Chapter 182 - From Frying Pan To Fire

Arianna had been careful all her life trying not to be caught breaking the law. It was hard growing up innocently when you have no one to look after you. She worked for Ruth because the pay was attractive and supported her survival.

But she had to give up working there in the end because when you begin associating with criminals, you start to think like them as well. And that proved effective after she picked up the skill of pickpocketing.

It seemed cool at first, being able to snatch stuff from people without them noticing. But that was not the kind of life Arianna wanted, especially when she saw the lives of the people she treated. Those criminals had a bleak future. 

She was privileged to know some of them, especially the lower gangs - most of the important figures wore masks to protect their identities and hardly spoke to her. She guessed they looked down at her or simply didn't care.

But one of them told her, "You can do anything you want contrary to the law, after all, the shitty law is meant to be broken. But taking a life? That's a shit you don't come back from. It stays with you forever and lingers on your mind like a wandering ghost."

Those thoughts didn't cross Arianna's mind as she thrust the tip of that headpin into Cassie's neck. It wasn't time to think about her moral compass, because right now, it was kill or get killed.

Cassie screamed from the pain and stiffened beneath her but she still wouldn't give up on strangulating her. If anything, Cassie applied more pleasure on her throat as if she knew her time was running out.

Arianna snapped. She was desperate to live. 

She stabbed the hairpin into Cassie's neck once more causing blood to pump out from the puncture yet she didn't give up, and stabbed her over and over again still her hands loosen on her neck and Cassie slipped to the side.

Breathing heavily, Arianna sat up, instantly removing the garrote around her neck, and felt a relief she hadn't felt until moments ago. She touched her neck and though it was painful and the skin there must have bruised over, she was fine. 

But the same couldn't be said for Cassie.

Arianna watched Cassie on the floor, pressing down on her wound in the neck as if trying to stop the bleeding all to no avail. Cassie tried to speak but all she did was choke on her blood.

She was not going to survive that, it was obvious to Arianna. And while that thought was supposed to chill her, it didn't and that scared Arianna the most. When did she begin to feel nonchalant about taking a life?

No, she didn't take a life, Arianna shook her head. This was self-defense, she was just trying to protect her life! The victim had tried to take her life! Surely, her word would stand in the court of law. That is if she gets reported. 

No one would know what she did if they didn't see her. 

Arianna stood up to her feet at once notwithstanding the urge to rest a bit. Her throat burned and she remained unmoving at that spot trying to get over the vertigo that washed over her.

She didn't leave immediately, rather went to the rack containing a few clothes and picked out the simplest dress she could find.

Crossing over to the dresser, Arianna was shocked at her reflection. She would have been scared of her appearance if she had stumbled at the mirror by mistake.

Her hair was disheveled, poking out in all directions as a result of the fight between them. She was almost drenched in Cassie's blood while the chord marks on her neck were deep and bruised.

Arianna zipped down and stepped out of the wedding dress till she was half-naked. If she wanted to escape here, nothing should limit her speed and her wedding dress was conspicuous - she would be putting a target on her head if she were to go out in that.

But she groaned when she bent and looking at the mirror, Arianna discovered another red bruise at the side of her stomach. She must have gotten that when Cassie tripped her and she fell flat on her stomach. 

But there was no time to linger on that wound, there are urgent matters to treat like escaping this hell hole. Arianna used the wedding dress and began to wipe her face, neck, and hands free of the blood. 

It didn't clear everything but it made Arianna look less scary, and she put on the clean clothing. Arianna would have preferred pants but there were only dresses and had to make do with it. When she was done, she picked a comb and made her hair look presentable. 

Arianna picked that hairpin, cleaned the blood off it, and used it to hold the end of her hair she pulled into a rough bun. She didn't know what was out there but since that pin saved her the first time, it might the second time.

It was time to go. 

Even when Arianna passed over Cassie's corpse, she didn't feel a trace of guilt only pity - that things would work out differently if she hadn't been blinded by her affection for Kenith. 

Cassie's eyes were still opened, fixed intently on the ceiling as if she was lost in her own world, but the light was gone. That thing right now was no longer Cassie but a body. 

The real Cassie was gone. 

May her soul rest in peace, that is if she would find one because a small part of Arianna wished she rots in hell. 

Arianna went to the door and to think Cassie locked it so no one could come to her rescue irked her - she thought she closed it to protect the both of them. 

However, something happened, because as soon as Arianna opened the door, somebody came in at the same time and she instinctively took a step back. 

Oh no, her problems just magnified.

"Did you bring …." the voice trailed off upon seeing Arianna. 

Arianna in question swallowed down a lump in her throat when her gaze fell on the figure called Kenith. 

Did she just jump from frying pan to fire?