As the housekeeper and the butler went back inside, Ariella remained standing, her eyes fixed on the spot where the car had disappeared. When she grew tired of standing, she sat down on the steps, still keeping her eyes on the driveway. As darkness settled in, the woman, Julie, approached slowly.
"Miss, dinner is ready. I didn't know what you would like, so I have prepared a variety of dishes. I hope you will like it, and if there's any adjustment to the meal, please tell me, and if there's anything that's not in the pantry, I can get it for you," she said, waiting for Ariella's response.
Ariella didn't say anything, remaining quiet, her gaze still fixed on the driveway. After a few moments, Julie tried again.
"Miss, I know we don't know each other, but you're pregnant. I don't think it's good to strain yourself. The master said that you need urgent care. I don't think this is good for you. Why don't we go inside and have dinner, and then I can show you to your room, so you can lie down for a bit?"
Ariella remained silent, her expression unchanged. Julie, the housekeeper, decided to return inside. An hour later, she returned, only to find Ariella still seated outside, unmoved. Concerned, she called for the butler, John.
"John," the woman said to the butler as she approached him, "The miss hasn't come inside yet, and she's still out there. It's getting late, and it's cold, and she hasn't moved. I'm really worried about her." John sighed.
"I don't know what you expect me to do, Julie"
"Why don't we go outside, and you can try talking to her? Maybe you can persuade her to come inside." John thought for a few moments before sighing again.
"Alright, fine. Why don't you get her a quilt or a blanket to put on top of her while I try to persuade her to come inside, although I'm not very hopeful. If she didn't listen to you, why would she listen to me?"
" Just try, please." the woman said.
John then went outside and took a few steps towards Ariella. "Miss, I'm sorry. Would you please come inside? I don't know the nature of your relationship with the master, but he told us you're his wife and to take care of you. And right now, you're making our job extremely difficult. Why don't you come inside and have something? You must be tired." Julie then came outside with a blanket and draped it over Ariella's shoulders, touching her gently.
"Please come inside, even if you don't want to, just do it for your child. I'm a mother too, I have kids, and I know that you don't want to cause further problems for yourself because it will affect them. Come on, please, let's go inside," the woman, Julie, told her.
Ariella wiped a tear that had fallen from her eyes and turned to look at Julie, "If you're a mother, you know what I am going through, it means you're a woman too. Why would you help him, keep me here? I don't want to be here, I want to go home."
Julie looked down at the floor and then back at her, "I'm not helping him do anything. My job here is cleaning and cooking, I only look after the house. He just told us you're a guest here, and we're supposed to take care of you. Now, I don't know if you had a fight, but I know that you must be tired, and you must be hungry too. Come on, please." The older woman pleaded with her.
Ariella looked back at the driveway and then said, "Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes. Julie, please go inside, I'm coming." The woman nodded with relief.
"Okay, let me go and warm the food," she said happily and went inside with the butler following behind.
Ariella stood up and started walking towards the gate that she couldn't see from the driveway. She walked and walked and realized that the gate was a distance from the house. She was already tired and she was hungry, but she kept on walking. A few minutes later, she finally saw the gate in the distance, towering and imposing. Her steps slowed as she approached, her energy waning.
When she reached the gate, she tried to push it open, but it was locked. Desperation set in, and she started banging on the gate, hoping someone would hear her.
"Hello! Is anyone there? Let me out!"
She noticed a man coming towards her from the left and was startled. It was a bit dark, but the gates had lights, and when she squinted from where the man was coming from, she noticed there was a house that she hadn't seen before. It looked like a guardhouse.
"Ma'am, how may I help you? Is there any problem?" the man in security gear asked her.
"Yes, open the gate. I want to go out," Ariella demanded.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but you're not cleared to leave."
"What do you mean I'm not cleared to leave? I came in and I want to go out. Are you holding me here? Are you keeping me here against my will?" she asked, her voice rising. She was frustrated.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but your husband brought you in and I was given specific instructions not to let you out unless there are further orders."
"Now I'm ordering you to open the gate," Ariella insisted.
"I'm going to have to call this into Mr Blackwell first," the man said.
He took a phone from his pocket and made a call. A few minutes later, he spoke on the phone. "Yes, boss, your wife asked to leave the premises. Did you authorize it?" he asked. He listened, nodding occasionally. "Uh-huh, uh-huh. Yes, boss, of course." Then he hung up the phone.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but Mr Blackwell has instructed that you are not to leave the premises. Please, for your own safety, return to the house," the guard said, looking at her with a look that said 'his hands were tied'.
Ariella's shoulders slumped in defeat.
"Well, you can tell him I'm not going back to the house," Ariella said as she sat down on the ground. The guard looked at her in alarm and said, "Ma'am, please go back to the house. It's not safe here."
"It's not safe here? I thought you were here to guard everything that's in the house. Guard me then," she shot back.
"Ma'am, there are cameras on the gate. They can see you here," the guard tried to reason.
"I don't care!" she shouted at him.
He put a hand to his ear, clearly distressed, and made another call that was not picked up. He then went back to the guard house while Ariella remained sitting there.
A few minutes later, Julie and John came running down from the house.
"Miss! Miss! Ma'am! Oh my God, we've been looking for you everywhere. Why did you leave without saying anything? Are you okay? Did you fall? How are you feeling?" Julie asked, clearly worried.
"I'm fine," Ariella replied curtly.
"What happened, ma'am? Are you okay? Do you need help standing?" John added.
"I said, I am fine" Ariella replied, rather rudely
"It is late and cold out. Let us go back to the house." Julie told her, offering Ariella a hand.
"No, I'm not leaving here until you open this gate," Ariella stated firmly.
"Ma'am, please don't make things harder for yourself. Let's just go inside," Julie pleaded.
"I'm not going back anywhere. You're opening this gate or I'm sleeping here. I don't care anymore. I have had it," she said defiantly.
Then the guard approached them. "Mr. Blackwell called. He's on his way," the guard announced.