Side Story : If the night couple were human

For the umpteenth time, Ariadne repeated to herself that she should never have come to the party organized by this relation of Amy, her best friend. But how could she do otherwise when her heart was so big, so full of sorrow, resentment and frustration, that she couldn't think of anything else but trying to lighten it as easily as possible.

When her father that very afternoon told her in a gentle voice what she had feared for months, the young woman, despite all her willpower, did not have the strength to bear it and, acting against her calm and thoughtful nature, left the room where her father was still standing, almost as unhappy as she was, and went straight to telephone her best friend to inform her that she had changed her mind and was going to take part in her partner's fancy dress ball party, in order to celebrate her forty-fifth birthday in style.