Brian was disconcerted. “Yes, sir. Sit tight. I’ll send you over now.”
Driving all the way to Arianne’s apartment, Brian helped Mark, who was drunk, upstairs and arrived at Arianne’s unit. Brian dared not knock too hard as he called out softly, “Madam, sir is here…”
There was no sound on the other end. Mark rapped hard at the door suddenly. “Open the door!”
Brian jumped and quickly caged him to stop him from the reckless behavior. Arianne was pregnant. She could not take a scare like this in the middle of the night. If anything happened because of this, it would be too late to regret it!
Arianne, who was woken up from the knocks, checked carefully from the peephole. She breathed in relief when she saw that it was Brian and Mark; she opened the door. Before she spoke, Mark pounced at her and hugged her tightly, mumbling something that she was unable to make out.
“I’ll be leaving first. Sir is all yours,” Brian said when he saw that.
Arianne was not even able to react before Brian closed the door and fled. She could see that Mark was already drunk. Worried, she put an arm over her tummy and helped the man with one hand. “Slowly… Follow me…”
There was still a sliver of level headedness left in Mark. He did not lean his entire weight on her. When he saw how she was struggling, he gently pried her hands off and stood with his back resting against the wall. “How long are you going to keep this up? Are you not returning to the Tremont’s as long as Will doesn’t come back?”
Arianne paused. “What are you saying? You think that… I moved out of the Tremont’s because of Will?”
“Isn’t that the case?” Mark questioned.
She bit her lips without explaining. He had always assumed things without asking her. Why could he not ask her first?
Staying still for a while, Arianne hooked her long hair, locking it behind her ear. “Go back if you’re still sober. Call Brian to pick you up. I haven’t slept well in days, I can’t do this.”
Looking at her action, there was a momentary daze from Mark. Arianne’s thin figure was vaguely visible from her thin pajamas; the only part that grew was her tummy. She actually grew thinner despite being pregnant…
“Go back with me,” Mark said suddenly.
“A home that you don’t even want to go back to, what’s the point of me going back?” Arianne said and sat down on the couch in the living room. Giving it a thought, she got up again to make him a cup of black tea.
“There are people taking care of you in the Tremont’s. Whether I’m going back or not, it doesn’t seem to be relevant to you.” Mark did not move from the hallway. He knew that he was not able to stand upright independently under the influence of the alcohol. He was barely maintaining his awareness and rationale when he spoke.
She had thought that he was not that drunk, since he could still interact normally with her. It looked like she had overestimated him!
Avoiding his kiss, she said, “I’m pregnant…”
Frightened and gasping, Arianne’s voice was soft. It did not do anything to deter Mark. He switched the lights off easily and laid her down on the bed in the next second. It was not a rough movement, but it was domineering, rendering Arianne unable to resist.
When Mark slid her pajamas up, Arianne pleaded with a tinge of a sob, “Don’t do this… You’re drunk. Can you not do this to me? Wait till you’re sober, alright?”
She was terrified. She had lost a child, she did not want to lose another. He was drunk now, he must not have been aware of his force. What if there was an accident…
“I know what I’m doing…” His raspy voice by her ear was tinted with a hint of desperation.
“I don’t want to… Get up, let me go!” Arianne did not believe his intoxicated words. Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to fall at any given second.
“Don’t forget that you’re still my wife!” As if losing the patience to pacify her, Mark reminded her of her duty.
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