Chapter Fourteen: Rivals

Chapter Fourteen: Rivals
Aria pov 

“Aria darling.” Would you mind accompanying me to a few places? Mrs Laurent asked me. She pleaded with me to spend a little more time with her. I didn’t think much about it before accepting, I loved her energy and she is so motherly. Maybe I’ll actually get to know what it felt like hanging out with a mom. 

“You don’t have to if you don't feel good enough.” She added. My fever had gone down and I was feeling better. 

“No, I'll go with you.” I sent her a small smile to ease her heart. 

“Oh great.” She felt relieved for some reason. 

“I find it hard going for my cheek ups myself.” She explained it to me. 

“We should all go together.” Someone behind me said. I forgot my mom was still around. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. 

A few messages came into her phone and she immediately changed her mind. I could tell something was off but I wasn’t sure what it was. 

“Oh on second thought, I think I should allow you to do your mother in law, daughter in law thing.” I haven’t known her for long, but I’m very good at reading people. I could tell she is  not the type to just back out like that. Something was up. It was probably the message she got on her phone. 

“Oh that’s unfortunate, It would have been nice for the three of us to hang out together.” Mrs Laurent felt disappointed. 

“Maybe some other time.” Isabella smiled through her teeth. She seemed in a hurry and left almost immediately. She was definitely up to something and I was going to find out what it was. 



“Meet Damien's fiancée Aria.” Mrs Laurent introduced me to a middle- aged man at the hospital. He seems to be the doctor in charge. 

“Good day Mrs Aria.” He stretched his hand for a hand shake. 

“Good day doc.”

“Call me Doctor Steve.” He added. 

“Ok Doctor Steve.” I sent him a small smile. 

“It’s nice to meet you.”I added and he smiled back. 

“Mrs Laurent, how are you doing today?” She turned to face her. 

“I’m surviving, you know.” She chuckled 

“She has always been this you know..” Doctor Steve tells me and we all had a good laugh. 

“I’ll examine you and you will have to do some test.”He explained to her. 

“I guess I’ll be spending the rest of my time in the hospital.” She signed. 

“These things take time. She whispered to me although she knew doctor Steve could hear us.” I chuckled. 

“You don’t have to wait for me, Aria.”

“I’m glad you could come with me.” 

“I’ll tell the driver to take you home.” She took my hands into hers as she smiled gently. But I felt guilty leaving her all alone. 

“No please, I'm happy to have accompanied you.” I held onto her hand.

“You can go in for your appointment. I will be right here waiting for you.” I added I smiled through my words to ease her heart. No one leaves a sick old woman on her own. 

“You are such a darling, Demien has found a rare one.” She tells doctor Steve. I was flattered. 

“I will assign a nurse to show you to the vip room where you can get some refreshments and rest while I go into the section with Mrs Laurent.” Doctor Steve said and immediately took out his phone to call the nurse and in less than a minute, she arrived. 

“Good day doctor steve.”

“Good day Mrs Laurent.” The nurse greets as she enters the office. 

“This is nurse Sonya, she will be showing you to the vip room.” Doctor Steve tells me. 

“Good day nurse Sonya I’m…” 

“I know who you are. She interrupted me.

“You are Aria Sinclair.” She sounded excited for some reason. I didn’t mind but doctor Steve did and scolded her. 

She knew me but I hoped it was for a good cause because most people now know me since the whole scandal. 

She apologized almost immediately when doctor Steve scolded her but I waved it off as unimportant since I didn’t give much importance to it and with that we excused Mrs Laurent and Doctor Steve. 

Nurse Sonya was silent throughout the walk to the vip section. She seemed to have a lot of questions to ask, questions I might not have the answers to. 

“How many days do you get to come to the hospital?” I asked a question to break the awkward silence. We were now in an elevator.

“Who?”

“Me?”

“Of course.” I smiled at her. She seemed shocked. I have no idea how long I would have to wait for Mrs Laurent cheek ups to end. Having someone to talk to for the main time isn’t such a bad idea. 

“I work here on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.” I usually have weekends as my off days. She tells me. 

“Oh so on weekends what do you do?” I was more interested in knowing what regular people do in their free time. 

“You don’t have to answer that.” I said almost immediately,  I hope I was being too personal or invading her privacy. 

“It’s fine Mrs Aria.” She sent me a small smile. 

“Hmm nothing much, I go to the grocery store if I have to and during the night time I take my dog for a walk. When I get bored, I probably watch a movie or read a book.” She was very detailed. Some people do have the privilege to live a simple life.

“Don’t you go out on dates?” I asked her.

“ I’m sorry you don’t have to answer that.” I guess I’m asking too much. I apologize almost immediately. I began to wonder why I think I can be so personal with her. We got off the elevator.

“No, it's fine.” She chuckled. I felt revived. I am not the type to interfere in people’s personal life. 

“I actually admire you a lot Mrs Aria.” I was shocked to hear that from her. I mean who would admire me? I've been involved in a sandal good enough to ruin a person's life. I just got lucky and I’m actually still trying out my luck. 

“Why?”I raised a brow, confused.

“I mean your love story is something I fantasize about .” She shyly said. I chuckled in my head. If only she knows better she would swallow her words back. 

“Hmm..” I turned to fully face her. I showed her that I am interested in what she is saying and I would like her to elaborate. 

“People might think it is wrong for you to date Mr Lucian because he is much older but I think it’s romantic. I admire you for having the confidence to get into a relationship with him in the first place knowing that if the public finds out about it you will get dragged and judged.” A glimpse of sadness in her eyes. 

“I just wish he fought for you, for your relationship.” She added. Her last statement sent a shiver down my spine. I felt cold and lonely. 

“This is your VIP room Mrs Aria.” She said I didn’t notice when we got there. 

“Oh thanks.” I smiled at her. I was happy to talk to her but my heart was saddened. 

“I have to go now, Mrs Aria, I have some patients to attend to.” She tells me. 

“Sure thanks once again.” I said to her and with that she left reluctantly. 

She is such a nice person. I hope she gets her love story right, unlike mine. 



I was about to enter the room when I saw someone. She looked familiar. I have been seeing a lot of familiar faces recently, probably because I’m stressed, but I was sure of who I was seeing this time around. I blinked severely to make sure my eyes weren’t deceiving me and it turns out my eyes are working just fine. It was my college rival Camille Prescott. 

It’s been years since I last saw her but I won’t fail to recognize her. I’m sure it was her but I wanted to take a closer look so I walked towards where she was. I wonder what she must be doing in the hospital. 

The more I moved closer to the faster she was walking, as if she was in a hurry to go somewhere or maybe she was the first and might be running away but I don’t know her to be the type to run. I just followed her regardless. It felt creepy, l felt like I was spying on her and invading her privacy. She walked further more before turning around, maybe she suspected that someone was behind her. I quickly hid myself behind the closest wall and I tried to stay as quiet as I could be. 

“What do you want!” I heard her whisper. I wondered who she was talking to so I took a peep. There was someone standing in front of her wearing a black hoodie and pants. I couldn’t see the person's face. 

“You owe me.” The person finally spoke. I could tell it was a man from his voice. 

“I do not owe you shit!.” Camille spat through her teeth. She spoke as low as she could, it seems she didn’t want anyone to hear their conversation. I had no idea what I was doing staying behind that wall but I stayed. 

“I need some more money. If you don’t give it to me the whole world will know about our little secret.” The guy in the hoodie said. That was an open threat. I wonder what sort of secret he was talking about. 

“I’m sure you do not want that. You know Lucian Blackwell doesn’t forgive.” The creepy man said and my head slipped for a bit. 

Did he just say Lucian?

What does Lucian have to do with all of this? How is he related to all of this? What business does Lucian have with Camille? Different questions rush through my mind. 

“Here take this!” Camille, full of rage, threw some couple of notes on him and she turned to leave immediately. She was going to see me so I quickly entered the next room close to me luckily it was open.