Page 78 of Unravelling: Aria & Crispin
As they strolled along the water's edge, Aria felt a sudden clarity and abruptly halted.
"I'm going to call him," she announced determinedly. The phone rang repeatedly without answer, and Aria felt her eyes sting with tears.
Suddenly, the phone rang back. "Thank God," Aria breathed, answering quickly. Her relief shattered instantly as an unfamiliar male voice spoke.
"Who is this?" the man asked sharply.
"Who are you? Where is Crispin?" Aria demanded, panic creeping into her voice.
"I don't divulge personal information to unknown numbers," he replied dismissively. "Telemarketing? Quite late for that, my dear."
"Where is Crispin?" she repeated, her voice shaking.
"Oh," the man said with amusement, "one of his old flames, I presume. Sorry to inform you, but he's deleted your contact. Anyway, it's his engagement party today."
Aria gasped, disbelief flooding her. "I don't believe you."
"Listen," the man said calmly.
She heard a distant male voice clearly toasting, "Please join me in congratulating Crispin and Helga on their engagement. Crispin, you've chosen wisely. Helga will no doubt be a graceful, devoted, and remarkable wife."
Aria's hand went limp, the phone dropping from her ear. Lule, sensing something terribly wrong, looked on anxiously.
Suddenly, rage and heartbreak surged through Aria. With a cry of unbearable pain, she hurled the phone into the reservoir, screaming a tortured, agonised sound that echoed over the water.
"Aria! What happened?" Lule cried in alarm, moving to her side.
Aria collapsed onto the grass, her head spinning as darkness closed in around her in a merciful tide. Tears blurred her vision, mingling with the damp earth beneath her. She vaguely felt Lule turn her gently into the recovery position and heard her frantic voice shout to Rahul to call an ambulance. Choked sobs tore from Aria's throat until the darkness eclipsed her completely.
Chapter 42
Aria
Aria woke to the sterile scent of antiseptic and the low hum of machines. The harsh fluorescent lights above her head were diffused by a curtain, and as she shifted, the sharp tug of an IV line pulled at the back of her hand. Confused, she looked around.
A woman's voice floated to her from a few feet away. "...dehydrated...underweight...anaemic..."
She turned her head, throat dry and raw. "Where am I?" she asked hoarsely.
Lule turned at once, her body slumping with relief. "Thank God. Thank fucking God." She rushed to the bedside to hold her hand. "Aria, Aria, are you okay? Say something."
"I'm fine," Aria croaked weakly.
For a moment, all seemed well. But then she focused on Lule's ravaged face, the tear tracks still glistening on her cheeks.
"You stupid-no. No, I'm not saying anything. I'll wait until you're better and then scream at you. You fucking idiot," Lule muttered, her voice thick.
And then it came back to her. The call. The man on the phone. The toast.
Her eyes lost their light, her expression dulled.
Lule noticed the shift immediately. "What? What is it?"
"I'm such a fool," Aria whispered. "He's getting married."
Silent tears trickled from the corners of her eyes onto the pillow. Lule grabbed her hand, held it tightly, and they stayed like that for a long moment.
"Alright. So, he's the selfish prick we always suspected he was," Lule said, her voice fierce. "We'll hit him with child support and make sure he gets nothing but supervised visits. Stupid arsehole. Absolute bellend. Grade-A tosser."
