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.

you thought it was acceptable to manipulate

silence spoke volumes, leaving me with a

refuse to be a pawn in your social climbing game,” I

as I turned away, weighed

my voice barely audible over the tumult of

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 my

locked it with a shaky hand. The dam of emotions I

370 BROKEN BONDS

down my cheeks unchecked, each droplet a testament to

I burled my face in my hands, the sobs wracking my body uncontrollably. It felt as though my heart had been torn from my chest, leaving behind a raw, gaping

agony.

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

status?

the fragile walls

support me.

their expectations, their ambitions, and their decelt pressed

crush me beneath its oppressive weight.

threatened to consume

allowed myself to surrender to the torrent of

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

envisioned, now shattered into a million irreparable

seemed to lose all meaning as I lay there, cocooned in the darkness of my despair. Minutes

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

my world asunder.

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 escape from the harsh reality of my shattered dreams

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

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

us in,” she implored,

the world was almost overwhelming. But eventually,

the safety of my bed, my arms crossed tightly over my chest in

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