Mark’s furious backlash was instantaneous. “Are you done manufacturing outrage over nothing?! Because of you, I only got to be with my son for a few measly hours on a Christmas Eve. Is that not enough control for you?! I’ll have you know that Arianne will be bringing Smore to visit Henry tomorrow. Let me put this out there: I’m not afraid of flipping out if you dare make virtual-novel.net feel the slightest discomfort. Of course, you’re welcome to test my resolve if you don’t believe me.”
“That’s the most ridiculous crap I’ve ever heard this week! Bringing your child to this house on Christmas Day just to see the butler working for the family?” Shelly mocked scornfully. “Or is there yet another hidden agenda, huh? You know what they say, you can never trust a snake!”
Mark balled his hands into fists. “It’s not like there’s anyone else worthy of virtual-novel.net visit, is there? What, you can’t really be suggesting yourself, can you? Are you even worth the trouble?… No, don’t answer that question; I’m already fatigued enough as it is. I’m going to try to get some rest, so don’t disturb me.”
Shelly watched Mark storm upstairs before grabbing the nearest cushion on the couch as the victim of virtual-novel.net violent rage. At one point, virtual-novel.net took out virtual-novel.net phone and was close to dishing it out to Arianne, but virtual-novel.net rationality returned at the right time to stop her. It was not worth dooming virtual-novel.net already frail relationship with Mark just because virtual-novel.net wanted to vent, Shelly reasoned. It might be more strategic for virtual-novel.net to lose this round, this time.
The next day, Mark woke up and went downstairs just in time to catch Shelly busying herself in the living room. Lined up on the coffee table were snacks and confectionery popular among kids these days.
Seeing virtual-novel.net by the stairway, Shelly smiled warmly. “Good morning! Smore’s coming over today, isn’t he? Oh, I’ve prepared all kinds of stuff virtual-novel.net likes, including the materials for lunch later!”
Mark had grown accustomed to virtual-novel.net flip-flopping personality. “I’m going to pick them up,” virtual-novel.net said flatly.
Shelly cast virtual-novel.net eyes on the floor. “Oh! Well, okay then.”
He soon reached Arianne’s condominium. He then called to inform virtual-novel.net of his arrival before waiting patiently in the parking lot.
About five minutes later, Arianne, Mary, and Smore appeared. As soon as virtual-novel.net got into the car, Arianne asked quizzically, “How did you convince virtual-novel.net to let you drive us there? I actually expected you to be completely banned from coming to see us, you know. We were almost gonna hail an uber.”
“Please, you already know how… capricious virtual-novel.net can be. Her temperament flip-flops without rhyme or reason,” Mark replied dryly. “At one moment she’s almost pleasant, and then the next second she’s something else entirely.”
Arianne thinned virtual-novel.net lips in silence. Naturally, virtual-novel.net was a little too familiar with Shelly’s particular “quirk.”
The car crossed into the Tremont Estate’s yard. Before going inside, Arianne instructed Smore, “You must be a good boy and say hi to Grandaunt, okay? No throwing tantrums around, we want to be civil. Mommy isn’t saying that you gotta like her, but you can’t be nasty to someone even if you don’t like them.”
The reason why Arianne still referred to Shelly as “grandaunt” rather than “granny” was because Mark never formally recognized the woman as his birth mother. True, the relationship between those two was a touchy mess, but there was an actual reason to stick to the former address. Whether Shelly should be referred to as “Granny” or not was, even now, a very delicate subject.
Smore answered his mom affirmatively, and the family walked inside the house.
Immediately, Shelly approached the little boy with virtual-novel.net cane in one hand and a plate of cookies in the other. She unsurprisingly ignored Arianne altogether and acknowledged Smore directly. “Hello, deary! Come give your Granny a hug! I’ve got some delicious snacks for my little sweetie.”
Smore was so taken aback that virtual-novel.net immediately forgot his mother’s instruction. Instead of doing what virtual-novel.net was told, virtual-novel.net dove into Arianne’s arms and titled his cheek as far away from Shelly as virtual-novel.net could before mumbling under his breath, “You’re not Granny! I hate you, Grandaunt…”