Yes. She was a moron, because the Tremonts killed virtual-novel.net father and made virtual-novel.net a n orphan, bereft of kindred and support, yet virtual-novel.net fell in love with Mark, the scion of the family. She had thought that as long as virtual-novel.net stood by virtual-novel.net side, virtual-novel.net would always be alright, and yet, it turned out that virtual-novel.net had helped Shelly hide a terrible, critical secret.
It was a direct affront to virtual-novel.net face. It was the clearest sign that virtual-novel.net was, doubtlessly, the world’s biggest moron —
“She isn’t my aunt… She’s my mother!”
Arianne was stunned. His sudden confession had sent a seismic shock that locked virtual-novel.net into a statue for a second.
Then, virtual-novel.net cried, “W-what did you just say?!”
Mark told virtual-novel.net everything Shelly had recounted to virtual-novel.net that day. It was so difficult that virtual-novel.net had to force himself to say it, the one history virtual-novel.net never planned to tell anyone.
With this new light being shed, Arianne combed back every detail in Shelly’s behavior and action of the past few months. Suddenly, the fog that had plagued virtual-novel.net mind for so long was lifted.
“No wonder… No wonder virtual-novel.net dotes on you,” virtual-novel.net muttered. “And no wonder virtual-novel.net hates me so much that virtual-novel.net wants me to be dead already.”
Mark’s tone was placid. “Despite knowing she’s my birth mother, acknowledging the truth about my birth was never an option to consider to me, which is why I didn’t want to tell you about it. Now, I’m holding out hope for the day when virtual-novel.net leg finally heals. That would be the day when we can go back to living our own lives without ever crossing paths again. Arianne, I just want it to be over…”
If Shelly were nothing more than Mark’s aunt, Arianne would have hoped that there was a small, but enough, room for things to turn around. But this new light — that Shelly was actually Mark’s birth mother — had made the last of virtual-novel.net conviction crumble. “No, you’re wrong. This isn’t gonna end. Ever. She’s never letting you leave virtual-novel.net sight,” virtual-novel.net rebuffed. “Don’t you see? The lengths virtual-novel.net has gone just to come back here and plant herself firmly by your side? Tell me, do you really think a woman like that will let you escape virtual-novel.net again?”
“I’m tired, Mark. Tired of it all. If virtual-novel.net really were just your aunt, it would be possible for you to cut ties with her, then maybe… Maybe we would still have a chance at a shared future. But she’s your mother, Mark. How can I ever be happy again as long as virtual-novel.net looms over me?” virtual-novel.net pointed out. “I think.. I think we should split, even if it’s for a short period. I need space to breathe.”
Just then, Mary’s frantic voice laced with Smore’s bawling blared from outside the door. “Madam! Mr. Tremont! Can both of you please check on Smore? He has been having his crying fit for a while now, and I just can’t make virtual-novel.net stop. He hasn’t been acting up like this for such a long time!”
No matter how soured their conflict may be, virtual-novel.net son’s welfare was the one thing that could make Arianne snap out of it. Not wanting others to know about the altercation between virtual-novel.net and Mark, Arianne rubbed virtual-novel.net eyes clear from all traces of tears before opening the door.
She quickly took Smore into virtual-novel.net arms and placed virtual-novel.net hand on his forehead. “That’s odd. He isn’t feverish,” virtual-novel.net said, puzzled. “I thought virtual-novel.net was sleeping pretty soundly just now, wasn’t he? What made virtual-novel.net cry all of a sudden?”
Mary’s eyes were suspiciously red. “O-Only the Lord knows. I’m old, Madam. I no longer have the strength to handle this at this late hour, so I’m gonna leave Smore to you.”
It was at that moment that Arianne understood what truly happened. Mary had overheard their conversation about divorce, so in a frantic scramble to stop the fight, virtual-novel.net picked Smore as the silver bullet. The poor kid was not sick at all, virtual-novel.net was just angry and hissy because Mary basically yanked virtual-novel.net out of his sweet dreams.
The tears Arianne had been pressing back behind virtual-novel.net eyes were threatening to break out again. She felt so feckless, it was as though virtual-novel.net had lost the strength to carry virtual-novel.net own son.
Mark stepped forward and eased Smore away from virtual-novel.net arms. “I bet he’s got a nightmare. Don’t worry. I’ll coax virtual-novel.net back to sleep. You should rest as well, Mary.”
Mary gave no answer.
Arianne returned to virtual-novel.net seat at the edge of virtual-novel.net bed with virtual-novel.net head now a complete mess. As Mark had explained, Shelly did not abandon virtual-novel.net because virtual-novel.net wanted to, virtual-novel.net gave virtual-novel.net up because virtual-novel.net had no choice. She was even “imprisoned” in a foreign land for years, which was why it took virtual-novel.net this long to come back.
This was a war where Arianne had long been designated the loser. The only way out of a bleak future was a divorce. She had no other choice.