Chapter 537 Heart Problems
While Oscar had just put a lid on Amelia’s photos, something happened on Tiffany’s side.
When Amelia heard of her friend’s incident over the phone, a peculiar thought popped up in her mind. We sure are best friends, getting into trouble at the same time. Mine happened last night, and then she called me the next day. Well, I really do not know how to describe this coincidence.
In a gentle voice, she spoke to Tony, who was looping his arms around her neck. “Be a good boy, Tony. I’m going to visit Tiffy, and I’ll be back very soon. Behave and stay at home with your daddy, okay?”
Tony remained in her embrace and said reluctantly, “I don’t want to stay at home, Mommy. I want to go with you. I haven’t played with you for a long time.”
Left with no choice, Amelia brought him along and asked Jolin to help her apply for a leave of absence before rushing to Tiffany’s place at the fastest speed.
When Tiffany opened the door, she was shocked by her appearance and quickly asked, “Who did this to you, Tiff?”
Covering her cheek, Tiffany said, “Come inside first.”
After Amelia led Tony into the house, she headed to the refrigerator to take out a few ice cubes so that Tiffany could use them for cold compression.
In the meantime, Tony climbed onto the couch and blew on the bruise on Tiffany’s face. “I’ll blow it for you, Tiffy. Pain, pain, go away,” he comforted sweetly.
His thoughtfulness amused Tiffany.
In one swift motion, she pulled him into her arms and ruffled his hair while saying, “My face doesn’t hurt anymore now that you’re here, Tony.”
Tony let her do as she pleased and even assured her, “Don’t be afraid, Tiffy. I’ll protect you. I’ll chase those big bad guys away, and I won’t let them bully you anymore.”
Tiffany froze after hearing his words, and tears almost fell from her eyes.
Upon spotting Amelia walking out of the kitchen, she quickly suppressed the sadness in her heart.
Amelia passed the cold compress to her and said, “Soothe it with ice. Otherwise, you won’t be able to go show up anywhere with that face.”
Tiffany accepted the towel containing ice cubes and pressed it against her bruise. “Thank you, Babe. I didn’t disturb you when I called you at work, did I?” she mumbled.
Instead of replying, Amelia merely stared at the heart-wrenching wound on her face.
“Tell me. Who hurt you?” she then asked, going straight to the point. “I hope you won’t lie to me, or my trip here would be unnecessary.”
Tiffany’s expression turned doleful.
Amelia gazed at her silently and did not pressure her into telling the truth.
In the end, Tiffany spoke. “His mom hit me.”
Naturally, Amelia knew who she meant.
“Why did she strike you? I don’t think Mrs. Hisson is an uncultured person.” Amelia managed a calm reply.
A wry smile touched Tiffany’s lips, and she explained, “I had a minor dispute with Crystal, but Mrs. Hisson kept siding with her. I was so angry that it escalated into an argument. I didn’t expect Mrs. Hisson to throw a cup at me when she got infuriated. She missed the first one, so she kept flinging cups at me. I don’t know how many cups she had thrown at me, but in the end, I became like this.”
Amelia also felt furious after hearing about the incident.
“What did Derrick say?” Amelia asked as she contained her rage.
Tiffany continued with bitterness lingering on her expression. “He left after sending me back here. I’m starting to doubt whether or not I made the right decision in choosing him, Amelia. Everything was great when we first started dating. I didn’t expect to be beaten up by his mother two years later. After everything, he just told me to rest up and then left. We’re not even married, and he’s already tired of me. Just now, I considered breaking up with him.”
Derrick’s attitude vexed Amelia equally. However, she did not believe that he was such a person and thought there should be some sort of misunderstanding going on.
“Calm down, Tiff. Don’t think about breaking up yet, and talk it out with him first. I don’t think Derrick is that kind of person, so you shouldn’t be so quick to criticize him. If you don’t remain levelheaded, it will only destroy your relationship,” Amelia advised collectedly.
A look of helplessness flashed across Tiffany’s face as she held the cold compress against her cheek.
“I am levelheaded, and I’ve thought things through. Even if Oscar calls me his sister, an impostor will always be an impostor. I am a best-selling author that earns millions annually, but it’s nothing to the Hissons. They aren’t the least bit impressed. Derrick’s grandfather doesn’t like me, and his mother has expressed her contempt for me outwardly. At first, I refused to give up no matter how much his family made things difficult for me because I had him by my side. But now his behavior… I don’t know if I can go on,” she said defeatedly.
Tony stood up and blew on her face. “It doesn’t hurt, Tiffy. I’ll protect you.”
Tiffany let her hand down and forced a smile. “I’m fine, Tony. You’re such a good boy. By the way, I bought you a present and put it in the room. Go and play with it. I have something to talk to your mom about.”
Tony glanced at her and Amelia before nodding in response.
Once the boy headed into the room, Amelia sat beside Tiffany and comforted her, “Don’t overthink, Tiff. Everything has a solution. I’m sure Derrick is not like that. Even if you don’t believe in yourself, you have to believe in him.”
“I want to trust him, and I did so last time. However, I don’t know if I can still trust him this time. When his mother flung cups at me, he was standing at the landing of the stairs and only ran downstairs after a dozen seconds. Yet, he stood in front of his mother and told me to calm down. I couldn’t help but laugh at that time. His mother was the one who hit me, but he wanted me to calm down instead.”
Amelia frowned, her expression solemn.
If Derrick truly behaved that way, then there had to be something wrong with his character. No matter what, she would never agree to let Tiffany marry him.
Since the Hissons did not bother to hide their dislike toward Tiffany, she would have to walk on eggshells at their place after marrying into their family if he did not protect her.
“Did Derrick call you after that?” Amelia inquired.
Tiffany shook her head.
“Have you spoken with him?”
“After sending me home, he left without consoling me. I’m not shameless enough to call him, Babe.”
Amelia empathized with Tiffany, as it would be degrading if the latter were to call Derrick first when he was indifferent to her in the first place.
“What do you plan to do then? Will you really break up with him? You two have been dating for two years. Can you bring yourself to separate with him?” Amelia asked the crucial question.
Tiffany fell silent.
At that, Amelia also subsided and did not push for an answer.
Sometime later, Tiffany stated sullenly, “I don’t want to break up with him, Babe. I love him. Considering my fiery temper, I would’ve taught Mrs. Hisson a lesson just like what I did to Mrs. Scott if I didn’t love him. Now, I can endure some unjust treatment for his sake, but he has to do the same for me as well. It will be hard to continue this relationship if he can’t go through thick and thin with me.”
Amelia held her hand and consoled her, “Don’t think about it, Tiff. Everything will be okay.”
Just then, the doorbell rang.
The two women exchanged looks before Amelia said, “It can’t be Derrick, right?”
Deep down, Tiffany was hopeful.
“I’m going to get the door. You two have to sit down and clear the air if it’s him. Don’t argue with each other, understand?” Amelia only headed to the door after exhorting her.
When she opened the door and saw the person outside, she froze for a second and blurted out, “Why are you here, Kurt?”
“I heard something happened to Tiffany, so I came to see her,” he responded. In actuality, he was there to see Amelia but did not verbalize it.
“Come in first.” Amelia stood aside to let Kurt in.
As the two walked in, Tiffany’s expectant gaze turned to one of disappointment at the sight of Kurt.
She sat back down on the sofa and forced a smile. “You’re here, Kurt.”
Kurt’s gaze changed almost imperceptibly when he saw the bruise and wounds on her face. “Who did this to you?”
“An unreasonable old hag did it. Will you avenge me, Kurt?” she asked jokingly.
“Just say the word,” he replied, implying that he would take revenge for her as long as she gave him the word.
“You’re okay with that?”
Kurt nodded. He was never one to go back on his words.
Tiffany finally displayed a genuine smile and waved her hand. “No need. I was just joking with you. I couldn’t ask you to attack people for me.”
Kurt did not speak further, but he offered, “Let me know if you need help. You still have Amelia and me. We’ll always be your friends.”
His words warmed her heart. Even if those were just empty promises, the fact that he said such caring words during her predicament was enough for her.
“Having each other’s backs for two years in Beshya didn’t go to waste, Kurt. Those words meant a lot to me. I wouldn’t have known you could say those things if I hadn’t gotten into trouble,” Tiffany remarked.
Kurt tugged his lips into a slight smile.
The three of them chatted for a while more. When the doorbell rang again, Amelia glanced at Tiffany, who shrugged as she did not have high hopes. “Maybe it’s Oscar.”
Kurt stood up and volunteered, “I’ll get the door.” With that, he went to open the door.
When he returned, Derrick was following behind him.
At the sight of him, Tiffany felt the pent-up grievances from when his mother hit her arise, and her eyes turned red. Not wanting Derrick to see her in such a miserable state, she quickly turned away.
“I’m going to check on Tony,” Kurt said.
After he entered the bedroom, Amelia pointed to the couch on the other side and informed, “Tiff has told me about some things, Derrick. I shouldn’t involve myself in your relationship issues, but Tiff is my best friend. She felt wronged, and I was hoping you could give me an explanation.”
Derrick glanced at Tiffany, and his eyes darkened when he noticed she was avoiding his gaze. He sat on the couch with his fingers interlocked. It seemed like he was thinking about something.
“I’m sorry,” he said in a deep voice. It was unclear whether those words were directed to Amelia or Tiffany. At the same time, it was impossible to discern the meaning held by his apology.
“We don’t want your apology, Derrick. Shouldn’t you explain why you deliberately neglected Tiff? Back then, you promised you would take good care of her, and you’ve been doing great in these two years. Why did you suddenly change?” Amelia questioned.
Derrick cast his eyes downward in contemplation. “My mom fell sick.”
Amelia and Tiffany were stunned.
“What happened?” the former asked calmly while the latter stared at him nervously.
“My mom has palpitations, and her body would convulse. When she threw the cups at Tiffany, I knew she was in grave condition. She can’t be too agitated, or things will become terrible. On usual days, she’s completely fine. But she’ll easily get a myocardial infarction if she becomes too enraged. That’s why I rushed Tiff back here,” Derrick explained with a weary expression.
“I-Is Mrs. Hisson all right?” Tiffany fumbled for words as she licked her lips, her misery and resentment fading away.
“I didn’t know that, Derrick. I didn’t mean to make her angry. I’m sorry, I didn’t know…” In a panic, she babbled on incoherently.
“She’s doing all right,” Derrick comforted her with a faint smile.
Meanwhile, Amelia was nonplussed. These wealthy ladies live in easy circumstances, yet they have all sorts of health conditions. Mrs. Clinton is usually doing well, but her heart starts having issues whenever the situation is disadvantageous to her. It’s the same with Mrs. Hisson. Sometimes, I can’t tell whether they truly have a condition or if it’s just a scheme for them to achieve their motive. After all, the world is vast. The chances of meeting two equally beautiful affluent ladies with heart problems are low.
Amelia snorted but did not speak her mind. She would be apathetic if she did. Regardless of whether or not she made sense, her words would undoubtedly affect Derrick and Tiffany’s relationship.
