Her question made Jackson chuckle. “Stop it. Call me daddy.”Tiffany rolled her eyes at him. “You wish! Speak if you have something important to say. Don’t disturb me while I’m at work.”Jackson drummed his finger rhythmically against the table. He paused thoughtfully and said, “Send a message to Arianne and ask her out for a meal after work at my restaurant. My treat.”Tiffany was immediately suspicious. “Why? Why are you buying us a meal for no good reason? Those who are kind for no good reason usually harbor evil intentions. You better be frank or I won’t move an inch!” At the same time, she gulped instinctively as she spoke. She had dreamed of the amazing dishes at White Water Bay Café many times. She would be lying if she said she did not want to have a meal there.Jackson saw her gulping very clearly, and his grin turned even wider. “I’ll tell you when we’re there. Call her as soon as possible.”Tiffany lowered her voice and said, “Can I use your phone? My phone has run out
Arianne smiled bitterly. “What do you think will happen when Mark finds out you brought me out for a meal? I had an extramarital affair. Shouldn’t you, as his friend, be mad at me?”“There’s no such thing. That’s a problem between both of you. As long as you’re not divorced, you’re still my sister-in-law. Whatever you said, won’t happen.” Jackson did not expect Arianne to be so blunt.Tiffany was completely dumbfounded. “What are you talking about, Ari? What extramarital affair? What happened? Why wasn’t I aware of this? I was wondering why things have been so weird between you two…”Arianne knew Tiffany very well. She would not back down until the situation was made clear to her. So she recounted everything that had happened in detail to her.Tiffany was suitably shocked. “You’ve clearly been set up. Doesn’t Mark believe you?”Arianne lowered her head. “It doesn’t matter to him, I guess? It’s true that I went to see Will during lunch break. This would never have happened if I did
In the midst of joking around, Tiffany’s gaze landed on a familiar figure queuing up at the front end of the long line. She thought she was seeing things so she rubbed her eyes to confirm it. Ethan was actually queuing up to buy Chinese-style omelet wraps. Moreover, he had arrived even earlier than them. It was almost his turn now!She wanted to lower her head and hightail it out here, but she summoned her courage to stand still so Arianne would be able to taste the delicious Chinese-style omelet wraps. Moreover, when she saw the extremely long line, she really could not bear giving up her spot, especially after she had waited so long.Arianne had spotted Ethan as well. She was not as timid as Tiffany in this regard, she had no qualms approaching Ethan as she bluntly said, “Can you help us get two Chinese-style omelet wraps? The line’s too long. Thanks!”Ethan was mildly shocked when he saw Arianne. Then, he instinctively turned to the side and looked at Tiffany. He said, “Sure.”A
Arianne could no longer sit still when she heard of Rice Ball’s condition. “Alright, I’ll return and pack some of my clothes as well. I’m running out of clothes at Tiffie’s place anyway.”She changed into a long-sleeved white dress after ending the call before hailing a cab. When she arrived at the gates of the Tremont Estate, she saw the house was brightly lit. Mark was home.At this moment, Rice Ball ran to Arianne’s feet and rubbed itself against her legs. It looked energetic and did not seem like it had been starving for a few days. It was still as round and obscenely fat as ever. Mary had fooled her into coming home so that she would run into Mark.When Arianne walked in, a forced smile could be seen on Mary’s face. Arianne did not say anything. Instead, she went upstairs to her room to pack her clothes.Mark was sitting on a chair in front of the French windows. She did not greet him. She did not know if there was even anything left to say between them. She did not have many
Tiffany combed her fingers through her hair. “It feels like... back when I was still with Ethan. I can’t really describe the feeling, but when I see anything delicious, I’d think of leaving some for him. I’d be worried if he catches a cold or if it gets too hot. I’d be worried if he gets sick or if he’s upset. I didn’t worry about myself back then. At that time, I thought he’d be the only one for the rest of my life. I’d do anything for him and forgive him unconditionally. I’d forgive him no matter how many times he had upset me. On the day of our break up, I felt as though… the sky had fallen on me. He was right in front of me, but he wasn’t mine anymore. I couldn’t hold him or continue loving him because he didn’t love me anymore…”Arianne began to cry when she heard these words. She had never experienced the things that Tiffany had described, but she could understand the hurt she felt....Early in the morning, the next day, Arianne prepared a bowl of cat food and water for Rice
Arianne did not immediately refuse her. She replied tactfully, “We’ll… talk about this when the time comes. She heaved a sigh of relief when she returned to the room. “Tiffie, your mom just asked me to give her my share of the rent, water, and electrical fees. She complained the allowance you’ve given her is too little.”Tiffany rolled her eyes. “Ignore her. I’ve been giving her a lot. I’m penniless every month, what more does she want from me? By the way, your phone rang while you were in the shower. I didn’t check. It sounded like a message.”Arianne wiped her hair as she picked up her phone. It was a message from Mary. “Ari, Mr. Tremont has been coming home every day since you’ve moved out. Are you really not coming home? If you’re throwing tantrums, just throw a tantrum. Why must you move out? It’s not like you’re getting a divorce.”Arianne mulled over her thoughts before she replied to the message. “Mary, please stop concerning yourself with our affairs. He refuses to come hom
Arianne was dazzled by the sights in the shopping mall when they arrived. She shopped around for cheap brands and did not intend on buying anything too expensive.On the other hand, Lillian lingered exclusively around the sales counters of big brands. She seized the opportunity when Tiffany had gone to the changing room and pulled Arianne aside. “Ari, look at how pretty those clothes are over there. I haven’t bought any new clothes in such a long time. My daughter is so useless. I used to indulge her so much in the past, and now, she wouldn’t even buy me a single piece of clothing.”Arianne forced herself to ask, “Then, how about I buy one for you? I’ve left the Tremont household so I have to survive on my own. I don’t have much so I can only afford one…”“Alright, alright, alright,” Lillian hurriedly replied, “Just one. You’re the best, Ari!”Arianne wiped the cold sweat off her brow when she saw the price of the clothing Lillian had chosen. She did not have much cash on her today
Arianne shook her head. “I’m not going in. It’s awkward to meet. Return it for me. I’ll be going now.”Mary called out hastily, “What are you doing? It’s so hot. Look how red your face is from the heat. How can your skin take this? Moreover, what if you get a heatstroke? Heatstroke can kill as well! You can stay away from him, but don’t you want to see me? Come in. You can cool down in my room!”After a moment of hesitation, Arianne followed Mary to the housekeeper’s room. Everyone was working at this hour so no one was in the room. Although the room housed four people, it had everything and was very spacious. There were even an individual washroom and a kitchen.Mary returned from upstairs briefly and returned the card to her. “I told you, sir isn’t so petty. He doesn’t want it and asked me to return it to you. He said to keep it for emergencies.”Arianne was startled. “Really? Did he say anything else?”Mary shook her head. “Nothing else. He just asked if you’re back. I told him yes,