Shelly was silent for a moment, showing confusion when she answered. “How is that a big deal? I’m even willing to sacrifice my life if I have to…”Arianne found her words to be quite strange. She thought that the feelings Shelly had for Mark exceeded that of an aunt who had not contacted her nephew for many years. It was normal for a senior to show love and care for the juniors, but it was really strange for her to show that many feelings for Mark. It was as if she treated Mark as her own flesh and blood.Arianne had her suspicions but did not dwell further on them, since she was in no position to go wild with her imagination. Later in the day, Mark returned to the hospital to visit. However, Shelly felt sorry for him and asked him to leave the ward after a short while. Arianne stayed at the hospital to accompany Shelly throughout the night. She might have felt tired, but Arianne knew that if she had not done it, Mark would be the one who would be tired instead. How could she let h
Shelly sighed in relief. “That’s fine then.”It was past 2 AM, but Shelly could not go back to sleep. Hence, Arianne stayed up and the two of them talked to each other for a moment before Arianne slept away due to the amount of fatigue she had. The next day, when Arianne woke up, Shelly was still awake. Shelly looked very pale because she was not able to get a good night’s sleep the night before. It seemed like she was really having a hard time sleeping properly.Shelly had been given a sleeping pill that day in addition to her usual medication. Based on the situation she was in, it would not be helpful for her recovery if she was not able to get enough rest. After taking the sleeping pill, she dozed off into a deep sleep without talking in her sleep again.When Arianne recalled what she had heard the night before, her mind was filled with curiosity. She was curious about what had actually happened between Mark’s mom and Shelly for the latter to be stuck in such a deep abyss. Did sh
After a while, Shelly regained her composure. Mark carried her downstairs on his back, and they had dinner as though nothing had happened.Mary intentionally avoided Shelly and did not dine with them on the table. She also secretly complained to Arianne and told her that Shelly was definitely insane. Arianne felt helpless and had no idea how she could resolve the situation. During dinner, Shelly answered a phone call but did not leave the table due to her leg. When she picked up the phone, the expression on her face immediately changed and both Arianne and Mark could clearly see the changes. The couple looked at each other and took a deep breath—they had just gone through an argument; anyone in their right mind would break down if another argument ensued. It was unknown as to who had called Shelly or what had been discussed. All that was known was that Shelly had hung up the phone in a hurry without saying a word.Very soon, that person called again, but Shelly immediately switch
At that moment, Arianne had a serious thought as to what would happen in the future. In the past, when Shelly was still healthy, it was very likely for her to move out and live elsewhere. However, now that she’d lost her mobility and was most likely going to be a cripple forever, without any hope of recovery, it was very likely that she would have to live in Tremon Estate forever.Arianne was in no position to object. Shelly was in that situation because she had saved Mark. She had just joined Tremont Enterprises not too long ago but was already in such a situation. It would be impossible for her to continue working there when she was unable to move with one leg. Mark owed it to her, so he should naturally take care of her.At midnight, Arianne set her alarm to wake up later in the night to check and see if Shelly needed any assistance.As she walked to Shelly’s room in a daze later, right before she was about to knock on the door, she suddenly heard Shelly’s voice from inside the r
Shelly muttered something very softly and Arianne could not make out what she was saying. Just when she wanted to ask in more detail, Shelly had already passed out on the floor and was completely drunk.Arianne had to put in a lot of effort to try and put her to bed. When she returned to her bedroom, she had a very hard time keeping her eyes open and dozed off to sleep very quickly.The next day, when Arianne woke up, Mark was already gone. She looked at the time and realized that it was past 10 AM. Arianne thought that she might as well lay down for a while longer and procrastinate since she was late for work anyway. Arianne had not been able to get to work on time since Shelly’s incident.When she walked downstairs, she saw that Shelly had a children’s storybook in her hands and was reading to Smore. Shelly seemed much kinder whenever she was with either Mark or Smore. Smore seemed to like her company as well, since he could sit quietly beside her and listen to her story intently.
What could she possibly not dare to say? Arianne casually said, “You can tell me if you want to. I’m listening. There couldn’t be anything that you wouldn’t dare to say. I’m sure it’s nothing terrible, is it? I truly hope that you’d feel better with a peace of mind once you’ve gotten rid of everything from your chest. Frankly, you’ve got a really strange personality—you’re truly kind and sweet when you’re in a good mood, but anyone would have to be very careful around you when you’re in a bad mood.”Shelly shook her head. “Alright, enough of this. Mark brought me to the hospital for my checkup and to get an X-ray scan this morning. He should be retrieving the report this afternoon. I really hope that my leg will heal, or otherwise, I can only rely on Mark to carry me around for the rest of my life. I don’t want to become a burden to him.Mark returned home with Shelly’s report in his hands after 1 PM. He headed straight to his bedroom with a dark expression and asked Arianne to follo
Mark walked towards Shelly and stopped in front of her before kneeling down. He took her hand and said, “Aunt Shelly, how much have you suffered in the past? Did that man lay a finger on you? Why didn’t you leave him?”Shelly’s face instantly turned pale as though she had flashbacks of the past. A hint of horror flashed through her eyes. “What are you talking about…?”Mark’s grip on Shelly’s hand slightly tightened. “Aunt Shelly, we’re your family, so there’s nothing that you can’t tell me. I just want to understand your past and know why you’re mentally ill when you should be living a normal and happy life instead.”Shelly panicked and struggled to remove his hand. “I don’t know what you’re talking about! Stop asking! I’m fine now… really… please stop asking…”Mark paused for a moment. Arianne, knowing that he was being soft-hearted, gritted her teeth before she said, “Aunt Shelly, what are you hiding from us? It’s only us here, so you can talk to us. You’ll feel much better if yo
Shelly was dumbstruck. “What, that bastard’s made some impressive name for himself already? Why else wouldn’t he be seduced by the sheer wealth and power of Tremont Enterprise, huh?” she questioned. “Do the two of you talk to each other sometimes? Maybe you should invite him to dinner and let me check him out.”Arianne was at a loss of what to say, but Mark saved her from answering altogether. “It’s fine. We aren’t exactly good buddies.”How would Shelly react after knowing Mr. Tremont’s supposititious son went on to become Alejandro Smith, who now also possessed shares in Tremont Enterprise? One thing was for sure—she would be very, very miffed. The entire event would still be too convoluted to expatriate even if Arianne or Mark tried.Thankfully, Shelly did not insist on her idea. “Fine, then. I hate the bastard just for existing, anyway, so maybe it’s better if I don’t see his face. He’s a living reminder of that disgusting affair between your father and some wild, uninhibited wo