Chapter 814

Chapter 814Chapter 814
It was as though Kate's personality had changed overnight. She brought Tiffany shopping every day,
from one shop to another. In fact, she even told Tiffany to try out new clothes. Tiffany had been trying to
finish her draft during the night, yet she had to deal with the torture Kate was imposing on her the next
day with the shopping. Because of that, she soon became sleep deprived. Derrick's heart ached when
he saw that, so he tried to convince his mother to stop doing that. To his surprise, Kate retorted, “When
I treated her meanly, all of you thought I was being far too strict. Now that I'm trying to repair our
relationship, you all think I'm intentionally making things difficult for her. What exactly do you want me
to do, Derrick?”
For a moment, he was at a loss for words. Then he said, “Tiff has been staying up all night trying to
rush her draft to completion for the past few days, Mom. She needs more sleep.”
Kate sneered, “You think I'm intentionally making things difficult for her, aren't you, Derrick?”
That prompted him to sigh. “Mom...”
“Fine, since you think I have an ulterior motive for doing this, then maybe I should just intentionally
make her life more difficult.”
“That's not what I mean, Mom. Fine, just do whatever you want.”
Only then did she smile satisfactorily.
The next day, Kate brought Tiffany to shopping as usual. Their shopping spree lasted for three days. If Crystal hadn't invited Kate for a meetup, Tiffany probably
wouldn't have been able to escape the torture.
Amelia smiled and gave Tiffany, who was slumped on the table like a fish out of water, a cup of coffee.
“What's wrong? Why do you look so tired?”
Without saying a word, Tiffany waved her hand lethargically as she sat next to her friend.
She played dead for a few minutes before raising her head.
Seeing the black bags under her friend's eyes, Amelia furrowed her eyebrows and asked, “You didn't
sleep well?”
Tiffany drank the coffee and smiled bitterly. “Don't bring it up. I don't know what's gotten into my
mother-in-law these days. It's as though her personality suddenly changed. She brought me shopping
every day. Now, whenever I see a fashion boutique, I'd feel ill. She really does hate me to the bone.
Why would she come up with new ways to torture me otherwise? But she's my elder, so I can't scold
her or do anything to her.”
Amelia's eyebrows furrowed even tighter.
In a single motion, Tiffany emptied the cup of coffee.
“Babe, is there any food for me to eat?” The bitter smile was still present on her face.
“Molly made some pastry. I'll bring them out from the kitchen.” Amelia stood up and did precisely that. When the food arrived, Tiffany dug in as though she was a refugee who hadn't eaten anything for
years.
Amelia gently patted her back. “Slow down, Tiff.”
The moment she said that, Tiffany began to cough violently.
In response, Amelia poured her a cup of water and spoke resignedly. “Look at what you've done to
yourself. If people don't know any better, they'll think you're going through a rough patch in your life
when all you did was get married.”
Tiffany drank the water and forcefully suppressed her urge to cough. “Accompany me for a walk
outside, Babe. I'm feeling a little bored. My mother-in-law's attitude changes every day. In one second,
she'll berate me. In another, she'll shower me with love. I suspect that she has a split personality. If this
goes on, I think I'm going to end up losing my mind.”
Amelia nodded.
After both of them went downstairs, Amelia drove her friend around the city.
When the car passed by an alley, the women's sharp eyes caught the sight of Kate, Crystal, and
Derrick together.
Crystal was holding Kate's arm as she walked ahead. Meanwhile, Derrick was walking behind. The
three of them appeared like a family. Tiffany's grip on her seatbelt tightened as she bit her lip. Disbelief flashed in her eyes.
She recalled Derrick telling her there was an online novel that needed to be published today, so he had
to attend a meeting at the company. And yet, there he was, accompanying Kate and Crystal instead of
being in the meeting.
There must be some misunderstanding here. Her mind felt as though it was a whirling mess. There's
no way he would lie to me. We are so very much in love!
With trembling hands, she pulled her phone out and called him.
When the call connected, Tiffany asked with a shaky voice, “Are you still in the company, Derrick?”
Hearing Derrick saying “Mhm” faintly made her heart drop all the way to her stomach.
“Is there a reason why you're calling me, Tiff?” he asked tenderly.
Her lips twitched as her line of sight was fixed on the man still following Kate and Crystal. She never
expected him to lie to her.
Her mind was so chaotic that she couldn't figure out what to do. Still, she said, “It's nothing. I was just
wondering when you'll be getting off work today. How about I deliver dinner to you later? It's been a
while since we ate together at the company. I quite miss it.”
Derrick chuckled as he said gently, “No need. I'll just ask my secretary to order takeout for me. You
should eat on time. Mom's not at home tonight, so you should use the time to rest. I'll buy you yourfavorite fruit crepe later tonight.”
“All right. In that case, I won't disturb you any longer. Bye.” When Tiffany finished speaking, she ended
the call with a heavy heart, her eyes still focused on her man in the distance.
Amelia grabbed her hand and unbuckled the seatbelt. “Let's go down, Tiff.”
Fear suddenly crept into Tiffany's mind.
She grabbed her friend's hand and shook her head. “Don't, Babe. Not like this.”
There was a tinge of disappointment in Amelia's eyes as she stared at her friend. Ever since she
married into the Hisson family, she hasn't been as bright and determined as she used to be. It's as if
she becomes a timid mouse whenever she deals with matters concerning Derrick. I'm afraid she'll get
her feelings hurt, but I also kind of dislike how she refuses to fight back.
Anger continued to swirl in her mind as she watched Derrick and the other two leave further and further
away.
“What are you afraid of, Tiff? In the past, you wouldn't have been so fearful.” She slapped her steering
wheel and spoke with a hint of anger.
Tiffany's face turned a little paler as her eyes gleamed with sorrow.
After a while, she sighed gloomily. “Maybe it's because I love him too much.”
However, that didn't quell Amelia's frustration at all. Derrick promised he would treat Tiff nicely. Whatprompted him to go back on his word? If I knew this was how things would end up, I never would've
allowed Tiff to keep contact with Derrick back then.
She uttered flatly, “Maybe this is just a misunderstanding, Tiff. You should ask him about it when he
comes home tonight.”
There was a dazed look in Tiffany's eyes as she stared out the window. “The call earlier was his
chance to explain what he was doing, Babe. However, he decided to lie to me.”
Amelia knew married couples should trust and have faith in each other. However, if Derrick truly had
nothing to do with Crystal, then he wouldn't have lied to Tiffany about what he was doing.
Upon shaking her head, Tiffany said, “Let's continue to roam around, Babe. I don't want to return to the
Hisson residence today. It's awful there, and I don't feel a sense of belonging there. I used to have
Derrick, but now even he's lying to me.”
With a conflicted look, Amelia glanced at her friend before driving the car.
At that moment, no matter what she said to her friend, it would only fall on deaf ears.
On the other side, Derrick was staring at the women in front of him with annoyance. He was forced to
lie to Tiffany because he was afraid she would overthink what he said if he was being truthful. He did
have a meeting in the company earlier, but Kate called him later on and told him Crystal was leaving
Tayhaven soon. Additionally, she said she would force Crystal to stay if he refused to join them and bid
Crystal goodbye.
In order to be free of Crystol, he hod no choice but to join them. It olso greotly frustroted him thot thewomen kept tolking to eoch other.
“I still hove things I need to do ot the compony, Mom. I need to leove now.” He didn't even hide the
onnoyonce in his tone.
Kote turned oround to foce him. “Crystol's obout to leove. You should join us for o meol first. You ond
Crystol did grow up together, ofter oll.”
A frown oppeored on his foce.
Crystol spoke politely. “No need to be so defensive oround me, Derrick. I just wont to hove o meol with
you. Two doys from now, I'll be gone from the city.”
In the end, Derrick ogreed to the request.
After the meol ended, Crystol suggested they go to the omusement pork for fun.
By then, his potience wos reoching its limits, but he still ogreed to thot os long os it meont he could get
rid of her os soon os possible.
So the three of them went to the omusement pork, though Derrick wosn't in the mood ot oll os he
followed behind.
Crystol ond Kote hod some fun before the lotter osked him to hong out with the former. The excuse she
used wos thot she wos feeling tired, ond someone needed to keep Crystol compony.
Without hesitotion, he rejected the request, “I'm not interested in ony of these, Mom.” Before Kote could soy onything, Crystol spoke considerotely. “It's fine, Mrs. Hisson. I'm octuolly not thot
interested in these either.”
“Since you oren't interested, let's leove right now.” Derrick oppeored utterly displeosed.
Thus, the women followed him out of the omusement pork.
When the cor possed by o cold beveroge estoblishment, Crystol mode yet onother request. “Mrs.
Hisson, Derrick, how obout we go there? It moy be my lost opportunity to enjoy o cold beveroge in
Toyhoven. I probobly won't hove the chonce to do it ofter this.”
“She's going overseos soon, Derrick. Just do whot she wonts, okoy?” Kote ordered.
With no other choice, Derrick ogreed.
Boredom gripped him os he wotched them eot ond drink.
It wosn't until it wos olreody nighttime thot the three of them returned to the Hisson residence.
A housekeeper greeted them ond mentioned thot Terrence would spend the night ot his old wor
buddy's ploce ofter they ployed chess together.
A crofty look floshed post Kote's eyes. “Very well. You con leove now.”
After the housekeeper left, she soid, “I'll cook something for you two to eot. You two must be tired ofter
spending time outside oll doy.” Derrick loosened his tie in irritotion. “I'm going to check if Tiff is upstoirs.”
With o nod, she suggested, “If she's upstoirs, osk her if she wonts to join us.”
Pursing his lips, Derrick didn't onswer.
He went upstoirs ond into the bedroom but didn't see Tiffony there.
Thus, he gove her o coll ond wos informed thot her phone hod been turned off.
Exosperoted, he poced bock ond forth in the room.
Then he stopped, took o deep breoth, ond tried colling Amelio but to no ovoil.
Hence, he colled Oscor, ond the lotter replied, “She's ot my ploce right now, but you don't need to come
over. I think she got reolly tired over the post few doys, so she's currently olreody sleeping with Amelio.
When she wokes up, I'll send her bock.”
Derrick frowned. His shorp senses told him thot there wos something off obout Oscor's tone. “How
obout I pick her up right now, Mr. Clinton? It must be inconvenient to hove her ot your ploce.”
Oscor sneered ond uttered colmly, “Whot, you don't believe me?”
Since he insisted, Derrick hod no choice but to go olong with it. Still, worry swirled in the lotter's heort. In order to be free of Crystal, he had no choice but to join them. It also greatly frustrated him that the
women kept talking to each other.
“I still have things I need to do at the company, Mom. I need to leave now.” He didn't even hide the
annoyance in his tone.
Kate turned around to face him. “Crystal's about to leave. You should join us for a meal first. You and
Crystal did grow up together, after all.”
A frown appeared on his face.
Crystal spoke politely. “No need to be so defensive around me, Derrick. I just want to have a meal with
you. Two days from now, I'll be gone from the city.”
In the end, Derrick agreed to the request.
After the meal ended, Crystal suggested they go to the amusement park for fun.
By then, his patience was reaching its limits, but he still agreed to that as long as it meant he could get
rid of her as soon as possible.
So the three of them went to the amusement park, though Derrick wasn't in the mood at all as he
followed behind.
Crystal and Kate had some fun before the latter asked him to hang out with the former. The excuse she
used was that she was feeling tired, and someone needed to keep Crystal company. Without hesitation, he rejected the request, “I'm not interested in any of these, Mom.”
Before Kate could say anything, Crystal spoke considerately. “It's fine, Mrs. Hisson. I'm actually not that
interested in these either.”
“Since you aren't interested, let's leave right now.” Derrick appeared utterly displeased.
Thus, the women followed him out of the amusement park.
When the car passed by a cold beverage establishment, Crystal made yet another request. “Mrs.
Hisson, Derrick, how about we go there? It may be my last opportunity to enjoy a cold beverage in
Tayhaven. I probably won't have the chance to do it after this.”
“She's going overseas soon, Derrick. Just do what she wants, okay?” Kate ordered.
With no other choice, Derrick agreed.
Boredom gripped him as he watched them eat and drink.
It wasn't until it was already nighttime that the three of them returned to the Hisson residence.
A housekeeper greeted them and mentioned that Terrence would spend the night at his old war
buddy's place after they played chess together.
A crafty look flashed past Kate's eyes. “Very well. You can leave now.”
After the housekeeper left, she said, “I'll cook something for you two to eat. You two must be tired afterspending time outside all day.”
Derrick loosened his tie in irritation. “I'm going to check if Tiff is upstairs.”
With a nod, she suggested, “If she's upstairs, ask her if she wants to join us.”
Pursing his lips, Derrick didn't answer.
He went upstairs and into the bedroom but didn't see Tiffany there.
Thus, he gave her a call and was informed that her phone had been turned off.
Exasperated, he paced back and forth in the room.
Then he stopped, took a deep breath, and tried calling Amelia but to no avail.
Hence, he called Oscar, and the latter replied, “She's at my place right now, but you don't need to come
over. I think she got really tired over the past few days, so she's currently already sleeping with Amelia.
When she wakes up, I'll send her back.”
Derrick frowned. His sharp senses told him that there was something off about Oscar's tone. “How
about I pick her up right now, Mr. Clinton? It must be inconvenient to have her at your place.”
Oscar sneered and uttered calmly, “What, you don't believe me?”
Since he insisted, Derrick had no choice but to go along with it. Still, worry swirled in the latter's heart.