—a self-appointed matriarch, lording over the household as if it were her domain.But it’s more than that. It’s the entitlement that comes from her years of service to Adam, a role she’s clearly let swell in her mind. Does she truly believe that just because she cared for him since he was a child, she’s somehow elevated to the status of my “mother-in-law”? Or perhaps it’s something darker—maybe she’s still clinging to the past, to the days when I was married to Adam and reduced to less than a maid in this very house. Back then, Caroline treated me with thinly veiled disdain, always ensuring I knew my place beneath her. Does she think those days can somehow be resurrected now, that she can still exercise her will over me as she did then?It’s almost laugh
ADAM’S POVI stand frozen near the door, my heart sinking as I witness the confrontation between Aria and Caroline. The venom in Caroline’s voice, the coldness in her eyes—it’s a side of her I’ve never seen before, and it chills me to the core. Caroline has always been my favorite, a steady presence in my life who I thought could do no wrong. But now, as I see her treating Aria with such disdain, such utter disrespect, I feel a wave of shock and disgust crash over me.Aria’s words, sharp and unyielding, cut through the air like a blade. Each one is a revelation, a window into a reality I’ve been blind to for far too long. The commanding tone Caroline used, the expectation that Aria would simply comply without question—it all feels eerily familiar, like a haunting echo from the past. It reminds me of the way Eva and my mother used to treat those they deemed beneath them, the way they wielded power like a weapon. I never thought Caroline, of all people, would act in the same way. But he
ARIA’S POVSeeing Adam at the door, a look of shock etched across his face, is something I hadn’t anticipated. His eyes dart between Caroline and me, struggling to comprehend the confrontation he’s just witnessed. It’s clear that this is a side of his favorite maid he’s never seen before—the condescending, manipulative woman who has tried for years to keep me in my place, believing herself to be above me in every way.For a moment, we just stand there, the tension in the room thick enough to cut with a knife. I can see the questions brewing in his mind, the disbelief slowly giving way to realization.“Has it always been like this?”When he finally speaks, his voice is quiet, almost hesitant, as if he’s afraid of the answer. He asks if this has always been the case, if Caroline has always treated me like this. I nod, feeling a mixture of vindication and sadness as I finally lay it all out in the open.“It was thanks to you, Adam.”Yes, I tell him, this is how it’s always been. But it w
ARIA’S POV“How dare you insult Aria? You’re FIRED!”Adam’s decision to fire Caroline hits us both like a bolt from the blue. We stand there, equally baffled, as his words hang in the air, their finality unmistakable. This was not what I expected. I knew he was angry, that he felt guilty for not recognizing how badly I was treated, but this…this is a level of decisiveness I hadn’t anticipated.In that moment, it becomes clear that once Adam is done, he’s truly done. I recall how he didn’t hesitate to leave his sister behind bars when she crossed a line, or to place his mother in a retirement home when she became too difficult to handle. And Caroline—she’s just a maid, after all. But still, the swiftness of his decision is shocking.“Please, Adam…. Please don’t do this to me.”Caroline, on her knees now, crawls towards Adam, her dignity abandoned in a desperate plea for mercy. She begs him, her voice choked with fear and regret. The sight of her, reduced to this state, would have once
ARIA’S POVWith Caroline out of Adam’s house, her sobs echoing in the halls as she leaves, I can’t help but feel a pang of unease. There’s a sense of finality in her departure, but also an underlying fear. I wonder if I’ve just made another enemy.You never know how people will react when their world is turned upside down, and Caroline, despite being at fault, may still harbor a grudge. People these days, regardless of their wrongdoings, often feel justified in seeking revenge, as if their insolence and crime deserve no punishment.Life around here settles into a strange, uneasy calm. Work continues as usual, and Adam is nearly fully recovered. On the surface, everything seems normal, but there’s a tension in the air that wasn’t there before. It’s as if we’re all waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the consequences of Caroline’s dismissal to manifest in some unforeseen way. I can’t shake the feeling that this calm is only temporary, that something else is brewing beneath the surfa
ARIA’S POVThe evening at Adam's place has a strange tension in the air, the kind that seems to settle in the corners of the room, waiting to pounce at the most inconvenient moment. Regis is here tonight, and although it's been a long time since we last saw each other, the memory of our last encounter lingers between us like a ghost.That stunt he pulled at the restaurant when I was out with Tony was supposed to be forgotten, but the weight of his overprotectiveness, his concern, and his unspoken feelings for me have made it impossible to erase.“How has it been, Aria?”“Pretty rough.”As we gather around the dinner table, I find myself hyper-aware of Regis' presence. He’s seated across from me, and though he tries to keep the conversation light and casual, there’s an undercurrent of something more—something deeper and more complicated that neither of us seems willing to address. I catch him watching me out of the corner of his eye, his expression a mix of fondness and something that
ARIA’S POVDays blur together under the weight of endless tasks, meetings, and deadlines. The workload is relentless, leaving little room for anything else. Yet, amid the chaos, an urge stirs within me, a familiar itch that refuses to be ignored—rock climbing.The pull is almost irresistible, a call from the mountains that echoes in my mind, urging me to escape the grind, to feel the adrenaline rush once more. But every time I start to consider it seriously, my thoughts are hijacked by memories of that accident. The one that nearly claimed Adam’s life and left Charlotte with a severe injury. The fear that settled in the pit of my stomach after that day has never really left, and I find myself backing out before I even reach the car.I try to distract myself with other activities, throwing myself into work, painting, anything that might fill the void. But it's futile. The call of the climb is persistent, gnawing at me like an unsatisfied hunger. It’s almost as if it’s become an addicti
ARIA’S POVLydia’s tears dry up as she slowly turns away, ready to leave the hospital room. Her steps are hesitant, burdened by the weight of everything she’s confessed, and by the knowledge that she might be walking out of Ethan’s life forever. There’s a palpable sense of finality in the way she carries herself, like someone resigned to their fate.But just as her hand reaches the door, Ethan calls out her name.“Lydia.”Everyone freezes for a moment. Lydia stops in her tracks, her back still turned, and I can see the subtle rise and fall of her shoulders as she takes in what just happened. The room is tense, filled with emotions that swirl and collide like waves in a storm, but the sound of Ethan’s voice cuts through it all.“Who told you to leave?”He tells Lydia that he wants to give their relationship another chance.The words hang in the air, a shockwave that ripples through the room. I glance at Ethan’s parents, who stiffen at the unexpected declaration, but they remain silent,
ARIA’S POVAs soon as Ethan gazes at Lydia, her face crumples, tears welling up in her eyes, most likely because she knows she is about to lose him. The weight of everything she has done, both in the past and more recently, seems to crash down on her. Her vulnerability is unmistakable, and it’s clear that she fears this might be the end of whatever she and Ethan had built together in this strange in-between space where his memory had been absent.Ethan’s expression hardens as he processes the reality of the situation. He’s upset, and it's easy to see why. For weeks, months even, his parents had believed him to be lost, possibly dead, while Lydia kept him hidden from the people who loved him most. His emotions are a swirl of confusion, betrayal, and anger as he turns to Lydia, waiting for an explanation. The air between them grows thick with unspoken accusations, the kind that don’t need words to make their impact.Lydia’s sobs grow more frantic as she tries to defend herself, her voic
ARIA’S POV“I’m not here to take Ethan from you… We’re just best friends. Nothing more.”“What?”“It was just a charade at your engagement.”All of a sudden, the nurse informs us that Ethan has woken up. My heart races as I see the reaction from everyone around me. Without wasting a second, we all rush into his room. Ethan’s eyes are open, and the first thing he does is call out to his parents.There’s a moment of palpable relief as his mother and father rush to his side, elation lighting up their faces. They hold him close, their hands trembling with emotion, and for the first time in a long while, they seem to have a piece of peace back in their lives.But what stands out most is that Ethan doesn’t even look at Lydia. Not once. Her presence, once central to his confusion, seems to fade into the background. She stands near the door, frozen, her eyes glassy with unshed tears as she watches the reunion. I don’t know whether it’s fear, regret, or sadness that’s written on her face, but
ARIA’S POV“I’m not letting you take Ethan from me.”Lydia sits next to me, vulnerable in a way I’ve never seen before. She begins speaking softly, revealing her regrets and the reasons behind her actions. She admits that her past choices were driven by greed and a hunger for wealth, and that those choices led her to hurt Ethan and her ex-fiancé. She speaks of how, after fleeing to Arizona to escape the wreckage of her old life, she found Ethan on the shore, lost and helpless. In that moment, she says, she saw not the man she had wronged but someone she could help. Someone who needed her.It’s difficult to fully believe her, but something about her story rings true. The way she talks about Ethan and her past mistakes feels raw and genuine, not the calculated coldness I once associated with her. She explains that when Ethan didn’t remember anything—not his name, not his family, not even his old life—he still remembered her.“We’re meant to be together. Else, he wouldn’t have landed her
ARIA’S POVWe’re all seated in the waiting area of the hospital, the sterile smell and bright lights only adding to the tension. Ethan’s parents, sitting across from me, glance in my direction every so often, their frowns deepening as if my mere presence is an offense.It’s not the first time I’ve seen that look on their faces, and it probably won’t be the last. But what baffles me is how they’ve chosen to forget about Lydia entirely. She’s sitting in the corner of the room, arms folded, her face pale and tight with worry. I can’t tell if she’s genuinely concerned for Ethan or if this is all just another one of her well-rehearsed acts.I lean back in my chair, trying to process it all. At least the Mitchells had realized that their son had lost his memory before I even had the chance to explain. It was painfully obvious—his reaction when he saw them, the way his body gave out from the shock.He fainted because it was too much for him. Yet, here they are, acting like I’m the villain in
ARIA’S POVLydia seems to sense that she’s outnumbered. She glares at us for a moment, then steps aside, opening the door fully. We enter the house, the air thick with tension. I glance around, spotting the packed boxes in the corner. They were planning to leave, just as I suspected.I spot Ethan standing in the living room. He’s casually scrolling through his phone, but the second he looks up and sees me, there’s a flicker of recognition in his eyes. I hold my breath, waiting for some kind of reaction. But then, his parents step in behind me, and that’s when everything changes.Ethan freezes. His phone slips out of his hand and clatters onto the floor, but his gaze is locked on his parents. I can practically see the gears turning in his mind, as if something deep inside him is suddenly being unlocked. His face goes pale, and his eyes widen in shock.And then, just as quickly as it all hits him, Ethan stumbles back, clutching his head. He takes a few shaky steps before collapsing to t
ARIA’S POVI sit in my car, my eyes on the house as the night falls deeper. All the windows are dark, the curtains drawn, and not a single sign of movement inside. It’s almost midnight, and it doesn’t look like Lydia and Ethan are going anywhere tonight.Still, I can’t afford to take any risks. If I leave or let my guard down for even a second, who knows what they might do. Maybe they’ll sneak out in the early hours, slip away when no one is watching.But exhaustion is catching up to me. The rented car is spacious enough, well-equipped for a long night of waiting. I’ve pinned my location for the people I’ve summoned here—they’ll call when they’re close. I settle into the seat, finally allowing myself a moment to rest. There’s no harm in taking a quick nap while I wait.I drift off, my mind a swirl of thoughts and plans. Every scenario plays out in my head; confronting Lydia, pulling Ethan out of there, making sure he’s safe. It’s not peaceful sleep by any means, but it’s something.Ho
ARIA’S POVMy stomach churns with hunger, but the idea of stepping away from my spot, even for a moment, feels out of the question. I’ve been sitting here, fixated on the house, watching every movement behind those walls. It’s like Lydia and Ethan are carrying on with their perfect little life, while I’m stuck out here, trying to figure out what to do next.I have moved too far now to catch their conversation clearly, and their voices aren’t as loud as they were before. On top of that, before they notice me, I have to make sure I keep my distance.The sight of them earlier, packing boxes, moving around like they’re planning to skip town, is enough to make my blood boil. I can’t let that happen.I need to eat, I need to think, but there’s no way I can leave the area, not even for a second. They could take off, and I’d have no idea where they would go. If I lose track of them, it could be the last time I ever see Ethan. The thought alone makes my heart race.Then, I spot a kid in the di
ARIA’S POVI got the address and I head directly to the place to spy on Ethan and Lydia. My first step is to observe the surrounding and checking on their movements.“Aiden, love. Shall I keep this in the bag?”“Yes, baby.”She is addressing him as Aiden, and I roll my eyes in exasperation.As I watch from my hidden spot, I can barely contain the rage boiling inside me. Ethan, living a normal life with that deceitful witch, Lydia, like they’re some kind of perfect couple. How can he not see through her lies?My heart races, each second feeling like an eternity. She’s manipulating him, keeping him trapped in this farce, and it’s beyond infuriating. Ethan’s family has no idea he’s even alive, and meanwhile, he’s here, with her, under this disgusting illusion of love.But then something changes. I notice a flurry of activity at their house. Boxes. Bags. They’re packing up. My eyes narrow, and I feel a sudden rush of panic. This isn’t just spring cleaning or a casual weekend trip—they’re