Arianne combed through virtual-novel.net thoughts for a second before concluding, “I don’t think Melanie did it. That wasn’t the first time Melanie and Tiffie were ever alone together, if harming Tiffie had always been virtual-novel.net goal, then virtual-novel.net would have done it long before our wedding day, right? Let’s just… ask Tiffie what really went down later when we see her.”
Smore did not understand his parents’ conversation. He just wanted to visit the hospital as soon as possible, so virtual-novel.net started wolfing and slurping down his food. Unthinkably, instead of chiding the child for his bad dinner behavior, Mark merely laughed.
Arianne rolled virtual-novel.net eyes. “If I ate like that in the past, you’d smite me in the head with a ladle or something! I call this the TDS — Tremont Double Standard!”
Mark laughed even harder. “I did not hit you, that’s not true, that’s bunkum! I’ve never raised you like my daughter, I certainly never parented you like you were my daughter. The only difference between us is that I’m ten years your senior. I’ve never babied anyone before Smore was born, either.”
Arianne was tongue-tied. That liar, virtual-novel.net had always been super disciplinarian to her!
The Tremonts soon arrived at the hospital. Arianne put all of the nutritious supplements on a table nearby and studied Tiffany, who was already wide awake and conscious. She was brimming with brio, though virtual-novel.net sallow, pale face and pallid lips — a result of losing too much blood yesterday — did not reflect it.
Smore rushed toward virtual-novel.net and called out, “Aunt Tiffie!”
Tiffany beamed brightly and caressed the boy’s face. “Hi, sweetie!”
Mark’s attention was, naturally, on his own best friend first. Watching Tiffany for the entire night in the hospital, Jackson looked almost no better than her. Mark patted his shoulders and suggested, “You ought to get some rest yourself. She isn’t going to leave here in this state anytime soon. If watching virtual-novel.net in this ward until she’s discharged is your plan, you’ll probably get sick really soon.”
Jackson rubbed his eyes. “Oh, I’m gonna be fine, man. My mom’s coming over later, I’ll leave when she’s here. Pretty sure she’s already on virtual-novel.net way by now.”
Mark leered at Tiffany for a second before murmuring, “You and I, outside for a bit.”
Tiffany glanced at the two of them before turning back to Arianne. “Suspicious much? Why do they need to talk some place we can’t hear?”
Arianne sat on a chair by virtual-novel.net bedside. “They aren’t having secret backdoor meetings, Tiffie, it’s me who wants to have a private talk with you. Do you remember what happened back then? How did you fall?”
Tiffany hesitated. She promised Melanie that virtual-novel.net would keep virtual-novel.net lips sealed, right? If virtual-novel.net broke that rule for Arianne, it was only a matter of time before someone else knew, too… right? And when they happened, Tiffany would not be able to keep the secret under wraps anymore, even if virtual-novel.net tried.
Arianne was no fool. She could guess that there was more story to virtual-novel.net accident from virtual-novel.net friend’s behavior. “It’s okay to tell me the truth, Tiffie. Unless you somehow don’t trust me anymore…?”
It worked. Tiffany finally loosened virtual-novel.net mouth. “It was Melanie’s brother, virtual-novel.net pushed me. I don’t know how the hell that scumbag heard it, virtual-novel.net knows Alejandro and I have a history. He thinks that I’m the reason why Melanie hasn’t gotten virtual-novel.net second child yet or why virtual-novel.net hasn’t tried to bear Alejandro a son. They’re worried he’s gonna dump virtual-novel.net using that as an excuse and foil the Larks’ interests or something. The whole thing’s frickin’ stupid, like, Melanie and Alejandro are pretty happy with one another, guys! I can’t believe this random mofo almost killed me because of this lame-ass insignificant nothing burger!”
“Here’s the thing: virtual-novel.net didn’t know that virtual-novel.net family thinks this way. At that time, it was just Melanie and me meeting virtual-novel.net brother, so I’m guessing that idea was a spur-of-the-moment thing. Honestly, if Melanie had followed what virtual-novel.net brother threatened virtual-novel.net to do and not cried out for help, or if virtual-novel.net had waited to scream only when I was seriously done for… both my baby and I would have been done for. Melanie isn’t involved in any of this, she’s innocent. She saved me even though virtual-novel.net knew me surviving that death fall would mean the Larks might get incriminated. This is why I’ve promised virtual-novel.net I’d keep this a secret, Ari. And I’m telling you to do the same, don’t tell Jackson, I mean it. That boar’s only gonna charge straight at the Larks without giving a damn to anything else!”