Rift in the perfect picture

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Upon hearing Nicholas’s words, I was stunned. Why was he saying this? Why was he doing all of this?

I gazed at him, searching for answers. His dark eyes met mine. “Nothing to say?”

He was waiting for my reaction. I shook my head. “No”

A barely noticeable ironic smile lifted the corner of his lips. He turned his head away to avoid my gaze.

Nicholas knew he had said too much. He shouldn’t have brought me here. He had already done and said too many things he shouldn’t have today. But what was he expecting? I was with another man now. What was he hoping for?

Lost in his thoughts, he lowered his eyes and said coldly, “Just get out.”

Was I supposed to leave just because I had nothing to say? This unpredictable bastard! Fine. I glanced at the time. It wasn’t too late to take Tabitha to kindergarten.

“Alright then. I’ll leave…”

Before I could finish, I watched as Nicholas lost interest in cooking, casually tossing the heated pan into the sink. The eggs began to sizzle and dance in the pan.

He let out a cry of pain as a large amount of oil was splashed out, and the entire egg flew onto his forearm. The sharp hiss of burning oil snapped me out of my thoughts.

Before either of us could react, Nicholas was already clutching his arm, his face twisted in pain.

I couldn’t help but shout, “Nicholas! Run it under cold water, now!”

Nicholas turned to me with a vicious glare. “I told you to get out! Can’t you hear me?”

He stood still, with no sense of urgency or care for first aid. Clearly, he was in so much pain that his teeth were chattering, and beads of sweat were dripping from his forehead.

I frowned and scolded him, “Nicholas, don’t you have any common sense? Who puts a hot pan under cold water like that? Run your arm under cold water now! What are you waiting for? Do you want to lose your

arm?”

My anger suddenly flared up. I wasn’t sure if I was mad because he was recklessly harming himself or because he clearly didn’t know how to take care of himself.

I had sacrificed so much, even letting Claudia go just to save him. Why was he doing this to himself? What gave him the right?

But Nicholas was even angrier than I was. He glared at me, his voice rising. “I don’t need you telling me what to do! Get as far away from me as possible! I don’t want to see you again!”

He started walking toward me, intending to leave the kitchen.

At that moment, I genuinely thought Nicholas had either lost his mind or was acting foolish. Without thinking, I stepped forward and blocked his way.

“Where do you think you’re going? Get back here!” Grabbing his uninjured arm, I tried pulling him back toward the sink. “Run it under cold water!”

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But Nicholas was too tall and too strong. If he didn’t want to move, there was no way I could force him.

His mocking voice came from above me, full of disdain. “Ariana, are you pathetic or what? You say you don’t want to see me, that you want me out of your life.

“Now I’m telling you to leave, and you insist on meddling in my business. Are you a doctor now? Feel important?”

Nicholas’s words suffocated me. Over the years, I had endured all kinds of rumors and insults, both online and in real life. Many of them were far harsher than what Nicholas had just said.

But only his words made my nose tingle, and tears welled up in the corners of my eyes.

Some words, when they came from him, felt too heavy. Anyone else could insult me, but only his words

could hurt me this much.

I looked at him helplessly, blinking pack tears. I let go of his arm and took a few steps back. “Fine. I was just… I was just… I’ll leave now.”

My mind and throat felt choked up. For a moment, I couldn’t even form a word in my defense..

I turned to run away. But before I could take more than a few me effortlessly into his embrace.

steps, his arm wrapped around me, pulling

Nicholas panicked too. Wasn’t I supposed to be so strong? Wasn’t I the fierce, independent woman who always retorted sharply at him? How could just one sentence from him make me cry?

When he saw my tears, it seemed that he could no longer be angry at me.

“It still hurts. Undo my buttons and help me take off my shirt.”