Arianne’s smile deepened. “Rest assured, I’m fine. Don’t worry, and do your job. I’ll be waiting for you at home.”
Tiffany, who was sitting next to Arianne, was in a daze. At that moment, she finally discovered there was a price to pay for enjoying this meal. She had come for the delicious food to ease her bad mood, but she ended up feeling envious when she saw Mark and Arianne’s interaction. For this reason, she interjected loudly, “Mark, that’s enough. You’re cold and aloof before. Why does it seem like you’ve completely changed? Do you have a dual personality or are you a different person now? I seriously doubt you’re Mark!”
Mark soon changed his tone and recovered to his usual self. He said coldly, “Enjoy your meal. Don’t poke your nose into other people’s business.”
Tiffany rolled her eyes. “Fine. You’re only gentle to Ari. It seems like you’ve got a serious split personality. It’s quite scary.”
Arianne used the napkin to wipe her hands clean. She picked up her phone and said to Mark, “That’s enough. I’m having my meal now. I’ll talk to you later. Don’t tire yourself out. Make sure you get enough rest.”
After the video call ended, Tiffany’s expression turned lifeless and gloomy. “Ari… I ran into Jackson today.”
Tiffany wiped her tears away. “I gritted my teeth and endured it. Do you know what was running through my mind at that moment? What I cared about was not that kiss. I was afraid of there being other incidents that involved more than a kiss. In that instant, my trust for him shattered. Then, this crazy idea of him cheating on me with other women just appeared in mind and refused to leave. The idea that he’s disloyal stubbornly stayed in my mind. Moreover, I felt like I couldn’t afford to be with him. I don’t deserve him. He spent a long time making me feel deserving of him, and I was slowly taken in by his gentleness. However, when I saw him kissing Lynn, it was like I regained my senses. I’m still Cinderella and I always will be. I’m worried he would regret accepting my pathetic self in the future. I’m afraid I won’t be able to leave even if he cheats on me one day. At that time, I would drive myself crazy. In any case, our relationship wasn’t as strong as we thought it was. It was so weak that it couldn’t even withstand any challenges.”
She continued to say, “I know he won’t come and ask for my forgiveness if I’m the one who asks for a breakup. His pride would stop him. I guess it’s truly over now. I don’t even want to know now if he really did cheat on him. It doesn’t matter anymore. I don’t want to listen to his explanation, and I’m afraid to. I couldn’t help but feel skeptical and suspicious regardless of whatever he said. Distrust is a ferocious weapon. At last, it would only hurt both parties involved. I feel like I’m suffering from a mental illness. All this time, I’ve been feeling disgusted with myself.”
Arianne was too saddened to speak. It seemed like Tiffany had not let go of the past. If only Tiffany did not meet Ethan, did not get into a relationship with Ethan for three years, and did not suffer that tragedy in Arianne’s place… How nice would it be if Tiffany had met Jackson first?
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