Chapter 601 No Hard Feelings
Crystal looked at the leather bag on the table and felt suddenly uneasy.
Crystal did not touch the leather pouch. “What is this, Mrs. Hisson?”
“Take a look, Crystal,” Kate said, echoing Terrence the night before.
Under Kate’s discerning gaze, Crystal opened the leather pouch reluctantly and emptied its contents out onto the table. Her face paled at once at the sight of the photos and documents scattered before her.
“Mrs. Hisson, I-I…” Crystal bleated with trembling lips as she picked up some of the photos.
“The old man had you investigated. As you know how much Derrick means to him, you should also understand how important it is to him that his grandson marries the right girl. Sending someone to investigate you is only inevitable. Lo and behold, these are the first things he finds out about you. Could you help me understand?” Kate looked at her with an enigmatic half-smile.
Crystal’s mouth went dry. Despite feeling disoriented, she improvised quickly. “I can explain, Mrs. Hisson. The men in the photo are all my friends. We’re close, you know, and have been for years. Sometimes we even forget about social conventions given how close we are.”
“I like you very much, Crystal. I really do want you to be my daughter-in-law. My only condition is that she remains clean for my son.”
Crystal hurriedly raised three fingers to swear an oath. “I promise you that I only have Derrick in my heart, Mrs. Hisson. Though I have many friends of the opposite sex, I’ve always kept a safe distance from them and had never crossed the line. Despite saving myself for Derrick, he has never reciprocated my feelings for him. As if that’s not bad enough, Derrick is openly in a relationship with another woman. You have never given me an explanation for this, Mrs. Hisson. I never know what to tell my parents who have asked me several times about my status with him. I am not getting any younger, and I have moved away from my family in Beshya to be with him. I hope you can provide a satisfactory answer to my parents. It has been difficult for me too, you know.”
Kate’s eyes narrowed as her expression soured. “Are you threatening me, Crystal?”
“You know that’s not what I meant, Mrs. Hisson,” Crystal said quietly. “I’ve never felt the connection I have with Derrick with any other men. It’s also my dream for things to work out with Derrick, but he only has eyes for other women. If I’m not going to be made an honest woman any time soon, I think I should be free to explore my options, shouldn’t I?”
Crystal had been doing a good job of suppressing her true nature. If she had not been caught off-guard by the photographs, she would not contradict herself so soon. Kate’s impetuous accusation had sparked her temper.
“I never knew of this thorny side, Crystal,” Kate sneered. “You have always been gentle and docile.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Crystal said, deciding to put everything out in the open. “I’m just tired of being led on, that’s all. All I want from you is a clear answer. Do you know how bad it looks on me to be chasing a man this shamelessly? To tell you the truth, my parents are getting angry.”
Kate lapsed into thoughtful silence.
“I don’t know who took these photos,” Crystal continued, “but I can confidently tell you that I am not involved with any of them. On the other hand, Derrick’s involvement with other women essentially makes me the third wheel. Do you know how embarrassing that is? Don’t you think you owe me and my parents an explanation?” Sitting up a little straighter, Crystal pressed her advantage. “Look, Mrs. Hisson, I didn’t mean to come off hostile. It isn’t easy being a victim of the circumstances. I regard Derrick as my future husband, but the Hissons had gone back on their word by allowing him to date other women. My parents have given me an ultimatum. Either marry Derrick or return to Beshya.”
For a long time, Kate did not move or speak.
Thankfully, the waiter’s arrival soon after with the food broke the awkwardness between the two women.
“Here you go,” the waiter said as he set down the food. “Enjoy your meal, madam, miss.”
Even after his departure, the atmosphere between the two remained strained.
After a quick glance around, Crystal spoke first. “I would like to apologize to you for speaking out of turn, Mrs. Hisson. I hope you can forgive me. I also understand that Derrick’s actions are out of your control. The pressure my parents placed on me caused my embarrassing outburst.”
Kate’s frostiness melted a little.
Crystal pressed her momentum by serving the older woman before continuing, “Have a taste, Mrs. Hisson. I hope you find it pleasant on your palate.”
Kate graciously accepted her apology by accepting the morsel served to her. After several bites, she found it surprisingly tasty.
“Help yourself, Crystal.”
Crystal obliged. In an instant, the atmosphere between the two dissolved into something more cordial.
After the two of them finished their meal in silence, Kate wiped her mouth with a napkin before clearing her throat. “To be honest, Crystal, the reason why I show you the photo is that I hold you in higher regard than Tiffany. I did it in the hopes that you would completely cut off contact with other men. Though I can’t explicitly order you to, I just want you to be careful not to be photographed by the media as we Hissons hold our reputation dear.”
Crystal glanced down to conceal the flash of rage across her eyes. When she raised her head again, her eyes shone with nothing but tender filiality.
“I know that, Mrs. Hisson,” she said gently. “After marrying Derrick, I will remain by your side. While my husband works, I will learn how to tend to a garden from you and spend our days shopping. If Derrick encounters any difficulties at work, I will be there for him.”
Her meekness completely eradicated Kate’s doubts brought on by the existence of the photographs.
The women left the restaurant hand in hand and headed for the mall. At a fashion boutique, they spotted Amelia, Tiffany, and Tony who also happened to be out shopping that day.
Tiffany was helping Tony with trying on clothes when she caught sight of Kate and Crystal.
After a moment’s hesitation, she decided to put the shirt back on the rack.
“Mrs. Hisson,” Tiffany greeted politely while ignoring Crystal who had Kate’s arm in hers.
Kate only had eyes for Tony. “This must be Tony,” she said with a broad smile. “I haven’t seen you in so long! You look even more handsome than when I last saw you, my dear.”
Tony glanced up and smiled particularly sweetly. “Hello, Mrs. Hisson.”
Kate bent down and beckoned Tony over before kissing him soundly on each cheek. “You give kisses like Mr. Pretty, Mrs. Hisson,” he said coyly. “I love receiving kisses from you.”
Kate was completely mollified by his words. After squeezing him tightly and planting several more kisses on his face, she trilled, “You are delightful, Tony! When my son and your Aunt Crystal get married, you will have lovely cousins just like you to play with and for me to dote.”
Tony wrinkled his nose. “But Mrs. Hisson, isn’t Mr. Pretty with Tiffy? Mommy said that if you marry someone, you will be together for a lifetime. Mr. Pretty belongs with Tiffy, not any other wicked ladies.”
Both Kate and Crystal’s faces fell.
“Who told you that Mr. Pretty is with Tiffy?” Kate asked with a supreme attempt at patience.
Tony looked at Kate like she was a simpleton. “You’re so silly, Mrs. Hisson,” he said crisply. “Mr. Pretty is with Tiffy all the time, isn’t he? They have even kissed. I have seen it several times. Only people who like each other can kiss. Mommy also said that a man must be responsible for the girl he kisses. Do you want your son to be a bad guy who kisses girls and abandons them?”
Kate was completely stunned. “My child,” she said instinctively, “do you know what it means to abandon someone?”
Tony wrinkled his little nose proudly. “Of course I do. I learned that word from watching TV when I was two years old. Not only have I memorized them, but I also understand it. Mr. Pretty would be very mean person if he abandons Tiffy.”
Amelia hurriedly held her son and glanced up apologetically. “The child didn’t mean what he said, Mrs. Hisson. Please don’t take any of it to heart.”
Despite being a little angry, Kate was cognizant enough not to pick fights with a child. However, she noticed that Tony was smarter than she gave him credit for. It’s like he knows that I am a bad mother for breaking up my son’s hard-earned happiness with a girl of his choosing. Is Tony really smart enough to understand the true meaning of marriage and love?
She shook her head, trying to shake off the feeling that she was losing her mind to even think that a child who was barely even three years of age was mocking her for being cruel and domineering.
