Selfish!

Ariel walked closer to him, and stared up into his eyes. “Don’t you dare act like you care,” she said as a tear slid down her face. 

“I don’t know why you choose to keep bringing this up, reminding me of what I want to forget.” She said, her eyes angry.

“What are you talking about Ariel?” His voice came out in a soft, sad plea as his heart began to beat fast. 

He had gotten used to the idea of having a son. 

He had even made a mental image of his son, and since that day he caught Ophelia on the phone, he had thought non-stop about what it would feel like to finally meet his son.

Who he would look like, and if it were both of them, what features would he have from whom?

“Your son died while you were probably just across the hall, sulking that your grandfather was forcing your hand to marry me.”

“What?”

“And you dare talk about safety. My child would be alive if I had the good sense to take him to Sullivan earlier. That devil like you called him would have protected our son with his life where all you ever cared about was your bloody inheritance and your pageant queen.”

She turned, and he followed her eyes to see the car returning from a distance. It will be here in no time.

“I hope this is the last time we talk about this. You have your perfect life again. You are heir, and have a family with the woman of your dreams. So leave me the hell alone.”

He continued squinting at her, although they were in the shade, away from the hot brightness of direct sunlight. 

“How can you continue lying about the death of a child who is alive and breathing? Who is that child at Sullivan’s mansion then?”

“What child, do you have any proof of this thing you keep going on about?”

“Who is Oliver?”

“Will you always be this way?” Her voice was loud, almost a shriek. “I just told you about our son’s death. That did not even give you a pause. You are not sad.”

“You are lying. It’s because I know you are lying,” he said even as his head began to feel tight and hurt.

“You think I would lie about the death of my son?” Her hand went to her chest. “You think I am such a horrible person to do that?”

He could hear the sound of the car now, they were close.

“Ariel. Please. I understand you may want to punish me for not jumping at the thought of marrying you.”

“Selfish.” She said with such bitterness in her voice.

“What?” 

“You are selfish. That is the word that sums Blaine Tucker up. You think the world revolves around you. You think I would lie about the death of my own child to punish you. You think your feelings are more important than my child’s life?”

“Then why are you keeping him away?”

She stared at him, and shook her head just as the car arrived and Sullivan, who must have seen them arguing, rushed out. 

Ariel turned to her purse, and produced a piece of wipe she proceeded to dab her eyes with.

“Sweetheart.” Sullivan was with them in a second, enveloping Ariel in an embrace. 

Blaine just stared at them, his thoughts whirling around as it felt like his head was spinning.

Ariel finally pulled away and although her eyes were all red, it was dry. 

“Are you OK?” Sullivan leaned down to stare in her face, and she nodded and looked away. 

Sullivan turned furious eyes towards him immediately.

“What did you do to upset my wife?” He began to walk closer to stare him in the face, and Blaine thought he might as well give the man the fight he had been itching for. 

To hell with whoever was watching.

“Were you pestering her while I was gone?”

“The car,” Ariel said, and Sullivan froze. 

Blaine looked down to see she had slipped her hand into Sullivan’s and was gently holding him. “It does not sound right.”

He felt his heart break for an unexplainable reason at that gesture. 

She was so tender towards this evil man and it somehow hurt him. 

So she could be this way with a devil, someone who did not have any regard even for a child’s life, but then decided to do him who had been so good to her, dirty?

They all three turned to the car now.

“What do you mean?”

“It should not sound that way with all the power.” she said, 

The director walked up to them with a broad smile. 

“That’s one of the wonders of these new models, it is noiseless despite the engine’s power.” The man was beaming like he was solely responsible for this accomplishment.

“I know.” She straightened, “But it should have been a little louder than that when you were speeding here.” And she turned her eyes to meet Blaine. 

Ariel the mother was gone, the savvy automobile expert had taken her place.

Blaine turned to look at the car, and although he had not been paying attention, he understood what she was talking about and believed her.

“But it works fine, honey. I was in it, and there was no rattle,” Sullivan said.

“I agree with the chairman.” The director bowed, “We should just leave it as it is.”

She was about to protest when Sullivan cut in, “There is no fault with the car, you said so yourself. Fixing this tiny issue could cause a major setback to the launch date. The board would not like that.”

Again her eyes darted towards Blaine, and it seemed she was asking for his help. 

This was their creation together. And only he among all these people knew what she was talking about.

He cleared his throat, “Same board that would hurriedly sell their shares off if complications arise?” He stepped forward, and Sullivan spun around.

“I understand you know nothing about business. But we have pushed the launch date back twice already,” Sullivan said in an authoritative voice.

“Oh, come on. You don’t even know what we are talking about. The problem this could cause is worse than anything you imagine your delayed launch could.”

“You must be forgetting yourself, Tucker.” Sullivan’s face was serious for the first time. “I am chairman here. If I say we move the launch to this second, we will.”