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.

turned to indignation. “So you thought it was acceptable

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

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

spill as I turned away, weighed

I murmured, my voice barely audible over the tumult of emotions.

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

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

370 BROKEN BONDS

droplet a testament to the pain and betrayal i felt

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

agony.

realization of my parents‘ betrayal cut me to the core. How could they have orchestrated something so cruel and manipulative? Did they truly see me as nothing more than a pawn in their

status?

crashing against the fragile walls of

and support

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

to crush me beneath its oppressive weight. I struggled to catch my breath amidst

that threatened

my room, I allowed myself to surrender to the torrent of tears, each one a cathartic

anguish that gnawed at my insides. It was as though

once envisioned, now shattered into a million

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

my world asunder.

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 and the bitter taste

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 on the

lock and pulled open the door, my

please let us in,” she implored, her voice filled, with

hesitated for a moment; the urge to slam the door shut and shut out the world was almost

crossed the threshold, and I retreated to the safety of my bed, my arms crossed tightly over my chest in a defensive gesture. I refused to meet their gaze, my anger simmering just beneath the

“Ariel, darling, I’m so sorry,” she whispered, reaching out