Ariel stepped on the glass and hissed.
"Dang it, I got some on my dress." She said irritatedly and looked up, her irritated expression transforming into a smug. "Ah, that's much better."
Clara and Marco were drenched from head to toe in red wine. They couldn't believe what just happened.
"You..."
"What a crazy woman?" Clara's mother accused as she rushed towards them. "I saw everything. How could you do that to the newly wed? Who let such a vile thing in?"
Ariel simply stared at her the way she had stared at Clara and then Marco.
'She doesn't recognize me either.' she thought and heard her mother, Martha rant more.
Ah, now she couldn't help it.
Why, in the past, was she so scared of these bird chirps?
Or was it because she had gotten new and free wings that she was now feeling really high above them that their threats no longer looked like threats but annoying sounds.
"You need to be taught manners. Did your mother not do that for you?" Martha asked.
"I don't know. My 'mother' was too busy starving me to do so." Ariel said, confusing Martha. "Honestly, if she had raised me properly, I would definitely not be like this."
Martha perceived her words as an insult and got agitated.
"I'll make sure to educate you well on her behalf then." She raised her hand, attempting to slap her but she stopped halfway as if frozen by some force.
"And how exactly are you going to educate my girl?" Raymond asked, approaching with his right hand in his pocket.
"Hubby." Ariel whined. "It got on my dress." She said, kicking her leg forward, showing the little red stains on the bottom of her dress.
"How come? What sort of trash did you step on?" He asked and she pointed at the couple who were trying to clean themselves up.
"I was just trying to make the trash look less trashy." She said and grinned, mocking their appearance. "Don't you think they look better now?"
All this was being filmed even when Clara's friends were trying to stop it.
Raymond looked at them and then turned his gaze to Ariel, smiling at her.
"You're right. They look better this way." He stroked her hair and this infuriated them more.
"Are you blind? Can't you see what that obnoxious girl did to us?" Clara barked. "She's insane."
"And I guess I'm also insane for dating someone who's insane, right?" He asked, glaring at Clara. "Well, it's not something new, is it?"
"Don't say that, hubby. It's the ones who don't have eyes that dare to say such to you." He said, stroking his face. "The only insane thing about you is your insanely handsome face, that's what."
"Don't act so brazen in front of people you've offended." Martha barked at her and her smile fell as she turned to look at her.
"Then go somewhere you can't see us. Is it our fault you're watching our brazen act, huh?" She looked down on them.
'She is going better than I thought.' Raymond thought in satisfaction. "I guess this is them telling us we should leave." He said, grabbing her hand. "People without eyes aren't really worth our time."
"You're right, hubby. Let's just go. They have eyes for fancy." They turned around, ready to leave when Clara lounged at Ariel but before she could reach her, Raymond caught her hand and threw her aside. She landed on the broken shards on the floor and started screaming.
"Oh my, I can't tell if she's bleeding because it's all red. You'll still need to go to the hospital though." Ariel took her purse from Raymond, took out a few hundred dollar bills from inside and tossed it at her. "Here, go treat yourself." She tittered and left with Raymond who threw down the hanky he used to clean his hand.
"Yes, I'm already fed up with the sight."
They started leaving but then stopped halfway. Raymond turned and addressed Marco.
"I want to see you in my office first thing on Monday." He said. "Ah, right. You just got married. Your honeymoon break wouldn't take more than a week, right? I'm expecting to see you after that." He smirked and finally walked out with Ariel.
Marco scratched his head in frustration. Things were going bad. That... That was his boss. His boss-boss! The big guy who calls the shots. Would he get fired?
But he couldn't get fired. He couldn't afford to get fired. He had done so much just to be where he was.
After leaving the venue, Ariel took her hand out of Raymond's hand and immediately started ripping her dress.
She looked really upset for some reason and kept ripping the dress till there was not a single trace of red wine left on her.
Yes, she became half naked as a result of that.
"Did you hate it that much?" Raymond asked as he took off his coat and draped it over her shoulder.
"The thought of having their stain on me makes me sick." She said and shook her head. "I can't stand it."
"Ariel." Raymond called, sensing something wasn't right with her.
"And can you believe it? They didn't even recognize me? I even quoted a few of their own lines but they couldn't take the hint. It's either they're that dumb or I'm the one fooling myself." She shoved her fingers through her hair. "It just made me feel like all the humiliation they felt was from a stranger. My revenge... They won't feel the pains I felt. They won't feel remorse realizing that I passed through such same pains."
"Ariel." Raymond called once more.
"Ah, what am I doing this for then?" She crumbled inside.
"Ariel." He called, grabbed her hand and turned her around, finally getting her to face him. There were tears in her eyes. "I told you I'd help you get your revenge, didn't I?"
"Yes, but... "
"This is just the beginning, Ariel. They will feel your anger and they will come to realize that 'you' are the one behind their misfortune." He assured her. "It's the best when you hit your enemy by surprise, okay?"
She cleaned her tears with her palm and sniffed.
"They looked happy, Sir Raymond."
"I know. I saw it too. But that happiness did not last after you made your move, remember?" She nodded to his words.
He let go of her and sighed.
"You acted so well inside, so I didn't think you'd break down like this. It still hurts, doesn't it?" He asked and Ariel's eyes widened.
"N... No. It doesn't hurt." She suddenly grabbed his shirt. "That's not why I cried. I'm not hurt about the betrayal. I'm okay, really."
Raymond looked at her desperate expression. It looked like she was begging him not to throw her away. It was pathetic but somehow, he didn't get annoyed and sympathized with her.
"I know." He said and started walking towards the car. "Let's get back. You need to wash off that wine smell that's all over you."
"Yes... sir." She said, solemnly bowing her head. She gripped on his coat around her.
No matter how much she tried to do well, she still messed up somehow.
'I'm too emotional.' She thought and bit down on her lip.
"Ariel." Raymond called her and she walked towards him.
For now, it was best to just do her best and try harder.