CHAPTER 7
ARIA’S POV
It begins to rain heavily the moment I step out of the house, a manifestation of the dark clouds that have been present since I was at grandmother’s grave. I am unprepared for the sudden change in weather and I contemplate turning back to seek shelter till the heavy rain passes but what does that make me? A spineless woman who can’t stand her ground.
So I power through the rain, dragging my suitcase behind me as I do. The streets are empty without a single car in sight which means I can’t even flag down a taxi. And what if I can? Where would I go? Right there and then, it fully dawns on me what the consequences of my thoughtless actions are.
I don’t have anywhere to go. I don’t regret my decision but my helplessness has me hating myself. I burst into tears at once. Tears that are real, not just triggered by an allergy. The sound of the rain muffles my loud sobs while the drops of water flow down my face along with my tears as I continue to drag my heavy suitcase along. I am exhausted, cold and hurt.
I continue to wallow in self–pity, my tears uncontrollable. When I see the first sign of an approaching car, I stop crying and wipe my face. Walking in the rain already makes me look like a mad woman and I can’t risk scaring a taxi driver away. I wait by the roadside, stretching a free hand out to flag down the car as it gets closer. The headlights flash brightly into my face and blind me for a second, leaving me totally unprepared for the next second when the car races right past me and splashes water from the nearest puddle all over my body.
I gasp, shocked, and no doubt drenched.
The car slowly reverses and the face I see is one I least expected.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you there.” Sophila tenders an apology that doesn’t match the sneer on her face or the biting tone of her voice. She didn’t even make an attempt to get out of the car which had been going in the direction of the house before she drenched me in waler
“Are you okay? You don’t look okay.” She continues, further rendering me speechless. Her tone is mocking. It is clear that she doesn’t really care if I am okay or not, clear that she did this on purpose.
“What did you do that for?” I tremble as I speak, not just from the cold but also from the looming threat of another round of tears.
“Don’t take it to heart, Aria. It was a mistake just like how that day three years ago was a mistake. If only you hadn’t had that one drink that wasn’t meant for you, it wouldn’t have taken this long for me to seal my spot in Adam’s life. You were never meant for him and even if it took three years, you are finally back where you belong Goodbye, Aria and I hope to God that I never see your face palu.
Sophia looks deep into my eyes as she says that as if wanting to be sure I got her message. She must have gotten what she was searching my eyes for because she rolls up the car’s window and drives away leaving me standing there, trying and yet falling to process the meaning behind her words.
I gather myself together, wringing the water out of my dress as I tell myself repeatedly that this is nothing I can survive this. I just need to get through this night first. The beavy rain soon becomes a drizzle and I continue to drag my suitcase along with me.
It doesn’t take long before another car appears and this the, the car stops in front of me, I get into the taxi without giving my destination a thought until the driver asks where I want to go.
I pause to think and only one place comes to mind. My old rented apartment. I haven’t been there since I moved out three years ago but since I take the route to work everyday, I know it is still empty as no one has been willing to endure the bad living conditions I did while I was still lyng there. I don’t have a choice but to return there.
+25 BONUS
I give the driver the address and he drives off to the place that is in a more secluded part of the city, making a note to pay him extra for drenching his seat with my wet clothes.
We arrived there within a few minutes and I found my landlord standing outside the house like he knew I was
ing I had planned to call him upon my arrival since he lives close to the house anyway. Right now, I can’t help the strange feeling curling inside of me as I get off the taxi, pay the driver and walk over to my landlord.
He doesn’t even let me speak before he says. “You can’t stay here.”
I can’t even hade my surprise at his words, “What do you mean? The house has been empty for a long time now and I am willing to pay to continue staying here.”
The man can’t even meet my eyes as he says, “I am sorry but your husband called already.”
Dread fills me at the mention of Adam
What has he got to do with this?” I ask
I don’t know what is going on between the two of you but I think it is best you sort it out as I do not want to be involved in whatever this is. You married a powerful man who threatened to get me locked up if I tried to rent the house back to you. I am sorry but you should turn back and leave.”
The man walk away after that, leaving me standing with a mixture of shock and fury. Adam called ahead to Prevent me from getting a place to stay and I cannot believe the lengths that man will go to get what he wants.
And just when I think he can’t do worse than that, he surprises me even more when I make my first stop at a hotel and wasn’t allowed in. At the fifth stop, I am already exhausted and weak–willed after hearing the same words leave the lips of the receptionists at each hotel.
are sorry, ma’am but we have been requested not to let anyone with the name Aria Miller in here.”
I nearly scream out my frustration at the receptionist at the last hotel, fully coming to the realization that I can only try to fight Adam, I can’t win. He is more than just a CEO. He is powerful and has tentacles that stretch through every comer in this city. Feeling defeated, I walk out of the last hotel, my body swaying from exhaustion. My phone rings, Adam’s name flashing across my screen to show the incoming call is from him. Rage swirls inside of me, makes me answer the phone so I can give hima piece of my mind.
“You vile bastard!” I curse at him.
He rearts calmly to it as his voice flows into my ears, “You can’t win this fight, Aria and I am sure you realized
already, Come back home while I am still being nice.”
I scoff, even more enraged by his words.
“You must be insane if you think this is enough to stop me. Go to hell, Adam.” hang up and switch off my phone, bathing heavily as tears prickle the back of my eyes again. I realize there is really nowhere to go. I take out the
mbedded with rubies and emeralds which had the letter H engraved on it that was handed to me by the surse story last desperate attempt to find a place to go.
I tell if it is my realization that makes me dizzy or the fact that I walked in the rain with the risk of catching a cold. Either way, I can’t stop the way I sway and lose my footing just as my vision blurs. I fall heavily to the ground.
bark out at the same time I hear the sharp call of my name.
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CHAPTERS
