Chapter 494

"Then I'll be leaving. Goodbye, Dad!" Arianna kissed her father's cheek and pulled Brittany out of the house. Brittany was shocked. She felt uncomfortable after witnessing the scene. Is there something wrong with Arianna? Was the whole thing an act? I feel like I'm on a drama set! Was what they said scripted? Did everyone forget the argument after the scene ended? Otherwise, how could Arianna remain so calm and stay in this supposedly harmonious family with her "loving" father? How could she act so childishly towards him?

The two sat in the car as Brittany silently started the engine and drove away with Arianna in the passenger seat. They remained quiet for a long time. Brittany still couldn't understand what had happened. Nothing made sense.

Arianna opened her purse, took out a small bag of snacks, and tore it open with her delicate fingernails. She offered a piece of dried apricot to Brittany, who shook her head. Arianna ate it herself.

"Are you still wondering why I'm still close to my father after what you heard? Why I buy him clothes? Do you think I should cry, make a fuss, quarrel with him, and fight for my rights?" she said calmly, as if recounting someone else's story. Brittany remained silent.

"That's because I learned very early that crying solves nothing," Arianna said, chewing slowly, her eyes calmly fixed ahead. "If I cry or quarrel, my father will remain the same. Do you think I can change his mind and make him see my worth? Of course not! It would only make him hate me. He'd think I'm ignorant and only want to fight with my so-called half-brother."

"My father would say I should be more obedient and sensible. He thinks I'm a little girl and should act like one. I do what he wants, what he likes to see. At least, I'm in his heart, even if I'm not the one to inherit the family business. I'm the daughter who makes him comfortable."

The more she talked, the more ferociously she chewed the apricot, her chin straining. Brittany glanced at her. "Arianna"

"I'm fine. Don't comfort me. Every family has its problems. It's no big deal," Arianna shrugged dismissively. "Remember what I asked you earlier? Do you want Alex physically or his love? I've been there. My mother has my father physically; that other woman has his heart."

Brittany hadn't expected Arianna to turn the question back on her, but she found her reasoning reasonable. She concentrated on driving, listening intently. Arianna looked out the window, her elbow resting on the sill.

Arianna murmured, more to herself than to Brittany, "My father married my mother without really loving her, but so what? Men always prefer the new over the old. The more you care, the less they take you seriously. The more you ignore them, the more interested they become."

"Don't you think it's easy to get a man? That woman used drugs to seduce my father, and they had a baby. If my mother hadn't been pregnant with me at the same time, things might have been different."

After a pause, she turned to Brittany. "But my mother was lucky, too. If that woman's family were richer, I might be the one playing the spoiled brat."