The first thing Mark did after his meeting was to call Arianne. “How is it? All is fine, isn’t it? No cause for concerns?”Arianne had just about finished her business at the pediatric department, so she had the mood to poke fun. “Hmm, are you asking about your son or me?”Mark’s lips quivered. “I’m asking about both. Don’t try to bait me.”Arianne espied Smore slumbering gently in Mary’s arms and replied, “It was nothing big. There’s no fever; he’s just suffering from a very mild case of cold, a runny nose, and coughs. The doctor said he’s too young for medication, so it’s down to making sure he’s all warmed up and drinking plenty of warm water. That’s the same order for me, too. I’m gonna breastfeed him, so I can’t take pills. So, yep, please have Brian send us home.”Mark glanced at his wristwatch. “I’ll come personally. I have the time, anyway.”He drove and fetched the group back to the Tremont Estate. Once they arrived home, Mary immediately brought the child into the nursery roo
Mentioning Granny caused all of the warmth in her skin to dissipate. Nonetheless, Arianne nodded and answered, “Alright.”Meanwhile, getting herself drenched in the downpour last night had caused Tanya to come down with a horrible cold. Today, on top of a barrage of sneezes, she developed signs of a mild fever, too.Tiffany could not bear to see her like this, so she bought Tanya some cold medicines. “Where did you go late last night, huh? That’s the first time I’ve ever seen you return home later than I do, and then you were all wet and dripping! It must feel like sh*t, doesn’t it? Seriously, Tan. If it’s awful, you can take leave and rest at home.”“I’m not like you, Tiffany,” Tanya murmured. “I can’t keep myself afloat if I don’t work.”Tiffany pursed her lips. “What’s that supposed to mean? I need to work to keep myself afloat too! My mom never gives me a single penny. Hell, I’m the one who sends money home to her!… Okay, fine. If you wanna continue working, power to you. But you n
“Aww, I guess I got it wrong, then. But, really, an accusation like that? You didn’t cross me or anything, and I’ve never looked for a fight. You’re a little too easily triggered,” Tiffany intoned, shrugging. “Anyway, aren’t you here because you were looking for Eric? Well, what’s keeping you? Get moving. We can’t be caught dead doing frivolous things during work, you know.”Vicky started toward Eric’s office furiously, her high heels stabbing the floor on every step. She slammed the door shut so hard, Eric jerked and asked, “What’s with you? Someone crapped in your popcorn?”She stomped her foot. “That Tiffany! A-And Tanya! They ganged up and shouted at me with this diatribe! What for? It’s not like I’ve triggered them or anything. Uuuurgggggh! Seriously, babe, you keep them around and give them jobs in your company and pay their wages, and this is how they repay you? Treating your girlfriend with that sort of nasty attitude? It’s like they don’t even realize that I’m their future Lad
Vicky recognized an impasse. She also knew that nothing good was going to come out of her tantrum if she kept it up — at some point, she would have to stop.“Alright, alright. I get it. I’m leaving. Don’t stress yourself so much, alright?” she relented.En route, she passed by the shared office area and scowled at Tanya, though curiously leaving Tiffany out of her malice. The reason was simple; Vicky found Tanya the more obnoxious one of the pair because she was the woman that was once under her man’s care. Tanya had stayed in Eric’s place before Vicky met him in real life. It was the sort of thing that would have crystallized into a grudge in anyone, yet Vicky was forced to feign nonchalance despite her genuine opinion.Tanya waited until Vicky left the company before entering Eric’s office. “Mr. Nathanial? Um, Tiffany got into a minor tiff with your girlfriend earlier, so I guess she came in and complained to you about it?” she said. “Please don’t be mad at Tiffany. She says what is
“When you’re in love, your heart will race every time you see him. You’d immediately feel nervous,” Tiffany replied after some thought. “You have to be bold enough to take the first step, no matter what. If you like someone, you have to boldly pursue them. Maybe even resort to a few tactics too. There’s nothing shameless about it, as long as you don’t cross the line. Don’t worry, I’ll support you in everything you do. If you’ve truly found your objective, stop worrying and go after it.”“And what if I told you that my objective… is Jackson? Will you support me then?”Tanya’s question had taken Tiffany aback. She was momentarily unsure of how to answer her. Suddenly, Tanya giggled. “I’m just teasing. Did you really think that I was serious? But seriously, what would you do?”Tiffany secretly heaved a sigh of relief and treated it as a joke. “Hehe, if it really did happen, you could go ahead. You’d be considerably formidable if you managed to do it. I wouldn’t mind… We’ve broken up an
Tiffany got down from the car and gave her a bottle of mineral water. “Are you feeling better? Are you still feeling uncomfortable? Maybe you should sit in the front instead? You’ll feel better then.”“That’s not a good idea, is it?” Tanya asked. “I’ve heard that a lot of people believe that the front seat of a man’s car should only be occupied by his girlfriend… You and Jackson won’t mind?”Tiffany, ever insensitive, simply never thought of it that way. “What are you talking about? What are we? Do we have to nitpick over these things? I can’t possibly leave you feeling uncomfortable, can I? Stop talking and get in the car. You’re sitting in the front.”Jackson furrowed his brow when someone else climbed into the front seat for some strange reason. “What’s going on? Why did you change seats?”“Tan’s caught a cold and isn’t feeling well. She’s car sick,” Tiffany explained. “Let her sit in the front. It doesn’t matter who sits in the front anyway. The back seat feels really spacious
Jackson was rendered speechless. Why wasn’t anyone asking for his opinion? Was he invisible?After dinner, Jackson sent Tiffany and Tanya home. The trio had agreed to leave together tomorrow.…The next morning, at the Tremont Estate.Arianne changed into a black outfit, ready to go to the cemetery.Aristotle was still too small and had caught a flu; plus, it was raining outside. Hence, they decided against bringing him along. They left him at home in Mary’s care.Mark was dressed in a black suit too, which gave him a very stately air. The pair brought a bouquet of flowers and left the house. It was a two hour drive before they arrived at the cemetery.The dark clouds in the sky cast an eerie light over the cemetery. It was practically deserted, except for the old, bespectacled caretaker, who was reading today’s paper in a small hut.Arianne felt gloomy. It had been a long time since her grandmother’s death, and she was only visiting her now. She felt resentful and helpless at
Mark shaded the mother and daughter from the rain with his umbrella. His clothes were soaked too. Helen noticed this and said, “Arianne, I think it’s time to go. The rain is getting heavier. Mark’s completely soaked.”Arianne looked at Mark. “Okay, let’s go.”Helen had driven herself here. Arianne stopped before getting into the car. “Come over to the house and have dinner with us when you have the time. You can see your grandson.”Helen’s eyes brimmed with tears. “O-okay!” she stammered with great difficulty. She knew that Arianne had finally forgiven her and recognized her as her mother.Along the way home, Arianne turned to Mark and asked, “Are you feeling cold? You’re completely soaked.”Mark shook his head with a smile. “I’m not, it’s fine. You’ve grown up.”She smiled as well. “The last time you said this to me… wasn’t really a good omen…”He did not comment. He had too many memories of her that flooded his entire brain. He couldn’t remember when he had said those words. I