“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.
“Ari, Mr. Tremont seems like a completely different person, have you noticed?” Mary’s voice suddenly chimed in from behind her.Arianne returned to her senses and carelessly replied, “Nope. It’s too cold. I don’t feel like moving. I’m going upstairs to sleep. By the way, if Henry goes out, tell him to get two books for me. Just the kind that I usually read will do. You can tell him to ask me if he isn’t sure.”Mary grunted a reply, waited for her to go upstairs, then called Mark, “Sir, Mrs. Tremont has asked for two more books, could you get them on your way home? Just her usual series will do. She just said… Okay.”White Water Bay Villa.Jackson had forced Tiffany to stay home today. Actually, her stomach wasn’t hurting anymore, but she couldn’t get past his insistence.She remembered that it had been a while since she visited her own home. Lillian was staying alone and she rarely contacted her. She should pay her a visit.She drove back into her condominium, got into the elevator, an
Tiffany knew Arianne’s daily habits. She would never be able to go back to sleep after just waking up, “Sure. I’ll go upstairs and have a look.”She knocked on the door and opened it. Arianne was surprised, “Tiffie? Aren’t you working today?”Tiffany was reminded of the scene she had encountered at home. She couldn’t contain herself, “Come downstairs, I have something to tell you. I’m not setting foot into your room ‘cause your man is a germaphobe. I don’t want him to be annoyed with me.”Arianne was helpless against Mark’s germaphobia too. She took Tiffany by the hand and went to the living room downstairs, “What’s up? You look rattled so early in the morning.”“I hadn’t gone back to visit my mother at her house in a while, so I thought of paying her a visit this morning,” Tiffany said with a sour look on her face. “I even brought her breakfast and a present, afraid that she would nag me for forgetting about her after finding a man. Can you guess what happened? She has no need to nag
“Nothing impressive,” Tiffany replied without a second thought, probably because she was still upset at the prospect of her mother getting married again, “He’s not good-looking; he’s only good with words. We’ve met before, but I don’t really know what he’s like. He’s not a widower, but a divorcee. There must have been a reason behind that divorce, right? I’m not saying that people who are divorced are problematic, but I have to at least understand how and why the divorce happened. Look at the information from the private eye; Grant’s divorce was less than a year ago. I have to find out more.”Arianne smiled silently. It would seem that Tiffany wasn’t being personal with Grant, but trying to persuade herself. She wasn’t going to back down until she had done a thorough investigation. If Lillian planned on remarrying, they would have to cross this hurdle.Tiffany rubbed her slightly bloated belly as she munched on the desserts that Mary had served, “Ari, logically speaking, based on how t
Suddenly, she felt a hand placing itself gently on her tummy. Her sensitive mental state caused her to jolt and immediately wake up. She opened her eyes and was greeted by Mark’s intensive gaze. Realizing that they were much too close together, she pushed herself away from him, “What are you doing home so early? It’s not three yet. It’s the end of the year, so shouldn’t it be pretty busy at the office?”Mark frowned at her reaction, “You don’t want to see me? I came home because I couldn’t stop thinking about you in the office and bought the books you wanted. It is busy at the office, but staying with you is most important. Did I wake you?”She was surprised at Mary for tasking him with buying her books. She shook her head, “No… I had enough sleep. I won’t be able to sleep tonight if I sleep any longer. I’m going for a walk. Rest if you’re tired.”As she got up, Mark pulled her back down and plonked her accurately into his embrace, his arms wrapping firmly around her, “Lie with me for