A Ruling Passion – Chapter 1608

Every fiber in Mark’s face that formed his expression froze. “Are... Are you crazy? How could you bring up a divorce at the drop of a hat like that?”

Arianne laughed scornfully, but her eyes were red. “ ‘Drop of a hat?’ Oh, no. This isn’t something said for the hell of it. I’ve simply had enough! Everyone else thinks I’m an idiot, and I agree, I am an idiot! You Tremonts... are just a cabal of bullies! Hell, you bastards dragged my innocent father into your stupid internal politics and killed him, for Christ’s sake! You people are the reason why I’m an orphan! And yet after all those travesties, what did I do in response? I fell in love with you. I gave my heart to you. I married you and bore you a child! I’m such a punchline, I wanna laugh at myself! Stupid me thinks that we’ll be able to live together, happily, all the way till a ripe, old age. But all that you’ve done up till now has been a slap in the face, telling me that I’m the only one deluding myself. I’m a f**king idiot!"

“You knew, goddamned it, you knew! You knew Shelly pushed your mother into causing that plane crash! You knew she’s the one behind it! You f**king knew she’s the one who killed my father! But you...! You hid what you knew from... from me. You kept quiet, said nothing, all for her sake. All so that I’d continue to forgive her abuses and tolerate her crazy ass unconditionally! Despite how terrible Shelly treated me, you still think she’s worth your obsequious devotion as you completely sideline me and Smore. Do I mean anything to you, Mark Tremont?! And all of the debts I owed by being your charge? I’ve long cleared ‘em, you bastard. In fact, I’ve never owed you, it is you Tremonts who owe me everything!”

Mark’s pupils dilated. He raised his arm mechanically in an attempt to pull her into a hug, but whatever courage that had spurred him to try sapped halfway through. “Who... Who told you that?”

Possessed by rage, Arianne grabbed the nearest pillow from the bed and flung it as hard as she could at him. “Your beloved Shelly-Ann Leigh, who goddamned else?! She told me herself! What, still thinking you could continue to sweep the whole thing under the rug to save her skin? I’m starting to believe that none of you Tremonts ever turned out right! Why the hell did you adopt me back then, huh?! Because guilt makes you sick? Well, guess what? While you were alleviating your guilt, your action doomed my life into a bondage with yours forever!” she bristled. “All of the things you owe me, Mark... How in hell are you supposed to pay all that?!"