During dinner, the evening turned sour when the wife of one of Leonardo's friends threw several cutting remarks toward Ariana. Each word stung, but Ariana managed to keep her composure, silently counting down the minutes until the guests left. When the couple finally departed, she felt an overwhelming urge to retreat to her room and find solace in solitude.
Before she could reach the stairs, Leonardo stopped her, holding up a credit card statement.
"I checked the account," he said, his tone laced with suspicion. "You haven't spent anything in weeks. That's… unlike you."
Ariana raised an eyebrow, confused by his remark.
"There was nothing I needed to buy," she replied simply, her voice flat.
Leonardo narrowed his eyes slightly, as if trying to read between the lines.
"Nothing at all? You usually find plenty of reasons to spend."
Frustrated, Ariana sighed deeply. "Le..., hey I'm too tired for this. Can we talk about it tomorrow?"
"I'm not done here," he said, but she ignored him, retreating upstairs to her room without looking back.
As she closed the door behind her, Ariana whispered to herself, "How did I ever think there was a heart in that cold, stone man?" She didn't say his name like he did to her she noticed he never says her name She felt trapped in a cycle of resentment, unable to decide whether to confront him or ignore him altogether.
The next morning, Ariana woke early, skipping breakfast to avoid crossing paths with Leonardo. She left for work in a hurry, knowing she needed space from the suffocating tension.
Later that day, her friend Lily called, Ariana lied to her that she is at her aunt's house because she didn't want to tell her she started to work.
"Oh," Lily paused before suggesting, "Why don't we meet at the café near your place?."
When Ariana arrived at the restaurant to meet Lily, she immediately noticed Lily's distracted and uneasy demeanor. Before Ariana could ask, Lily greeted her with an apologetic tone.
"I'm sorry for calling you out like this," Lily said, shaking her head. "I just… I heard something yesterday that I couldn't stop thinking about, and I needed to talk to you."
Ariana frowned slightly, concern clouding her face. "What did you hear, Lily? What's going on?"
Lily hesitated for a moment, then said, "I overheard someone talking about your husband… Leonardo. They said something that… well, it didn't sit right with me."
Ariana felt her heart tighten, but her expression remained neutral. "What did they say?"
Lily avoided her gaze for a moment, then said, "It's about… Hannah. She's back."
Ariana blinked in surprise, struggling to process the words. "Hannah? She's back? I thought she was married and living abroad."
"She was," Lily admitted, her voice dropping to a whisper. "But apparently, she's separated from her husband. I heard it from someone who's usually reliable… but I don't know how much is true."
Ariana stared at Lily for a few moments, her mind racing. "Why would that matter to me?" she asked carefully, though her stomach churned at the implications.
Lily looked at her with genuine concern. "I'm not saying it should. But Hannah and Leonardo… they have history, don't they?"
During their conversation at the restaurant, Ariana could sense the unease in Lily's voice as she recounted the details of Hannah's failed marriage.
"Hannah filed for divorce," Lily said quietly, avoiding Ariana's direct gaze. "Her marriage was a disaster. Constant arguments, two miscarriages, and her husband wasn't supportive at all. In the end, she couldn't take it anymore."
Ariana felt a sharp pain in her chest. No matter how hard she tried to conceal her emotions, she couldn't help but think about the possible impact of Hannah's return on her life.
"And how did she manage to break away from all of that?" Ariana asked, searching for some kind of explanation.
Lily sighed. "She stood up to her family, defied all the pressures, and demanded a divorce. Now, she seems to be trying to start a new life…" She hesitated before adding cautiously, "But what worries me is her potential proximity to Leonardo."
Ariana frowned and looked at Lily warily. "Leonardo? What do you mean by that?"
"You know Hannah and Leonardo used to be very close," Lily said reluctantly. "And now, with her being single again… I'm afraid she might try to get close to him."
Ariana tried to feign indifference, but a hint of sarcasm escaped her voice. "Hannah wouldn't stoop to being just a mistress, would she?"
"That's true," Lily replied, concern evident in her tone. "But if she wants Leonardo, I'm afraid he wouldn't hesitate."
Ariana remained silent for a moment, then spoke bitterly. "If that means he'll divorce me, so be it."
Lily stared at her friend in shock. "Ariana, how can you say that?"
Ariana leaned back in her seat, her voice calm but edged with steel. "If he wants her, let him have her," she said firmly, her eyes meeting Lily's with unshakable resolve. "She's the one who left him, who gave up on him. If he's willing to crawl back to someone who discarded him, then he's the one without pride."
Lily's eyes widened, taken aback by the bluntness of Ariana's words. "You mean you wouldn't even try to fight for him?"
Ariana gave a bitter laugh, shaking her head. "Fight for what, Lily? For someone who wouldn't fight for me? No, I'm not that desperate. If he wants to be with her, it just proves he isn't worth my effort. I'm not going to waste my energy on someone who doesn't value himself or me."
Lily hesitated before replying, searching for the right words. "But, Ariana, don't you think…"
Ariana cut her off with a wave of her hand. "Don't, Lily. I've already made up my mind. If he wants her, he's free to go. I won't hold onto someone like that."
The finality in her tone left Lily speechless. For a moment, they sat in silence, the weight of the conversation hanging heavily between them.
After the conversation, Ariana threw herself into her work, using the day's tasks to push away the storm of emotions swirling inside her. She stayed focused, efficient, and sharp, refusing to let her mind drift to anything outside the office.
But when the workday finally ended, the thought of going home filled her with dread. The weight of returning to that house, to the silence and the memories, was too much to bear.
Instead, she found herself heading to her aunt's house. It was a place of comfort, a refuge where she could escape the suffocating tension of her own home.