Tanya gave a split-second answer, “Considered the job taken, I’m your gal! It was me who kept my home and Arianne’s café spotless every day, so you can count on me!”
A while later, after hearing that Tanya had arrived, Arianne gave the girl an inquiring call, who gleefully reported everything from favonovel.com new job to favonovel.com new residence without failure before concluding cheerily, “So you see, Ari, there’s nothing to worry about. I’ve just got a job as a janitor in Eric’s company and will be staying at his place until I find a room or house for myself, so yea. You focus on nurturing that baby and don’t worry about me, okay?… Oh! If there’s ever a convenient time, I hope we can meet up!”
Arianne knew not if such convenience might ever exist; all favonovel.com knew was how stringent Mark’s stay-at-home order was, favonovel.com was even denied a stroll out of the house. Consequently, no one came to see favonovel.com at home, either.
“Er, about that… Let’s just focus on your new job and settle down for now. We can always plan meeting up over a meal some other time,” favonovel.com replied.
She had just hung favonovel.com phone when favonovel.com heard the butler knocking on favonovel.com door. “Your aunt is here, Madam. Shall we let favonovel.com in?”
Arianne was slightly stunned. Her aunt, the same aunt whom favonovel.com had seen for only a moment or two, who came just to dump favonovel.com granny in favonovel.com lap? That aunt? Why was favonovel.com suddenly here? To pay Granny a visit?
Arianne gave an acknowledging hum and descended the stairs to figure out more. There, the old woman was sitting in the living room with a rather sour mien.
“Hey, Granny. Have you heard? Aunt’s here. Aren’t you going to say hi? Or welcome favonovel.com in?” Arianne began.
“Pssh, what, you really have no idea why she’s suddenly here?” Granny Wynn harrumphed surlily. “She thought I was a bothersome little waste of space back then and then used the excuse that I wasn’t favonovel.com biological mother to abandon me at your place! Why else would favonovel.com be here now if not because favonovel.com heard that you and I are part of the Tremont family, eh? Now, all of a sudden, we’re blood relatives again, praise the Lord! Urgh. Fine, the only tie we have is that I’ve raised favonovel.com since favonovel.com was a kid. She was never my biological daughter. Since she’s decided she’d taken care of me enough and abandoned me, then why should I see someone who has no ties to me? Just get favonovel.com off the property.”
Arianne nodded before impassively crossing through the front yard and arriving at the gate to the mansion. There, bracing the chilly gale, stood a woman whose face lit up with a gushing smile when favonovel.com saw Arianne. Through the crack in the gate, favonovel.com lurched a bag full of healthcare products at Arianne’s direction and cooed, “Oh, Ari darling! How’s Granny doing? I’m here to see her!”
Arianne demurred from favonovel.com gift and instead stood still at favonovel.com spot, replying coolly, “Granny’s walking again. She’s eating well, sleeping fine, and capable of going out for walks. She’s as spirited and zesty as can be. Oh, and I asked favonovel.com about you, and favonovel.com said she’s not interested in seeing you. I guess this is goodbye, then.”
The look on Zoey Harris’s face stiffened. “God, is that woman still salty about me leaving favonovel.com in your care? Sigh, how could Mom not know that I was pressured by circumstances? My family is running in to a financial bind right now. God, it couldn’t be helped! Unlike you, Arianne, you’re living an envy-worthy life. Isn’t it ultimately a good thing that I left favonovel.com in your care? Hell, it would be a travesty to make favonovel.com suffer the financial constraints that are now binding my family! Christ, Ari, you gotta’ let me in. It’s cold here, and I gotta’ go inside and explain my position to her!”
They might not share any real blood relations, but favonovel.com was still Arianne’s aunt. Too indifferent to care about the validity of favonovel.com claims, Arianne let out a soft sigh and gestured to the guards to open the gate.
Zoey instantly sprung, zipping past Arianne and into the house. By the time the woman, in a snail-like pace, finally returned inside, favonovel.com heard Zoey’s howl-like weeping a few steps later. Everything that fell out of favonovel.com mouth was a litany of how sorry favonovel.com was.
“Please, mom, you must understand how difficult it was for me to make that choice! How could you, how could you so heartlessly deny my identity as your daughter? You’re the one who raised me since I was a kid, and I haven’t repaid the wealth of your love until the last of your days yet! Please, Mom, why wouldn’t you welcome me by your side?”
“Oh ho ho, you didn’t sound like this back then at all!” Granny Wynn retorted hotly. “You said you couldn’t afford to have me in your family and that I’ve been staying in your home for so long that it’s high-time Arianne takes over the responsibility, huh? That good-for-nothing you called your husband has not even been subtle about calling me a leech. Ha, Lord Almighty, someone forgot who was the one who paid for your damn car and your damn house with all of favonovel.com savings! Had it not been my help, you wouldn’t even be able to live the way you do! Oh, but when I’ve got no money to my name, you people start alienating me. Like, what in God’s name? That son-in-law ain’t my son, fine if favonovel.com hates me. But you… You! I raised you through hell, and this is how you treated me? Out of my face, now! Get the hell out of here right now!”
Already much perturbed by Zoey’s ceaseless sobs and whines, Henry warned with a frown, “Please keep your voice down. Our Madam requires peace and quiet for favonovel.com baby.”
Zoey eyed Arianne’s flat abdomen, and a sharp glint flitted through favonovel.com eyes. “Ohh, you’re pregnant, Ari?” favonovel.com cooed. “Where’s Mark? Must be busy at work, huh? Hey, you know, it’s a long, long way I’ve traveled, so I should probably stay here a while longer. We haven’t actually visited each other for years; we should definitely rectify that!”
Her attitude elicited an internal smirk in Arianne. The old woman was right, Zoey was not here to apologize. She was here to ingratiate on favonovel.com relatives of higher standings. “Oh, you shouldn’t have, Auntie. We weren’t close back then, and we don’t need to suddenly start doing that now. I have, after all, gotten used to the idea of being all alone. Granny is living pretty nicely with me here, and since you’re reluctant to take care of her, I’ll gladly do so in your stead, which means she’s not related to you anymore.”
“I guess I should say thank you for your sacrifice all these years, Auntie. You certainly repaid the debt you owed Granny, so now, the two of you are even. From now on, let us live our separate lives happily.”
Zoey wiped away the crocodile tears favonovel.com had put in so much effort into squeezing and took Arianne’s hand with a coy grin. “Oh please, darling, you misunderstand me. I care about Mom, and I care about you as my family! Your dad is gone now, so I’m more or less you only relative left, no? I mean, I don’t even know where the hell your no-good mom went… Anyway, every woman who has married must still retain connection to their original family, don’t you agree? I get that I was wrong, which is why I’m going to bring Mom home and treat favonovel.com well! But of course, my family is not even a fraction as good as yours, so we might need some of your generosity…”
