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

spoke volumes, leaving me with a searing sense

climbing game,” I declared my voice resonating through the room.

I turned away, weighed down by

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

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 sanctuary of

with a

370 BROKEN BONDS

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

wracking my body uncontrollably. It felt as though my heart had been torn from my chest, leaving behind a raw,

agony.

my parents‘ betrayal cut me to the core. How could they have orchestrated something so cruel and

status?

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

support me.

ambitions, and their

oppressive weight. I struggled to catch

that threatened to consume me whole.

solitude of my room, I allowed myself to surrender to

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

envisioned, now shattered into a million irreparable

I lay there, cocooned in the darkness of my despair. Minutes

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

my world asunder.

overtook 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

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

the lock and pulled open the door,

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

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

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

tears. “Ariel, darling, I’m so