Ariel sat in her room that afternoon while Dylan knelt before her, begging her to understand him.

"Ariel, please. I didn't know. Marcus deceived me."

"I asked you to go get my mother. I told you to protect her. But what did you do? You let her die. Dylan, you left and let her die. It's your fault she died. If only…if only you had not listened to some friend who was not even a friend! Perhaps Mom would still be alive. No, if only I had never married you. If I had never been involved with you, my life would have had so much peace."

"Ariel, listen to me…"...