Helen made sure her emotions were in-check before climbing up the stairs, this time for Arianne.Arianne was just about to fall asleep when quick rapping on her door stopped her. Groggily, she opened it and stared right at Helen before asking, “What’s the matter?”Helen appeared transfixed on the woman for a second too long, her eyes grave. Then, a quiet current of yearning broke through her gaze, and she finally said, “I’m leaving, Arianne. We’re flying tonight. Jean… He isn’t going to trouble you anymore. I also don’t know when the two of us will meet again in the future, so until then, promise me that you, Mark, and Smore will live happily forever.”Hearing her words chased away at least half of Arianne’s bleariness. “Why so sudden? And in the middle of the night, no less! Can’t you wait until tomorrow?”‘But if we wait until tomorrow, who knows what could happen?’ Helen countered in her mind. Outwardly, however, she merely replied, “It’s alright. We have to leave sooner or late
The next morning came, and Arianne went to work with a well-adjusted mindset.It was in her nature to do that. No matter how spoiled her mood was during the day before, the effects only lasted for a night, tops. She was indisposed to trapping herself with negative feelings for far longer than the problematic issue warranted.The first thing that greeted her in the office was Sylvain, who wore one of his most mopey looks ever. “What the heck, Sylvain? It’s a bit too early for that look… Couldn’t wake?” she teased.Sylvain leaned against the back of the office chair with his “kill me please” expression. “Oh, worse than that, ma’am. It’s way, waaaaaaay worse.”Arianne guessed. “Gosh, has a calamity has befallen your relationship with Robin?”“Bruh, would it kill you to generate positive thoughts for me?” Sylvain reparteed sourly. “I’ll have you know that ever since I met her mom that one time, Robin’s mom ceased being a problem for quite a while. I even get to go out on dates with Ro
It was lunch break. Despite her reluctance, Arianne was dragged away by Sylvain to the restaurant his mother had picked.The destination alone was enough to clue Arianne in about who his mother should be. It was a high-end fine diner, the sort of place where a meal could burn through a hole in an average person's wallet. To choose a place like this meant Sylvain’s mother lived a pretty comfortable life after her second marriage, which made her abandoning young Sylvain even more baffling.Sylvain and Arianne arrived first. Ten minutes of waiting later, Sylvain’s mother finally came, along with a hard-hitting first impression.She looked like a rich housewife who had gotten used to a life of privileges and comfort. An air of shrewdness followed her, probably emanating from her cream-colored business suit designed by an international household name, her permed, wavy curls, and a pair of gilded-rimmed glasses. Whether it was intended as a fashion accessory or for actual sight-corrective
Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room changed, making Arianne feel extremely uncomfortable. She knew that arriving with Sylvain would cause an awkward situation but she never thought that it would be this awkward. Breathing alone felt like a huge effort for her.Sylvain’s mother seemed completely fine on the surface. When the dishes were served, she chatted with Sylvain over daily household things. She even mentioned that she would introduce him to his stepfather’s daughter one day so that they could get to know each other. Sylvain suddenly put down his knife and fork and icily replied, “No need. I do not need to establish any form of relationship with your current family. No need to put in the effort. I have no interest in your husband or stepdaughter, nor you.”Sylvain’s mother finally displayed a sense of awkwardness, probably because Arianne, an outsider, was around. “Syl, don’t be so crass. It’s normal for you to feel conflicted now. I will wait until you feel calmer.”Sylvain c
Arianne laughed. “Nothing much. You know that Sylvain went to meet his mom, so what else could we possibly talk about, aside from average family-related topics? We talked so much that we lost track of time. We aren’t late. What are you doing here, anyway? Don’t you have anything to do? Get back to work. Working hours are starting soon. I’ve got work to do too.”“That’s right,” Sylvain played along. “What else could we talk about? I would have invited you along too if I’d known you’d be so curious…”Mark didn’t reply. He got up, straightened out his clothes, and left the office area.His attitude stumped Sylvain. “He couldn’t possibly have found out that my mom’s trying to weasel info on me, could he?”Arianne felt apprehensive, but no matter how she looked at it, it seemed improbable. “I don’t think so? He doesn’t have supersonic hearing anyway. Besides, so what if he finds out? We don’t know for sure if you’re leaving, and he’s not going to abuse his power with you.”Nevertheless
Sylvain’s expression changed. “Are you spying on me?”His mother retained a straight face. “Don’t say it like that. I just want to get to know you better. Isn’t that the quickest way to go? I’ve always prioritized efficiency in everything I do. Since it’s dinner with your girlfriend, you wouldn’t mind having me tag along, would you? I’m your mother, it’s perfectly normal for me to have a meal with her, isn’t it?”Sylvain didn’t know how to reject her, so he didn’t answer.His mother immediately got into his car and told her driver to drive the car away without her.Sylvain frowned as he drove his car to the restaurant where he and Robin were supposed to meet. “She’s not my girlfriend yet,” he reminded her before she got down from the car. “Don’t you dare make unfounded remarks. Consider this a casual meal.”“Okay, don’t worry. I won’t make things difficult for you,” his mother replied casually, as if she were very close to him. “By the way, your friend from this afternoon, why doe
“I’ve heard that you’re not actually boyfriend and girlfriend yet,” Ursula Siebeech-Jaark calmly said. “What a relief. He’s going to leave the country with me, to expand his career soon. Things would be quite tricky if he really had a girlfriend in this country. Besides… You’re both from completely different social classes. It won’t end well for you, Miss Cox.”Robin finally lost control and went very pale in the face. She wasn’t sure what to say.Just then, Sylvain emerged from the washroom. Ursula switched to a warm, genial expression again. “Syl, what took you so long?”Sylvain glanced at Robin and replied, “I was answering a call. It’s nothing.”Robin bit her lip. The current situation made her feel as if she were sitting on pins and needles. It was obvious that she wouldn’t be able to enjoy her meal now, so she got up and said, “I have a family emergency, so I’ve gotta go, Sylvain. Please enjoy your meal with M—I mean, your mom.”Sylvain wasn’t sure of what had happened, but
Ursula didn’t dare say anything more, or otherwise, Sylvain would most certainly storm off.Both mother and son did not enjoy their meal. They left the restaurant after the meal. Sylvain stormed off straight away, leaving Ursula all alone at the restaurant entrance. Ursula felt very unsettled. After all, Sylvain had actually offered to walk Robin to the door when she left. She resented how her position in her son’s heart was nothing compared to that of a little girl. They say that mothers-in-law rarely liked their daughters-in-law—there was some logic in this statement. Regardless, she absolutely hated Robin.Sylvain uncorked a bottle of wine when he arrived home and downed two glasses of it. That allowed him to suppress some of his unsettled feelings.He pulled out his phone and called Robin. When she answered his call, he spoke in a slightly sunken voice. “Why did you leave all of a sudden during dinner? Was there really a family emergency? Or did my mom make you feel uncomfortabl