Escaped My Ex, Got Snatched by His Rival - Chapter 500

Chapter 500: Cries of the strong (2)
“Other than being worried about you, why else do you think I am staying here?” Nicolai said to Ariana.

Hearing his response, Ariana let out a sigh. She said to him, “This is not a big deal.. I don’t know what was told to you, but this has happened a few times in the past, and I am used to dealing with these attacks.”

She frowned and added, “As for the things that the people at the apartment did… you don’t have to be worried about it either. I am fine; this is just surface-level wounds.”

She tugged at the blanket that was draped over her body before saying, “My situation would not have worsened if not for the incident that happened at the apartment building. You do not need to worry about me; I will be fine as long as I rest a bit more.”

“You truly know how to treat yourself,” Nicolai sarcastically commented. “Do you even know what happened, Ariana? You were almost out of breath! I shudder to think what would have happened if Aiden was not with you. If he hadn’t protected you… and performed the CPR on time, you would have died.”

Nicolai’s expression twisted as he questioned her angrily, “How can you say that it is not a big deal? You didn’t even tell me about this condition of yours. What if …” he lowered his voice and remarked, “What if I had hurt you? I treated you as I wanted and liked. I shudder to think what could have happened just because I was not being careful with you.”

Ariana clenched her fingers as she pushed herself off the bed.

She said to Nicolai in an even voice, “I am sorry that I forgot to tell you about my flawed body, Nicolai.”

“What did you say?” Nicolai questioned, his eyes widening slightly as a wave filled with rage swooped right in his heart.

His heart shuddered when he heard Ariana’s words. Did she think that he was angry over the fact that she didn’t tell him about her condition?

Ariana closed her eyes as she tried to calm her thumping heart. She said to Nicolai, “It was indeed my fault that I did not tell you about this matter. I should have told you the truth, as this was what you deserved;, if you had known the truth about my condition, then maybe you wouldn’t be regretting getting close to a sick woman like me.”

Nicolai stood up from the bed, his fingers so tightly clenched that his hand turned white with the pressure.

“… So, what you want to tell me is that after going out of breath as if someone had strangled you. After being beaten up by a bunch of idiots—all you want to tell me is that you are sorry that you did not tell me about your sickness?”

“That I would have been fine if I knew that you were sick and hadn’t gotten entangled with you? Why are you treating yourself as a defective product?”

“Because I am,” Ariana remembered the days where she was trapped in the room together with Roman. Even though nothing happened, it couldn’t be said that something didn’t happen.

She was almost ruined by that man and Mrs. Harlow.

And Ariana did not know if she was worthy of anyone anymore.

She closed her eyes and stated coldly, “I am a defective woman as far as anyone can see it. Even Aiden told me once that I will have a hard time in the future if I don’t get better because no one would want to get treated by someone like me who is sick.”

Ariana raised her head and looked at Nicolai. “I hid the truth from you because I was ashamed. And even pretended to be better than you when I am not; for this, I think I owe you an apology.”

Nicolai’s face was turned away from her, which was why she could not tell what kind of expression he was making. She heard him say, “Stop calling yourself defective!”

“You don’t have to feel bad,” said Ariana. “At least now you no longer have to silently hear my insults. No matter what kind of man you are, at least you are better than me in many ways. So if you want, then you can take yours. I will not ask you to take care of me. Nor will I want to burden you with my sickness; this is something that I have to face on my own.”

“I cannot ask you to take care of this flaw of mine—”

She was still speaking when Nicolai leaned forward; his hands clutched her shoulders as he pressed her down on the bed. His lips were quivering as he questioned Ariana, “H-How can you say such a thing about yourself? Do you take yourself this lightly? You should be clinging onto me and telling me that I cannot let you go!”

“That I am responsible for you!”

Nicolai’s voice was trembling so badly that Ariana’s eyes couldn’t help but widen. She blinked her eyes and questioned in a light voice, “Are..are you crying, Nicolai?”

“I–I thought you were dying, princess.” Nicolai leaned forward and buried his face in the crook of her neck. “I was scared… horrified at the thought that such a thing happened to you because of me. You kept telling me that people will use my visits and presence in your life against you.”

“And yet I foolishly refused to listen to you. I thought you were being too careful. It was only now that I have seen how the wicked can use such a small matter to harm you… I realised that I was the one who was being too careless.”

“You should be calling me names and blaming me! Because this happened because of me, instead of saying that it was you who are at fault.”

Ariana felt something cold and yet warm at the same time trickle down her neck and frown as she said in a soft voice, “You don’t have to cry, Nicolai.”