Gerald arrived at the office feeling utterly chaotic. His day became even more chaotic when he received news that the ship carrying his raw materials had sprung a leak and nearly sank in the middle of the ocean. He considered himself lucky that some of his ordered goods could still be salvaged. Nevertheless, it made his head throb with pain. Lately, Gerald's mood had been like the fluctuating stock market. Unpredictably changing, sometimes he felt happy, but in a split second, he could become furious without clear reasons. And the only person he could vent his frustrations on now was the one most loyal to him—none other than Vivan. Just like now. Gerald paced back and forth, occasionally running his fingers through his hair, while Vivan stood motionless in front of his desk, his expression blank. "Ariana asked me about the progress of Axel's adoption process. Who does she think I am? A member of child protection services? A social worker? She knows I'm a businessman, not a governme
Gerald's shoulders tensed immediately. "What do you mean?" he said harshly. Shelma tilted her head again. "Just say it, she's pregnant right now. And she's hiding it from you. Then link all of this with Chris's arrival. And her spending nights with him when you should have been enjoying your honeymoon as newlyweds. Could it be that the baby she's carrying right now belongs to Chris?" she asked rhetorically. "It's possible, isn't it? Or maybe it's someone else's baby other than both of yours?" Gerald clenched his fists and looked at Shelma with an anger he could no longer contain. "Don't insult my wife, Shelma. She's a good woman. She's not the kind of woman who would sleep with random men like you." Karenina widened her eyes. While Shelma feigned a shocked expression. Even her manicured hands rose, touching her chest. "How could you be so rough, Gerald?" she asked sadly. "How can you be sure she's a good woman when even the number of times you've met her can be counted on one hand?
The bad thoughts kept repeating in his head. Vivan, who was still standing there, could only look at Gerald with concern, but she didn't say much. Chris. Once again, that name echoed in Gerald's mind. All because of Chris. If only that man didn't show up again, none of this trouble would have happened. Yes. Gerald could be sure, even though Ariana had spent a few nights with Chris, he was sure Ariana and Chris hadn't gone too far. But what about make out? Could they have done it? He wondered silently. Suddenly his chest felt hot. He was jealous. But even so, he still felt victorious because he was the one who took Ariana's virginity first. Yes. Gerald was certain Ariana was still a virgin. Gerald knew that for sure. Although virginity operations were not uncommon nowadays, Gerald knew Ariana hadn't done it. So if Ariana was really pregnant, Gerald was one hundred percent sure that the baby in her womb was his. So the other option Gerald had was his second assumption about Shelma.
"Yes! You lied to me, Ariana. I trusted you!" the man snapped harshly. Ariana continued to stare at him in silence, her eyes starting to well up. Not because she was scared, but more because she was holding back her anger. "What do you mean I lied?" she asked, not understanding. "Everything," Gerald replied harshly. "Everything!" he repeated, his voice rising. "You said you didn't go anywhere, but all day long, since I dropped you off at the restaurant, you were never there. You didn't even step inside. Where did you go? Did you meet another man out there?" he accused roughly. "And some time ago, you went to the mother and child hospital. Why didn't you tell me you went there? What were you doing there? Were you checking your pregnancy and planning to abort it without my knowledge?" he continued with accusations that sounded unreasonable to Ariana. Instead of answering his questions, Ariana burst into laughter. "What is this? Are you writing a screenplay?" she asked mockingly. "I'
"A Widowed Leaf!" the shout echoed loudly, causing the listener to raise an eyebrow. "Isn't that a trendy type of plant?" Ariana asked her cousin. "What are you doing here?" Amber looked at Ariana, puzzled. "As far as I know, this is still my apartment, Amber," Ariana replied casually. She, who had been standing in the kitchen, now walked over to the sofa in front of the TV. "So, are you going to kick me out?" Amber asked, annoyed. Ariana shrugged. "I'll think about it later," she replied and chose to turn on the television. Amber, who had just put her shoes in the closet, now walked towards Ariana, who was changing channels without any interest in watching TV. "I'm seriously asking you, Ariana. What are you doing here? Does your husband know?" "I'm sure he knows where I am. You know he has subordinates everywhere," Ariana replied casually. Amber shook her head, refusing to accept her friend's answer. "Are you two fighting again? Are you running away again?" she asked. Ariana
Ariana, "Ariana, I'm serious!" Ariana chuckled. "I can only rely on his feelings, Amber. All I've asked from him is trust. If he doesn't trust me anymore..." "Ariana, for God's sake!" Amber looked at her cousin in frustration. "Trust is built, not something you can just ask or give. Do you think trust is like candy?" Amber retorted angrily. "Besides, your marriage is still in its infancy. Even couples who have been dating for a long time still often doubt each other. They don't trust each other completely. And after they get married, they're still surprised to find out that 'he' is not what 'he' showed all this time. They're not as beautiful, handsome, romantic, and not even as put-together as they appeared to be. They're still surprised by the habits... you know what I mean," Amber replied, irritated. "And compare all of that to your relationship!" she ordered. "You never knew who Gerald Zeroun was before. Just like he didn't know who you were. Your relationship, I mean, your mar
"Are you going to the restaurant?" Amber asked again. Ariana shook her head. "Why should I go there when I have you and Jody?" she replied sharply. Amber chuckled. "Alright, alright, Boss. In that case, I'll leave now," she said. Ariana just nodded. "Don't forget to have breakfast," she ordered. And once again, Ariana just nodded. After Amber closed the door, Ariana curled up again under her warm blanket in her dark room. Amber left the apartment after making sure everything was in order. Although she couldn't bear to leave Ariana alone, she knew that her friend hated being pitied. And if Ariana chose not to go to the restaurant—the place that had been a source of her problems for so long—it meant that what Ariana was going through was heavier than it seemed. Yes, years of knowing Ariana had given her some understanding of her friend's character. The atmosphere in the restaurant seemed normal as Amber entered. Jody, Dara, and several other friends were already getting ready for the
Ariana sat on the bed, holding her head in her hands. The throbbing in her head had been there for the past few days, even before she found out about her pregnancy. Initially, she thought it was just a regular headache. But eventually, she understood the reason behind it, as it always came at the same time every day. More than that, the pain in her head was always accompanied by nausea, causing her to vomit whatever food she put into her mouth. Just like what had happened a moment ago, even though she had just had breakfast. Not really breakfast, but more like a late morning meal since it was already past ten-fifteen. Despite the bitter taste in her mouth, she forced herself to swallow something for the sake of the baby growing inside her. Ariana went back to the kitchen, searching for fruits she could eat. She needed to replace what she had just thrown up with fresh food. She smiled when she saw a dragon fruit placed on a bowl on the kitchen table. Hopefully, its sweetness could re