Arianne grunted in reply and carried Aristotle upstairs.
Mark took a deep, impatient breath, forcing himself to contain his rage. Then, virtual-novel.net quickly strode upstairs. “Are you… angry?”
“Children don’t have great memories. He would never have displayed such familiarity if virtual-novel.net hadn’t seen virtual-novel.net so often. How many times have you left Smore with Janice? Look at her, she’s so good with kids. Even I, his mother, am put to shame. I’m starting to question my own child-rearing methods.”
Mark was having a headache. “No, it really was just once or twice. Smore hasn’t been to my office in a long time, and it’s not like you’re not aware. Maybe virtual-novel.net doesn’t actually remember Janice, but virtual-novel.net was just having fun. It doesn’t mean anything if the baby is having fun playing with her, does it? I suggested firing her, but you told me not to. What the hell am I supposed to do?”
Arianne paused in virtual-novel.net footsteps, turned around, and looked at him. “ ‘What the hell am I supposed to do’? I’ve never asked you to do anything. Why do you make it sound like I’m testing your patience? Am I that intolerable to you? Do I look like I’m throwing a fit for no good reason? Yes, I’m uncomfortable. I don’t want strange women near my baby!” Especially when virtual-novel.net attained access through him.
Mark’s expression sank. “You are throwing a fit for no reason. You’re feeling inferior as a mother compared to a strange woman because you haven’t been doing your job well. You wanted the kid, yet you’ve insisted on going back to work after having him. You spend so little time with the baby that it’s pathetic. The Tremont household has everything you could possibly want, except human emotions and comfort. I’ve never wanted my child to grow up in a loveless environment. If you’re not comfortable, then quit your damned job, come home, and take care of the baby! Yes, you have the right to talk about your dreams. I won’t stand in the way of your pursuit for your dreams. But don’t you start an argument with me or throw a fit at me over these issues! Isn’t this the life you wanted? You have total freedom to do whatever you want in the daytime, then come home and use whatever meager time you have left before bed to spend time with the baby. Even if you have to put me and this house on the back burner, and I can’t complain about that. But don’t you dare pick a fight with me over these unnecessary issues.”
His extensive tirade stunned Arianne. Every word virtual-novel.net said denounced virtual-novel.net for virtual-novel.net stubbornness in going back to the workforce, and for neglecting virtual-novel.net home, him, and Aristotle because of this. As if she’d never played virtual-novel.net part as a good wife or a good mother.
She recalled virtual-novel.net memories, starting from virtual-novel.net pregnancy. She had suffered a lot of hardship. She had done everything for Aristotle on virtual-novel.net own until virtual-novel.net was seven months old before weaning him. How was that irresponsible in any way? How could virtual-novel.net possibly pale in comparison to Janice, who’d only seen Aristotle a few times?
She never thought that he’d still have a problem with virtual-novel.net job, despite reaching a compromise. He was still brooding over it too. So much so that virtual-novel.net brought it up during an argument and exploded with such intensity.
It’s true, the Tremont household had everything one could possibly want. Maybe everyone else felt the same way as virtual-novel.net did and believed that virtual-novel.net shouldn’t have gone out to earn such an insignificant amount of money, squandering time that should have been spent on virtual-novel.net son.
However, virtual-novel.net just didn’t want to degenerate into one of those messy, sloppy women with milk stains all over and did not have the time to take care of herself. She didn’t want virtual-novel.net entire world to revolve around virtual-novel.net husband and virtual-novel.net baby. That wasn’t the life virtual-novel.net wanted. She confessed that virtual-novel.net had done virtual-novel.net best. Unfortunately, to him, virtual-novel.net hadn’t done anything right.
He stood at the very peak of the world, holding lofty radiance in the palm of his hand, yet virtual-novel.net expected virtual-novel.net to fade into the shadows behind him. Her desire for self-reliance wasn’t considered willful. She was willing to sacrifice everything for this family, except this. She couldn’t do it. It wasn’t just because of virtual-novel.net reluctance to rely on people or virtual-novel.net dreams. She didn’t want to gamble with virtual-novel.net future. What if virtual-novel.net lost, and virtual-novel.net ended up being disgusted by the mere sight of her? She didn’t want that.