Chapter 6 was there any clues

Ariel's P.O.V.

"Are you sure, honey, that you want to live separately? I mean, you two are married now. I don't see any reason why you two shouldn't be together." Lucy asked me in a concerned tone while voicing her concern.

I closed the cupboard and smiled faintly while looking at her. "We all know why we are married in the first place, Mom, and you know Winston better than anyone else. He loves his personal space, and... and I also want to take some alone time to... to think about how to proceed with this relationship." I replied to her with a smile, half lying, but this was the best excuse that I could think of right now.

God, It seems that I have done a successful course in making excuses while I was dead.

I mean, I had made so many excuses in less than three days that I had made in my entire life before I was killed in my past life.

"Still I am not convinced with this arrangement." She sounded exasperated, but there was nothing that I could do to comfort her.

She was now sitting on the edge of the bed, looking troubled. I sighed helplessly and then walked to her. She was one of those people who showed me care and concern in my past life. So, I had no grievance against her.

I sat down behind her and slowly massaged her shoulders, the same tactic that I always used in my past life to make her forgive me sometimes and sometimes bend to my demands.

She huffed while glaring at me but didn't stop me. I giggled and gently massaged her shoulders while giving her a pleading look. There was a comfortable silence in the room for a while, and I actually enjoyed this peace.

"I still don't know what you are thinking, Ariel. You have a long way ahead of you where you have to go with Winston. Living separately will not burn the bridge between you." She said in a low and disappointed tone.

I pursed my lips into a thin line. She wanted the best for both me and Winston, but some bridges are meant to keep the distances between the two ends.

"Mom... as you said... we have a long way ahead of us. So, let's leave this on time. For now, I guess, both of us need to focus on our careers." I coaxed her in a very gentle way.

She slowly moved her face towards me, her brows knit in confusion. "You want to build a career?" she asked me in a confused tone, and I smiled faintly, still massaging her shoulders.

"After three months, it will be my birthday and also the day when I have to take over my parents' business from both sides. So.... I think it will be better for me to start working instead of taking over with no clue." I explained, and she raised her brows in surprise.

I was a bit embarrassed because this was the first time in two lives I talked about having a career. Well, I learned my lesson after dying once, but most of the people in this world don't get a second chance, and they leave this world with resentment or regrets.

"Do whatever you want to do, Ariel. I will always be with you." She assured me with that motherly smile on her lips, which always warms my heart.

"Thanks, Mom... you are the best." I hugged her tightly in excitement, and she laughed aloud. I knew that she would support me unconditionally.

"Okay... get some rest. I will call you for dinner," she told me before standing up. I just grinned widely while bobbing my head furiously. She smiled while shaking her head and got out of the room.

"Oh!" I exclaimed while throwing myself on the bed on my back and closed my eyes. It was easy to persuade Winston's mother. Apart from her, no other member of his family had any interest in me or in my whereabouts.

I remembered that nothing major happened in the next two weeks after my wedding. Winston came back from one business trip and went to another the same day. I didn't even see him again until the next month on his parents' wedding anniversary.

I was either at home or at the orphanage, where I started going after my parents' death. Being with those kids always gave me a sense of belonging and happiness. I frowned when I found that nothing big happened during those months after my marriage.

I lived a peaceful and boring life as I had always lived, without friends and without any relatives.

Without my husband, of course.....

I knitted my brows in confusion while staring at the roof above my head. Were there signals related to what happened to me in my past life that I didn't pick up on and ended up dead in the end?

I racked my brain, going through all the memories over and over again, but I found none. How could it be possible? I knew that my uncles and aunts didn't want me to inherit the business and family wealth left by my grandparents and my parents for me.

But they had plenty of time to get rid of me all those years in the past. Why wait till my marriage?

I felt that I was missing something very important in those memories, but I couldn't pinpoint exactly what that memory was.

I sighed and slowly sat up. Forget it. I would be vigilant from now on and would never let my guard down in front of anyone.

I am not going to help anyone around me to change the outcome of some of their actions causing losses and sorrow to them.

What did it mean?

I meant that I would never warn or help anyone to change their fate with the knowledge of all their actions and their consequences.

I heard a knock on the door and looked in that direction. "Mrs. Atkin has asked you to meet her in the living room, Ms. Hudson." The maid informed me in a formal tone.

"Okay... I will be there." I informed her casually and slowly got up from the bed. I looked around at my room once again and smiled widely. She closed the door once again.

I had nothing to do for the rest of the day. So, I decided to give Zion and Tony a call, reminding them to send me what I asked them.

I went to the bathroom to freshen up first. I tied up my hair and walked out of my room with my phone in my hand.

"I know the history behind this emerald necklace, Mrs. Johnson. You don't need to tell me. Rest assured, I am willing to buy the necklace. That necklace is a perfect match with the attire that I am thinking of wearing to the next annual function of our company."

I raised my brows while listening to my mother-in-law's conversation over the call. The memory hit the back of my head. She also went to buy an expensive necklace on the very same day as today in my previous life.

She signaled me to sit down, and I obediently sat down on the loveseat while thinking about what happened after that.

I remembered that the necklace was faulty, but the designer hid that fault so brilliantly that no one could find it out until she showed this to a few of her friends during a tea party after a month. One of them then revealed that the necklace was faulty, but it was too late for them to find the designer.

She lost a few million, but the incident also made her a laughingstock among her circle for being naïve to trust some sweet words from a stranger and not asking an opinion from an expert.

"Ummm... Mom." I called her when I realized that she was going to give in to the temptation. She looked at me questioningly.

I sighed and decided to use my knowledge only this time to save her from the humiliation that she was going to receive. Now I also remembered that the Johnson family would be caught in various lawsuits after a month. Most of them related to fake antiques and jewelry pieces.

"If you don't mind my advice, I think.... you should appraise the necklace first." I requested her in a very low voice, and she frowned.

"I... I came across news on the net a few weeks ago related to jewelry frauds increasing in our city these days. They fake antique jewelry and jewelry with rare gems and sell them in millions." I explained further immediately.

"Ummm... Mrs. Johnson... give me a second, please." She said to Mrs. Johnson and covered the mouthpiece.

"This is Mrs. Johnson, Ariel. Her family has been in this business for ages." She replied to me in a hushed tone while moving the phone away.

"But this jewelry piece is not something that can be attained so easily, right? She shouldn't have any problem with appraising that jewelry piece. Although we don't lack money, buying a fake piece will be a dent in our reputation." I persuaded her again while giving a valid reason for my doubt.

For higher society, reputation is everything. One can endure losing money but can't endure losing reputation.

She frowned, but I saw doubts in her eyes now. She put the phone to her ear once again after some seconds, and I blew the breath through my mouth that I was holding till now.