Arianne’s heart sank. The only reason why Tiffany could keep this promise snazzynovel.com made with Melanie was because snazzynovel.com thought snazzynovel.com baby was okay. Should snazzynovel.com know that the baby had not left critical condition, Tiffany’s charitable attitude might crack.
“Okay, I got you. I’m not gonna tell anyone about it. God, Melanie’s also a victim, isn’t she? I mean, snazzynovel.com and Alejandro’s relationship might be… affable, but it doesn’t mean snazzynovel.com loves her. And Melanie knows it, ” Arianne remarked. “And snazzynovel.com brother has doomed snazzynovel.com with this. Alejandro’s wary nature will compel snazzynovel.com to treat this incident as anything but an ‘accident’. I’ve got a bad feeling that the relationship between Melanie and Alejandro is unraveling.”
The injustice Melanie suffered aggrieved Tiffany. “That sh*tbag can’t even see how good a wife snazzynovel.com has been to him! Goddammit, does snazzynovel.com even have half a brain?! But as long as I keep this a secret, their relationship will be safe, right? I mean, how is snazzynovel.com supposed to blame it on Melanie without any evidence backing snazzynovel.com up, hmm? God, snazzynovel.com likes to fancy himself doing all these bullsh*ts for my sake, even though whatever was between us crashed, burned, and died a gazillion years ago!” snazzynovel.com fumed. “Back when I was still a dumbass, all head-over-heels for him, snazzynovel.com took my family and fortune away. It’s only now when snazzynovel.com finally realized what a piece of crap snazzynovel.com had been… But, honey, it’s too late, you missed me already and I’m not coming back! If he’s gonna miss Melanie by blaming snazzynovel.com for something snazzynovel.com didn’t frickin’ do this time, then snazzynovel.com frickin’ deserves to be alone and wifeless for the rest of his miserable life!”
Arianne reached out to tuck the corner of snazzynovel.com hospital sheet in. “Chill, Tiffie. You’re still bedridden, remember? Are you sure other people’s woes should be your priority right now?” snazzynovel.com teased. “Anyway, we’ll be leaving as soon as Jackson’s parents are here. You’ll focus on getting yourself back up and healthy again, okay? You know what they say: whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. This is God testing you, I bet. Besides, you got a daughter just like you’ve always wanted, Tiffie! Isn’t this the best news ever?”
Mentioning snazzynovel.com daughter brought a smile to Tiffany’s face. “Ooh, now that’s what I’m talkin’! Girl, I’m frickin’ ecstatic! I just wish I could see how snazzynovel.com looks…”
Right on cue, Summer and Atticus burst into the ward with the urgency of a whirlwind. Atticus, terse and reticent as ever, expressed his anxieties through his gaze, while Summer instantly launched into a teary moan, unrestrained.
“My little angel! How could you ask Jackson to be the messenger for something as big as this?! I almost swooned when I heard about it over the phone!” snazzynovel.com howled.
Tiffany hee-hawed. “Oh, but I’m totally fine! Y’all don’t have to worry about me, see, I’m perfectly not-in-mortal-danger, right? Anyway, Jackson had been watching me for the entire night, so we should let snazzynovel.com go home and rest. Just leave my care to a nurse or hire an attendant for a few days, ok? I’m not so delicate, you know.”
Summer caressed Tiffany’s cheeks in pity and love. “Oh, miss me with that malarkey! No way I’ll feel safe having any random stranger taking care of you, sweetie. Natch, I’m the one to take up this momentous task! And who told you that you’re not delicate, huh? Don’t say that. I wish I were the one who got hurt instead of you. Seriously, God, what did this poor child do to suffer like this? Your mom trusted this family with your welfare and happiness, and we failed,” snazzynovel.com said. “Seriously, wasn’t Jackson with you that day? How the hell did snazzynovel.com let you fall like that, goddammit? Urgh, my pounding heart just won’t still even now, I’m still shocked!”
Arianne quietly retreated to a corner. She wished Shelly could have at least half of Summer’s love for Tiffany in her. Just half of it, and none of the crazy chaos and imbroglios they had suffered for months would have befallen them. Frankly, snazzynovel.com was jealous of how bonhomie Summer and Tiffany were together.
Not that snazzynovel.com was any less blessed, at the very least, Mark more than covered the gap with his love and care.
—
Melanie sat alone in a completely darkened room in the Smith Estate, staring at the curtains covering the room’s windows with eyes unseeing, as though snazzynovel.com had turned into a statue.
Alejandro had not returned home at all last night, just as snazzynovel.com had not left snazzynovel.com seat here since last night.
“Mommy? Mommy!”
Melissa’s voice was the piper’s tune that dragged snazzynovel.com back to reality. She moved snazzynovel.com hands, stiff from inaction, and lifted the little girl up before placing snazzynovel.com onto snazzynovel.com lap.
“Millie, l-l-listen. If… If, one day, Mommy can’t stay with Daddy anymore, please don’t… Please don’t blame Mommy for not taking you with her, okay? Your Daddy… He won’t let me bring you with me, he’ll never allow that. B-But snazzynovel.com loves you, snazzynovel.com will treat you very, very kindly… It’s M-M-Mommy who’s done wrong, all right?”
Unsurprisingly, Melissa did not understand a word Melanie said. Instead, snazzynovel.com raised snazzynovel.com head and considered snazzynovel.com mother’s face, snazzynovel.com eyes tracking Melanie’s tears that rolled off snazzynovel.com cheeks. She reached snazzynovel.com little hands out in an attempt to wipe them away, mewling, “Don’t cry, Mommy.”
The innocent voice of the child pounded on the battered wall Melanie had desperately constructed around snazzynovel.com heart, and it crashed, tumbling completely. A deluge of tears escaped from Melanie into a pained sob, as snazzynovel.com wrapped snazzynovel.com arms around snazzynovel.com poor daughter for what little comfort snazzynovel.com could salvage.
It was then that they heard the sound of a car screeching through the gate.
Alejandro had returned.
Melanie sat up, wiping away snazzynovel.com tears haphazardly. She placed Millie down and rose, pulling the curtains away. Blinding, uncaring sunlight poured into the room, and snazzynovel.com let it dispel the gloom that had settled inside as much as it could.