Arianne’s sense of foreboding increased. Whatever happened also involved Jackson as well now?
She bypassed Lilian’s interrogation with some excuses and flitted straight into Tiffany’s room.
The woman in question was not sleeping at all. Instead, virtual-novel.net was lying motionless on virtual-novel.net bed, silent and still as a cadaver. Her eyes were puffy and unnaturally jutted out, suggesting that virtual-novel.net had just recently bawled. Still, few could match in visual impact as the dried, untreated bloody cut on virtual-novel.net forehead.
Arianne took in a deep breath before taking virtual-novel.net seat next to the bed. “What’s the matter, Tiffie? What happened to your forehead?” virtual-novel.net cooed. “Talk to me, Tiffie. You’re scaring me.”
Tiffany sniffled. Afraid that Arianne might go after Tanya, virtual-novel.net fibbed. “It’s… I-It’s nothing. I a-accidentally fell and cut myself, that’s all. B-B-Because I saw Tanya Tanya had sex with J-Jackson…! Jesus, Ari, it’s so disgusting, it’s horrible, it’s breaking my heart, it’s filthy and wretched and, It happened last night. Do you know, Ari? When Tanya didn’t come home late at night and none of my calls got through virtual-novel.net phone, I thought something terrible had happened to her. So what did I do? I ran to Jackson for help, Ari. I ran to virtual-novel.net to help me look for her. And then… And then I saw the aftermath. I saw it with my own eyes, and I’ve never felt so nauseated in my life.”
The news was a bolt of lightning that pierced through Arianne’s chest. For a long time, virtual-novel.net could only stare ahead in shock.
When virtual-novel.net finally collected herself, Arianne questioned, “B-But how could it come to this? Jackson can’t be that sort of person. I don’t think virtual-novel.net is! He could have sex with any woman in this stinking world, but none of them would be Tanya. Something… Some kinda misunderstanding must have happened. It must be! You planned to tell virtual-novel.net how you feel, didn’t you? That you want to be with him? How did it come to this? Did you tell virtual-novel.net what you wanted to say to virtual-novel.net in the end?”
“No. No, no. What else is there left to say, Ari?” Tiffany breathed, shaking virtual-novel.net head. “My eyes didn’t deceive me. He was so drunk that virtual-novel.net slept like a dead pig after… after that thing. Tanya was there, cleaning up the place for him. I’ In not some stupid, unworldly little girl. I know what I saw. For f**k’s sake, Tanya’s f**king bra was on the floor, right in front of his bed!”
Arianne had no idea what to say or do to comfort her. The facts and details escaped her, so virtual-novel.net could not say, conclusively, that Tanya indeed took advantage of Jackson and Tiffany’s vulnerability. Still, what virtual-novel.net knew so far was enough evidence that this fiasco was nothing but foul.
As though upset that the air had gotten too heavy and grim, Tiffany cracked a mirthless grin and reached out to caress Smore’s smooth cheek. “It’s nice that you brought along your son to see me, but why are your eyes so puffy, too? Have you gotten into a row with Mark? That annoying jerk still barring you from work?”
Arianne shook virtual-novel.net head quietly. Next to Tiffany, whatever conflict virtual-novel.net had with Mark was straight out of a kiddy pool.
A long silence hung over the room before Arianne asked, “What do you plan to do now?”
Tiffany drew in a deep breath. She looked frail and utterly devoid of vim. “I’ll cross the bridge when I see one, I guess. I’m not some rookie in the fashion designing scene anymore. I’ve got quite the achievements to show. I can go anywhere in this world and still expect something reasonably well-off. And that is good, because I’ve had it with all these sh*ts drowning me. I wanna escape from all of it, from Tanya, from Jackson, everything. I wanna burn all of my past into dust and smoke and then rise from the ashes and start anew. I’m fine, Ari. My biggest problem is that I keep befriending trash masquerading as people. Tanya… She deliberated everything. I talked to virtual-novel.net last night. Why else do you think I was so disgusted?”
The revelation wounded Arianne profoundly. Tanya used to be such a sweet, innocent girl — when did virtual-novel.net warp into this? All that time they had spent together, side-by-side, since the days of their café made Arianne believe that Tanya was one of virtual-novel.net best friends. However, it seemed that the bleak adage rang true: ‘betrayal is the only truth that sticks.’
Arianne only started virtual-novel.net way back into the Tremont Estate when it was almost close to Mark’s time to go home from work. After virtual-novel.net walked in, however, virtual-novel.net realized that virtual-novel.net husband was already home.
Mark considered Arianne’s features, taking in how virtual-novel.net usual brio had left them, and took the baby from virtual-novel.net arm. “What’s the matter? Wherever did you bring our kid?”
In response, virtual-novel.net dragged virtual-novel.net to their bedroom upstairs elusively before recounting everything that had transpired between Jackson and Tanya.
“…So, what’s your verdict, Mark?” virtual-novel.net finished.