The Love From Vengeance

371: VEILED VOWS

ARIEL’S POV

Here I was in my room, sitting down, thinking about all the moments that I had spent with my family. My father, who I thought would be my hero, turned out to be a villain in my

story.

I was crushed, realizing they had to go to such lengths because they wanted to keep the business stable. I thought we were going to fight together; I thought we were going to get through all the terrible situations together. But it seemed like I was wrong. They had broken trust, and the hope they craved was no longer present.

They carried out this without informing me first. Why? Because they knew I would never agree to that. They knew I would never follow their conditions, letting them decide the person that I would spend my life with.

It all made sense now–my father asked me about my relationship life when we were going to the party. I was really confused right now about whether I should follow through with their terms or not. But there was no way I was going to get married to someone I didn’t love, someone I had no feelings for, someone I barely knew.

My mother walked inside my room, her eyes scanning me as I sat silently. My eyes filled with tears, with a look that flaunted how shattered I was.

“Ariel, please, you need to eat. It’s been two days now, and you haven’t eaten anything. Come on, something bad might happen to you.”

I stared at my mother, her voice echoing in my ears like a distant plea. But the turmoil inside me was too intense to heed her words. “I can’t, Mom,” I whispered. “I can’t eat.‘

”

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I met her gaze, hoping she would understand the depth of my despair. “I won’t do it, Mom. I won’t marry Luke. I won’t sacrifice my happiness for business deals.”

Her eyes widened in alarm, and she rushed to my side, taking my hands in hers. “Ariel, darling, please don’t say that. You can’t do this. You can’t do this to yourself.”

don’t understand, Mom. You and Dad have already made your decision. The two of you don’t care about what I want. You only care about your

out to wipe away my tears. “But you can’t

hard, with my throat tight. “Not If it means living a life I didn’t choose for

hard, sweetheart. But please, try

and for

I won’t eat. I won’t comply with

decision was the only way to reclaim control over my own life. But would they

Dad are happy now. You guys have ruined my life. I hope you are happy.”

married to The Reynolds isn’t actually going

bad idea.”

isn’t.“Why would it be, since you guys are going to

this is the only way to bring our

my mother incredulously, unable to believe her words. “So, what? My happiness doesn’t matter. Our family’s business is more important than my own life.”

see the bigger picture here. We’re doing this for the

shrugged off her touch, a surge of anger rising within me. “Well,. don’t care about the family reputation or

she were struck. “How can you

but I held

are the ones making decisions about my life without even considering what I want.

in every word. “Ariel, please don’t do this. Don’t throw everything away because of one disagreement.”

bitterly. “This isn’t just a disagreement, Mom. This is about my

we’ve made mistakes, Ariel. But we’re only trying to do what we think is best for you.”

‘best‘ is suffocating me, Mom.“I can’t live the life you’ve planned for me. I won’t.”

broken only by the sound of our ragged breathing. I could see the pain etched into every line