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.

turned to indignation. “So you thought it was acceptable to manipulate me into marriage for

leaving me with

be a pawn in your social climbing game,” I

spill as I turned away, weighed down by disappointment

murmured, my voice barely audible over the tumult of emotions.

away from my parents, feeling like my world was crumbling around me. The weight of their betrayal bore down on me like a leaden cloak, suffocating me with its heaviness. Without another word, I fled from

it with a shaky hand. The

370 BROKEN BONDS

burst. Tears streamed down my cheeks unchecked, each droplet a testament to the

It felt as though my heart had been torn from my chest, leaving behind a raw, gaping wound that

agony.

my parents‘ betrayal cut me to the core. How could they have orchestrated something so cruel and manipulative? Did they truly see me as nothing more than a pawn in their quest for

status?

sadness swirled within me like a tempest, each emotion crashing against the fragile walls of my composure. I felt utterly alone, abandoned by the very people who were

support me.

and their decelt pressed down on me like

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

emotions that threatened

to surrender to the torrent of tears, each one a cathartic

and anguish that gnawed at my insides. It was as though

I had once envisioned, now shattered into a

there, cocooned in the darkness of my

but still, the ache in my chest remained, a constant

world asunder.

But even in slumber, there was no escape from the harsh reality of my shattered dreams and the bitter taste of betrayal that

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

lock and pulled open the door, my mother’s worried expression

let us in,” she

a moment; the urge to slam the door shut and shut out the world was almost overwhelming. But eventually, I stepped aside, allowing

over my chest in

with tears. “Ariel, darling, I’m so sorry,” she whispered, reaching