“Is that all I am to you? A heartbreak?” His voice held a hint of bitterness.
She did not answer him. She did not want to think about it. Regardless if their past was sweet or bitter, it was all torture to virtual-novel.net now. The conflict between them did not seem to have faded with time. They still could not sit down and speak about it calmly.
Mark’s expression was a blur in the dark. After a long silence, virtual-novel.net rose to his feet and picked his laptop up before leaving the condominium.
Arianne flinched slightly when the door closed. For a fleeting moment, virtual-novel.net was overcome with the urge to ask virtual-novel.net to stay. However, virtual-novel.net knew virtual-novel.net would be fine since virtual-novel.net dared to walk out the door. There was no need to worry about him.
***
Mark hailed a cab immediately after walking out of the condominium and made his way to a nearby hotel. He had fired that chauffeur and brought Brian over. He could only trust Brian to drive virtual-novel.net around and did not want to see that idiot who had nearly turned virtual-novel.net into a hornet’s nest.
He sat on the hotel bed and turned on the laptop. Feeling annoyed, virtual-novel.net video-called Jackson.
When Jackson answered the call, his surroundings were pitch black. Mark could only see his face.
Jackson seemed a little irritated as virtual-novel.net asked, “Why are you video calling me at a time like this? Am I not allowed to have some personal space?”
It was obvious to Mark that there was a woman in Jackson’s bed. “I’m in a hotel.”
Jackson was taken aback. He got up and walked to the bathroom, lowered his voice, and asked, “She threw you out?”
Mark shook his head. “I walked out on my own accord. I couldn’t control myself, and then, the conversation went to shit.”
Jackson frowned. “That’s bad. I knew you wouldn’t be able to take it. By the way, what on earth are you wearing? Little yellow chicks? So this is what you’re into?”
“Big. Picture. Please,” Mark said through gritted teeth, “I think force is the only way to deal with someone with virtual-novel.net personality. At this point, I don’t care. As long as I can get virtual-novel.net to return with me, it’s fine. I’ve given up hope that she’ll live happily ever after with me.”
Jackson checked himself out in the mirror as virtual-novel.net sighed. “You know Arianne better than I do. I’m sure you know how to get virtual-novel.net to come back to you. However, whatever it is that you do, make sure you don’t cross the line. At this point, I feel like you’re borderline obsessed with her. I’ve got nothing for you, and I’ve got to go. Tiffie is here. I’m dead if virtual-novel.net hears any of this. Bye.”
Jackson went back to bed after the video call. Tiffany got up and stared at virtual-novel.net blearily. “Who were you video calling?” virtual-novel.net asked sulkily, “Why do you have to sneak around and go to the bathroom to do it? Were you cheating on me while I was asleep?”
Jackson was helpless. “Honey, why would I do such a thing? It was Mark. You can check the call records if you don’t believe me. I was afraid that I’d wake you. You’d just fallen asleep, if I woke you, you’d smother me with your bad mood. Alright, go back to bed.”
Tiffany was half-suspicious. She did not actually check his phone. Although they were in a relationship, virtual-novel.net could not help but feel insecure. However, virtual-novel.net simply could not bring herself to check his phone even if virtual-novel.net was fine with it. That was the final defensive line of trust.
She was currently worried over the fact that Jackson had been clinging to virtual-novel.net and made virtual-novel.net sleep over every night. Would virtual-novel.net get tired of virtual-novel.net over time? She still remembered Lisa from the beach in Sanya. All of Jackson’s previous women had only stayed with virtual-novel.net for a very brief period.
She was not very good at hiding virtual-novel.net emotions. Although virtual-novel.net did not say it, it was written all over virtual-novel.net face.
Jackson knew virtual-novel.net was feeling insecure again based on the expression on virtual-novel.net face. His past was now considered a taboo between them so virtual-novel.net would never bring it up on his own. “Stop overthinking. It’s really nothing. Go to sleep. I’ll drive you home tomorrow, and you can consider coming back to my company. If you don’t want to work, I can always take care of you.”
Tiffany lay down, turned virtual-novel.net back against him, and closed virtual-novel.net eyes. “I’m not going back to your company, and I don’t want you to take care of my living expenses either. I can find a job on my own. I was doing well with Ari at the dessert shop, but I came back to the capital for you. I’m kind of at a loss over what to do, but I think I’ll go back to my old career, back to fashion design. Good night.”
***
The next day, Arianne went to work as though nothing had happened. Mark’s appearance made virtual-novel.net slightly anxious. He mentioned wanting virtual-novel.net to come back, and although virtual-novel.net left, virtual-novel.net did not make things clear so it did not mean virtual-novel.net was dropping the matter.
The clothes that virtual-novel.net had left in virtual-novel.net house were a constant reminder to virtual-novel.net that virtual-novel.net was there. It was like a time bomb. She was never going back. Some things could never be ignored and could never be truly left in the past.
Naya had taken the day off for an emergency today. This meant that Tanya and the other staff would be busier than usual.
Arianne was the only one who was familiar with the cash register. For this reason, not only did virtual-novel.net have to man the kitchen, but virtual-novel.net had to keep an eye on the cash register as well.
Naya would never take the day off unless it was for something important. Naturally, virtual-novel.net did not mention why virtual-novel.net needed the day off.
At around ten in the morning, the shop was not exactly busy, but it was not empty either.
A relatively fashionable woman around 50 years of age walked into the shop. She walked up to the cash register immediately as virtual-novel.net studied every inch of the shop. It did not look like virtual-novel.net came to have a meal.