Adele Blames Herself

Ariel again didn't know what to say. 

She sat down on the bed. A lost look in her eyes as she whispered

"I know how it feels, Adele. But your mother cares for you. You must help her."

Her voice was so soft at this moment that Adele thought that it was a illusion. The trace of that sarcastic, strong and bold Ariel didn't seem to be there at all. 

Adele blinked again and again to stop the tears falling down from her eyes. 

Except her mother, no one had ever talked to her like this. So softly, so gently. Even with her own mother, it's been long since she talked heartily. 

Her mother's ambitions...they had stood there like a wall between her and Adele for years now. 

Adele lied down on the bed as she whispered 

"I know."

Her voice trembled slightly as she continued speaking

" But should not she understand my love as well? She thinks she can secure a great future for me by staying with that man. But what is the use of such a future when my present is eating me from insides. It destroy me little by little every time when I see her being treated this way."

It's true that Adele never saw Henry manhandling her mother before but the man didn't respect her mother as well. 

She had seen him shouting at her mother before in front of maids and servants. Unfortunately, Ines would always shut her up. Today, she had thought perhaps her mother would finally decide to leave that man. 

It was enough! He even hit her. But all the hopes went down the drain when she saw her coaxing her father.

Adele sighed as she rolled to the other side wiping her tears on the bedsheet like a child. 

"You should not have done that, Ariel."

Ariel who was silent all this while heard Adele's words and didn't say anything again. She thought that Adele was blaming her for whatever happened to Ines. 

However, Adele surprised her again as she continued speaking

"Do you realize that after six months when you will divorce Leon, these reporters will say that you married him for money. Otherwise why would you divorce him?"

Ariel blinked in surprise for a moment at the unexpected words. 

But when she composed herself, she answered Adele genuinely

"I don't care, Adele. They can say whatever they want. I am anyways planning to go far away after all this ends."

This was true. She had been thinking for a long time. After six months when all this ends and her grandmother would be done with her treatment, she would go to some other city and start a new life with the old lady. 

"Ohh..."

The response from other side made Ariel shake her head to herself. She couldn't help but ask Adele the question that had been bothering her for such a long time. 

"Why do you care, Adele?"

Ariel had seen only selfishness till now. Only the old lady was different to her. Otherwise the ways of the world had taught her that nothing came without consequences. People only cared for you because they needed you for something. As long as you are of use to them, they will be nice to you....but only until they need you. 

But what could she even give to Adele?

She tried to think about it but couldn't really find an answer....until she heard a response from Adele's side

"Because it was supposed to be me."

Adele whispered in such a low voice that if Ariel was not paying attention, she would have missed out on a few words. 

"It was me who was supposed to marry but my mother foresaw that something is fishy and hence made you marry."

Adele took a deep breathe before she continued 

"It's not fair to you. It is me who lived on the luxury as Mintz family daughter but when it came to sacrifice, it was you who was forced to do it."

"You didn't deserve to be there, Ariel."

Ariel was silent throughout this. She heard Adele until she felt the latter was finished. And when Adele finally finished, she chuckled slightly

"Don't think so much, Adele. I am good. I am here because I needed it. It's no one's fault that I married Leon. I did it willingly...for my own benefits. So you don't need to blame yourself or your mother."