Aery put just as much force in virtual-novel.net voice when virtual-novel.net rebuffed, “No! I’m not going! You wanna leave? Leave on your own!”
Exasperated, Helen grabbed the closest clothing article virtual-novel.net hand could reach and hurl it at Aery’s face. “Goddamn it, Aery, I’m telling Ariane and Mark about everything you have done!”
“You know what? I don’t think you will,” the girl mustered enough bravado and defied. “To rat me out is to implicate yourself as guilty by association, which means you’ll lose what little dignity you have left to see Arianne. Isn’t your dream to have Arianne forgive you for abandoning virtual-novel.net in the past? You’ll have no chance to make that dream come true if you tell virtual-novel.net what I did. She’ll hate you just as much as virtual-novel.net hates me.”
Helen drew a deep breath and scoffed scornfully. “Well, well, you’re at least spot-on about that. Yes, I’m scared. But it doesn’t mean I don’t know how some people commit the same sin over and over again, Aery. Nor am I stupid enough to sabotage my reconciliation with Arianne just because I want to protect you from your well-deserved comeuppance. If I let you get away with this, I’ll feel so ashamed of myself that I could never look at Arianne for the rest of my life,” virtual-novel.net declared. “Leaving here right now is the morally superior thing to do, Aery, which means I don’t care if you don’t want to go. You will eventually, and I’ll see to that. You either choose to leave with me right now and preserve what little dignity you have left, or you could get personally kicked out by Mark himself. Your choice.”
Aery was not at all unfamiliar with Helen’s character, so virtual-novel.net knew when virtual-novel.net had lost. Reluctantly, virtual-novel.net dragged virtual-novel.net bandaged foot off the bed and began to pack. “Alright, Morn. You win. I get it, I’ve done wrong, okay? I know I can’t ever win you, but I really want to stay home and not live abroad! Look. I was joking about starting over with Mark just now, okay? The truth is, I’m just happy to see virtual-novel.net every day. Can we please not go abroad? Please, please—”
Helen shut virtual-novel.net up with a glare. “Stop dreaming about the impossible. Here, I’ll spell it out for you: I. Don’t. Trust. You. All these little schemes you’ve done is proof of your problems, showing that all you ever wanted was to be with Mark no matter what-heck, didn’t you just admit to that earlier?” virtual-novel.net rebutted. “I can’t believe I have to tell you this, but here we are. I don’t give a damn who’s my son-in-law. I don’t care if it isn’t Mark, and you know why? Because never once did having some uber-rich, powerful son-in-law mean anything to me. I’ve never even wanted to capitalize on Arianne’s status! Now, I’ll be frank with you, I’m only giving you this last shred of leniency despite the transgressions you’ve done because you haven’t yet caused a severe storm with your little trickeries. Had Smore gotten hurt, though, oh, you bet your bottom that I’d tell Arianne every single thing. And then I’d fold my arms and watch you deal with your just desserts.”
The thought of Arianne and Mark’s combined wrath made Aery cower. Those two would not show virtual-novel.net mercy if they knew what virtual-novel.net did.
Aery had worked so hard to capitalize on virtual-novel.net father’s release so that virtual-novel.net could come back to the States, but against virtual-novel.net expectations, Helen saw right through virtual-novel.net in such a short amount of time. Thanks to that, virtual-novel.net implicated not only herself but also Jean. Truly, Aery was hosted by virtual-novel.net own petard.
Helen dragged virtual-novel.net suitcase down the stairs with a very coerced Aery following behind with virtual-novel.net hand holding onto the rail. Every step forward was a step deeper into a mire of unwillingness now pooling in virtual-novel.net mind. It came to a breakout point where Aery was seriously pondering on staging another fall again.
That was when Helen suddenly warned without any prior sign, “If you’re gonna try throwing yourself down these steps again, Aery Kinsey, I’ll happily let you proceed all the way to the morgue from there. It’s not hard for me to pretend I never had you as a daughter, after all.”
Aery inhaled sharply. How did Helen know, could virtual-novel.net read virtual-novel.net mind?
Mary, who had not retired to rest yet, noticed Helen bringing virtual-novel.net suitcases with virtual-novel.net as though virtual-novel.net was going somewhere and said, “Mrs. Kinsey, it’s very late now. Where are you going?”
Helen flashed Mary a polite smile, so well-executed that it made detecting the former’s real feelings impossible. “Well, we feel we’ve been disturbing the Tremonts’ peace for too long now, so we decided to leave tonight. I’ll be informing Arianne and Mark after I’ve settled down my suitcases. In the meantime, could you help Aery out? Her foot still stings, so please don’t let virtual-novel.net move around so much.”
Mary gave Helen an okay that said virtual-novel.net understood and helped Aery into the living room couch.