"Are you going to the restaurant?" Amber asked again. Ariana shook her head. "Why should I go there when I have you and Jody?" she replied sharply. Amber chuckled. "Alright, alright, Boss. In that case, I'll leave now," she said. Ariana just nodded. "Don't forget to have breakfast," she ordered. And once again, Ariana just nodded. After Amber closed the door, Ariana curled up again under her warm blanket in her dark room. Amber left the apartment after making sure everything was in order. Although she couldn't bear to leave Ariana alone, she knew that her friend hated being pitied. And if Ariana chose not to go to the restaurant—the place that had been a source of her problems for so long—it meant that what Ariana was going through was heavier than it seemed. Yes, years of knowing Ariana had given her some understanding of her friend's character. The atmosphere in the restaurant seemed normal as Amber entered. Jody, Dara, and several other friends were already getting ready for the
Ariana sat on the bed, holding her head in her hands. The throbbing in her head had been there for the past few days, even before she found out about her pregnancy. Initially, she thought it was just a regular headache. But eventually, she understood the reason behind it, as it always came at the same time every day. More than that, the pain in her head was always accompanied by nausea, causing her to vomit whatever food she put into her mouth. Just like what had happened a moment ago, even though she had just had breakfast. Not really breakfast, but more like a late morning meal since it was already past ten-fifteen. Despite the bitter taste in her mouth, she forced herself to swallow something for the sake of the baby growing inside her. Ariana went back to the kitchen, searching for fruits she could eat. She needed to replace what she had just thrown up with fresh food. She smiled when she saw a dragon fruit placed on a bowl on the kitchen table. Hopefully, its sweetness could re
A week had passed since Ariana left Zeroun's residence. But if Gerald noticed, the atmosphere at his home seemed normal. Even Axel, who used to sulk when going to school, now appeared just like before. It was as if things had returned to the way they were before Ariana entered their lives. The only one who felt Ariana's absence was Gerald. Yes. Every night, without realizing it, Gerald would wake up with his hand reaching out to Ariana's empty side of the bed. Then he would stay awake until the early hours of the morning, missing the woman who had been accompanying his sleep and patiently listening to his meaningless chatter. Ariana. Why was she doing all this? How could she be so heartless to her own child? How could she be so cruel to Gerald? Didn't she have any feelings for him? Gerald was convinced that Ariana had started to open up to him. If Ariana didn't have feelings for him, she wouldn't have agreed to be with him. She wouldn't have prepared his favorite meals, listened to
"Ariana!" that morning was greeted by Amber's loud shout echoing through the empty apartment room. Amber half ran, approaching the bed where Ariana was curled up like a fetus, her body trembling violently. "Ariana?" she called again on the bedside. Her faint voice couldn't hide her panic. Amber knew what was happening; this was not unfamiliar to her, although it rarely occurred. Ariana slowly opened her eyes, gazing at her friend and then smiled gently. "Calm down," she whispered softly, clearly in pain. Amber gently wiped Ariana's forehead. Cold sweat flooded her friend's forehead. "Where is the medicine?" she asked in a whisper. Her eyes searched the room corners. Instead of answering, Ariana shook her head. "Ariana, it's not the time to be stubborn!" Amber said in frustration. "I'm... fine..." Ariana replied, gasping for breath. Nevertheless, her hands clutched the blanket tightly, her fingertips turning white. "We're going to the hospital now!" Amber said firmly. She moved awa
"Pull over, Amber..." Ariana whispered softly. But it seemed Amber didn't hear her. Eventually, Jody had to tap her shoulder and command her to pull over. Without many words, Amber immediately steered and parked the car on the roadside as fast as she could. "What time..." Ariana glanced at Jody, who was still watching her silently. Jody reached for his phone in his pants pocket. "A little past eight," he replied softly. Ariana nodded, choosing to close her eyes and lean her head back against the car seat. Besides the noise of passing vehicles outside, all they could hear inside the car was Ariana's heavy breathing. Both Amber and Jody could only gaze at Ariana in silence. "Ariana..." Amber released her seatbelt and turned around to face Ariana, looking at her with concern. "When was the last time this happened?" she asked, curious. Ariana opened her eyes. Her gaze seemed distant, but then she lifted her head and looked at Amber, then smiled. "This is the first time it's happened
Gerald glanced at his watch once again, for what felt like the hundredth time. He looked at Vivan, who stood motionless nearby. "Are you sure you informed her about this?" he asked, probably for the hundredth time too. "I have given her the information, sir. And she confirmed that she would come," Vivan replied firmly. Of course, she would come, Gerald thought. She must be eager to hear the news that the Social Services Department was coming for the adoption process. But the question now was, where was she? Why hadn't she shown up yet? Gerald sat back in his chair in his office. More than a week had passed. Deep down, he missed Ariana's presence. Every night and morning, he felt a void when he realized her side of the bed was empty. He missed her smile, her cooking, her warmth wrapped in her cold demeanor. But this time, Gerald resisted the urge to approach his wife. He didn't want to be the one always pleading. He refused to be the person begging for love from the woman he truly l
"What makes you rush?" Mrs. Sri asked again. "Just so I can feel at ease," Ariana replied honestly. Mrs. Sri looked at her again with a scrutinizing gaze. "Your marriage is still in its early days. From what I know, marriage isn't easy, especially for those who are arranged like you and Mr. Gerald. Don't you need more time to get to know each other?" She asked again. Ariana just smiled. "In the end, I realized that we will never fully know someone who is close to us 100%. Throughout the marriage, we will always adapt to each other. And waiting for us to be perfectly matched might take a long time. Meanwhile, I can't wait. Axel will slowly grow up, and when his mind starts to comprehend the situation, he will question his status. And I don't want to give him ambiguous answers." Mrs. Sri nodded her head. "But you know that Axel also has family on his mother's side?" Ariana nodded. "That means you also know that it's not just your and Mr. Gerald's obligation to take care of Axel?" Ari
All the staff had gathered in the living room. The interviews with the entire family were done, as well as surveys of the employees and Zeroun's residence. "I apologize for my grandson's absence," Mrs. Rosaline said apologetically. "He's not feeling well and is resting now. I hope it won't affect your evaluation." Her words were directed more towards the middle-aged woman who had conducted the interview in Gerald's office. Hearing Mrs. Rosaline's words, the woman smiled and nodded. "I understand," she said. "I am a mother too, and I know how it feels to be unwell during pregnancy, like Mrs. Ariana. I had morning sickness all the way until my children were born." She continued. Mrs. Rosaline looked relieved hearing this. "Such matters won't change our assessment. But we need to inform you that after this, we will also go to Axel's school to interview the teachers." Mrs. Sri, as the woman was called, continued. Mrs. Rosaline and Gerald just nodded. "I'm sure the school will also spe