At long last, Ariane arrived at Jenny's flat. She exhaled softly as she parked her car and rested her head on the wheels.
Not only did she feel completely worn out, but her mind was replaying everything that had happened at her parent's house.
She sighed and dragged herself out of the car to the door of the flat.
She then rang the bell, and only a few seconds later, she heard the door open.
"Arie!" She heard Jenny's boisterous voice, but all she could manage was a forced smile for the ecstatic Jenny.
"Hi, I am sorry for bothering you.
"Hey, stop that; you would never bother me. Come in. It's quite late you see, you need to freshen up first." Jenny said and made way for Ariane to get in.
Ariane smiled slightly as she looked around the flat, which was not too small but still cosy and nice.
It was just simple but warm to stay in.
"Your room is over there; feel free to enter and take a shower while I make you some food; it is just pasta, so do not worry about the time." Jenny said as she helped Ariane take her bag.
"Right, it's as though you knew, I hadn't gotten the chance to eat all day." Ariane said, following Jenny to her room.
When she entered the room, she noticed how lovely and basic it was-it even had everything she would require.
A compact bookshelf, a tiny tabletop, a neatly made bed. It was incredibly comfortable.
"That door leads to your bathroom." Jenny said, pointing at a door.
Ariane simply smiled while jenny walked out.
She took a deep breath out, then picked up her phone while sitting on her bed.
She tried to call her mother, but the call did not go through.
Though she convinced herself everything was OK, she was a little worried.
She then walked to the bathroom.
After a short while, Ariane walked out of the bathroom dressed in some night wears she found in the bathroom
She had just finished drying her hair with a towel then she walked out of her room.
She was feeling so weak as she had not eaten all day.
"I apologise for stressing you out so late at night." Ariane was making her way to the small dining table that Jenny had set up on the living room side, she said.
"Stress? It's just 1.am, no biggy, I didn't plan on sleeping early anyways." Jenny said.
They shared a simple meal of mac and cheese along with a few other side dishes as they sat at the dining room table.
"Enjoy."
"Thank you." Ariane spoke and slowly picked up her cutlery.
She could not help but think about her family; she has no idea how they are or whether they have eaten.
She felt so sad but then again, Anger began to engulf her and so she decided to eat while in rage.
Jenny continued to stare at her in shock and curiosity.
Jenny knew something was wrong, but she did not want to ruin Ariane's mood now that she had the appetite to eat.
Jenny then decided to eat as well, a bit slowly while occasionally looking at Ariane.
"If you had a fight with someone it's best to acknowledge what you did wrong than to run away from them."
Jenny said in an audible voice.
Ariane's expression did not change as she ate her food with great gusto.
"The fight hasn't begun yet. I need to eat to have the strength to fight don't you think?" Ariane replied nonchalantly while she took her glass of fruit juice.
"Huh?" Jenny voiced out a bit shocked at the reply.
Without saying anything, Ariane took out her phone and clicked on the screen, leaving Jenny puzzled.
"Here, click on the video." Ariane said shortly, giving the phone to Jenny who then collected it and did as Ariane said.
The video was solely talking about the downfall of the Niles family which left Jenny so shocked.
[In addition to tax evasion, embezzlement, and fraudulent activities, Mr. Niles Maverick also took out loans from multiple businesses, which resulted in the confiscation of his homes, vehicles, and business.] jenny couldn't take it any longer and so she turned off the video.
"A-Ariane, i-i didn't know-"
"Don't you dare feel pity for me Jenny."
Ariane replied, dropping her cutlery.
"You should pity those who dared to mess with me. Because of them, my father is currently ill and facing business-related criminal charges. Everything that we once owned is gone... I can not let this pass, can I?" Even though Ariane tried to hide it with a fake smile, she spoke with deep pain and rage in her heart.
Jenny became saddened after hearing this, and her eyes welled up with tears.
Seeing her friend being this strong even at a time like this made her feel even more sad.
They have been friends since they were in junior high.
Jenny, despite coming from a "not so rich" family, was able to attend such an expensive school where the wealthy children were.
She felt like an outcast at school and was almost bullied until Ariane intervened to help.
Ever since then, they have been friends even though they got separated after high school.
"It must have been difficult for you." Jenny said as she tried to act strong Infront of Ariane.
Ariane's heart immediately ached as she heard those words; her smile slowly dropped.
Yes, it was difficult, but she knew she had to keep going for the sake of her family.
"All I need is a job and somewhere to stay." She said, trying to divert the question to something else.
"I will help you find a job tomorrow, and you are welcome to stay here." Jenny said, wiping her tears away.
"N-no, Jenny, please...I can get a place to stay, I do not want to inconvenience you...and about the job-"
"I can help you." Jenny cut her off.
"My flat is spacious enough, and I have already prepared a room for you. you do not have to bother about anything. You are my friend, and if you need my help, I'm here to help though i might not have much." Jenny replied with a smile.
"And do not dare think of rejecting my offer. You do not have a choice." Jenny said with a smile as she saw Ariane opening her mouth to speak.
"Thank you" Ariane replied with a smile.
"Mn, I will definitely find some time, maybe even tomorrow, and I will get to show you around." Jenny said happily.