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 marriage for your

spoke volumes, leaving me with a searing sense of

a pawn in your social climbing game,” I declared my voice

away, weighed down by

my voice barely audible over the tumult of

on me like a leaden cloak, suffocating me with its heaviness. Without another word, I fled from

locked it with a shaky hand. The dam of emotions

370 BROKEN BONDS

burst. Tears streamed down my cheeks unchecked, each droplet a testament to the pain and betrayal i felt deep in my

as though my heart

agony.

parents‘ betrayal cut me to the core. How could they have orchestrated something so cruel and manipulative? Did they truly see me

status?

walls of

and support

weight of their expectations, their ambitions, and their decelt pressed down on

weight. I struggled to

wave of emotions that threatened

I allowed myself to surrender to the torrent of tears,

that gnawed at my insides. It was as

future I had once envisioned, now shattered into a million irreparable fragments.

there, cocooned in the darkness of my

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

my world

broken promises. But even in slumber, there was no escape from the harsh reality of my shattered

the fragile cocoon of thoughts I had wrapped around myself. I froze, my heart pounding with apprehension, as I heard my mother’s voice urging

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

us in,” she implored, her voice filled, with remorse.

shut and shut out the world was almost overwhelming. But eventually,

safety of my bed, my arms crossed tightly over my chest in a defensive gesture. I

her eyes brimming with tears. “Ariel, darling, I’m so sorry,”