Chapter 4 - Betrayal

 The dinner ended and Luther helped his madam into her wheelchair escorting her to the elevator.

 Once they got to the lower level,The car halted in front of the couple but before Luther could help Ariana into the car. A feminine voice yelled from the distance. "Charles Cole."

 Charles who had his eyes on Ariana the entire time turned slightly annoyed but his expression softened upon seeing Sarah June.

 "I knew I saw you coming out." Sarah chuckled, interlocking her hands with Charles. "Did you have a meeting with one of your investors today?"

 She took a few steps away from Ariana, totally ignoring her presence as if she had a contagious disease, anyone would ask the same question since Charles preferred taking Sarah June as his plus one to private events

 He rarely even speaks to Ariana publicly, simply proving that their marriage was only on paper. In reality, there was no love or affection between them.

 "No." Charles answered hesitant to say the next words "...I came out with Ariana."

 Sarah blinked repeatedly, staring at Charles as if he had magically grown a horn on his head.

 "What! Did this woman start with her cunning ways again?!" Sarah screamed furiously glaring at Ariana. "You can tell me, Charles, I'll let Mother know and I'm sure she won't let her off the hook this time."

 Charles remained quiet not knowing what to say, he couldn't possibly tell them he had agreed to date this vile woman for the coming months.

 "Huh Huh." Ariana cleared her throat awkwardly,feeling out of place."I see you're busy Charles, I and Luther will be on our way home now."

 Ariana motioned at Luther to help her into the car, and the young man got a nod from his boss before proceeding to help Ariana into the car.

 Ariana's eyes stayed on the couple on the walkway as the chauffeur zoomed off, the sweet couple to others left a bitter taste in her mouth, one she knew had grown accustomed to over the years, jealousy.

 "Charles do not bother yourself with that woman, I was just going jewelry shopping. We can go together and we can return to my house or a hotel later." Sarah June smiled, pressing her ample breasts against the man's shoulders.

 Charles' dull mood quickly rose, feeling the warmth oozing from the woman near him, since the contract stated that he couldn't be with her for the next months, he at least owed her a parting gift.

 "Sure, let's go." He smiled showing his full set of white teeth before turning into a store with Sarah.

 Ariana Cole gazed out the window the entire ride home, her fragile body trembling with emotional turmoil, even though she had known the man couldn't stay away from Sarah for long.

 Her heart had still glimmered with a fraction of hope that he would choose to go with her over Sarah.

 Dalia who had been sitting outside nervously since Ariana's departure quickly rose to her feet seeing the blaring headlights.

 She approached the car helping Ariana out, her curious eyes peeked into the car and flashed with more disdain when they met the absence of Charles Cole, of course, he couldn't be a gentleman for just one night.

 "Dalia, were you waiting up for me?" Ariana's voice came out weak. 

 Dalia smiled awkwardly, her heart wrung with pangs of sympathy for Ariana. "Of course Madam, I needed to make sure you're okay." 

 "You shouldn't have, Charles Cole couldn't have succeeded in killing me in just one night." Ariana chuckled in an attempt to lighten up the atmosphere 

 Her words evoked a deeper rut in Dalia's heart, that man had succeeded in turning the once lively woman's heart bitter, he couldn't even remember what today meant to her.

 "He really treated me well, we had some steak and I had decades-old red wine." Ariana beamed. "Fancy right, I wish you were there."

 Dalia smiled at Ariana's perseverance even after so much heartbreak, she still had such a good heart "Maybe some other time." 

 Dalia helped Ariana to her room on the floor level. She had vacated the room upstairs and settled for one of the guest room on the lower level since it was easier to access with a wheelchair.

 Dalia helped Ariana onto the bed, leaving to go run a warm shower for her but on her arrival, the woman's eyes were shut already in deep slumber.

 A thin layer of sweat covered her forehead and she looked uncomfortable so Dalia stretched her hand to the woman's forehead and flinched at the hot temperature, she was running a fever.

 "Poor girl." Dalia mumbled, placing the cold cloth she had gotten from the kitchen over her forehead to lessen her temperature.

 For the past years, Dalia had been Ariana's personal maid and she had helped and advised the young lady for the entirety of those years.

 She had watched her get humiliated by the Cole family, kicked out in the middle of the winter by Charles's mother, and also watched her cry herself to sleep countless nights.

 Seeing this woman only get stronger over the years erupted a deep feeling inside of her, she could sense that something huge was coming.

 "Do you like this one, Charles?" Sarah asked for the umpteenth time pointing at a sapphire pendant that cost over 300k.

 Charles gave the same absent-minded answer he had been giving every time "Of course, it's alright you should get it."

 She beamed happily adding that to her collection of purchased pieces of jewelry, she was happy she had come out tonight to find Charles if not she would've had to spend her own money on these things.

 Everyone in the social circle knew the June family's business was declining day by day in fact if not for their daughter's involvement with Charles Cole, they would've been forgotten a long time ago.

 After her father's death, the business was handled by her drunkard and gambler brother who knew more about how to get into a lady's pants than how to run a successful lemonade stand.

 Her modeling and acting career had been showing signs of a bright future lately and she couldn't abandon that to focus on a deadbeat company.

 "So Charles are we going to my place or yours?" Sarah cooed after Charles swiped his card biting her lips to create a more sultry effect.

 Charles glanced at the inviting woman before him, she had a skimpy gown on that left little to imagination, the tiny piece of fabric pressed her full breasts together creating more of a temptation.

 His throat dried up quickly, how could he say no? "Your place would be best."

 Sarah's eyes shone with an evil glint, her lips morphing into a sinister smile. "I was actually thinking if we could go to your place this time."

 Charles' form stiffened slightly, he had always refused to take it over to his place out of respect for Ariana even though he didn't have feelings for her, she was still his wife.

 His rejection made Sarah's face twisted angrily, Charles Cole used to agree so easily to her demands, what was going on? "I know what you're thinking and she'll probably be asleep by now." 

 "I'm not sure."

 "Then we can go to the bar first."

 A few hours later, two figures stumbled into the Cole's mansion, the pungent stench of liquor reeking off of the couple, Sarah June had her hand supporting Charles' back while he had his possessively wrapped around her tiny waist.

 The duo staggered into the nearest room which was the room opposite Ariana's.

 Ariana heard the ruckus coming from outside and shifted her foot off the bed, She went to adjust her gown and felt the cold fabric on her forehead and realized she was running a fever.

 She trailed off to the door, wondering if Charles was finally back but the scene she met made her regret even seeking him out.

 The door to the next room was wide open and even though the light was dim, she could make out the silhouette of a man bent over a woman claiming her lips hungrily.

 The woman's hand focused on the buttons on his cloth, lewd sounds escaping her mouth in muffled pants and moans.

 The moans and groans filled the room and Ariana's heart trembled divinely, the bitter taste of resentment and betrayal heavy in her mouth, she stared at the couple with unshed tears clouding her vision. 

 She fisted the clothes on her chest and clenched painfully on her heart. Glancing at the couple too lost in the affair to notice her, her chest felt stuffed and she found it hard to breathe.

 Ariana mustered her last ounce of strength and shut the door behind her.

 Her declining knees buckled and she fell to the ground with a loud thud before succumbing to the darkness calling out to her.