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.

thought it was acceptable to

leaving me with a searing

climbing game,” I declared my voice resonating through the

spill as I turned away, weighed down by

time to process this,” I murmured, my voice barely audible over the tumult of emotions.

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

the door behind me and locked it with a shaky hand. The dam of

370 BROKEN BONDS

cheeks unchecked, each droplet a testament to the pain and betrayal i felt

felt as though my

agony.

to the core. How could they have orchestrated something so cruel and manipulative? Did they truly see

status?

fragile walls of

support

their decelt

oppressive weight. I struggled

of emotions that threatened

I allowed myself to surrender to the torrent of tears,

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

had once envisioned, now shattered into a million

all meaning as I lay there, cocooned in

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

world asunder.

in slumber, there was no escape from the harsh reality of my shattered dreams and the bitter taste of betrayal that lingered on 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 me to open the door. With a reluctant sigh, I rose from my bed, every fiber of my being resisting the inevitable confrontation awaiting me

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

in,” she implored, her

slam the door shut and shut out the world was

my

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