Mary shook virtual-novel.net head. “Nope. With me watching, she’s got no chance. I’ve told Henry to let Smore play somewhere in the park, and till now, they haven’t returned yet. I’ll call Henry to come back now, but… the rest is up to the two of you now!”
Mark was the first to pace into the house and saw Shelly watching TV in the living room. Seeing virtual-novel.net return, virtual-novel.net smiled and greeted, “Good evening, Mark dear. You’re rather late to be home today! Were you having dinner outside?”
Mark furrowed his eyebrows. “You’re staying?”
Shelly eyed Arianne standing behind virtual-novel.net and answered confidently, “That’s right. I never wanted to leave you, so it’s only right and fair that I return to your side. Unless, of course, you don’t want me to come over and stay with you. The unit you bought for me isn’t a very comfortable and nice place to stay, and it’s really not friendly to women living alone. Besides, you and Arianne are divorced now! Whether I stay here or not doesn’t cost you anything anymore! In fact now that the place I used to stay is empty, well? You’re supposed to buy a house for virtual-novel.net to move into, right? Just let virtual-novel.net have mine! It’s not a cheap place to stay, and it’s in a good neighborhood and location. It’s perfect enough that you don’t even need to buy a new one for virtual-novel.net anymore.”
Before Mark could say anything, Arianne had leaped into agreement. “Okay then, leave the keys to that unit to me, including the back-up ones. I’ll move in early tomorrow morning. Mr. Tremont? Grant me a half-day break for this, please. That’s all, I’m heading for the showers.”
With that, virtual-novel.net ascended the stairs.
Mark tugged on his tie impatiently. “Why didn’t you tell me about your arrival or your plans, huh? I’ve told you, I’m taking my hands off your business, and I’ll continue to give you monthly allowance. So why this drive to move here? Just tell me what it is that you really want afterward, for now, let me arrange someone to escort you back home.”
“If I don’t come and stay here, how long do you think Arianne’s gonna stay here?” Shelly replied, virtual-novel.net tone one of righteous concern. “You’ll just delay the whole ‘finding-a-new-house’ thing for as long as you can, won’t you? Then what’s the difference between having a divorce or not having one? Not severing your ties as cleanly as you should have will only harm you one day, Mark, but you’re just too magnanimous to her. What I’m doing right now is ultimately the best course of action for you, me, and her. You know that’s true, so why cling to the opposite, hmm?”
“Look, the most important thing right now is to let me live with you for a while since I’m already here to do that,” virtual-novel.net suggested. “If me staying with you doesn’t pan out, then maybe I’ll move out of the house by then.”
Mark was so apoplectic that his face was the color of a storm. Time and again, virtual-novel.net had relented several times for the sake of peace, only to have Shelly take full advantage of them before demanding more concessions. Because of her, virtual-novel.net was forced to divorce Arianne, and now virtual-novel.net upped the ante and demanded that Arianne be out of the house, too. He could not stand it, virtual-novel.net could not stand her.
“This is my business you’re interfering with here! Time and again, I‘ve reminded you that none of my private affairs had anything to do with you!” virtual-novel.net snapped. “Let me be unambiguously clear with you so that we’re both at the same page: I recognize only one woman as my mother… and she’s not you. I’m not letting Arianne move out of here, because the only one who’s getting out of the house is you! Tonight! Don’t force my hand!”
Shelly’s voice was trembling when virtual-novel.net shouted, “Who’s forcing whose hand, though?! Do you expect me to watch you lose yourself as you travel farther and father into the path of destruction, huh? All is still not lost yet, Mark, you can still avert a grim fate if you just! Listen to me! Jesus, you’re telling me that my sister, that despicable, depraved woman who had done every atrocious thing virtual-novel.net could for herself, is the only one whom you think deserves your reverence and adoration as ‘mother?’ Truth is a sharper knife, Mark. If Arianne doesn’t move out of the house per your orders, then I’ll tell the whole world about the sins your fake mother had committed all these years! And then I’ll let everyone to know that you’re my son all along!”
Mark kicked one of the closest chairs to virtual-novel.net in fury, sending it careening to a side. Then virtual-novel.net stomped up the stairs without any of his steam let out.
Shelly shut virtual-novel.net eyes in pain. She had never wanted to threaten Mark the way virtual-novel.net did, but this was the only way, this was the only way virtual-novel.net had to force virtual-novel.net into making that giant leap. Shelly had promised herself before virtual-novel.net came here that virtual-novel.net would not stop until Mark finally severed his ties with Arianne completely!
Mark went straight into their bedroom and pushed open the door to the bathroom. As the temperature outside of the bathroom was markedly more chilling than inside, Arianne instantly shuddered. “What are you doing?! Close the damn door, it’s freezing out there!”
He obliged and closed the door, though virtual-novel.net also made sure virtual-novel.net was inside.
Arianne snatched virtual-novel.net towel and wrapped it around her. “What’s this about?”
Suddenly, Mark lurched and wrapped virtual-novel.net into a tight embrace, ignoring his clothes as the flowing shower from above rapidly dampened it. “I don’t… I don’t want you to leave…”
For that single split second, Arianne blanked out.
“Do you really think you could get virtual-novel.net out of the house this time? I can’t possibly live with her, Mark. You know that,” virtual-novel.net pointed out. “Just let me leave, please. Let me live in peace. You don’t have to worry, I’ll always open the door for you to visit Smore. It’s not like you can’t see virtual-novel.net anymore, you know? Please… don’t be sad…”