A Revenge : Between Love & Hate

"What's wrong, Noah? Why are you shouting for your wife?" asked Mrs. Rose as she approached her son in the living room, alarmed by his shouting-Noah Jeryco Alexander.

"Mom, Dad, my wife isn't in the room. I've looked for her, but she's nowhere to be found. God, Ariel, where the hell did she go?" Noah replied in a panic. The man who had just married a woman named Ariel Shandra ran his hands through his hair repeatedly in frustration.

"Are you sure?" asked Mrs. Rose and Mr. Alex in unison. They were both shocked to hear that their daughter-in-law wasn't in the bridal suite.

"Yes, Mom, Dad, Ariel is really gone," Noah insisted.

"You mean... Ariel ran away?" Mrs. Rose asked, trying to confirm.

"Have you tried calling her?" Mr. Alex added, confused and concerned. How could their daughter-in-law disappear on the wedding night?

"I did, Dad! But her phone is off. If she wasn't ready for intimacy, she should've just told me. She didn't have to run away like this," said Noah angrily, rubbing his face harshly. "If she wasn't ready, I wouldn't have forced her."

Noah took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, trying to calm himself down.

Mrs. Rose was furious, though she didn't show it in front of Noah. Ariel had just become Noah's wife, and she was already causing problems. From the beginning, Mrs. Rose had been against Noah marrying Ariel.

In her eyes, the relationship had moved too fast. They had only dated for three months. Not to mention, Ariel's background didn't measure up to the Alexander family's status.

Before disappearing, Ariel had asked to use the bathroom. It had been almost half an hour, and she hadn't returned. When Noah checked, she was already gone. Now, more than an hour had passed, and there was still no sign of her.

"Oh God... what's going on with your wife? This is exactly why I never liked her from the start," Mrs. Rose said, crossing her arms tightly.

Noah, however, stayed calm, choosing to think positively. He believed that if Ariel had run away, it was likely because she wasn't ready for the wedding night.

Soon after, a notification sounded on his phone. Noah immediately turned on the screen. A video message had arrived. He played the video silently-and was instantly shaken. His hands and body trembled violently. His heart felt like it had been pierced by a thousand knives as he watched the explicit footage.

In the video, his wife was clearly seen passionately making out with another man. The number that sent the video was unknown.

"What the hell is this?" Noah muttered, clenching one fist tightly.

He looked utterly crushed, though he tried not to show it. The pain he felt that night couldn't be described in words. It cut straight to his core. But Noah tried to stay strong, not wanting his parents to notice anything.

"What is it, Noah? Who sent the message?" asked Mrs. Rose curiously.

Noah quickly slipped his phone into his suit pocket.

He forced a smile despite his broken heart. "It's a message from Ariel," he said.

"What did she say?" Mrs. Rose asked, still clearly upset.

"She said something urgent came up, and she didn't want to bother me by asking for permission, so she left," Noah lied. "Anyway, I'm going to pick her up now," he added before walking out.

He was heading to the address listed in the message.

"Was it really that important, that she had to leave on the night of her wedding? That woman is completely out of line," Mrs. Rose said, watching her son's back as he walked away.

"Let it go, Rose. We should get some rest. What matters is that our daughter-in-law is safe," Mr. Alex replied.

A few minutes later, Noah arrived at the hotel. He had tried to mentally prepare himself for what he might find-something that could break his heart even more.

He walked steadily toward the hotel room listed in the message.

*God... give me strength. Please let it be a coincidence. Maybe the woman in the video only looked like Ariel,* he prayed silently.

Even though the footage made it painfully clear who the woman was, Noah was still in denial.

His heart pounded faster as he reached the door. His breathing quickened. He clung to the hope that the woman inside wasn't his wife.

The moaning from the room became louder and clearer.

Slowly, Noah placed his hand on the doorknob. To his surprise, it was unlocked.

Was this intentional?

The woman's moans rang out even more clearly now.

Noah carefully opened the door to avoid making any noise.

His eyes widened in disbelief the moment he saw what was inside. His wife was having sex with another man.

It was true-the woman in the explicit video was Ariel.

"ARIEL!" he screamed.

Ariel and the man instantly stopped their intimate act. Both of them hurriedly pulled the blanket over their fully naked bodies.

A mischievous smirk curved at the corner of Ariel's lips as Noah walked toward her. Deep down, she thought, "Perfect. Just like I wanted."

Noah clenched his fists, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. He was trying hard to stay composed. Never did he imagine that the gift he'd receive on his wedding night would be the betrayal of the woman who had just officially become his wife.

There were so many things Noah wanted to say, but no words would come out of his mouth.

"Oh? You came so early. We haven't even reached the climax yet," Ariel said shamelessly, without a hint of guilt.

Noah closed his eyes tightly at her words.

"Sorry to interrupt your love-making," he replied calmly, "but... have you forgotten that you're my wife?"

Deep in his heart, he wanted to destroy the man-Joe-but Noah held himself back.

"I haven't forgotten at all, Noah. Yes, I'm your wife. So what? Is there a problem?" Ariel snapped.

Noah smiled bitterly and slowly shook his head. "How could you betray me like this? We just got married, Ariel," he whispered, trying hard to contain his emotions. He didn't want to make a scene.

But instead of responding, Ariel leaned over and kissed Joe on the lips right in front of her husband.

Again, Noah shut his eyes tightly at the sight.

"Sorry, darling," Ariel said to Joe after pulling away. "Let's pause for now. We can continue later-seems like we've got a little interruption."

"Yeah, babe. You should handle your little problem with your husband," Joe replied with a smirk, casting a mocking glance at Noah.

Noah stood frozen, his eyes wide with rage. He noticed Joe's smug look, and his breathing grew heavier. His feelings tonight were beyond words-utterly shattered, a pain so sharp it pierced straight through his chest. His eyes were red, fighting back tears. He refused to cry-not in front of his wife and her lover.

Jonathan-who had stolen what Noah should've experienced-got off the bed, picked up his clothes from the floor, and dressed casually.

Then, Joe climbed back onto the bed and kissed Ariel once more. "I'm heading out now, babe," he said, deliberately provoking Noah.

Noah looked away as his wife kissed another man-his former college friend, no less.

"Are you two done?" Noah asked calmly.

Ariel seemed confused by his behavior. She expected anger, yelling, maybe even violence. But instead, her husband remained oddly composed. Joe, too, found it strange.

"Could you leave us now? I need to speak with my wife alone," Noah said to Joe.

"Fine. Whatever."

Joe stepped off the bed and exited the hotel room.

Silence filled the air after Joe left.

"Don't you feel hurt, Noah?" Ariel finally asked.

"Should I even answer that, Ariel? You haven't answered my question. What did I do wrong for you to ruin our wedding night like this? Do you think I'm some kind of puppet? This is ridiculous."

Ariel sneered. "You didn't do anything wrong, my dear. You're just a fool. So easy to convince that I loved you-enough to throw a grand wedding just to fulfill my dream."

"Yes, I am a fool," Noah admitted. "But I deserve an explanation. Why did you do this to me? If you never loved me, then we never should've gotten married."

"There's no explanation needed, Noah," Ariel replied casually, turning her gaze away. She couldn't bear to look him in the eyes any longer.

Ariel tried to act like she didn't care-like Noah's feelings meant nothing. She worked hard to suppress her own emotions, not wanting to cry. Despite her cruelty, deep down, her heart wavered.

Noah sat on the edge of the bed. He gently reached for her face, holding her hands tightly in his.

"Thank you," he said softly, "for the wound you've carved into me on our wedding night. But it's okay. Maybe the time we've spent together hasn't been enough for you to love me. That's why I've decided... I will keep you as my wife. I won't divorce you."

Ariel's eyes widened in shock. She had expected him to throw her out, to scream, to end everything. That was her plan-revenge delivered in full. But Noah didn't give her what she wanted.

He leaned in and kissed her forehead gently.

"I'm going home now," he said kindly. "If you want to keep sleeping with Joe, go ahead. Just make sure you come home afterward. I'll be waiting."

Ariel sat frozen in place.

"Or... would you rather come home with me now?" Noah offered.

"No. I'm not going with you," Ariel snapped.

"Alright. But you'll come back tomorrow, right?" he asked.

Ariel didn't respond.

"Why is he still holding onto me?" she thought bitterly. "He should've divorced me. He's such a fool."

The wedding night she'd envisioned had gone completely off-script. It was supposed to destroy Noah. But instead, nothing went as planned.

Suddenly, a wicked grin spread across her lips again.

"Fine. If he won't divorce me, then I'll keep seeing Joe. Maybe tonight wasn't painful enough. But I'll make sure it gets worse. Noah, how long will you keep loving me? I swear, I'll hurt you more than tonight. My revenge isn't over. You have to feel what my mother once felt," she thought to herself.

Ariel felt like all her efforts tonight had gone to waste. She had wanted to see Noah crumble. But he didn't fall apart-he didn't even yell.

Noah picked up Ariel's wedding dress.

"Put this on. I'll wait outside. It's better if we go home together. If I go home alone, Mom and Dad will start asking questions," he said.

Ariel stayed still, her expression cold and detached.

Noah smiled slyly.

"You think I'm keeping you because I love you? You're dead wrong, Ariel. From now on, you'll play by my rules," he thought.

Ariel stepped out of the hotel room, now wearing her wedding gown. Noah greeted her with a sincere smile and gently linked his arm with hers.

"Let's go home," Noah said softly.

Ariel pulled her arm away from his.

"There's no need for this," she said sharply, her expression clearly angry.

She was utterly disgusted. Tonight was supposed to be her moment of revenge against her husband.

Noah, meanwhile, tried to act as though nothing had happened, even though deep inside, he wanted to strangle the heartless woman beside him.

Once inside the car, Ariel received a message from Joe.

[So? Did Noah divorce you yet?]

[Not at all, Joe! It's so frustrating! He's incredibly stupid. He has no self-respect as a man. I'm so mad, Joe.]

Noah noticed Ariel was replying to Joe's texts, but he patiently stayed silent.

[Seriously? Then what about us?]

[We're still on, Joe. We have to crush Noah emotionally, make it even more painful. If possible, I want to drive him insane-just like my mother was.]

[Alright, babe.]

***

10:15 PM

Noah and Ariel had just arrived home. Mrs. Rose, Noah's mother, was still awake, clearly waiting for the couple's return.

"Mom, why are you still up?" Noah asked.

"I just am!" Mrs. Rose snapped, her eyes glaring at Ariel. "So? What business did you have, Ariel? Disappearing like that on your wedding night? You had everyone in this house worried."

"I'm sorry, Mom. I-" Ariel stammered, clearly unsure what excuse to give her mother-in-law.

"Ariel's friend is pregnant and had a fall in the bathroom," Noah quickly stepped in. "She started bleeding a bit. The house was empty, so she called Ariel for help."

"Was Ariel the only friend this pregnant woman has? Doesn't she know Ariel just got married? She could've called her husband, her parents, or anyone else. Why Ariel?" Mrs. Rose said, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Mom, that's enough. I'm tired, and so is Ariel. I'm sure you're exhausted too. It's been a long day of celebration," Noah said as he gently took Ariel's arm and led her toward their room. He didn't want his mother to uncover what had really happened.

Ariel followed without resistance.

"This is very strange..." Mrs. Rose muttered under her breath.

Inside the bedroom, Ariel shoved Noah's hand away roughly.

"You must be tired," Noah said, sitting beside her on the bed.

Ariel turned and stared at Noah, studying him intently, as if trying to decode the reason behind his calm demeanor.

"Why are you looking at me like that, Ariel? Do I look that handsome to you?" Noah joked, still smiling despite the emotional wound she had inflicted.

Ariel's gaze deepened. "Don't you feel hurt, Noah? After everything that happened tonight?" she asked, still unable to believe how composed he seemed.

"Should I express my feelings to you, Ariel? Would you even care about them? No, right? Then why should I even bother sharing how I feel?"

His chest tightened as he caught sight of the red marks on Ariel's neck-clear proof of her betrayal. He quickly looked away. The longer he stared at her, the more it hurt. The events of earlier still haunted him vividly.

"I want to know-why do you still want to keep me as your wife?" Ariel asked.

"Didn't I already answer that?" Noah replied. "Because I've already fallen in love with you."

"But I don't love you, Noah! I've never loved you!" Ariel shouted, suddenly standing. "So... I'm sorry, but even if you insist on keeping me as your wife, I'll never see you as my husband. I'll keep seeing Joe. I love Joe. You're just a substitute-someone to fill the gap when Joe wasn't around."

She smiled cruelly, indifferent to Noah's pain.

Noah only responded with a faint, bitter smile.

"Whatever you say, darling. Anyway, I'm going to shower," he said calmly and headed to the bathroom.

Ariel fumed in silence.

"Stay calm, Ariel! At least I've caused a bit of the pain my mother once felt. Mrs. Rose, I've taken my revenge-on your son. If Noah refuses to divorce me, then that's even better. That just means he's going to feel pain far worse than this," Ariel murmured to herself.

Deep down, a small part of her regretted it. She knew this was degrading to her dignity. But her thirst for revenge against Mrs. Rose drove her to hurt Noah so deliberately.

"Just wait, Rose. I'll drive your son mad-just like my mother was!" Ariel vowed silently.

Unbeknownst to them, Mrs. Rose had been standing by the bedroom door the entire time. She had heard every word exchanged between Noah and Ariel. She now fully understood the situation between her son and daughter-in-law.

"This can't go on! Noah must divorce Ariel tonight!" she said firmly.