"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
A week had passed since Ariana left Zeroun's residence. But if Gerald noticed, the atmosphere at his home seemed normal. Even Axel, who used to sulk when going to school, now appeared just like before. It was as if things had returned to the way they were before Ariana entered their lives. The only one who felt Ariana's absence was Gerald. Yes. Every night, without realizing it, Gerald would wake up with his hand reaching out to Ariana's empty side of the bed. Then he would stay awake until the early hours of the morning, missing the woman who had been accompanying his sleep and patiently listening to his meaningless chatter. Ariana. Why was she doing all this? How could she be so heartless to her own child? How could she be so cruel to Gerald? Didn't she have any feelings for him? Gerald was convinced that Ariana had started to open up to him. If Ariana didn't have feelings for him, she wouldn't have agreed to be with him. She wouldn't have prepared his favorite meals, listened to
"Ariana!" that morning was greeted by Amber's loud shout echoing through the empty apartment room. Amber half ran, approaching the bed where Ariana was curled up like a fetus, her body trembling violently. "Ariana?" she called again on the bedside. Her faint voice couldn't hide her panic. Amber knew what was happening; this was not unfamiliar to her, although it rarely occurred. Ariana slowly opened her eyes, gazing at her friend and then smiled gently. "Calm down," she whispered softly, clearly in pain. Amber gently wiped Ariana's forehead. Cold sweat flooded her friend's forehead. "Where is the medicine?" she asked in a whisper. Her eyes searched the room corners. Instead of answering, Ariana shook her head. "Ariana, it's not the time to be stubborn!" Amber said in frustration. "I'm... fine..." Ariana replied, gasping for breath. Nevertheless, her hands clutched the blanket tightly, her fingertips turning white. "We're going to the hospital now!" Amber said firmly. She moved awa
"Pull over, Amber..." Ariana whispered softly. But it seemed Amber didn't hear her. Eventually, Jody had to tap her shoulder and command her to pull over. Without many words, Amber immediately steered and parked the car on the roadside as fast as she could. "What time..." Ariana glanced at Jody, who was still watching her silently. Jody reached for his phone in his pants pocket. "A little past eight," he replied softly. Ariana nodded, choosing to close her eyes and lean her head back against the car seat. Besides the noise of passing vehicles outside, all they could hear inside the car was Ariana's heavy breathing. Both Amber and Jody could only gaze at Ariana in silence. "Ariana..." Amber released her seatbelt and turned around to face Ariana, looking at her with concern. "When was the last time this happened?" she asked, curious. Ariana opened her eyes. Her gaze seemed distant, but then she lifted her head and looked at Amber, then smiled. "This is the first time it's happened