An Ex Meltdown After I Sign My Body Away

Arden felt sick to her stomach. The next second, her phone rang. It was her mother, Katherine Bronson."Get back here. Now," Katherine said bluntly. She hung up right after.Arden tightened her grip on the phone as she listened to the busy tone. As far as she could remember, Katherine had always been cold and indifferent to her.She would stand above it all and demand that Arden get top grades, that she be obedient and sensible, that she give way to Irene in everything…Arden once thought that was just what mothers were like. But Irene's birth had overturned everything she thought she knew.It turned out Katherine could smile gently, too. Even when Irene made mistakes, she would just say lightly, "Don't do it again next time."Arden hadn't understood why as a child. Only when she grew up did she realize it was nothing more than the difference between being loved and not being loved.…Arden returned home. As soon as she set foot inside, she saw Graham hovering at Irene's side.

After seeing the doctor, Arden hurried to the seaside with her medicine.The Pearl was moored at the shore, its lights blazing like a gem in the night. She didn't have an invitation, so she debated whether to call Graham as she boarded."Arden."Irene's voice rang out, and Arden turned toward it.Irene wore a pale pink strapless dress and had her hair pinned up behind her head. To match the outfit, she wore the pink diamond she'd just shared on her Instagram story.Noticing Arden's gaze, she raised her hand and fluttered her fingers, showing off the ring. "Were you looking at this?"Her smile turned mocking. "You do know where the bracelet Graham gave you came from, right? It was made from the leftover scraps of this ring's diamond."Arden stayed silent as her chest tightened. It was a long while before she spoke. "Why?"Irene feigned confusion. "Why what?"Seeing her smug smile, Arden asked hoarsely, "Why is it that even though you already have everything, you still insist on

Graham seemingly hadn't expected Arden to wake up suddenly. He froze for a second, then pressed his right hand to her forehead. "Ary, are you okay?"His palm was warm and gentle, but Arden instinctively leaned to the right to dodge it. She sat up.A flicker of displeasure flashed in Graham's eyes when he noticed her flinch, but it was quickly drowned by tenderness and resignation. "Are you mad at me?"He let out a heavy sigh, quietly withdrew his hand, and said in a low voice, "It's not that I didn't want to save you, Ary. The situation didn't allow it. Irene had already fainted, and I knew your parents would've blamed you again if something had happened to her. I didn't want to make things harder for you… I did it for your good.""I know." She pulled away from him without thinking, dropping her eyes to the bed. She said flatly, "I understand. Whoever you chose to save would've made sense."Saving Irene was well within her expectations, really.Since childhood, everything and anything

The instant their eyes met, Arden felt like she was transported back to the moment she and Graham had first met five years ago.Back then, they'd only looked at each other from across the room, and he had walked straight over without hesitation. He'd asked, "Uh… could I have a cup of tea with you?"And now, as he drew closer, his face was full of surprise. His eyes held a clear, undeniable spark of intrigue… and a hint of guilt. He asked, "Ary, what are you doing here?"Arden looked him straight in the eye and asked in return, "Am I interrupting you by being here?"His brows tightened just a fraction before he softened his tone. "Logan and the others insisted I come out to eat. I only came because I couldn't say no. I was even thinking I'd bring you some of your favorites when we finished. I didn't expect to run into you here."He lowered his gaze, took her hand in his, and said in a low voice, "Ary, don't be mad. I didn't mean to come out without telling you first. Things at work

"May my princess, Irene, always be happy.""Whether I'm your prince or knight, Irene, I'll always protect you.""I can do anything for you, including marry someone I don't love."Arden took down one slip after another, each one bearing a monologue signed by Graham. Her heart went numb bit by bit until it froze over.Irene was right. Every wish Graham had made was about her. The earliest one… was even before Arden had met him."You really went all in for Irene, huh? You found a beggar to ruin Arden's reputation, then sacrificed yourself to marry used goods."Those words she'd overheard outside the CEO's office at Hale Corporation suddenly resurfaced, thundering in her ears.All of Graham's tenderness had been a facade. Even their initial meeting had been premeditated. It was all just a setup to make Irene "happy".The truth was like fresh kindling thrown onto the fire; the hatred in Arden's chest burned hotter."Miss, why have you taken these down?"A voice snapped Arden out o