(ARIELLE’S POV)
The next day was Sunday, and I was grateful it was not a work day. When I roused from sleep, all I did was shower, have breakfast and watch TV as Ashley wouldn’t let me raise a pin.
“Hey,” she squeezed my shoulder gently, sliding onto the couch next to me. “What’s up?”
“Hey,” I spared her a glance and returned my eyes back to the TV. “You’re done?”
The aim of the question was because Ashley had risen at the crack of dawn to prune the flowers flanking her house entrance, and I wanted to ascertain if she was done.
“Yup, yup. The flowers look neater now.”
“You should go have breakfast, you’ve been working for hours,” I said, my eyes still fixed on the show.
“Well, you’ve been engrossed on the TV that you didn’t realize that I finished pruning the flowers a while ago, have showered, changed into fresh clothes and even had breakfast. Gosh! Are all pregnant women this lazy and less observant?”
I paused. “Wait, what?” I asked, and turned to look at her properly. And that was when I took a look at her. She had indeed showered because her hair was wet, and she had a change of clothes.
“Oh well, you can’t blame me,” I said and returned to the TV. “You wouldn’t let me do anything so I might as well make up for that by indulging in some fun activities.”
“Hmmm…I see,” Ashley teased. “So, what plans do you have for tomorrow? Aren’t you going to work?”
I paused my attention on the TV and turned to face Ashley squarely. “I will return home for a change of clothes tomorrow, and leave for work afterwards.”
“Seriously, Arielle? If you want to fix your home then you have to stop running. Maybe, you should hear Jared out. Who knows, Sofia might have thrown herself at him. That lady is desperate and can do anything.”
I went mute for a second, ruminating on what Ashley said. I haven’t thought of things in that way. When I overheard the conversation, Jared didn’t sound particularly happy about the kiss. Ashley might be right; Sofia might have thrown herself at Jared.
“As much as Jared has been a jerk for sometime, it doesn’t change the fact that he’s a good man and has treated you so well since you too got married. Maybe Sofia’s return triggered memories from their teenage years, causing him some emotional turmoil. Once Sofia leaves, which is more reason why you should fight for that to happen, you two might be able to return to how things were before,” Ashley went on.
“Can we really go back to how things were?” I asked, voicing my fear. A lot has changed since Sofia’s arrival, and I was beginning to doubt my marriage would go back to the way it was before her intrusion. Ashley fell silent.
In the end, she spoke up. “I know I suggested you divorce Jared, and I take it back. I’m sorry for saying something so… ridiculous. You’ve always valued your marriage, and I should’ve respected that. So, let’s give him another chance, for the sake of the child. If he still chooses Sofia, then… maybe we’ll think about other options.”
I gave a bitter smile, one that didn’t reach my eyes. “Never apologize, Ash. I know you only said that because you care. You’re the only family I’ve got. I’m not saying divorce is impossible… it’s just… I never thought we’d come to this point. I never imagined it would go this far.”
I paused, memories flooding back to the early days of our marriage before everything became so complicated. Back then, we were still getting to know each other, despite being married. Jared was always busy with the company, and I was building my career as a chef in New York. But he insisted on driving me to work every morning.
A faint smile tugged at my lips as I remembered his words: ‘At least I want them to know you’ve got someone watching your back. Don’t let them think they can push you around.’
“I still remember this one day when it rained so heavily that the entire city seemed to drown in it. I had been a judge for a charity baking competition for the kids at a local creche, and I ended up staying late. I didn’t expect Jared to come pick me up. He could’ve just sent a driver, but he came himself. I remember asking, ‘I thought you had a meeting?’ And he told me his flight had been cancelled. But I knew that wasn’t true. He could’ve left whenever he wanted, but he stayed.”
I sighed softly, “I was… kind of touched. I asked him if he thought I was silly, standing out in the rain all wet with those kids. And he just smiled at me. ‘Well now we are both wet,’ he said.”
“I know you must think I’m silly for bringing this up now… I don’t even know why I’m talking about it. It’s just… I really thought we could make it work. I thought we were better than this. I guess I just need more time to figure it out.”
Ashley’s gaze softened, her hand resting gently on my shoulder. I looked at her and said sincerely, “Thank you, Ash. For everything. You’ve been more of a family to me than anyone.”
“Don’t mention it, girl.” She squeezed my shoulder affectionately. “You know you deserve the best. Always.”
********
And before I knew it, it was Monday. And Monday marked the beginning of a new working day. After showering, having breakfast and getting dressed in one of Ashley’s dresses, she drove me home. I needed to have a change of clothes and pick up my work ID. As we approached the house gate, I silently prayed that Jared had left the house. I might have decided to let things slide, and get on with our marriage, but I still was not ready to face him yet. I just wanted to breeze in and out of the house without interruption.
As for Sofia, I doubted she would be anywhere but home, but somehow, I prayed the house would be rid of her too. Since the fall, I had developed a strong phobia for being alone with her. I might act tough when Jared is with us, but behind that feisty attitude was an underlying fear for her. She was capable of so much bad, and I do not want to ever fall victim to her antics.
“We’re here,” Ashley announced, stopping at the gate. “There’s no point driving in. Just have your clothes changed and we’ll be on our way.”
I nodded and opened the car door.
“Hey, do you want me to come in with you?” Ashley asked, holding my arm.
“No. I have got this under control.”
“Alright, be quick.
I nodded, and hurried out. I typed in a code on the gate and it went open. I hurried inside the compound and into the house. I stepped into the foyer, and surprisingly the house seemed different in just a day of my absence. I shook off the feeling and walked on, and as I walked, couldn’t help but notice how the house looked dirty. I arrived at the living room and it was in a much worse state. A bowl of unfinished popcorn sat on the centrepiece, with crumbs of different food littering the floor and couch.
Anger rose inside of me as I knew it was the handiwork of no other person but Sofia. What the hell was wrong with her? I fumed, as I walked on, careful not to step on a food crump.
I got to the corridor that led to the dining, and paused when I heard Sofia call out to Jared from the kitchen. “Jared, do you need more syrup?”
I scoffed. Just a day of my absence, and she was already playing the role of a wife to my husband? This woman was unbelievable.
Still rooted to the spot, I didn’t realize when she walked out of the kitchen until it was too late. If she was surprised to see me, she did a good job hiding it as we both stood in the corridor, staring at each other.
At that moment, I took a sweeping
look at her. She had a free dress on
with stains of food coating it on some places, and her head was packed in a messy bun for the first time since I knew her. My eyes traveled further to land on her legs, and my brows furrowed. She had my favorite flip flops on, the one Jared had got me on our second wedding anniversary.
Her eyes must have followed mine as she quickly flashed me a smile. “Oh, your flip flops? Jared said I could have them because I misplaced mine. And with how fluffy they feel, I’m thinking of keeping them. I hope you don’t mind.”
I exhaled, willing myself to stay calm. I was not there for her, and I have to get on with my reason for being there. And so, without a word to her, I brushed past, heading for the stairway.
“You can’t just walk out on me, Arielle,” she said, grabbing my arm. I froze, and slowly turned to face her. She had a smile on her face, but her eyes were cold and unsmiling. I immediately felt shivers run down my spines at how sinister she looked.
“Hands off, Sofia!” I growled, trying to sound intimidating, even though I was growing scared. Maybe declining Ashley’s offer to come with me was a bad idea. And where the hell was Jared? I wondered, my eyes discreetly darting around in a bid to catch a glimpse of him. “You ran off on Saturday like a teenager who caught her boyfriend cheating, and I thought you wouldn’t come back. Why are you back now, huh?” Sofia asked, her grip on my hands tightening.
I tried not to wince in pain, as I struggled to loosen her grip on my arm. But she wouldn’t budge. She had a surprising strength for a pregnant woman.
“You realized that the world out there can not provide you with the luxury lifestyle you enjoy under Jared’s roof, so you came running back shamelessly, with your tai