Mark Tremont clicked the door shut, and for a few moments, the air was still.He began, “I’ve asked; the doctor cannot ensure that you’ll survive this. Accidents could happen, always, and that’s the last thing I want. To me, you are more important than anything else under the sun, do you understand? Fine, I concede that a lot of things in the past were all my bastardly doing, but listen to me — even if it is true that you can never be a mother, there’s no woman out there who’s going to replace you, let alone bear me my child. So please, rest your heart. My only concern is you; it always has been. To that end, I can give up on my child.”However, Arianne had hardened her stance so much that nothing could pierce through the walls she had built. “The doctor said the rate of complications isn’t a hundred percent, remember? He didn’t say this child is doomed!” she countered, her tone resolute. “I was there. I’m not deaf! Here’s the ultimatum, Mark Tremont. You either divorce me right now, s
Tanya gave a split-second answer, “Considered the job taken; I’m your gal! It was me who kept my home and Arianne’s café spotless every day, so you can count on me!”A while later, after hearing that Tanya had arrived, Arianne gave the girl an inquiring call, who gleefully reported everything from her new job to her new residence without failure before concluding cheerily, “So you see, Ari, there’s nothing to worry about. I’ve just got a job as a janitor in Eric’s company and will be staying at his place until I find a room or house for myself, so yea. You focus on nurturing that baby and don’t worry about me, okay?… Oh! If there’s ever a convenient time, I hope we can meet up!”Arianne knew not if such convenience might ever exist; all she knew was how stringent Mark’s stay-at-home order was — she was even denied a stroll out of the house. Consequently, no one came to see her at home, either.“Er, about that… Let’s just focus on your new job and settle down for now. We can always plan
When Arianne heard the subtle meaning behind Zoey’s words, she scoffed even more. She just wanted to take the old woman back so that she could get paid every now and then. She wasn’t an idiot. Besides, she was the only person who was allowed to scold Helen. This woman in front of her was not worthy. She pulled away her hand expressionlessly, “My mother has contacted me. I know exactly where she is. I do have a family of my own, so you really don’t have to concern yourself with that. I’m afraid that Granny won’t be going home with you. You can ask her if you don’t believe me.”Zoey could tell that Arianne wasn’t easy to deal with, so she had no choice but to try and persuade the old woman, “Mom, you can’t let someone from the younger generation hate me like this. Regardless of the things I’ve done, I’m still your daughter. Come home with me…”The old woman was annoyed, “Stop changing your tune all the time. I’m old. I don’t have the energy to deal with this. I’m not going back. I’ve bee
Henry lowered his head and mumbled a reply. Mark went upstairs straightaway, walking on tiptoes, afraid that he would wake Arianne.He walked into the room and headed to the bed to check on her. Confirming that she was fast asleep, he changed his clothes and went to the study. …That night, Tanya waited for Eric to get off work before following him home. Eric had always lived on his own, so he preempted Tanya, “My house is pretty messy, and I’m usually at the office. I don’t come home sometimes, so it’s only cleaned by a temporary worker once a week.”Tanya patted her chest, “Don’t worry. Leave the house to me from now on. I’ll make sure that it’s neat and tidy! You won’t have to waste your money on a temporary worker anymore!”Eric smiled bitterly, “That’s not what I meant… I’m saying, please don’t get annoyed.”Tanya smiled at him and flashed her cute canine teeth, “No, I won’t! By the way, I’ll pay you for rent. In fact, I’ll transfer the money over to you right now. You can cut i
Just as he was about to call her and asked, he heard a knock on the door. He opened it and was shocked. Tanya was carrying bags of ingredients, from top to toe. Her face, however, was still smiling, “I’m sorry. I made a wrong turn so I got back a little late. It’s raining outside…”He took the grocery bags from her, “Go and get changed. I’ll wash the vegetables.”Tanya sneezed, “O-okay, I’ll come by as soon as I can.”Tanya emerged, ready and clean, before he could take the vegetables out of the grocery bags, “I’ll do it. You sit down. Dinner will be ready soon.”Her optimism seemed infectious. He had never met such a strong girl, “Why didn’t you call me when you got lost? It’s raining too. I could’ve driven over to pick you up. One more thing. The grocery shop is pretty far, isn’t it? Don’t you know how to hail a cab?”Tanya was wholly focused on picking out the vegetables, “I was afraid that you might think I was an idiot. It’s not that far anyway. I can walk there. Hailing a cab is
It was getting late. Tiffany did not want to fool around with him anymore. She returned to the bedroom and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. To have food in one’s belly and a good night’s sleep after a long day of work was the greatest kind of happiness.Jackson, however, was determined not to give her any peace. “There’s one more thing left to do.”She was close to flipping out. “People are supposed to be completely relaxed when trying to conceive, right? I’m exhausted every single day. Even if I do conceive, it wouldn’t be a healthy child. I just want to sleep. Behave yourself!”How could he possibly behave himself? He continued trying to persuade her. “Don’t be like this… I’ve already given up smoking and alcohol, and now, you’re telling me to behave myself? I can’t do it. If you’re tired, you can stop working overtime starting tomorrow, and get ready for your pregnancy. You can always visit Arianne or Tanya when you have time. That way, you can relax and cheer up, rig
Arianne had been stuck at home over the past few days. She felt as though she was going to go crazy from the boredom. Now that Tiffany and Tanya were here, she was a lot happier.Tiffany had brought two types of food — sour and spicy. “Ari, are you more inclined toward sour or spicy food? According to old wives’ tales, if an expecting mother craves sour food, the baby will be a boy. If the expecting mother craves spicy food, the baby will be a girl.”Arianne shook her head. “I don’t feel like eating anything. I’ve been feeling nauseous lately, and my appetite is at an all-time low. I barely eat. I have to go for check-ups every half a month, and that’s the only time I ever get to step out of the house. I’m going to die of boredom, but I’m too afraid to go out. Every time I think about being confined to the house until the baby is born, I feel empty inside.”The old lady chimed in at this moment, “You’ll have to put up with it for your child. Giving birth is a mother’s burden. A man’s e
Tiffany finally noticed a certain someone at the staircase with a sullen expression on his face. How could she have forgotten it was the weekend?! Mark was usually home during the weekend. She suppressed the embarrassment she felt and shamelessly rolled her eyes. “I’m speaking the truth. I’m glad that he heard me!”Mark did not argue with her. He stepped forward and touched Arianne’s forehead. “Remember to put on an extra layer of clothes. Don’t catch a cold. I’ll take you to your prenatal examination in the next two days.”Arianne was not used to his concern. She lowered her head awkwardly. “Mm…”Tiffany lifted her wrist to check the time on her watch. “I’ve gotta go, Ari. I promised to go shopping with a colleague. Would you like me to get you anything? I can bring it over.”Arianne shook her head. “No. You go on ahead.”Tiffany giggled as she put on a show and talked to the baby in Arianne’s belly. “Bye-bye, I’ll see you again soon…”...After leaving the Tremont Estate, she drove t
Arianne had not heard that name for so long, she had to reel back in bemusement for a few seconds before finally remembering her face.Shelly-Ann Leigh… She must have spent all those years in the mental institution, right? God knows if the woman’s hair was now grey and white all over.When someone was near death, one could stand to forgive all of the history between them—even the dark ones, even if the ledger was brimming—for good. So, Arianne replied, “I’ll go with you. No matter what happened, she’s still your mother.”Mark did not expect that answer from her at all. In his surprise, he bent down and left a kiss on her lips. “I knew I picked the right woman as my wife. I thought you wouldn’t agree to let me accompany her for the last of her days…”Arianne replied nothing. She was not so obtuse that she would try to win over a woman whose days were numbered. No matter how much of an a**hole Shelly was, Arianne was still the one who came out on top. That victory was all she needed.
Arianne sneered. “You confused, little thing. I wouldn’t be daft enough to anger the mother of the man I like if I were you, girl. I would especially not say anything as low IQ as that, too. Let me be completely frank with you: no one who bears the surname of Leigh will ever get the better of me—the last one failed. Hard. I can guarantee that you’ll leave us in the span of three days. If I lose, you can stay here forever. Wanna bet? I dare you.”She left her threat hanging at that and turned her wheelchair away, leaving the scorned young woman behind.Rage came out of Raven as waves of quakes all over her body. She was lurching close to hyperventilation, but right before it became impossible to stop, she came around and battled herself to calm down. She had a feeling that even if she fainted right there and then, no one would discover her, would they?Now that Arianne and Mark had returned, the Tremont Estate had recovered its vivacity and life. It had become merry.And Raven Leigh
Melissa was the type who always pushed things to go as festive as logically possible. She leaped to her feet and raised her cup, “Yo, everyone! Let’s toast to Cindy becoming my cousin-in-law!”The crowd answered enthusiastically with their cups in the air and a roar—except Raven, who remained seated. “I have a sickly constitution. I can’t drink. I’m sorry.”Her smile was so mechanical, her face too ashen. Something flickered in Arianne’s eyes before she replied, “Sure.”After the revelry faded, Arianne steered her wheelchair to the courtyard. The outward appearance of the Tremont Estate seemed to have frozen in time, which was why being here made her feel so… safe.Of course, that was despite Henry and Mary’s passing. In the end, time passed and things changed, characters and objects came and went, and all these missing years left lingering regrets in their wake.Arianne espied the silhouette standing alone at a distance and approached her, sighing, “Nothing beats being home.”Ra
Arianne grabbed the two beauties by the hands and smiled. “Thank you! Gosh, to me… it’s like you two have grown older in the blink of an eye! How gorgeous the two of you are! Cindy, where’s your brother? Plato hasn’t come home yet?”Mentioning the name of her dear brother made Cynthia pout. “He said he was coming home half a month ago—that’s what he said. Who knows what he’s actually doing, though? Anyway, who cares about that no-good. He’s always like this anyway. Oh, um, the weather is quite hot. We should probably get inside.”Arianne nodded and shot a brief, uneasy look at Aristotle. Not once did he look like he wanted to talk to her… Could the boy be counting his grievances in his mind? Mark and Arianne had stayed in Switzerland for so long; life must have been hard for him all alone.It took until she reached the living room to finally notice Raven. “Millie, is this your younger sister?”Melissa quickly sprung to correct her. “What? Noooo. This is Ares’ classmate or something
Aristotle’s entire being stilled.He had waited for this news for nineteen years. As time passed, the flames died little by little, the heart grew more numb, until the very thought of it was no different from a pipe dream. But today, news of it coming true reached him and plunged him into a torrent of feelings.A long while later, he finally muttered under his breath, “When… When will they be back?”Jackson closed the distance between them and gave the young man a light, comforting pat on the shoulders. “Not so soon, I bet; not when your mother has just woken up and is in need of some time to recover. She did sleep for nineteen years, you know. So maybe after she’s recuperated enough for a while…” he answered. “We’ve waited for nineteen years for this, right? What’s waiting for just a little bit more compared to that? The most important thing for you to do is to manage the company to the best of your abilities. That’s the way to not disappoint your father’s expectation.”Aristotle
Cynthia had never had a relationship before, so she did not know what love was. However, one thing was for certain. She loved the feeling of being with Aristotle and how he had protected her since they were kids. Even though Aristotle had become a little domineering and “naughty”, she was not taken aback by him. Instead, she even felt a little moved, which was amazing.It wasn’t known how they ended up in bed, with their breaths synchronized. Apart from the final step, they had done just about everything else that could be done.Just as they were about to hit the final step, Aristotle suddenly stopped and helped pull the covers over Cynthia. “Let’s sleep, good night.”Cynthia was still lost in a daze from before. She did not know why Aristotle had suddenly stopped, nor did she have the courage to ask him. She had struggled for so long before having persuaded herself to go with the flow…The next day, when Cynthia woke up, Aristotle had already long gone to his company.She took a
Cynthia heard what Aristotle said, but her hands did not stop doing what they were doing. Her head was in a complete mess. “There’s no… no need. I’ll be able to be done with these now. Go ahead and get some sleep first. By the way, where am I sleeping tonight? There are so many rooms here, I’ll ask Agnes to help me clear one up.”Aristotle walked up to her and squatted. He grabbed onto her arm with one hand while the other closed the luggage. “Just sleep with me here and stop tidying already.”Cynthia suspected that she might have misheard. She took a look at the big bed behind him in a daze and suddenly felt her palm, which was held by him, burning up. “Y… You’re kidding, aren’t you, Ares? Although we used to sleep with each other a lot when we were kids, we’re all grown ups now, so wouldn’t that be a little inappropriate?”Aristotle said with a straight face, “I wasn't joking.”Cynthia panicked a little and recalled Melissa’s words once again. ‘Would Ares, whom I’ve known for so
Melissa knew that Aristotle had kissed Cynthia, so she knew what was going on. Hence, she very naturally boasted, “Of course, they’ve been engaged to each other since they were born. Coincidentally, the both of them felt the same way about each other as they grew up, so wouldn’t this make it even better? From the way I see it, your illness isn’t going to recover for the rest of your life and the both of them are probably going to have to wait until Cindy graduates before they get married. So, you’d be better off moving back to France as early as possible. Don’t worry, you’ve saved Aristotle’s life before, so he wouldn’t be stingy with you financially.”Raven wanted to control the unhappiness she had in her heart very much, but her emotions refused to follow her will. Hence, she fiercely struggled to wring free from Melissa’s grasp. Melissa was startled for a moment. “Are you crazy?”After that, Raven regained her senses and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry… I was a little unwell just n
‘You’re not that worried?’ Melissa was so furious that she laughed. “Am I the only one who’s being worried for nothing? I thought you loved my brother, didn’t you? The man you’ve been dreaming of every day has returned from France but brought a woman with him, yet you’re actually not that worried? Let’s put aside your parents’ intentions for a moment. Do you dare to say that you don’t love him? I’m only helping you because you’re my best friend, so could you not be so relaxed, as if I’m helping you for no reason?”Cynthia shook her head and lowered her volume as she said, “He… might have confessed to me. We also… did that already. So, I think he doesn’t feel that way towards Raven. It’s purely because she saved his life once. I trust that Ares will be able to handle the situation properly.”Melissa’s eyes opened wide. “What? He’s only returned for a few days, yet the two of you have already had sex? That fast?! I never knew it, but you’ve really got it in you!”Cynthia’s face flushe