Chapter 03

ARIANA'S POV 

I knew I was panicking and that if I did not calm down, I would not be able to do anything. 

I did not want to believe Judith, Rob could not still be pining after Flora after all these years! Flora was dead. That much was certain, why should her ghost still haunt our relationship?

If Flora’s back, what more could I do to make him love me? 

If Flora’s back…No, it can’t be true. 

I saw her dead, with my own eyes. 

I began to dial my best friend's number. 

I haven’t called her for a long time from my side. We had a deal. A deal not to contact each other after Flora’s demise, and now, she might just be alive.

I shouldn't call her. It could jeopardize the whole thing.

But she's the only one who understands…

I held my breath as I clicked on Barbara’s number.

It rang, and on the second ring, she picked.

“Hi Barbara,” I said softly

“Ari,” she whispered “I’ve missed you so much,”

“Me too. I don't know what to do anymore. There’s a problem, Barbara. ”

“What's the matter, Ari? What's wrong?”

I wanted to talk, I wanted to spill my heart out and have someone comfort me but all I could do was sob as the very idea that my husband could be making love to another woman right this minute nauseated me.

“Please can you come over?” I cried

“Oh, Ari. I'm doing this because I love you,” Barbara whispered “send me your address,”

“I will. Thank you so much,”

It took Barbara thirty (30) minutes to get to me. Barbara was a tall woman with a formidable aura. 

Like me, her hair was always packed in a ponytail and she was always smartly dressed.

We had been best friends for as long as we could remember.  We had even worked in the office together and were referred to as a dynamic duo. Until that day.

“Enough!” I dragged myself out from past memories. 

Presently, she sat next to me on the couch holding me while I cried and narrated what Judith had told me.

“You need to stop crying Ari," Barbara said gently.

After several attempts, I finally quieted down and Barbara got me a glass of water to drink. 

“Chances are he's still at the bar Ari, he's a married man, no reasonable girl is going to willingly jump into bed with him”. 

“How can you be sure of that Barbara? I know Rob doesn't love me”, I whined. 

“Still my point remains. You have the address? Get up, let's go.” 

“Let me just get my coat”, I said walking into the bedroom “You don't think this is foolish right?” I asked when I came out.

“Of course not Ari, he's your husband, marriage is all about fidelity.”

On the drive down to the bar, I could not stop crying. I was overwhelmed by a sudden urge to go back in the past and change everything that happened. 

I knew the pregnancy hormones were contributing to my inability to stop crying  just as  I knew I loved Rob.

That was all that mattered.

“You've got to stop crying Ari, I'm not sure it's good for the baby,” Barbara said.

“What does it matter? I'm pretty sure Rob doesn't even care that we're having a baby”, I retorted.

“C'mon, don't say things like that. Rob's a nice guy and for all we know, Judith could have been lying or she probably misunderstood what she saw”.

“Really Barbara? You're gonna go with that? I can assure you that Rob's being married to me is simply a matter of convenience. If he didn't need to, he wouldn't choose me in any life.”

Barbara sighed deeply. “Well, we're almost here, we'll find out the truth. Just try to stop crying, we don't want to create a scene. There's so much at stake”. 

“There's always been much at stake”, I said quietly, using a kleenex to wipe the tears from my face.

Barbara was looking at me with pity. Before my marriage, I was one of the most formidable women in the business world. 

As the daughter of one of the richest CEOs I was respected but more than that, I had made a name for herself with my ability to make brilliant business decisions. 

I was however known more for my ruthlessness than my warmth. 

In my father's billion dollar corporation,  I specialized in corporate raiding: acquiring and dismantling struggling companies, selling their assets for profit. 

In a nutshell, I was not liked.

Now, I knew Barbara could not reconcile that Ariana she knew to the one sitting beside her now, pregnant and crying her heart out because of a potentially cheating husband. I knew that because I could tell that I had lost myself. 

“I think I made a mistake Barbara…”

“C'mon not this again Ari. Your parents wanted you to marry Rob, it was a good business decision.”

“I know but we all knew Rob did not love me. He thinks I'm cold…he would rather be with Flora with all her sunshine…”

“That's enough Ari, you have to let it go. Now focus on your marriage, not the love you can’t win back, okay?” Barbara snapped at me. “See, we're here. Let's just hope he's still here. It's quite late.”

We both climbed out of the car and headed for the bar. 

The minute I walked into the bar, disappointment coloured my features. 

So this was where Rob preferred to spend his evenings instead of with me? This seedy bar with its red and green disco lights, loud music and filled with the middle class. 

I was enraged yet tired. I just wanted to go home. 

“I don't think he's here”, Barbara said scanning the place.

“Let's sit at the bar, I'm tired”, I said, moving over to the bar with Barbara in tow.

The bartender looked at me in surprise when I got to the bar, obviously noticing my baby bump.

I chuckled wryly because I really could use a drink right now but then I shook my head, thinking about the precious life growing inside me.

I wasn’t going to lose my child because I needed some comfort.

Barbara ordered a shot, and I looked away. 

I turned to ask her “How do we find Rob? Do you think we should start by asking the barman?”

Barbara shrugged. “Yeah we could, not a bad idea”.

“Your drink ma'am,” the barman appeared with  Barbara’s drink.

Just before I could ask the barman any question,  I saw him.

Just him, alone.

Handsome as usual. 

Every time I see him, I wear a smiley face. I hated it when I did so just now. 

“Rob!”

I raised my hand to wave to him. Then I saw a young lady walking to him and kissing him on the cheek.

My waving hand froze in the air.

I almost fainted but I instead clung to Barbara, Judith had been right: the young lady was the spitting image of my dead sister.

It was as though time stopped the minute I set my eyes on Rob.

In five quick steps, he covered the space between us. 

“Ariana…”

The minute I slapped him, I knew things would never be the same again. 

He quickly grabbed my hand pulling me to himself “Ariana please listen to me…I can explain”.

“What exactly can you explain?” I shouted. “Oh Rob, do I really deserve this?”