CHAPTER 214
A few days ago, Sheena had humiliated Piper in the most degrading way possible. She had taunted Piper, saying that if Piper was willing to crawl back as her obedient little pet, she would convince Justin to let Piper come home. The words stung like a whip, and in her fury, Piper lunged at Sheena, attempting to yank her hair out by the roots. But before she could lay a finger on her, her father rushed in and slapped Piper hard across the face.
He protected Sheena, the vile woman carrying his illegitimate child, but he had forgotten that Piper was his flesh and blood too. The betrayal cut deep, a wound far more painful than the physical blow.
To make matters worse, her so-called friends, the ones who once orbited her, showering her with praise and affection, had all turned against her. They now ridiculed and mocked her at every opportunity, revelling in her fall from grace.
As Piper recalled these events, a storm of rage brewed inside her. Her hands clenched so tightly that the veins on the back of her hand became pronounced, throbbing with every pulse. The thought of Arianna—of how her return had shattered everything Piper had dreamed of—made her blood boil.
In her mind, Arianna was the root of all her suffering. If it weren’t for her, Xander would have eventually chosen Piper, and she would still have her family, her wealth, and her status. The idea of revenge burned fiercely in her heart. She longed to see Arianna suffer, to destroy her in the most brutal way imaginable.
Her eyes locked onto Arianna from across the bar, filled with venomous hatred. Without taking her gaze off her, Piper grabbed the wine bottle next to her and drank straight from it, drowning her rage in alcohol.
…
1. At the far end of the bar, Rochelle listened closely as Arianna shared her feelings, grappling with the complex emotions she had for Xander.
In contrast, Rochelle's relationship with John was straightforward: she loathed him, and he felt the same way about her. Their dynamic was clear-cut, devoid of any ambiguity.
However, Arianna's predicament was far more intricate—she found herself ensnared in a maze of mixed signals and unresolved emotions. The core of the issue lay not only in Xander's erratic behaviour but also in Arianna's uncertainty regarding her feelings. She was hesitant to confront him again, fearing the heartache that could ensue.
Rochelle let out a sigh, acknowledging the reality of the situation. The adage rang true: once bitten, twice shy. Arianna had experienced pain in the past, and now she was reluctant to expose herself to that vulnerability once more.
Yet, from Rochelle's viewpoint, the answer was strikingly clear. What Arianna and Xander required was an honest, straightforward discussion. They needed to come together and express their thoughts openly—no more assumptions, no more games. Only then could they genuinely comprehend one another and dispel the confusion that clouded their relationship.
As she pondered this, Rochelle thoughtfully rubbed her chin and squinted her eyes. There had to be a way to facilitate that conversation.
Rochelle’s lips curled into a mischievous grin. It seemed like the only way to get Arianna to open up was the same way she had done before—by getting her a little tipsy and letting that liquid courage do the talking. The last time Arianna had confronted Xander and given him a piece of her mind, it was only because she’d had one too many drinks.
Rochelle snapped her fingers at the bartender. “Hey, bring us something a bit stronger, will you?”
Arianna had a decent tolerance for alcohol, no doubt from her time working abroad, bartending to make ends meet. But she still had a long way to go to keep up with Rochelle, whose alcohol tolerance was almost legendary. Arianna was already starting to feel a little unsteady, her head swimming slightly, while Rochelle was barely affected, aside from a faint flush on her cheeks. Her vision might have been slightly blurry, but she was far from finished.
Arianna, however, was beginning to feel the effects and said, “I think I need to use the bathroom, Chelle.”
Rochelle raised a brow, teasing, “Need help getting there?”
Arianna waved her off, “No, I’m good. I can still walk.”
As Arianna rose from the barstool, her legs felt light, but she managed to make her way toward the restroom, her figure swaying slightly as she disappeared down the corridor. Rochelle watched her go with an amused smile before her eyes drifted to Arianna’s phone, still sitting on the counter.
…
Meanwhile, Piper was slumped at the opposite end of the bar, her vision blurred as the effects of the alcohol took hold. She had downed an entire bottle of wine on her own and was starting to feel dizzy, but it wasn’t enough to numb the anger swirling inside her.
“More wine!” Piper shouted, slamming her empty bottle on the bar.
The bartender, already fed up with her antics, didn’t even bother hiding his disdain. “Ms. Schmidt, we don’t take credit. You need to settle your tab before we give you any more drinks.”
Piper had been coming to the bar almost every night, drowning her sorrows in drink. Though she paid her bill at the start, she often refused to pay once she got blackout drunk. At first, the manager cut her some slack due to her former status as the Hayes' daughter, but his patience had long run out. Now, the bartenders were under strict orders not to serve her until she paid.
But Piper was too far gone to care. “What part of ‘bring me more wine’ didn’t you understand?” she slurred, glaring at the bartender.
The bartender sighed internally. Here we go again...
The bartender, having seen Piper's antics one too many times, remained unfazed. Without even glancing in her direction, he replied coldly, “It’s time for you to leave, Ms. Schmidt, or I’ll have security escort you out.”
That seemed to finally hit home for Piper. The memory of being forcibly thrown out the previous night still stung, not to mention the jeers she had endured from the onlookers at the entrance.
One particularly sleazy man—bald, with a greasy grin plastered on his face—had offered her a hundred bucks to spend the night with him, his eyes leering at her like she was nothing more than a piece of meat. That was her new reality—where she had fallen so far that any random stranger on the street felt they had the right to degrade her.
The humiliation had been suffocating.
Piper stood up shakily, her legs unsteady beneath her as she stumbled toward the exit. Just as she reached the door, her phone buzzed with a new notification.
She fumbled with it for a moment, her blurry vision trying to focus on the screen. The message was from an unfamiliar number. No words accompanied it, just a single image attached.
Piper tapped on it, and the photo opened to reveal a breathtaking church, radiant in its beauty. Inside stood a couple, locked in a passionate embrace. The groom, tall and strikingly handsome, held his bride close as he kissed her, his face filled with adoration.
The bride, in an elegant gown, glowed with happiness.
But it wasn’t just any couple.
It was Xander and Arianna.
Piper’s breath caught in her throat, her eyes widening as she stared at the picture. She couldn't tear her gaze away, and it felt as though her anger could burn right through the screen. Every part of her seethed with rage, jealousy, and despair.
This—*this*—was supposed to be her life. It was supposed to be *her* in that gown, in Xander's arms. Arianna had stolen everything from her, and now there was a picture to rub salt in her wounds.
Piper’s hand trembled as she clutched the phone, the image a stark reminder of everything she had lost.
