Chapter 8 She's The Thief

'If beauty could be measured by drops of water you'd be an Ocean. From Ken' Amy helped her read the note on the card out loud

"Ok I'm very lost here. Which Ken are we discussing here? Last time I checked Jared was the only love interest and Ken was an ex" Ariane sighed realising it was going to be a long interrogation. She patiently explained how she and Ken met at the mall to Amy.

"So he bought you tampons and you told him where you work?"

"Of course not!! I'm not crazy not with everything happening with Lucas." Just as she was denying her phone rang and she picked up.

"It's Ken. You got the flowers" He sounded so sure of his self and Ariane decided it would be nice to change that.

"I'm more into yellow roses. How did you get my number?"

"You said it your self it is a small world and I'm guessing this is a sign that we are meant to be together. Do you want to go out some time?"

"Does this actually work?"

"I don't know usually I'm the one being wooed"

"I'll be really busy for a while if it's meant to be we'll meet some other time"

"Ok Riri have a nice day"

"Girl start spilling and don't even give me that 'Whaaat?' I clearly saw you smiling a little" Amy was on her the minute she ended the call.

"Amelia Isadora Groff it's nothing. Right now I have to act as a good wife to Lucas and be a good girlfriend to Jared It's probably ex- girlfriend by now. I don't want to talk about it"

"Fine but if you are at the mall next time and see a good looking man please pass him on to me. It wouldn't hurt to have a rich admirer"

"So that Tommy can kill me nah I'll pass"

°°°°°

Ariane held in the urge to roll her eyes for the hundredth time since she walked into this event. She couldn't understand why she even had to come to this place when Lucas clearly knew she hated things like this. It was their high-school reunion and everyone seemed to have something to brag about. Amy had gone off with her Fiancé and left her all alone well not really all alone. She could go stay with Lucas but to her that wasn't really a choice.

"What about you? What do you do?" Ariane quickly put on her fake smile facing the group of ladies she had joined because she didn't want to look different and left out.

"I'm a content marketing manager" the ladies there looked at her weird like she had suddenly grown horns.

"And how much do you make yearly?"

"About $20,000" Ariane didn't see any thing wrong with her reply but the disgusted look from the ladies all around her told a whole different story. They quickly labeled her irrelevant not that she cared. She had never really liked the idea of bonding with people she didn't even know in high school. Like why couldn't this just be a class thing.

"Excuse me ladies can I borrow Ari for a minute" Lucas saved her from the awkward moment with the ladies and she was grateful even though it was all his fault to begin with. Left for her she'd be in bed watching a series from her to watch list while munching on chocolates.

"Lucas there you are I was wondering when you would grace us with your presence. You've changed so much and no longer come around to the silver Fox club gatherings" Ariane watched the woman who seemed to be the leader of this group fix Lucas tie.

"Of course not Megan I didn't abandon the club I've just been busy with the companies and all"

"So what's with you and this one. What's her name again?" The question was followed by stares they all wanted to know how Lucas knew her.

"Ariane, She is my wife. I promise we didn't mean to leave you all out of the wedding plans. It was short notice this one here was very eager to become my wife. I'm sure my sister will be delighted to fill you in on what happened"

Lucas said all that jokingly but didn't expect Megan and her clique of ladies to add another meaning to it. A moment ago Ari was just another peasant they thought worked for Lucas to them and now she was the gold digging whore that had climbed her way up to the bed of 'The Lucas King'.

He led her away hand on her waist till they were finally in front of a familiar face.

"Mrs Stephenson!!" Ariane couldn't believe her eyes for a minute but she quickly hugged the frail woman who returned the gesture.

"How long has it been since I last saw you? My goodness you were so little with ponytail now you are so pretty and mature" Lucas watched the interaction between his and Ariane's favouriteteacher back them. Ariane who was frowning just few minutes ago was full blown laughing at the moment. She had always loved Mrs. Stephenson

"Lucas wouldn't tell me why you stopped coming to visit with him all these years. I wanted to attend your wedding but Bob had a health crisis then so we couldn't make it." Ariane just nodded not sure what to say and why Lucas never told her that they broke up.

°°°

Ariane returned to the table she was assigned to along with some ladies. She had left for the restroom briefly and when she came back the ladies had left the table to socialise in the crowd.

20 minutes passed after her return from the restroom when a woman who was previously seated at the table came to retrieve her purse. She made a show of searching through it before shrieking. Her shrill voice was more than enough to catch Ariane's attention.

"What happened to my sapphire credit card it was just in here?" Her loud voice was beginning to attract others too.

"What's wrong?" Jessica and some of her female friends arrived at the scene. Ariane already had an idea where this was going and quickly took her clutch purse from the table ready to exit.

"My sapphire credit card. Its gone I wanted to use it go get something but its gone"

"Is that your purse. I thought I saw Ariane going through it few minutes ago. I didn't say anything because I thought it was hers" Ariane cursed her bad luck. She had almost made it into the midst of the crowd but now all eyes were on her. How dare that bitch accuse her wrongly she had always hated Elaine the girl who spoke and now she had more reason to.

"Watch what you say. She is my brothers wife afterall why would she steal something so cheap when she could always ask Lucas" Ariane looked around for any sightings of Lucas but he wasn't in the hall most men weren't the place now consisted of mostly women

"I want to check her purse anyways if she is innocent as you suggest she shouldn't have any problem with me checking"

"But... But.. Ari please let her check your purse I believe you and I know you wouldn't steal even though you are from a middle class family. My brother isn't here if he was you'd never have to go through this type of embarrassment" Jessica spoke softly like she was trying to help but Ariane knew better. She was caught in a Telenovela like sabotaging scheme and didn't know how to get out without getting hurt. .

She had always thought that she could do better than most characters caught in the middle of a plot made to cause them harm but at the moment she was out of ideas.

One thing was sure though they couldn't search her purse. She knew without doubt that card had already been planted in her purse and it was probably when she went to the restroom.

"If you check mine will you check that of every other person the same way? Or am I the only suspect? Besides you can't go through my purse I have something important in there" Ariane was trying her best to buy time while hoping for a divine intervention.

Eliane the same person who said she saw Ariane go through the woman's purse snatched Ariane's purse out of her hand when she least expected and when she tried to take it back Jessica stopped her still acting like she was on the side of her brother's wife.