Chapter 116 Gathering Resolve
Arabella anxiously seated onto the edge of the bed, burying her face in her hands out of shame.
The apology might be too abrupt but it was extremely difficult. It wasn’t a simple ‘I am sorry’, it was a defeat of her feelings, of her aim.
But, she won’t give up this time.
A minute later, the bedroom door opened. William stepped inside, his expression devoid of warmth or remorse. He didn't look at her.
He simply walked past the bed, pulled a clean shirt from the closet, and proceeded toward the bathroom.
“William, wait,” she whispered, standing up quickly.
He paused, his hand on the bathroom doorknob, but he did not turn around.
“I was humiliated out there. I did not lie. Yet you made me apologize for something I didn’t do,” She stated, her voice tight with anguish.
He finally turned his head, his gaze cold and uncaring, “I know.”
“Then-”
“But, I don’t care. I told you I don’t want unnecessary drama in my home, Arabella. That’s it. If you had cared, you would have watched,” His voice was low, flat, and entirely without emotion.
She knew he disliked disturbance of peace but he only endured it when ‘she’ did something, like ruining the room or causing a tantrum.
Not by a third person.
“I did but she is lying-”
“I said I don’t care.”
He stepped into the bathroom and firmly shut the door on her face, leaving her more miserable than she already was.
Arabella stood frozen, staring at the closed door. It wasn’t the shutting of a door only, he shut her off, she saw her defeat in that.
Pressing her teeth together, she curled her hand in a fist.
‘There is no way I will accept this,’
Inhaling sharply to be cautious from now on, she stepped back, patiently waiting for him to come out.
When William emerged, he was dressed in a crisp, dark suit, ready to leave for a business dinner. Arabella tried again, placing herself in his path when he grabbed his wallet and keys.
“Where are you going?”
“Out.” He didn't pause his movements. His eyes glanced at her through the mirror.
“Where?”
“Business dinner, for partnership,” He was about to leave but she tugged onto his sleeves.
“Wait,”
“Hmm?”
“Can we talk about last night? About the proposal, about what you said?” Her voice was desperate now, laced with the need for validation.
He sighed, out of utter boredom. “I have nothing more to say, Arabella. I said too much yesterday already,”
With his back facing her, he made another cold statement, “And besides, I doubt it matters to you,”
“Why not? Will-”
“Night, Arabella,” Cutting through dominantly, he walked away, leaving her all miserable still being desperate, she followed his trails.
“Don’t-”
“You don’t tell me what to do,” She hissed, going after him until he entered the lift and was out of her sight.
When he was gone, Arabella could feel his wrath crawling under her skin.
She had never seen him this detached with her before and it was scorching her from inside, it was unbearable.
When she returned with a grimace, Liyah chuckled, “Tsk, tsk, seems like there is nothing you can do to fix your relationship.”
She tried to ignore it.
“What is the point of him loving you so much when he can’t do a single thing for you?”
“Do not test me, Liyah. If I am silent, don’t overuse it,” Arabella inhaled sharply but the situation was testing her limits.
“Oh really? What can you do?”
She lowered her head, “What can I do… huh?”
That. Was. It.
She had enough.
From Luke to William, everyone challenging her devotion would witness now. Her silence and submission had been obliterated.
Lifting her gaze with a strange gleam which made Liyah silent, Arabella flashed a questionable smirk.
“You know what? Not only you but I will show everyone now what I can do. Just watch,”
Accepting her challenge, she went back to her room.
Not thinking deeply about her words, Liyah also went back to her room with this thought: ‘What can this measly woman do?’
Around midnight, William returned exhausted. He entered his dimly-lit room and found Arabella awake, hugging her knees, seemingly waiting for his arrival.
A frown instantly adorned his lips, “Why are you still awake? What are you trying to show?”
“That I was starving, asshole!”
She returned the same reaction, throwing the pillow at him which he caught with ease.
“I call out to you to at least order me some food since I don’t have a phone and your Auntie didn’t let me,”
At her hiss, he instantly cursed himself for not ordering her food before leaving or asking what she wanted.
Still, for the time being, he remained stoic, “We had food at home,”
“I didn’t want to eat that,” She pouted.
“So you are telling me you hadn’t eaten anything since lunch-”
She cut him off sternly, “Since the morning.”
Pinching the bridge of his nose when she used the worst method to get his attention. Unbuttoning his shirt, he plopped on the bed, leaning against his elbow, taking out his phone immediately.
“Huff. You and your methods won’t cease, do they? What do you want? I will order it right now,”
She smiled as he ordered everything she said before going to freshen up and laid down, closing his eyes, rubbing his temples to reduce the distress.
Arabella stared at him for a few seconds, studying his expressions before creeping her hand over his chest.
“William,”
“Hmm?”
“Are you angry with me?” She asked innocently, poking his heart with her long nail.
His eyes slowly opened, the woman before him- the darkest, dangerous, most profound desire of his heart.
How could negligence be an option?
How could he possibly fathom ripping her from his heart?
“Where will I go after staying furious with you?”
Bringing his hand around her neck, his thumb gently pressed over her bottom lip. Endless statements at the edge of his tongue yet nothing a chuckle liberated.
“I am simply… exhausted, my posture slipped-”
Placing her palm under his hand, pressing his hand harder into her skin, she murmured honestly.
“It’s alright, I want it to slip. I will listen, I will handle it. Just share your complaint with me,”
His eyes softened, telling her sincerely, the reasoning behind his glitches and sudden outburst.
“I am not used to sharing my pain or complaints.”
Before Arabella could convince him to feel safe with her, his phone rang to indicate their food had arrived. Awkwardly pulling away, William cleared his throat.
“Our food is here,”
Without extending his talk further, he got and went to grab her food.