Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Billionaire’s Pretend Wife : Kabanata 11 - Kabanata 20

Arielle I replayed her words over and over in my head so deeply that I forgot that I was still on call with her. My mind drifted to the day she threw kitchen utensils at me, screamed at me, like I was a thief in her kitchen. How she injured me. “Arielle, are you there?” She called again. I snapped out of it and cleared my throat. “Uh–yes, Miss Sylvia, yes. Absolutely. I’ll–I can–I’ll be there”. My words tumbled out awkwardly. “Alright, see you tomorrow”. She hung up immediately. Relief flooded my chest the second the call ended. I had never been under that kind of pressure before. I assumed Tessa must have spoken to her on my behalf. Either way, l’d find out tomorrow. I finished my meal, took my medications, grabbed a blanket and slept on the couch. I placed my phone far away because I didn’t want to receive any calls while taking this nap. But I wasn’t that kind of person. I never slept during the day. Twenty minutes later, I woke up restless and walke

Arielle Emris’s eyes didn’t leave mine. They were steady, unwavering and lingered longer than comfort allowed. I watched him absentmindedly play with his car keys, the sound faint, but irritating. I couldn’t state the kind of situation he was in, or what exactly was going on in that head of his. “What happened to her?” He asked suddenly. “Arielle, come on, let’s go. It’s getting late.” I turned back and headed to my room to clean myself up, but my mind refused to settle. I didn’t want to go with him. Going with him felt like intentionally placing myself in danger. Not even when Amber had already marked my face. And if I didn’t go with him, I’d have to trek all the way to school. Either way, I was cornered. Thirty minutes later, I came out barely ready. My hair was undone. I hadn’t even worn my shoes properly. I had just showered and thrown on a dress. I rushed to get my bag from the couch. “Arielle, it’s 11 already. You can fix your hair in m

Arielle Tessa appeared in front of me the moment I opened my eyes. For a second, I thought it was Tiffany, but then I noticed the height difference. Tiffany wasn’t this tall. I blinked slowly and realized I was still lying on the couch. “Tessa”. I called, my shaky voice. She smiled immediately. “Good morning, how are you feeling?” “Better”. I replied honestly. “Thank you for yesterday. God knows what would’ve happened if you weren’t there.” “I’m just glad you’re okay,” She said brightly. “I wish I could stay longer, but I have to get to class.” “No, it’s fine. You can go”. I insisted. “I’m really okay”. She studied me for a moment. “You don’t have classes today, right?” “No,” I said quickly. “ I’ll be home all day.” A lie. I had two different classes. “That’s good. Do you want me to help you make some coffee before I go?” She pointed toward the kitchen. “No, please,” I said. “I don’t want to delay you. Tiffany can help. D

Arielle Tiffany’s line was unreachable, so I waited, hoping for a miracle. I waited until nightfall. Darius did the same. He wasn’t backing down. The moment the headache started creeping in again, I reached for my pills. After taking them, I relaxed on the couch, my eyes fixed on the ceiling, my hands tapping slowly against my chest. Tiffany should have been back by now. It was past seven. Tessa’s lights were also off, which meant she hadn’t returned from work either. I decided to take a short nap, hoping it would quiet the reckless thoughts roaming through my head. When I woke up and checked the time, it was already past nine. Tiffany still wasn’t back. Worry settled deep in my chest. I tried calling her again, same message. Unreachable. I moved to the kitchen and peeped through the window. Darius’s car was still there. My heart sank. I just couldn’t face him. Then I saw Tessa, still in her work uniform, walking toward my doo

Arielle I went on with my duties, serving customers, but deep down I was waiting for Tessa. She had been getting late these days. Just yesterday, she told me she showed up three hours late, and now, it was already past two. I was starting to worry. I handled everything alone. Serving, taking orders. Sean and Jessica didn’t even show up, which didn’t bother me anymore. I was already used to their absence. An hour later, the customers thinned out. I finally had time to sit and breathe. All the walking and talking had exhausted me. I leaned back against the chair by the counter, inhaling slowly as I watched customers leave one after the other. Darius was no longer in sight, but his car was still parked outside. I totally ignored it. Then Tessa walked in. For a second, I thought I was imagining things. But I wasn’t. “Tessa, you’ve been absent for over two–”. My voice came out louder than I intended. “Shhh,” she pressed a finger to her lips, signaling m