Before Arianne could mount a reply, Alejandro had stepped into the opening with a repartee. “And this is why no one seriously considers a woman’s opinion on things. Turning the other cheeks doesn't bring peace—instead, it only makes you seethe and suffer your indignance on your own. An eye for an eye is the real way of living! We’re all equal as humans, so why the f**k should we have to tolerate certain subsets of people, despite them being no more special than we are, huh? What’s the point of living a life of servitude and submission?”Melanie was so exasperated that she launched into a series of eyerolls. “Oh, please miss me with that high-minded bunkum. You just want to watch the world burn with a box of popcorn in hand, Nero. Sure, your conjecture sounds reasonable, but it doesn’t automatically exclude the possibility of you being dead wrong! What if you were wrong? You goading Arianne into pursuing this investigation is basically just you trying to manufacture more drama!”Aleja
Soon, someone among them finally stopped gawking and feigned care. “Aww, don’t cry a river over this now! The sooner you get used to it, the better. Gee, a while ago, you defended her to the point of getting into heated disagreements with us. Now you know, huh? Being ‘Mrs. Tremont’ for a while had really gotten into her head, I’ll give you that. B*tch always thinks she’s several levels above us. And then she got dumped hard, but she still thinks she’s ‘The Madam’ and the boss of us. Ludicrous, right? Oh, wait… We gotta watch our backs—the boss has mandated us to never talk sh*t about Arianne, so we better zip it now, I guess. Come on, Robin, don’t be too upset, ok? At least you get to keep your job in Tremont Enterprise. It’s not like Arianne has the power to fire you or anything.”It was then that the supervisor approached them, chastising, “Oy, what do you think you people are doing here? This isn’t time for talking—shut your piehole and go back to work! Miss Cox, you’re with me.”
By this point, even the look Libby shot was evident of pity. It was as though Robin’s predicament had drawn much of her sympathy. “Oh, hon, I can’t accept this now! I don’t recall actually giving you any special treatment, you know, because I believe in treating everyone fairly and impartially. Chin up, dear. Your husband’s the renowned designer, Sylvain Trudeau! Leaving Tremont Estate isn’t gonna hurt you too much, trust me. People like you won’t ever fret about the cost of living, yea?”“But I insist, Mrs. Sheppard!” Robin exclaimed, her eyes wide with sincerity. “Sylvain’s too busy tonight to join, but he approved of me inviting you for dinner, so… Well, c’mon! Let me treat you just this once—you can go anywhere you like. Or, if you don’t know where to pick… How about White Water Bay Café? It’s a pretty top-notch place. But what do you think?”Hearing White Water Bay Café as a possible venue perked some of Libby’s interest. “Damn, that’s an expensive place right there though, ain’
“Well, she used to take care of me at work,” Robin explained. “So even though we’re technically not friends anymore, I think I should at least acknowledge her for old times’ sake. So, I invited her for my last dinner.”Libby tucked her phone away and said nothing. All she knew was that her mood for selfies was dashed.Arianne crossed the room and took her seat with phlegm, addressing no one in the room either through eye contact or verbal greetings. In her mind, Libby had rolled her eyes for almost a hundred times over the party-pooper’s attitude. All that was left was squeezing a scornful “Holy sh*t, still putting on those godforsaken airs because you were ‘Mrs. Tremont’ for a few days?!’ through her teeth.The group dined in silence. Then, Arianne—seemingly casually—broke the spell, asking, “So, Libby Sheppard. I heard that you used to be quite chummy with Shelly-Ann Leigh, weren’t you? Still talking to her after she left?”Libby stole a furtive glance at Arianne and decided agai
Arianne lunged, grabbing Libby by her collar before pinning her against the wall.“This restaurant belongs to Jackson West, whose wife, Tiffany, is my best friend. You really think you can skedaddle out of here before giving me answers?” she hissed. “Now that we’ve finally got you, you’re not leaving this premise until you tell me the truth. Just how many favors did that Shelly give you in exchange for you being her tail-wagging lackey, huh? Think. She’s exhausted every single one of her brain cells trying to kick me out of the company, yet the easiest way to do that has always been to just get Mark to fire me. Ever wonder why she would rather throw all of her effort into these useless roundabout ways than just doing that?“It’s because Mark wants me to always remain in his life, divorce be damned. He won’t accept me leaving his sight. It doesn’t matter how many tricks Shelly plays, as long as he wills it, I’ll never go away,” she continued. “Say… We were never enemies before, were w
Even so, Shelly was keenly aware of the minute but odd flex in Libby’s voice. “Libby… Sheppard? What are you doing? You sound off, dear.”Libby shot a brisk glance at Arianne then took a deep breath and started, “Nothing. I just came home from work, that‘s all. Walked quite a distance, so I might sound a little, er, breathy. Um, anyway, the reason why I’m calling you right now is because I… need your help. Mr. Tremont thinks I’m not doing a peachy keen enough job for him, and I think he’s onto axing me. Mrs. Leigh, I was, uh, hoping you can help put in a good word for me, you know? I’ve been working hard in Tremont Enterprise for so long, and I didn’t get to be the supervisor just to be shown the door… You get what I’m saying?”The other side of the phone was quiet for a tad too long. It took more than ten conspicuous seconds before Shelly finally said, “Hey, listen. I really, really want to help, but… I can’t do much about the affairs of the company. As you’re no doubt aware, I’m no
Robin stuck her tongue out playfully. “Teehee! Not at all, Arianne. A slap in exchange for you to unearth the truth? Now that’s a fair bargain! I know you wouldn’t hit me too hard, sis. You always know not to go overboard.”Arianne grabbed a spoonful of meatballs and placed them on Robin's plate. “C’mon, dig in already. To tell you the truth… I haven’t made up my mind about telling Mark. Honestly? His method of dealing with anything Shelly-related has been very, very lacking. I’ve been patient for far too long, and this time, that Shelly has really gone beyond the pale. I am not letting her off the hook; not anymore... But I also don’t wanna trap Mark in a tough situation either, so I think this is something I must do on my own. Come on, let’s enjoy our dinner to the fullest. After this, I’m going straight to Shelly-Ann Leigh.”“Yea, ditto,” Robin murmured pensively. “She’s Mr. Tremont’s aunt, right? He can’t go too far when he’s handling any problem related to her, can he? Either wa
Mentioning Libby somehow caused Shelly’s face to contort in derision and disgust.Seeing the grimace take shape in front of Arianne’s very eyes somehow fanned the flames in her. Was this how Shelly saw and used the people around her? Treating other humans as monkeys and suckers as if that made her superior to them all?“So, what’s the next dirty, sh*tty move you’re gonna pull out, huh? Or have you reached the bottom of the barrel and are now running out of tricks? Gonna threaten Mark to fire me by using your relation to him again?” Arianne bristled hotly. “I’m warning you, don’t get too cocky. Because one day, you will go so far that you'll hoist yourself on your own petard!”Unthinkably, Arianne’s words only made Shelly burst out laughing.“Haha! Bless your heart, sweetie; that day won’t ever come. In fact, I dare you to tell Mark about this whole thing right now and see if he believes you! Even if Libby told you everything, so what? I am Mark’s one and only birth mother. Why woul