Snowstorm of Our Past

No matter how much Ella provoked her, Ariel ignored her and kept knitting.

When Ariel didn't respond, Ella lost her temper. She snatched the sweater from Ariel's hands and threw it into the pond.

"Are you deaf? Can't you hear me talking to you?"

Ariel finally snapped. She looked at the sweater floating on the water. "Get in there and pick it up for me."

"I won't. What are you going to do about it?"

"You won't? Then don't blame me for what happens next."

Ariel moved forward, backing Ella toward the edge of the pond. Just as Ella was about to shove Ariel into the water, she spotted Remi approaching in the distance.

A strange smile curved her lips. Ella grabbed something and threw it into the pond.

"Ms. Slater, no!" Ella suddenly screamed.

"That's my son's christening medal! Remi just got it for him a few days ago! He's been sick ever since you hurt him, and this medal was protecting him! How can you be so cruel?"

"What are you talking about? You're the one who…"

Ariel frowned. She knew nothing good would come from being near Ella. The woman was too good at acting.

"Ariel!" Before she could defend herself, Remi stormed over and grabbed her wrist hard.

"What did you do?"

"Remi, I really can't stay in this house anymore! Ms. Slater wants my son dead! I was just trying to say hello and told her you went to the church to get our son a christening medal for protection.

"She threw it in the pond and said my son didn't deserve to wear it, that he should be dead! She said even after you divorce her and her baby is born, my son will still just be a bastard."

"Did you really say that? Ariel, I thought you were willing to do this for Ella. Was the divorce all a lie?"

"I never said any of that!"

He gripped her wrist so hard that it hurt. Ariel shook her head. "She threw the medal in herself! It has nothing to do with me!"

"The priest said that medal can't touch water or something will happen to the child! Why would Ella use her own child's life to lie to me?"

Remi stared at her, his eyes full of disgust. "Ariel, how did you become like this? You're pregnant too. Aren't you afraid our child will be cursed for what you've done?"

A metallic taste rose in Ariel's mouth. She looked up at him in disbelief. "Remi, you'd curse our own child for the sake of Ella's baby?

"You have no idea what kind of person she is! She threw her baby from a height to frame me. What's throwing a medal compared to that?"

"Enough! Shut up!" Remi raised his hand and slapped her hard across the face.

The blow caught her off guard. She lost her balance and fell into the pond. The moment her body hit the water, the moment the water rose over her ears and nose, Ariel thought she was going to die.

Remi didn't move. His voice was cold and hard. "Stop pretending, Ariel. You can swim. Since you threw the medal in, you can dive down and get it."

"Someone get over here." Remi called over one of his men, his tone sharp and cold.

"Watch her. Don't let her come up until she finds that medal. If she can't find it, she stays in there."

The man watched Ariel struggling in the water and hesitated. "But sir, she's pregnant…"

Ella put on a show of concern. "Maybe we should forget it. Ms. Slater probably didn't mean to. What if something happens to the baby?"