A Ruling Passion – Chapter 1825

Mark could not stand to watch their exchange anymore. He stood and tugged Arianne’s arm, suggesting, “All right, that’s enough. I recall Smore having some assignments from school today, and maybe you can check and see if he’s doing them. Let me handle this.”

Arianne responded with a wordless, sullen sulk before turning her back from them and walking away.

Her bravado took her as far as a corner, where no one else was present, before it crumbled and revealed her reddened eyes. The fact that Helen was borrowing a hefty sum from her was never what dismayed her, it was the revelation that after abandoning Arianne, Helen’s life did not improve at all. Seeing her going around, essentially begging for charity, was a sting to her heart, and she hated how that distress felt.

Downstairs, Mark tried his best to comfort Helen. “It’s all right, I can assure you. I sincerely believe she doesn’t mean abuse when she said what she said. She concurred when I told her you needed monetary help. The most likely impetus to this, my guess, is the... complication between the two of you that she still cannot forgive. Please don’t take it to heart.”

Helene flashed a pained smile. “I know, I know. To stoop to such lows... I can only accept everything she accuses me of, and it’s okay. I owed her this much... and more, wouldn’t you say? More than I can ever atone in my lifetime. Mark, in my absence, please take care of her, okay?”