âSweetie, whatâs troubling you?â Ariana inquired, promptly embracing him.
Melonâs emotions surged upon seeing Ariana.
Tears coursed down his cheeks as he choked.
âA bad woman is saying that sheâs Daddyâs wife.
But itâs all lies!
She says youâre the other woman who took Daddy away.
But I know youâd never do that!â He let Ariana handle the call, breaking into uncontrollable sobs.
âTell her itâs not true! Please, tell her!â
Ariana was also startled, her heart pounding like a drum.
She swiftly peered at Melonâs smartwatch, confirming that it was indeed Holden on the line.
An annoyingly familiar voice on the other end cursed vehemently, âGive your phone to that shameless mother of yours.
I want to know who that bitch is!â
Arianaâs immediate concern was protecting Melon from Sadieâs wrath, fearing the fiery woman might unleash her anger on him.
Ariana faked a different voice, saying, âIâm sorry, but you mustâve dialed the wrong number.
â
And then, she abruptly hung up the phone, her heart racing as_ she contemplated the consequences.
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Sadie, her fury unabated, glared at the caller ID on her phone.
She wasnât buying the wrong number idea for a second.
Clenching her teeth, she made a mental note of the number, determined to launch an investigation.
Then, she erased the call history and blocked the number before leaving the study.
Meanwhile, Ariana sighed a long sigh of relief as the phone remained silent.
She cast a sympathetic glance at Melon, who sat there with tears streaming down his face, his voice silenced by the momentâs weight.
Arianaâs heart was heavy, torn between the web of deceit and the looming truth, much like Mitchel had warned.
She knew that sooner or later, falsehoods would unravel, and she couldnât perpetuate Holdenâs charade indefinitely.
She and Holden had no place in each otherâs lives anymore.
But explaining this to her son was a daunting task.
Should she reveal the truth, admitting she had been lying all along? Or should she simply tell him his father had passed away long ago?
The decision weighed heavily on Ariana as she took a deep breath, bracing herself for the difficult conversation.
However, before she could utter a word, Melon spoke, his voice trembling.
âMommy, that uncle isnât my daddy, is he?â
Ariana was momentarily stunned, her eyes locked on Melon as he continued,
âMy daddy would never be so fickle, and he wouldnât abandon us for five years!â
Melonâs voice quivered with emotion, and he raised his tear-streaked face, eyes red and brimming with tears.
He said, âMommy, I understand you meant well, but tell me, did you find someone to deceive me because my daddy canât return anymore?â
Melonâs precocious understanding caught Ariana off guard.
She hadnât expected him to confront her so directly.
In that instant, a wave of guilt washed over Ariana, her eyes welling up with tears.