The Love From Vengeance

370: BROKEN BONDS

ARIEL’S POV

I stormed into my parents‘ elegant living room, a cloud of anger and betrayal churning within me. My hands trembled with disbelief as I brandished my phone, the glaring headlines announcing my supposed engagement to Luke burning into my consciousness.

“Mom, Dad, we need to talk,” I demanded.

They looked up, surprised, etching their features at the urgency in my tone.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” my mother asked, concern furrowing her brow.

I thrust my phone forward, the damning evidence of my supposed betrothal displayed on the screen.

“Explain this,” I demanded, my voice rising with each word,

Their guilty exchange confirmed my worst fears.

“We’re sorry, Ariel. We never meant for things to spiral out of control like this,” my father began, his voice

tinged with remorse,

But apologies were not what I sought. I needed answers.

“Sorry isn’t enough, Dad. Why have you destroyed my future?” I queried, my anger boiling over.

My mother reached out, but I recoiled, the sting of their betrayal too raw.

“I trusted you both. I thought you had my best interests at heart,” I accused the both of them. I was feeling

broken.

They hung their heads, unable to meet my accusing gaze.

“We only wanted what was best for you, Ariel. We thought…” my mother faltered, unable to finish her

justification.

it was acceptable to manipulate me into

with a searing

refuse to be a pawn in your social climbing game,” I declared my voice resonating through the room.

I turned away, weighed down

I murmured, my

betrayal bore down on me like a leaden cloak, suffocating me with its heaviness. Without another word, I fled from the living room, seeking solace in

and locked it with a shaky

370 BROKEN BONDS

each droplet a testament to the pain and

my face in my hands, the sobs wracking my body uncontrollably. It felt as though my heart had been torn from

agony.

so cruel and manipulative? Did they truly see me as nothing more than a pawn in their quest for

status?

like a tempest, each emotion crashing against the fragile walls of my composure. I

support me.

their expectations, their ambitions, and their decelt pressed

to crush me beneath its oppressive weight. I struggled to catch my breath amidst the

wave of emotions that threatened to consume me

surrender to the

gnawed at my insides. It

envisioned, now shattered into a million irreparable

lay there, cocooned

the ache in my chest remained, a constant reminder of the

my world

me, and I drifted into an uneasy sleep, my dreams haunted by visions of betrayal and broken promises. But even in slumber, there was no

fragile cocoon of thoughts I had wrapped around myself. I froze, my heart pounding with apprehension, as I heard my mother’s voice urging me to open the door. With a reluctant sigh, I rose from my bed, every fiber of my being resisting the inevitable confrontation

I turned the lock and pulled open the door, my

let us in,” she

slam the door shut and shut out the world was almost overwhelming. But eventually, I stepped

arms crossed tightly over my chest in a

brimming with tears. “Ariel, darling,