They fell asleep at some point. Tiffany realized that her earphones and phone had been neatly put away on the bedside table when she woke up the next day. Jackson must have put them away for her when she was asleep. She suddenly remembered how she would always wake up to her earphones choking her whenever she slept alone…Jackson was already awake. There was no sign of him on the bed, but his spot was still warm. She could hear soft sounds of movements from the bathroom; he was showering.Nothing happened last night. She felt both a sense of relief and a certain part of her heart melting away, replaced by a warm, cosy sensation.He was still in the bathroom even after she had waited for ten minutes. Her bladder was full. She ran to the door and knocked. “Hurry up, I need to pee…”He opened the door with a mouthful of toothpaste. “Come in and pee then. It’s not like I haven’t seen it.”The corners of her lips twitched. “Can’t you have some decorum? Get out, now!”She forced him ou
Realizing that she had lost control of her emotions, Tiffany forced herself to calm down. She did not plan on getting back together with him, so she shouldn’t concern herself with his personal affairs. “I don’t have the right to do that. That’s your personal issue. I won’t come over so often. We can be friends, and you have to get used to sleeping well without me. I can keep you company during the beginning stages, when it’s most difficult to bear. This is the best I can do to pay you back for everything you’ve done for me in the past… That’s all. It’s time to go.”He forced himself to contain his nearly-crumbling emotions when he heard the last part of her sentence — she would still keep him company. He had already discarded all of his ego anyway. As long as she was willing to see him, he would not let go. He had the utmost faith in his lady killing skills.He set his emotions aside. “Fine… I’ll take you home.”Tiffany said goodbye to Jackson when they arrived at the ground floor o
Tanya calmed herself. “Tiffany, will you be seeing Jackson tonight?” she carefully asked.Tiffany shook her head without hesitation. “No. He just asked me out. I’ve refused.”“Why not?” Tanya asked.Tiffany patted her waist. “This medicated ointment. I smell like a seventy-year-old lady. My fresh, young fragrance is all but gone. I can’t see my ex like this. That won’t do. My image is still important to me.”A hint of disappointment flashed across Tanya’s eyes. “I’m sorry… I didn’t think of that. I just thought that you’d feel better after applying those medical patches.”Tiffany did not notice Tanya’s feelings and carelessly replied. “I’ve already told you that it doesn’t hurt, but you insisted…”Tanya pulled up her shirt and pulled out the patches before she could finish her sentence. The tear stung her, and just as she was about to object, she turned around and realized that Tanya had gotten up and gone to the washroom, seemingly unhappy. She paused in thought. Was Tanya mad a
Jackson didn’t reply. Instead, he stared at the message with a sullen look on his face. The word “again” seemed more magnified than the rest of the message. This meant that Alejandro and Tiffany had been seeing each other frequently.Having received no reply, Tanya paused thoughtfully before sending another message: ‘I’m sorry about the plagiarizing scandal. I didn’t know that my online friend, Hush, was really Beckett Hushman, from your company. I certainly didn’t think that he’d do such a thing. I’ve even dragged you down in the process. Regardless, it all started because of me. I owe you one. If you ever want to know anything about Tiffany, just ask me. I’ll tell you. I know that you’re still in love with her, and I want you both to be together again.’She glanced at Tiffany after sending that message then slipped her phone back into her office desk drawer.They clocked off soon, and Tiffany waited for Tanya, who was taking her time packing up to go home with her as usual. Tanya
Meanwhile, Alejandro wasn’t asking Tiffany out to dinner but had brought her two bottles of expensive red wine. “You couldn’t make it to the wine tasting the last time, so I brought these for you. Since I have something going on today, let’s have dinner another time.”Tiffany was well aware of how expensive the red wine that he had given to her was, for even Lillian enjoyed it. Hence, she tactfully declined. “No thanks… I don’t appreciate these kinds of things either. It’s wasted on me. You should keep it for yourself. I’ll buy you lunch when you’re free and I happen to have the time as well.”Alejandro insisted and told Jett to stuff the wine into her hands. “I don’t like being refused. They’re yours now that I’ve given them to you. It doesn’t matter to me if you’ve wasted it. That’s it for now. I have got to go. By the way… You should visit your best friend, Arianne, more often.”Tiffany was shocked. “You really know me very well… You know my friends, and what they’re going throug
“Then… did Alejandro contact you today?” Jackson asked suddenly.Afraid that he would overanalyze again, Tiffany paused in thought for two seconds and denied it. “No, do you really think he’d have that much time? To contact me everyday? That’s enough. I’m ending the call.”Jackson clenched his hand around the phone, scowling when she ended the call. He stared at the picture from Tanya, overcome with mixed feelings. She had clearly seen him today. Tiffany was lying to him… He suspected that she wasn’t at home at all! The thought of his woman spending time with another man was intolerable to him. Despite their cancelled engagement, he had subconsciously marked her as his woman. It hadn’t changed. How was he inferior to a cripple in any way?He had always been a man of action. He drove over to Tiffany’s condo and called her when he had arrived at her doorstep. “I’m in front of your house. Open the door.”Tiffany was soaking in the bathtub and dozing off in the tub. She immediately wok
The call was rejected. She believed that Tanya was busy, so she didn’t try calling again. “I can’t get her. Just whip up an extra portion for her. What if she does come home? Even if she doesn’t, I’ll shove it down my belly. Trust in my appetite. I won’t waste a single bite because your cooking is really the best! I won’t speak for anything else, but your cooking skills are the best I’ve ever seen. By the way, Ari’s appetite has been dwindling lately. Maybe you could make her some food if you have some spare time.”“I’m in a relationship where my girlfriend acts like she could leave at any moment. Am I not busy trying to get her to stay with me? Where would I find the time to cook for another woman? If you want me to take care of Arianne, you should at least behave yourself…” he grumbled.Suddenly, Tiffany felt as if she had been trolled once again. “C-could you not drag me into this? It’s two separate issues.”He snorted. “It’s one issue on its own. If you want me to cook for Arian
Tanya put on her earphones and listened to music. She heard Tiffany’s voice but did not respond.For some strange reason, she felt an almost indiscernible feeling. She despised how Tiffany handled things, and felt a slight hint of envy and confusion. At the end of the day, Tiffany was a born and bred citizen of the capital. Big city girls seemed to come pre-installed with their own halo — she didn’t need to work hard; her circle was in a class above her own.No matter how hard she tried, she was no different from Beckett, unable to fully assimilate herself into the group. Regardless of how grand it seemed on the surface, deep down, she was always caught in a bitter struggle. She didn’t even have the basic right of setting up and buying a home in the city. No, she wouldn’t even have the money for a downpayment, even if she worked hard for the rest of her life. Tiffany, on the other hand, had everything handed to her on a silver platter. Unfortunately, she did not appreciate it. She re