Chapter 97 Intolerable Truth
In the room, hugging her knees close to her chest, Arabella was staring at the picture with an empty smile adorning her lips.
Her mind recalling old memories where she desired nothing but William but all of it began to fade.
She didn’t have him the way she wanted.
Digging her nail onto her skin, she found herself stuck in a dilemma.
At one point- She wanted to leave him and start over. At the other- She wanted him to embrace her as his wife, be how he was.
‘He had become stubborn, Arabella, he won’t change. He had sworn to not change,’ Her mind mocked.
“But, why? Why did you change? Do you think this anguish, the hate, distances… for the better?” She whispered wretchedly.
Before she could fall deeper into the pits of her undesirable thoughts, the door knocked, astonishing her.
“Helena…” Who else could it be after all?
With her face brightening, she rushed and opened the door without asking, hoping she would share her problem and seek her advice.
…. Only to find the unwanted man.
“Ara-”
Her breaths hitched, afraid of what happened last time, not wanting to infuriate William, she tried to slam the door close.
But he placed his hand in between, not permitting her, he pushed it open, giving her a bewildered look.
He saw her trembling, dread collected between those pretty lashes, agitation enhancing each passing second when he was right before her.
“What do you want, Luke?” She asked hopelessly.
“I want to know the name and something else,”
“But, I have nothing to talk to you anymore,” She hissed and tried to close the door again which he blocked.
“Why? What happened?”
Glancing at the camera, she knew if William saw, he would lose himself and she had no intentions of paying for Luke’s actions.
Her heart was pumping in apprehension, hands turning sweaty at the imagination of being tormented.
“Leave-”
“I have no intention of leaving our talks incomplete this time. You will answer my every question and end this tingle for me,”
To avoid the eye of the camera, she opened the door slightly, “Fine…”
TO WILLIAM, he was working, engrossed in the work, returning from the meeting.
“If they want to work with us, they better prove themselves,”
They nodded and left as he had a load of work over his head and the moment he inclined on his deluxe throne, his eyes fell on the second screen.
Hoping to get a glimpse of his woman to alleviate his strain because she forgot to remove the camera but the second he did.
He saw Arabella and Luke together, amplifying his frustration to a new level accompanied by a rush of appall to fathom what she would tell him.
His throat dried and panicked when they were alone in the lounge, his body instinctively reacted and he rushed.
“Sir–”
“I have an emergency, I am going home,”
Announcing worriedly, he left for home, praying things won’t get out of hand.
Not because Luke will know everything but what if she left him for… Luke?
He couldn’t possibly allow his darling possession to slip out of his hands.
He got Bella with incredible efforts and schemings, losing her was unaffordable.
On the other hand, Arabella invited Luke inside.
Standing farther away from him, closing the door of their room cautiously so he won’t get a glimpse of it.
Leaning against the counter of the kitchen, she was holding her elbow with transparent hesitation, keeping her gaze lowered.
“Ask. What do you want to know?”
“Who… who was it?
“Whoever it is, it cannot change the fact I married your brother. What happened has happened,”
“Still, tell me,” He insisted hopelessly, refusing to leave without an answer today.
“What if I say it’s William? How heartbreaking it would be, no? What will you do then?” She smirked coldly.
“Let’s say he did this.”
Luke swallowed hard, voice falling more into anguish, lips quivering, making a powerless fist.
“In that case, why would ‘you’ want to stay with the man who manipulated you? Why is there no desire to have me back in your life?”
“What if… I don’t want you back, even if I have misunderstood?" She counter-questioned, unable to lift her eyes from the ground.
He frowned, “So you are simply saying William is better than me?”
“When he wasn’t?”
His jaw clenched at the instant reply, closing the gap, his gaze shrunk with trembling composure, growling at her.
“Then answer my one question honestly, Arabella,”
Startled at the closing distances, she swallowed hard, pressing herself harder against the counter.
“W- What?”
Standing right before her, absolutely terrified of the reply yet he asked.
The most unendurable question, the thing that threw her lower in her own eyes, what made her a mess.
“Were you drunk or sober that day?”
Her body quivered, energy drained. She knew he would eventually ask this but to answer was not in her capabilities.
Her soul froze as she hastily reacted and tried to move away.
“W-Why do you want to know?”
“Tell me, please… end this pain for me.” He begged, breathless, tears forming a screen in his eyes.
“So you never stopped thinking about it huh?” She hissed, pushing him back.
“No, I didn’t. It troubles me every night, every second, it made me fucking crazy and I can’t carry it anymore,”
“There is nothing to talk about,”
Waving her hand in the air, she attempted to discard it.
Hoping William would see them through the camera and return as soon as possible so she could avoid Luke.
She knew she was his culprit and confronting him was beyond her ability at the moment.
“It doesn’t matter, Luke, think whatever you want-”
“Tell me, dammit! I can't take your silence or lies anymore!” He snarled, holding her wrist, refusing to take excuses and hear it clear-cut.
“It’s futile, dammit! Forget it!”
“WERE YOU SOBER OR DRUNK THE DAY YOU GOT INTIMATE WITH WILLIAM OR NOT!?”
“YES, I WAS FUCKING SOBER!”