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.

was acceptable to manipulate me into marriage for

spoke volumes, leaving me with a searing sense of betrayal.

in your social climbing game,” I declared my voice resonating

as I turned away, weighed down by disappointment and

murmured, my voice barely audible over

The weight of their 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 the

locked it with a

370 BROKEN BONDS

unchecked, each droplet a testament to the pain and betrayal i felt deep in my

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

agony.

something so cruel and manipulative? Did they truly see me as nothing more than a

status?

fragile walls of my

support

expectations, their ambitions, and their decelt pressed down on me like a

crush me beneath its oppressive weight. I struggled to catch

of emotions that threatened to consume me whole.

allowed myself to surrender to the torrent of tears,

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

future I had once envisioned, now

all meaning as I lay there, cocooned in

hours, but still, the ache in my chest remained,

world asunder.

betrayal and broken promises. But even in slumber, there was no escape from the harsh reality

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

the door, my mother’s worried expression greeting me.

please let us in,” she

door shut and shut out the world was almost overwhelming. But eventually, I stepped aside, allowing my parents to

tightly over my chest in a defensive gesture. I refused to meet their gaze, my anger simmering

approached tentatively, her eyes brimming with tears. “Ariel, darling, I’m so sorry,” she whispered, reaching