Ariana decided not to return to the Sterling mansion and remained at Yvonne's house instead. She wasn't going to be anyone's puppet anymore. She had ordered food and was having dinner with Yvonne when her phone chimed.
She picked it up to see she had received a text from Azaiah. Reading it, she felt relieved because she felt indebted to him and he was finally saying something about how to roll that over.
"See you at 5pm then" she replied to his text.
Meanwhile at the Hawthorne mansion, Azaiah was lost in thoughts when he received Ariana's text. A smile crept up on his face as he felt a sliver of hope that his plans would go well.
The next morning, Ariana woke up to her phone chiming nonstop. The sounding waking Yvonne up first. The girl gently tapped on Ariana, waking her up.
Ariana blinked her eyes repeatedly, trying to adjust to the light peeking through the windows. Usually, Ariana was the early bird but she was still feeling a bit weary.
She took up her phone to see she had received multiple messages from Rodrigo and received countless notifications, tagging her under several posts.
She straightened up and checked out the posts just for her eyes to fall upon several pictures of Rodrigo with another woman heading into a hotel. It was captured from different angles. Ariana felt her heartbeat quicken.
She zoomed into the pictures and noticed it wasn't the same woman she had caught him in the restaurant with. Her disheveled hair came to her line of sight and she pushed it away to get a clearer view of the pictures.
She was tagged on several posts of Rodrigo's infidelity and she didn't know what to feel. She was caught between feeling heartbroken and feeling ashamed to have been coupled with such a person.
Her chest and throat tightened as she read the comments and viewed the pictures. It suddenly felt like the air in the room wasn't sufficient enough. Noticing her friend's change in demeanor, Yvonne asked her what the problem was but Ariana was too hurt to speak.
She handed her phone to Yvonne to see the posts for herself. Yvonne seethed.
"He really has some guts!" Yvonne said and Ariana chuckled. Almost sounding sinister.
That same second a new text from Rodrigo popped up on the screen "Babe please answer me".
Yvonne showed Ariana the text and she scoffed before putting her phone to the side. She was yet to open his chat but that one text told her everything.
He had seen the headlines and was now begging.
"I wasn't ever enough for him right? I mean, I did everything right. I did exactly as my parents told because I felt it was the right thing, the right choice and I thought Rodrigo was the right choice and the crazy part is he made me believe so. I trusted him blindly. What did I ever do to deserve this? Why did he have to hurt me this way?" Ariana sobbed and Yvonne wrapped her in a hug whilst patting her shoulders gently.
"You trusted the wrong person. I get it, we've all been there but you'd get someone better because you deserve someone better. Its all going to be fine. Wipe your tears now" Yvonne pulled away from the hug, motioning to wipe her friend's tears herself.
"You shouldn't be so worked up. Remember what the doctor said" Yvonne added.
"Its hard not to let this affect me Yvonne. I mean, everything hasn't been at its best" Ariana said.
"I know but you can be strong. Where's that strong independent Ariana who worked her butt off in the Sterling group? Where's that Ariana who came up with great ideas that skyrocketed the Sterling group? Who's that Ariana who always stood up for me? You're smart, beautiful and such an amazing woman. With all due respect, don't allow this shit of a man to steal your shine okay?" Yvonne said.
Ariana felt her mood lighten up though deep down everything still hurt like hell.
She gave a small smile to Yvonne "I am that Ariana" she said.
"Good. Let's have our day started. No more staring at the negatives on your phone" Yvonne said and both girls stood from the bed and went about on their morning activities.
Yvonne offered to make breakfast because she knew Ariana wasn't so skilled when it came to cooking. Only a few meals here and there but nothing so special.
They both enjoyed their breakfast and headed out. Ariana headed back to the Sterling mansion, not to stay but to get her stuff.
She had decided to move to Yvonne's house temporarily till she gets her own place. Both girls had discussed it through breakfast and Yvonne agreed and Ariana didn't want to waste anymore time.
She knew Rodrigo would go looking for her at the family mansion and she wanted nothing to do with him.
Yvonne on the other hand didn't disclose where she was off to but Ariana didn't mind it.
Ariana heard her phone still chime from time to time but didn't take a look at it. She indeed needed a break.
At the Sterling mansion, Mister Sterling was pacing back and forth in the huge living room. Beads of sweat on his forehead despite the slightly cold weather.
His attention moved to the familiar car which pulled up in the compound's parking space and he quickly wiped away the sweat from his face, straightening up.
Ariana felt the uncomfortable gazes of the workers rest on her but she understood why they must have been staring. Most of their expressions held concern and she appreciated it that they were concerned about her.