Tiffany guffawed so hard in Schadenfreude that she could almost be mistaken as having a seizure. “Oh my god! Oh. My. God. So you’ve lost your personal agency now? Come on, bae, you’re the one with the crowned jewel in your tummy! You’re the boss now, not him! You could lynch Mark to death, and he still wouldn’t be able to harm a single hair on your head in defense, get it? You gotta’ be ruthless right now, like right frickin’ now, cause’ you aren’t getting that chance anymore. Don’t you know that a woman is at the height of power during her pregnancy? So hell yeah, be a tyrant, sis! Once that child’s born, you ain’t never getting that power back!” she reminded. “Now, if you manage to obtain his ‘permission,’ tell me, and I’ll ring up Tanya. We’ll have hotpot together at night! We’ll get the spicy one, and you can have the non-spicy broth. I mean, I heard that food that is too spicy could harm an expecting mother.”Just mentioning hotpot made Arianne swallow her saliva. Few things in li
Ultimately, the final deal was Mark approving Arianne’s hotpot hangout with the compromise that he tagged along. He did not particularly like hotpots, but he joined in as Arianne’s companion anyway.With a tack-on bodyguard she did not want, Arianne felt as though she was put on a leash, and her excitement naturally plummeted. But when she reached the destination and saw Tiffany mirroring her expression, she perked up — Tiffany was not exactly given the liberty to party hard either, for Jackson was with her.Finally, Tanya brought Eric — who was probably looking for a place to spend his free time — along, and the ensemble was complete.Since they disembarked, Mark’s hand had never once left its protective position on Arianne’s waist, making one wonder if he would gingerly place the girl right in the center of his palm if he could help it. That was not all; he punctuated between every few steps with a “The floor is slippery, please be careful.”Arianne relied on his directions so much t
Arianne’s eyes darted to Mark for a millisecond before she lowered her head and focused on her food. Thoughts ebbed in her mind like ripples.Once again, Mark terrified her with his abnormal perceptiveness. It was as though his eyes always bore through her skull, allowing him to read every thought that took form in her mind.With his “assistance,” Arianne had the most fulfilling meal she ever had since becoming pregnant. For some reason, she was exceptionally voracious today. When the dinner was nearing an end, Tiffany dragged Arianne and Tanya to the washroom.She could not wait a moment longer before japing, “God, I thought Mark was gonna offer his companionship to the bathroom! Just look at that ‘I-must-be-alert-at-all-times!’ butler mode he’s been in throughout the entire hangout; I almost believe he’s been replaced by someone else! Real talk, though: watching him right now reminds me of the way Will treated you back then.”This would be the first time Tiffany ever ruled one of M
With a frown, Arianne pulled Tiffany beside her and answered on her friend’s behalf, “That thing with Ethan has been over for so long, Angel… And for a good reason, too; Tiffany is way out of that bastard’s league. As a matter of fact, she was just recently engaged with Jackson West — which, judging from your voracious consumption of news, I’m sure the name rings a bell, doesn’t it? Had you reconnect with Tiffany sooner, she would definitely invite you to the engagement party too.”Truthfully, before Arianne spoke, her presence had escaped Angel. But now, her attention turned the spotlight on the person most famously known as Mark Tremont’s woman. Angel was well-aware of her story — again, it was all through the news.She sized Arianne up for a while before replying in a suspect tone, “Oh, no! I missed the engagement party; what a pity! Curious, isn’t it? Both you and Tiffany ended up marrying someone who aren’t the ones you loved in the beginning, once again proving that nothing in th
“If that’s the case, then it’s in your best interest to regard him as dead,” Arianne said, straightening Tiffany's collar. “No use dwelling in the past. All that matters now is your happy life with Jackson; everything else is lost to the sands of time. More importantly, your future will never be tainted by that douchebag’s presence ever again. He can’t hurt you anymore.”It was at this moment that the door to the next cubicle creaked open, revealing Tanya gingerly walking out. “U-um, I…! I mean to say…” she stammered. “I didn’t hear a thing! I mean… Um, I’m sorry I overheard some things?”Tiffany placed her hand on her forehead. “Oops, almost forgot about you. You hid for so long; I almost thought you got stuck on the toilet bowl or something. Think nothing to it, really; if you overheard it, you overheard it. Who was I with, who was she with — who the eff gives a damn? Anyway, let’s go. If we don’t come outta here any sooner, Mr. Tremont’s gonna FBI-bust in!”Tanya nodded in silent ap
Seeing that he really had gone to lie down on the bed, she relaxed. She was still shocked. She truly wasn’t used to leaving the door open during a shower. Although the bathroom door was quite transparent, it got fogged up and could conceal her figure in the shower. But now, with the door open, she felt awkward even if he wasn’t looking…She closed the door just a little more when he wasn’t looking, leaving half a crack in the door.Mark turned off the light once she had finished washing up and laid down. It was easier to fall asleep in the dark.Arianne was in a strangely good mood and did not feel sleepy. It was likely because she had managed to eat something that she really craved after having zero appetite for a long time, and then having the refreshing shower. It was a cold winter’s day and the blanket was nice and warm. There was nothing more comfortable than this, throwing one’s worries to the back of their minds and enjoying some peace and quiet.Suddenly, Mark reached out and h
She tried her best to steady her breathing, to seem like she had fallen asleep. She thought that he would be done after stealing a few kisses, but his hand began to wander. Her mind was a mess. Was this… normal? They were husband and wife, regardless. It’s not like they hadn’t been intimate, but that this was his first time… secretly doing things to her.“Ari?” he suddenly called out her name softly. The tone was not loud enough to try to wake her; he was simply trying to determine if she was asleep.Arianne was double minded over whether to comply or not, and tell him that she was still awake… As she mulled it over, he went a little further and kissed her on the lips. She suddenly felt that perhaps it wasn’t the best idea to perceive him based on her impressions of him in the past. No matter how distant he was, he was still a man. They rarely ever had sex, despite being married for many years. It was normal for him to have certain urges, right?Mark was surprised that she was still aw
The next morning, Mark walked downstairs with a smile on his face. Mary saw how happy he looked and asked, “Did something good happen today, Mr. Tremont? You’re in a good mood this morning. Is Mrs. Tremont awake? Shall I call her down for breakfast?”Mark straightened out his tie, “Nothing much, I just like the weather today. She’s awake. Tell her to come down.”Mary glanced out the window suspiciously. It was snowing. How was this good weather?Arianne shivered the moment she arrived downstairs. She wondered who left the door open downstairs. Snowflakes were being blown in by the cold air. Mary quickly shut the door, “Are you cold? Put on more layers; you don’t want to catch a cold. You always wore thin clothes to school during winter when you were little, so you’d catch a cold every winter and would only recover after the season changed. You’ve always had a frail body, and it’s only accumulated over the years. It’ll take years before you rebuild your health.”Arianne glanced at Mark.