Chapter 451 Screwed Up
It was unknown if Kate and Crystal were deliberately torturing Tiffany by going through countless amount of clothing shops and trying out as many clothes as they could. As long as it was a piece of attire that could be put on the human body, they tried it all. It made Tiffany, who was usually a night owl in order to rush her manuscript to completion, very mentally and physically exhausted.
Rage was building up in Tiffany’s heart as she watched the two women hellbent on trying out all kinds of clothing. However, she couldn’t vent her anger. Not only that, she had to keep putting up a fake smile. The fury she experienced was the greatest yet at that point in her life.
Just as she was about to burst out cursing, Kate finally said, “Let’s find a place to drink and relax.” It was unknown if she and Crystal really were tried or because they noticed how Tiffany was looking like a volcano about to erupt.
Tiffany let out a sigh. Thank god we can finally rest. I’m afraid I’m just going to throw these bags to the ground and leave if they’re going to continue to shop.
She was a pretty impatient person, which was why she couldn’t endure all the dawdling.
Once the three of them sat down, Tiffany placed the bag in her hand on her chair and said, “I’m going to the washroom, Mrs. Hisson. I’ll be back soon.”
Kate nodded indifferently.
Malice flashed through Crystal’s eyes as she watched Tiffany leave in the direction of the washroom. However, that malice was quickly replaced by a caring expression on her face. “It seems that Tiffany is more capable than we thought, Mrs. Hisson. If she still isn’t angry after all that we’ve done today, I’m afraid she won’t be easy to deal with.” She was speaking in such a sweet voice that it could instantly melt anyone’s heart.
Kate sneered, “If she wasn’t at least this capable, she wouldn’t have been able to ensnare Derrick’s heart. However, she is still just a commoner from an ordinary family. I still have many ways to take care of her. I doubt she can win against me.”
“I’m concerned that, if Derrick knows you’re intentionally making things difficult for her, he will get angry, Mrs. Hisson. How about you just let her be your daughter-in-law? I don’t want you to come into conflict with Derrick because of me.” Crystal’s gentle voice was a mismatch with her sexy appearance.
“What nonsense are you talking about right now? I like you, not her. Tiffany doesn’t deserve to be a part of the Hissons. Even if Derrick does marry her, I still have ways to make sure she leaves the family.” Kate narrowed her eyes with hatred.
Crystal lowered her head to hide the joy in her eyes.
She then swiftly lifted her head again and pretended as though she was being utterly considerate. “I believe she’s quite capable, Mrs. Hisson. Please take care of yourself when I’m not around. Don’t make her anger you too much.”
“You’ve always been such a kind child. That’s why I’ve liked you since you were a little girl. I really don’t understand why Derrick likes that good-for-nothing woman instead of you. I’m starting to think he’s intentionally trying to piss me off.” Anger was brewing in the older woman’s heart.
“Don’t get mad, Mrs. Hisson. Derrick’s only temporarily mesmerized by her. He still loves and respects you in his heart.”
“There’s no need for you to speak highly of him when he’s treating you like that,” Kate huffed. “If I don’t talk to him about this, he—”
It was at that moment Tiffany stepped out of the washroom, causing Kate to stop speaking immediately.
“Aren’t you going to order any food, Mrs. Hisson?” Tiffany asked when she saw the empty table.
“Are you making me, an elder, order food for you to eat, Tiffany?” Kate glanced at her. She clearly sounded dissatisfied.
“I’ll order the food, then. What would you like to eat, Mrs. Hisson?”
“As Derrick’s girlfriend, shouldn’t you have known what kind of food his mother likes the most? Especially when you’re at the stage where you’re about to discuss marriage with him?”
Tiffany was stumped, but she still went along with it. “All right, I’ll just order what you like, then. Do you want anything, Ms. Crystal?”
Crystal, surprisingly, didn’t make things difficult for her and simply asked for an orange juice.
When Tiffany returned with a bunch of food, she noticed Kate was staring at them with furrowed eyebrows. Her rage was reignited as she spoke as calmly as she could. “If you don’t like any of them, you can order them yourself, Mrs. Hisson. I’m sorry that I didn’t figure out what you like to eat beforehand.”
Kate was about to speak before Crystal stepped in. “No need to get angry, Mrs. Hisson. I’ll help you order something that you like. Your body’s not in the best state right now, and being angry doesn’t make it better.”
Only then did the older woman calm down.
Crystal left for a few minutes before returning with food and drinks that Kate liked. “I ordered these especially for you, Mrs. Hisson. Give it a try and let me know if you like it.”
“You’re still the one who understands me the best, Crystal. If Derrick marries you, he’ll be the luckiest man in the world. It’ll also make my life much more comfortable. It feels suffocating to live with a woman whom I dislike in the same building,” Kate ridiculed Tiffany indirectly.
Tiffany pretended not to hear it.
The rage in Kate’s heart was burning brighter when she didn’t get any reaction from Tiffany at all, so much so that she found the food and drink on the table to be an eyesore.
“I’m going to the washroom, Crystal. Just pretend she doesn’t exist.”
“Do you want me to accompany you, Mrs. Hisson?”
“It’s fine. Just enjoy your drink.”
Once Kate left, the smile on Crystal’s face was promptly replaced with a mocking scowl. She crossed her arms and said with contempt, “I don’t know what Derrick likes about you, but I do know there’s nothing about you that Mrs. Hisson likes. If I were you, I wouldn’t dare to continue my relationship with Derrick if all I can do is piss his mother off.”
Tiffany raised her head with a sweet smile. “You aren’t going to pretend anymore, Ms. Halliwell? I admit I’m impressed by your acting. But despite your looks and family background, Derrick chose me in the end. I’m still the winner for now, aren’t I?”
She had been pretending when Kate was around because the older woman was still Derrick’s mother. Crystal, on the other hand, was a nobody to her. There was no reason for her to endure what Crystal had to say about her.
“You!” Crystal looked like a cat whose tail was stepped on.
“Don’t get angry, Ms. Halliwell. You’re a graceful woman, aren’t you? Losing your temper in front of so many people isn’t exactly elegant, and you don’t want any rumors to reach Mrs. Hisson, do you?” Tiffany smirked.
The hateful words that were about to spill out of Crystal’s mouth were begrudgingly swallowed back. Her pretty face was twisted into an ugly one because of her unbridled anger.
Tiffany whistled in marvel. “You look like a clown performing on a theater stage, Ms. Halliwell. It’s such a shame that you aren’t an actress with how talented you are in changing your expressions.”
“You’re crossing the line, Tiffany!” Crystal couldn’t help but exclaim, causing a few people near them to look in their direction.
“What’s wrong, Crystal?” Kate’s voice rang out from behind.
Crystal was shocked. She promptly put on an aggrieved look and turned around.
“I’m fine, Mrs. Hisson. It’s not like Tiffany was saying that I’m ruining her relationship with Derrick.” She pretended to sound sensible even though she was in a foul mood.
Kate glared at Tiffany and snapped, “Crystal knew Derrick first, and both our families had the intention of pairing them up. Not only did you ruin the prospect of a romantic relationship between the two of them, but you’re also now accusing her of doing the thing you’re doing? I thought you still had some manners before, but now it seems like you’re just putting up a facade in front of me. I don’t know why Derrick likes a woman as heinous and two-faced as you.”
“If you’re so certain about what I said based only on what Ms. Halliwell told you, then you’re no different from the cops who catch people without concrete evidence. I’ve been helping the two of you carry your bags and run around this place for hours without making a peep, and you didn’t even bother to give me a compliment.” Tiffany couldn’t take it anymore and spoke truthfully. “I know how much you don’t like me, Mrs. Hisson, and I’ve tried my best to improve your impression of me. But it seems that my efforts are futile. I’ll be leaving now since you’ve made it so clear that you don’t like me around.”
She picked up her bag and left.
When she stepped out of the mall, regret spilled into her mind. I shouldn’t have been that impulsive. This is just great. Now she’s going to put in even more effort to chase me away. Why did I make it even harder for myself?
She pulled out her phone and texted Amelia: I’ve messed up. Again. I’ve pissed off Mrs. Hisson a lot today. Derrick’s definitely going to have to endure his mother’s long complaints about me. Sometimes, I wish I can just turn my emotions on and off whenever I want. Things would be so much easier to deal with.
Back in the mall, Kate was indeed furious about what Tiffany had said to her. She was so angry that she almost couldn’t squeeze a word out of her mouth. “Did you see how insolent she was, Crystal? That isn’t how a person should treat their elder!”
Crystal was quite happy because it turned out that Tiffany wasn’t as patient as she thought.
Regardless of how she felt at that moment, she still obediently patted the older woman’s back. “Calm down, Mrs. Hisson. Don’t let her anger you. You’ll hurt yourself at this rate.”
Kate stood up with fury. “Let’s go back. If I don’t let Derrick know about what happened later tonight, his woman’s going to crawl all over me.”
Crystal was overjoyed to hear that, but she still pretended to be sensible. “You have to calm down, Mrs. Hisson. When you talk to Derrick later, speak to him nicely. Don’t fall for that woman’s ploy to worsen your relationship with him. It’s not worth it.”
“She’s not capable of doing that.”
Both of them continued to speak as they left the mall.
