Ariella looks back at the door and sees Mrs Blackwell standing there with two housemaids behind her and the butler to the side, all of them looking at the car. She then looks back at Asher. "What do you mean? I don't understand... What do you mean?" she asks him.
"Listen, Ariella, I'm going to need you to stay here for a few days until Scarlett goes back home," Asher responds.
Ariella feels a sharp pain in her heart, running out of things to say. She keeps looking at Asher, hoping that what she heard is wrong, and has to ask him again. "Are you kicking me out of my own house?"
"I'm not kicking you out, Ariella. I just need you to stay here for a few days," Asher insists.
Ariella is stunned into silence, trying to process what he is saying. "I know…..." Asher begins
"Don't finish that sentence. Scarlett—that is my house. I live there. She is just a guest. Why can't she go somewhere else? Why do I have to leave my house for her to live there?"
"Listen, Ariella, just calm down. I don't want you to raise your blood pressure again. The only thing I want you to focus on right now is this," he says, touching and caressing Ariella's stomach. "I need you to think about our children. I already talked with my grandparents, and we agreed that it would be better for you to stay here right now so they can take care of you and the children."
Ariella looks at Asher, her eyes wide with disbelief and tears starting to form. "So you decided this without me? You sat with your grandparents and talked about me and my children and my health without me there. Is that what you're telling me?"
Sighs,
"Ariella, you're just being stubborn now. I'm doing this because I don't want to hurt you and I don't want to hurt those kids you're carrying. My grandparents know that child is a Blackwell. They are going to take care of you and the children. My grandmother knows more about pregnancies and kids than I do. It's a good thing you're here. There's more care here, and they care about you and those children. I will be free to work and give Scarlett a place to stay while you are in good health. I wouldn't do this if it wasn't the best for all of us. It's just temporary. I don't know what your problem is."
Ariella's tears start flowing as she looks at Asher, not believing what she has heard. "Okay, fine," she finally decides.
Asher releases a breath. "I knew you would understand. It's just for a few days, a week, maybe two. My grandmother even said we didn't need to go back to the house. This house is big. It has a lot of wings and villas nearby. The place is like a village on its own. And I think when Scarlett leaves, I'll come and stay here, and we'll both stay here until you give birth."
"I want to go back home. I'm going back home. I am not staying here," Ariella insists, her voice firm.
"We already talked about this. Scarlett is there, and I don't want the two of you to fight again, and I can't kick her out. Stop being difficult."
"If I can't move back to our house, I'm going back to my parents' house. I will stay there until I give birth." Asher looks at her in alarm, like she said she was a murderer. "Since that's what you wanted in the first place," Ariella says, her voice breaking with emotion.
Asher's laughter cuts the air, breaking the tension as he laughs hard and high.
Ha ha....Hahaha….
"That is the funniest joke I have ever heard," he says, continuing to laugh.
"I am serious," Ariella interjects, looking him in the eye.
"You have to be joking."
"Well, I'm not joking. If you don't want me back in the house, I'm not staying here. I'm going back to my parents' house. I have already decided with my parents too, just like you decided with your grandparents without me."
"Back to the childish theatrics, I see. Those children you're going to have are going to be Blackwells. They are Blackwells. They are going to be taken care of and given birth to in a Blackwell household. They are the first great-grandchildren of my grandparents. And you know my grandparents have been ecstatic ever since they heard that you were pregnant. It's like they're having their first child all over again. They are not going to be taken care of somewhere else, especially with your witch of a stepmother."
"I don't care if my stepmother is a witch or what, but I'm saying that I'm not staying here. I already decided I am going back home."
"Those children are Blackwells. You signed a contract. In our marriage contract, it was written very clearly that the Blackwell blood would be taken care of with the Blackwells. Whether I'm alive today or dead, those children will be taken care of by the Blackwells. They will grow up with the Blackwells. You can't take them away from the Blackwells. You can't take them away from me. I will take care of them. I don't need anyone or your father to help me take care of my own children. Do you understand?"
"Are you saying that you're going to take the kids away from me?" Ariella asked, her voice trembling.
"Nobody's saying that. Nobody has even reached that point of thinking. You're the one who is stressing yourself over matters that don't make sense. I already told you, it's two weeks. I'm going to be back. We're going to stay here together. So you put your ass down and wait for me here," Asher responded, his tone growing sharper. "I'm trying to reason with you, but you're giving me a headache. You know how my head hurts, especially when you're acting like this."
"This has to do with me. I'm the one carrying this baby. I can't let you treat me like crap."
"Well, you're carrying my blood, and I'm not going to let you put them in jeopardy. We both know about your stepmother and your father's relationship. It's on a rocky road now. Aren't they about to get divorced? How can you put my children in such an environment? My grandmother already Frowns at the fact that there are so many divorces in your family. So, too, as I am," Asher retorted.
Ariella looked straight ahead and didn't say anything.
"I hope that settles it then," Asher said and continued. "Grandmother has already stood there for a very long time, and she's old. I don't want to keep her waiting, and you know how she gets when she's kept waiting. Let's go before you cause another scene."
He got out of the car, and Ariella shouted at him, "A scene? A scene? Are you serious?"
Asher walked to her side of the car, opened the door, and waited for Ariella to get out.
Ariella didn't make a move to get out. She stayed in the car, fuming and angry, until she heard a female voice. An elderly female voice that couldn't be mistaken. It was Mrs. Blackwell's voice.
"Ariella, please get out of the car, my grandchild," Mrs. Blackwell said softly.
Ariella wanted to keep on fuming, but she didn't want to disrespect the old woman. She got out of the car reluctantly. Mrs. Blackwell took her hand and led her inside the house as Asher followed behind. Once inside, they sat down, and Mrs. Blackwell spoke.
"Asher already brought your things this morning, and we have prepared everything for you. It has everything you need, and I promise you, you're going to be comfortable," Mrs. Blackwell assured her.
Ariella couldn't say anything but nod toward her. Mr. Blackwell joined them, and before long, they were asked to go to the dining room.
"I can't. I have to head out. Scarlett just called me. It seems she has a visit to the hospital. She has a check-up she forgot to tell me about," Asher said.
Ariella frowned, and Mrs. Blackwell asked, "So you're not going to be joining us for lunch?"
"No, I can't, but I will be here later in the evening to say goodnight," Asher replied.
He stood up, kissed Ariella's forehead and his grandmother's cheek, and left. Ariella looked at the floor, fighting with her emotions. She did not want to start crying in front of Asher's grandparents. Not in front of the Blackwells.