"Did you tell him about your pregnancy?" Jennifer arrived at the mansion the following morning, after Ariadne had told her everything over the phone.
"He doesn't want to hear anything from me" Ariadne said, as she sat on the bed, with the divorce papers next to her. "But you need to tell him, Aria. After all, he can't abandon his legitimate child for a bastard with a mistress." "He will always choose Crystal over me, Jennie. No matter what." Ariadne smiled bitterly. "But you should still try. Think about your child." "I am done thinking. And this time, I will do the right thing." Ariadne didn't sleep the entire night. She was thinking about their lives. "And that is" Jennie looked at her. "I will divorce him." This time Jennifer wasn't surprised. Deep down in her heart, she knew this day would come if Xander's behaviour didn't change. But she never imagined that Xander would be such a scumbag to cheat on Ariadne. "I am done fighting, Jennie. I have endured everything.. but cheating.. no. This time, he has crossed the line. It ended here." Ariadne's eyes reflected her pain and helplessness. "He was right, maybe I deserve it." she sighed defeatedly. She signed the divorce papers. "You are free, Xander. You are now free from me." she murmured as tears streamed down her cheeks. "You won, Crystal." She eventually accepted her defeat. Jennifer hugged her. Ariadne sent the divorce papers to Xander the same day. .......... Three days passed in melancholy. Ariadne went for a checkup as she was feeling low. Her eyes had become even more darker around the edges. She looked like a gost. "You need to rebuild your life, Aria. Take a look at yourself. What have you done to yourself?" They sat in Jennifer's chamber after the checkups. Jennifer was a gynecologist herself. However, as the hospital was owned by her father, she handled only special cases. Most of time, she was preoccupied with paper work. "You used to be a very jolly girl, always smiling and living life to it's fullest. Where is that Ariadne? Get back to your old self, Aria." "I am affraid that's not possible anymore." There was no light in Ariadne's eyes, only pain. "Everything has changed. I have changed." Jennifer sighed. "Yes, it was all because of that man. Aria, have you ever realized that you have lost yourself in search of his love. You literally gave up your career, your dreams and what did you get in return? Cheating and insult... for two long years." Jennifer could not see Ariadne like this. She was furious. "You need to think about yourself now. At least, think about the child, who needs a strong mother." "I know, Jennie, but it's not easy for me. I am trying" Jennifer knew that Xander's cheating had completely broken Ariadne. Silence fell as no one spoke for a while. "So, what have you decided to do now? I mean, you need to tell Xander about your pregnancy at some point. Even if you don't, he will figure it out eventually." Except for Jennifer, no one was aware of Ariadne's pregnancy. She didn't even tell Grandpa. He was already unhappy with the divorce. Ariadne was afraid that if Grandpa knew about her pregnancy, he would not allow the divorce to proceed. "I don't know." "As far as I recall, Xander was never this rude to you in the past. I'm not sure what magic that bitch has used to make him so much hateful towards you." Jennifer recalled their past. "Because in the past, we were not married and he had the opportunity to be with his love. But I ruined his plans." "you were his fiancee, and he was wrong to get involved with another woman." "We were all children at that time. His feelings may have changed over times." Jennifer sighed with frustration. "It was my fault, Jennie, and no one else's. I should have given up and moved away from their lives. It took me too long to realize this." Ariadne stated. "Ok, let's not talk about the past and focus on your future now. Just remember this, Aria. I will always be there for you. All you need to do is, ask me." Jennifer assured Ariadne. "Thanks, Jennie. I don't know, what I would have done if you weren't by my side." "Oh, it's nothing." "Also, I need you to do me a favor." Ariadne added. "What's it?" "Could you help me find an apartment? I don't want to live in that mansion anymore." "Ok. I will let you know, but if you would like, you can stay with me until I can find an appartment for you." "Ok, I will let you know." After their discussion, Ariadne returned to the mansion. "Good evening, madam." The maid greeted her. Ariadne went straight to her room after nodding to the maid. She felt hollow inside as she walked into her room. Although she didn't have many memories of Xander in this house, it had witnessed all of her difficult days over the last two years. Everything that had happened in the last two years flashed before her eyes, suffocating her. 'No, she can't stay here even for a moment.' She walked to the closet before opening it and find a bag to put all of her important documents in. She decided to move into Jennifer's appartment today and stay there until she could find another one. She was going through her belongings when she heard a knock on her bedroom door. "Madam, Miss Crystal is here to meet with you." a maid said from the other side of the door. 'What, crystal?' it was the last name she would want to hear at the momemt, let alone meet. "Who?" Ariadne asked for confirmation. "It's me Aria, Crystal." Crystal spoke. Ariadne froze in her spot. 'What does she want this time? Hadn't She already gotten her hands on Xander?' Ariadne was thoroughly perplexed. Before she could say anything, the door was pushed open and Crystal stepped inside. "Hi, Aria." Ariadne turned to find Crystal standing at the door. "You can leave now." Crystal said to the maid. "What are you doing here?" Ariadne asked Crystal, trying to keep the turmoil in her heart under control. She lost everything in her life to this woman. "Why, can't I come here." As soon as the maid left, Crystal's tone shifted from polite to mocking. "No you can't. This is my house, and I don't think you have anything to do with me." "Oh, common, this is Xander's mansion, not yours, so I can visit whenever I want." Crystal challenged Ariadne with an arrogant look. "Oh, I forgot Xander had given you this mansion in charity as he left you... for me." She moved closer to Ariadne and spat those words. Ariadne swallowed hard as her throat became dry. She felt helpless as she had nothing to counter. "We don't need it anyway. We can build a far more luxurious mansion in the future." Crystal added as she scanned the room. "What do you want Crystal? Have you come here to tell me this? Then I am very sorry, I don't have time to listen to your nonsense" Ariadne walked past Crystal to go down the stairs. "We are getting married next month, Aria. Xander and I" Ariadne halted in her tracks at Crystal's words. "Well, congratulations to both of you." She said, closing her eyes as she tried hard to control her trembling voice. "Oh, doesn't it hurt you? I am sure it does. Don't pretend like you are not affected by it." "Enough, if you don't have anything to say, you can leave." Ariadne yelled in frustration. Suddenly, Crystal came closer and grabbed Ariadne's hands. "I am sorry, Aria; Xander cheated on you because of me. But I was his true love from the beginning and you came between us." Ariadne sensed something was off as Crystal acted awkwardly. "The child in my womb is evidence of his love for me." Crystal whispered in Ariadne's ear. "It was the most passionate night we have ever had." Crystal smirked as she saw the pain in Ariadne's eyes. Ariadne, no longer interested in Crystal's taunt, pulled her hands away from Crystal's grip. But as Ariadne pulled her hands away, Crystal deliberately leaned on the floor,allowing herself to fall down the stairs. Only then did Ariadne realize they were standing at the top of the stairs. Everything happened so fast that Ariadne couldn't process it all. She gasped when she saw Crystal rolling down the stairs. Crystal collapsed on her stomach and cried out in pain. "Crystal" Ariadne hurriedly climbed down the stairs. "Oh, God. How could you do this to miss Crystal, Aria?" Someone shouted as she approached Crystal to check on her. "What? What did I do?" Ariadne asked, looking at Crystal with concern. "My baby" Crystal cried out loudly, clutching her stomach. "You pushed her down the steps." Cathy, the head maid, accused and pushed Ariadne's hands away as she was trying to hold Crystal. "What? No, I didn't push her." Ariadne was perplexed. "You did, I saw it with my own eyes." Cathy added. "What" Ariadne's eyes widened, and she looked around. All the maids were staring at her. "Seriously?" She came to a realization. It was a trap. 'So that's why Crystal came to see me.' She was deliberately provoking Ariadne to get a reaction from her. Ariadne froze on her spot. Shortly after that, Crystal was brought to Grace Hospital. Ariadne wanted to go with them, but Cathy refused. When the chaos in the mansion subsided, Ariadne returned to her room, grabbed her packed bag and left for Jennifer's appartment. "What a wicked woman." Jennifer was furious. "But you didn't push her, so you don't need to worry." "The maids are on her side, Jennie, I was fooled again." Cathy treated Ariadne coldly from the moment she moved into the mansion after marrying Xander. Over time she discovered that Cathy was Margaret's devoted companion. In the past, Margaret had used her countless times to bully Ariadne. Ariadne felt terrified. She had no idea what Crystal's motif was, but she was certain it would be bad for her. Not to mention that Crystal was pregnant as well. "I have already signed the divorce papers. Why can't they leave me alone?" Ariadne cried in helplessness. ..... After sometime Ariadne received a call from William. "Where are you, Aria? How did this happen?" William asked as Ariadne answered the call. Ariadne's face paled. 'So, everyone is already aware of the incident. It means Xander may have known by now too.' "Grandpa, I did nothing, please believe me." Ariadne went into a panick. "Calm down, Aria, I know you will never do such things. Tell me exactly what happened." William soothed her. Ariadne told him everything. "I see. Where are you now?" William's voice was serious, which made Ariadne more nervous. "I am at Jennifer's appartment now." "Ok, don't worry, stay there for the time being. Nothing will happened to you." Ariadne nodded.Hello guys, Thank you so much for reading. It's my first novel so please leave your comments if you are liking the story. You can give me gems as well. Your support means a lot for me. Lots of love 🫶
At Blake Corporation. Xander was in a meeting when Jose barged in and whispered something in his ears. Xander's face darkened, and he stood up. "Gentlemen, I have an emergency to attend to. I am afraid I will not be able to continue the meeting because my presence is required somewhere. Jose will continue the meeting on my behalf." He left immediately after making the announcement. When Xander arrived at the hospital he saw Emma and Aaron standing in front of a door that appeared to be the operating room. They also noticed him as he walked towards them. "Mr. Blake." Emma approached Xander. She appeared to have cried a lot. "Everything was fine in the morning, and now look what happened." She began crying again. "It's all because of that bitch. She never wanted to see my baby happy." "Calm down, Emma." Aaron held her in his arms. "I apologize, Mr. Blake. She is upset and not in her right mind." Aaron explained to Xander. "That's alright." Xander was not the type to becom
"Purple City." "What?" "I will go to Purple City." It was three days after Ariadne was discharged from the hospital. She had been staying in Jennifer's place. She didn't go to the mansion. Xander had given her the mansion, but she refused to accept. The mansion would only haunt her. And going to her father was out of questions, so Jennifer insisted on staying here. She even didn't go to the mansion to collect her belongings. Fortunately, she had all of her documents with her. Grandpa and Jennifer made the necessary arrangements for her departure. Only the place was not selected. After some thought, she decided on Purple City. It was a developed city, and she would have many career opportunities there. She needed to make a lot of money so that she could meet their needs. She had some savings from her online job. In addition, her mother had left her a fortune. She had kept it with her. She wouldn't take anything from Xander or her father. She also turned down Granp
"Xander, is Ariadne staying at your mansion?" It was the following day at Blake Corporation. Crystal had arrived to discuss the joint project of Miller Group and Blake Corporation. They were eating lunch together after finishing their work. "No." Xander answered while eating his food. "No?" Crystal learned from Cathy that Ariadne didn't return to the mansion after the incident. However, she pretended ignorant. She wanted to know if Xander knew where Ariadne was. "Do you know where she is? I have not heard anything about her since that day." "No. Why should I know about her whereabouts?" Xander became irritated by the topic. Crystal's lips curved in a sly smile at Xander's reply. "Oh, yes. I just wondered if you knew. I am just worried about her." "You don't have to. She is not a child in the first place." "Yeah, I just don't want anything bad to happen to her." "It's her hometown, and she has lot of friends. She might be staying with her friends. It's good actually. Y
"Have you talked about your marriage with Xander?" Emma asked. They had recently learned of Ariadne's departure from the city and they were overjoyed. Not that she was a threat to them now, even if she stayed, but still it was a bonus to them. Now Emma was becoming impatient about getting her daughter married to the Blakes. "No mom. He is been very busy lately. I didn't get to talk to him." Crystal informed her. Emma came to Crystal's room to have this conversation while the latter was getting ready for work."Then ask him to take you on a dinner date and discuss the marriage. You need to put pressure on him and get married as soon as possible" Previously, Xander stated that he would take responsibility for the child in Crystal's womb. He did not want the child to be recognized as a bastard. He divorced Ariadne immediately after learning about the child and promised to marry Crystal soon. However, since the child miscarried in that incident, many things had changed, and Xander d
In a garden, a well-dressed and handsome boy was standing in a corner, hiding one of his hands behind his back. There was a birthday celebration in the middle. His eyes were fixed on a cute girl dressed in a blue princess dress, surrounded by a few kids of her age. They were chatting and laughing. The boy didn't approach them as he didn't know anyone except for that little girl. He was silently watching her with a smiling face and affection reflecting in his eyes. Suddenly, another little girl, dressed in a pink princess dress, appeared from nowhere and approached the boy. "Hi, what are you doing here alone" the girl asked. She had been watching the boy for some time before she approached him. The boy felt uncomfortable being seen in such an awkward moment. The girl peeked behind his back and noticed the gift he was holding. "OMG. You brought a gift for me!" The girl almost jumped in excitement. "Thank you" she tried to take the gift from the boy's hand, but he d
Xander walked into the mansion, ignoring Ariadne's warm smile. "Hey Aria, sorry I came unannounced". Crystal smiled politely at Ariadne. "What are you doing here" Ariadne couldn't hide her displeasure upon seeing Crystal with Xander. "I will tell you, but can I atleast enter" Crystal kept her sweet smile and polite demeanor intact. "She came with me; be courteous to your guests" Xander's harsh and warning voice came from behind. "I am sorry, please come inside" Ariadne said finally. She didn't miss the faint smirk on Crystal's face before she entered the house. After some time, Xander, Ariadne and Crystal sat down to dinner. Crystal kept talking to Xander about some business matter while completely ignoring Ariadne. Ariadne's heart ached every time Xander used a gentle tone with Crystal. He never talked to her gently. "Oh, Xander! I got the Blue Mall contract". "Oh, congratulations." "Thank you; I am very excited. This is my first contract as a CEO. I will come
It's not long before Xander began to feel uneasy standing among the businessmen. 'It's hot' he thought in his mind while listening to the conversation. "This collaboration will produce excellent outcomes." one of them stated. "Yes, working with Blake Corporation is truly an honour." the other man expressed his appreciation to Xander as they carried on their conversation. Xander gave a small nod. He disliked these kinds of events, especially when there're lots of people gathered around him. He's only putting up with it for Crystal. As she became the new CEO, she requested him to accompany her to meetings with businessmen throughout the city. "We have no doubt that with Crystal, Miller Group will achieve greater success" a woman in a white gown interjected. Xander started to feel suffocated. He felt the need to freshen up and fresh air in a private area. It's packed with people here. "Are you Allright?" Crystal asked, noticing his discomfort. "I am fine. Please carry o
Ariadne awoke to the sound of a beeping machine. She opened her eyes only to be hit by a bright light, and immediately closed them. "Are you feeling better?" A voice came from nearby. She opened her eyes again, and saw Jennifer standing beside her bed. Looking around, Ariadne realized she was in hospital. "Why am I here?" her voice was hoarse. "You fainted at home, so we brought you to the hospital." Ariadne furrowed her brows as she tried to recall what had happened. She felt a wave of pain sweep over her as the memory struck her like a truck. She recalled being called by Xander's lawyer to inform her about the divorce. 'He wants divorce.' She repeated in her mind. She had been hoping for two years that everything would work out, but she was wrong and her worst nightmare had come true. Her eyes welled up with tears. "Hey, what happened? Why are you crying."Jennifer sensed that something was wrong. "You are alright, there's nothing wrong with your health, don't cry,