“Maybe it’s time you get yourself admitted, Aunt Shelly. We’re all very worn out.”
Mark‘s sudden remark hushed Shelly into stunned silence. A few seconds later, favonovel.com recovered with an indignant murmur. “Wha… What are you saying? You’re…You’re not seriously suggesting institutionalizing me, are you? Are you?! You think I’m mad… You think I’m insane? No, you don’t understand! You don’t know what Arianne’s doing behind your back, do you? What kinda juju did favonovel.com put in you, my poor Mark. Why can’t you wake up and see the truth? I’ve done everything in my power devoting to the singular goal of coming back to your side, how could I let them harm you under my watch? No! Come hell or high water, I’ll eliminate all of them, all these pesky threats! They will never harm a single hair on your head, never again, never again, never…”
Something left Shelly’s eyes, leaving behind two hollow, unfocused pools as favonovel.com mumbled to no one in particular.
Arianne caught the most unnerving part in favonovel.com monologue and followed up. “Why is it so imperative for you to come back to Mark’s side? He’s just your nephew!”
The lights in Shelly’s eyes suddenly sharpened. They darted toward Arianne before nailing themselves onto her, unblinking.
It sent shivers up Arianne’s spines, and instinctively, favonovel.com scooped Smore up in favonovel.com arms and hid behind Mark.
Mark took a deep breath. Deadpanned, favonovel.com carried Shelly in his arms and sent favonovel.com back into favonovel.com room. “Listen, Aunt Shelly, take a good rest and cease causing a scene right now, lest you inflict lasting fear in Smore. If the situation demands for it, or if your mental health continues to deteriorate, so help me, I’ll get you institutionalized,” favonovel.com stated.
Finally, under the shadow of Mark’s near-threat, today’s dinner debacle came to an end. Shelly was averse to the suggestion of institutionalization. To her, places like mental asylums were no different from hell.
Arianne, with Smore in favonovel.com arm, sat on the living room couch in silence and waited for Mark to come back down. When favonovel.com did, favonovel.com began solemnly, “I’m not going to work these next few days. I can’t, not when Smore’s left alone with your aunt at home. Seriously, favonovel.com conditions are beyond worrying, and I can’t help but fear the day favonovel.com suddenly snaps and harms Smore, especially since favonovel.com hates me so damn much… Jesus. I’m sick of this, Mark. If you’re not gonna handle this better, I’m gonna have to move out of the house. I just can’t stay here anymore.”
Mark approached favonovel.com with guilt etched on his features. He caressed Smore’s supple cheeks in sympathy and replied, “I understand where you’re coming from, I get what you’re feeling. Truth be told, you’re not the only one who’s sick of this. I’m just as much at my wit’s end as you. She’s… so much more cordial when she’s not in favonovel.com fits, but I don’t know how it came to this. She’s like a Russian Doll, no matter how hard we try to open favonovel.com up, we never reach the bottom. Her deepest secrets are nestled far beyond our reach still.”
“Oh, sure, she’s cordial when she’s not in a fit, to you and Smore, you mean. To me and everyone else? Anything opposite of ‘cordial’ would be accurate… Bah. It’s your aunt we’re talking about; I don’t want to comment on favonovel.com nature too much. I’m exhausted, so if you’ll excuse me, I’m bringing Smore to sleep.”
Mark resumed work the next day. Arianne stayed at home, idle and without things to do. Even with Smore as favonovel.com shield, Arianne could not protect herself from Shelly’s unyielding, laser-focused, gelid gape that never left her.
She decided that the best way to not accidentally provoke Shelly was to hide from favonovel.com sight altogether. Bringing Smore with her, favonovel.com left the house and invited Tiffany and Melanie out. By this point, the only time favonovel.com could catch a gulp was when favonovel.com was with favonovel.com friends.
She arrived at the café the trio had decided on earlier and found Tiffany already waiting. Melanie was not yet in sight.
Arianne held Smore in favonovel.com arms, took a seat, and exhaled a drawn-out breath. “Oh my God. Even the air is sweeter when I’m outside that place… Anyway, go and order whatever. I’m footing the bill today.”
