A R I A N A
I mustered up the remaking sanity left in me packing my stuffs in silence. My hands moved on their own, shoving clothes into a suitcase, grabbing the few things that were truly mine. Photos. Jewelry. The little trinkets Angelo had given me over the years things that now felt like lies. I didn’t cry. I had cried too much that there were no tear left to cry. The only thing that kept me going was the tiny life inside me. My baby, the one good thing left in this mess. I zipped up the last bag and took one final look around the bedroom just hours ago, I had been so happy, all the plans I had made for our anniversary, telling Angelo he was going to be a father. All that is shattered now. I grabbed my box of things and walked out, not looking back. I was halfway down the stairs when she appeared. Bella. Fucking cheat! The woman who had laughed with me, cried with me, stood by me at my wedding. The woman who had just been in bed with my husband. She leaned against the railing, arms crossed, a smirk on her perfect face. "Leaving so soon?" she purred. I didn’t stop walking. She stepped in front of me, blocking my path. "Oh, come on, Ariana. Don’t be like that." I clenched my jaw. "Move." She laughed a cold, mean sound. "Or what? You’ll cry some more?" I tightened my grip on the box. "You’re disgusting! You should be ashamed of yourself" Bella rolled her eyes. "Please, you never deserved him anyway." My chest burned. "I didn’t deserve him? You’re the one who slept with your best friend’s husband! I trusted you Bella, if anyone could do this to me, it shouldn’t be you” She shrugged, like it was nothing. "Angelo was never really yours." "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Bella’s smirk widened. "I’ve had my eyes on him since college long before you ever did." I froze. What? What was she even talking about? She tilted her head, enjoying my shock. "Oh don’t act oblivious Aria we both know that I liked him first. But he chose you." Her voice dripped with venom. "So I waited and when the time was right… I took him back." My stomach twisted. "You… you planned this?" She laughed. "Of course I did you really think I was your friend all these years? I was just waiting for my chance, if I want something Ariana I make sure I get it, absolutely no one deserves Angelo but me, he’s mine and he has always been mine" I felt like I’d been punched. All the late-night talks, the secrets we shared, the times she pretended to care. It was all a lie. "You’re a monster," I whispered. Bella’s eyes gleamed. "And you’re a fool. Did you really think he loved you? He only stayed because he felt sorryfor you. You’re nothing Ariana!” My hands shook. "That’s not true." "Oh, it is." She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a cruel whisper. "And you know what else? I made sure you never got pregnant. Because if you had, he might have stayed." The world stopped. My breath caught in my throat. What did she just say? I stared at her, my heart pounding. "What… what did you do?" Bella smirked. "Birth control pills in your coffee. Every morning for the past year." My knees almost gave out. She had been drugging me. She had been stealing my chance at a family. And now Now that I was pregnant She had taken Angelo from me anyway. I felt sick. "You bitch," I choked out. Bella just laughed. "Too late now, isn’t it? He’s mine and there’s nothing you can do about it. We both know you’ve been leaching off of him to pay your debts. You’re a slut Ariana a fucking cheap one that aims for high class man to get money to live your fake lifestyle" “How dare you!” I yelled. She shrugs, “He doesn’t want you anymore he never did, he just didn’t realize that and now that I made him realize his mistake, it’s safe to say he’s done with you.” She spat I wanted to scream. I wanted to hit her. I wanted to destroy her. But instead I decided not to, I didn’t want to give her the reaction she wanted my heart had already been shattered by the man I thought loved me, Bella’s pain was nothing compared to Angelos. I let out a breath turning and walking away, She was right, there was nothing I could do. Angelo had chosen her. And I I was left with nothing but a broken heart And a baby he would never know about. “Hey! Where do you think you’re going?” She grabbed my hair. I yelped, “Let go of me” “Okay..” And she did pushing me instead making me stumble and toil down. I felt excruciating pain in my stomach as I hit the ground, I let out a scream in pain. “No! My baby” I cried watching as blood drizzled down legs the pain growing. “Please… help me, please… I can’t lose my baby” I stuttered as I sobbed watching Bella march down to were I laid lifless. “Die you bitch! If you think I’d let you have Angelo’s baby then you’re more dense than I thought you were.” She hissed. “You can’t use the baby to get Angelo back or his property and I’ve made sure of that… there’s no way you can save the baby… rot in hell you fucking slut!” She mocked before walking away. I watched as her walk away, her figure retiring before everything went blank.A R I A N A I walked downstairs slowly, my bare feet cold against the marble floors, the mansion was even bigger in daylight all high ceilings and expensive artwork it felt more like a museum than a home. Lina walked ahead of me, still talking nonstop. "...and Mr. Russo doesn't like people touching his things," she was saying. "Oh! And never go into his study! That's his private space. He gets very angry if anyone disturbs him there." I barely listened my stomach growled as the smell of food reached me, the dining room was huge, with a table that could seat twenty people but only one place was set for me. The food looked delicious fresh fruit, warm pastries, eggs cooked perfectly but I had no appetite I picked at a strawberry while Lina hovered nearby. "Mr. Russo is very private," Lina continued, pouring me orange juice. "He doesn't like people asking too many questions. And he hates—" "Lina." A sharp voice cut through the air we both jumped. An old woman stood in t
A R I A N A The wedding reception finally ended. No more fake smiles, no more pretending to be happy, no more watching Angelo glare at us from across the room. Dante didn't say a word to me as we left Just grabbed my arm and led me to his black car waiting outside. The ride to his mansion was completely silent. I sat as far from him as possible, pressed against the door, staring out the window at the passing city lights. My throat still hurt where he'd choked me my wedding ring felt heavy and wrong on my finger. Dante didn't look at me once the whole drive he got himself busy with his phone, his jaw tight, his fingers tapping impatiently on the screen. When the car finally stopped, I realized we were at a huge, dark mansion way bigger than my family's. Dante got out first, not waiting for me, not helping me he just walked straight to the front door like I didn't exist. I followed slowly, my high heels clicking on the stone path the night air was cold, I wrapped my a
A R I A N AI felt suffocated, the reception hall was too loud, too full of people smiling at me like this was some happy occasion.I felt like I couldn't breathe. "I need to use the restroom," I mumbled to no one in particular, pushing back my chair. Dante glanced up from his conversation with some business associate his dark eyes studied my face for a second before giving a slight nod. I hurried away before anyone could follow. The bathroom was empty, thank God. I locked the door behind me and finally, finally I let myself break. Tears poured down my face, ruining my perfect makeup, my chest heaved with silent sobs as I gripped the sink for support. This wasn't fair. None of this was fair. Yes, I made a mistake with Angelo. Yes, I disobeyed my father. But this? Being married off to some stranger? To Dante Russo of all people? It was too much. I hated my father, I hated Angelo, I hated Bella. Most of all, I hated myself for being so stupid, so naive to think love
A R I A N AJust like my father had said, two days later I was getting married to Dante Russo. The morning of my wedding arrived like a death sentence. I sat stiffly in front of the vanity as a team of stylists buzzed around me, transforming me into a perfect bride. The white dress hugged my body tightly, the lace scratching my skin. The heavy veil weighed down my head like a crown of thorns. I felt nothing. Empty. Dead inside. The girl staring back at me in the mirror was a stranger pale face, red lips, hollow eyes, I looked like a doll dressed up for a show. "Beautiful," the makeup artist murmured, dabbing more powder on my cheeks. I didn't respond, what was beautiful about this? About being sold off like cattle to pay for my mistakes? I gulped a lump my eyes stinging with tears. Thr hatred for my father burned within me like a burning fire.A knock at the door snaps me out of my thoughts, the man I call father entered, his expensive suit perfectly pressed, his cold
A R I A N AThe moment I stepped into the foyer, the air turned cold. My father stood at the top of the staircase, his arms crossed, his expression unreadable, the sharp black suit he wore made him look more like a king than a father. And the way he stared at me like I was a disappointment, which I was If only I had listened and not gone against his words.My heart dropped. We had never been close not since I was a little girl, not since I realized love, to him, was conditional. And now? Now, I had broken his biggest rule. Never to belittle myself for the minors, to him they were nothing but slaves that would brown down to his mercy or any other elite.He had warned me about Angelo, warned me he was nothing and that he’d make me regret my decision of choosing him over family. And I hadn’t listened. I had fought for Angelo, defended him and him against my father’s wishes.And now? Now, I was standing here, broken, betrayed, and worst of all proving my father right.Tears
A R I A N AI woke up to blinding white lights, the smell of antiseptic and the beeping of machines. A hospital. I was in a hospital. My head pounded as I tried to remember how I got here, my body felt heavy, like I had been crushed under something. Then the pain hit. A sharp, stabbing ache in my abdomen. I gasped, my hands flying to my stomach. My baby. Memories flooded back. Bella’s smug face, her cruel words, the w way she stepped closer, her eyes full of hate and the way she had left me to die after pushing me from the stairs. How she had shoved me off the stairs with no remorse, the menace, all of it came back. The last thing I remembered was the wetness between my legs. Blood. Now, I was here. Alone. In pain. I clutched my stomach, tears burning my eyes. “No! Please, please let my baby be okay” I cried. The door opened, and a nurse walked in. She rushed to me seeing my state, I was panicked tears as I clutched my bump hoping that nothing had ha