Chapter 663 Merely A Misunderstanding
Nevertheless, being the stubborn person he was, Carter was unwilling to admit that he actually cared for Jennifer. Hence, he only stayed with Amelia for half an hour before he left.
As she watched him disappear into the flow of the traffic, Amelia shook her head haplessly. She then uttered under her breath, “Oh, Carter. While you are able to understand the emotions of others, you are blind to your own. Indeed, it takes others to know oneself. Did you not realize that you were not as attached to me as you were before?”
It would appear that Carter had missed Jennifer after she had given up on her two-year-long pursuit of him. That was why her distancing herself from him had conversely yielded his attention.
Acknowledging how it might be improper for her to meddle too much in the love lives of others, Amelia decidedly went back to the office.
In the evening, a call came in from Tiffany after work.
When Amelia picked up, Tiffany sounded listless. “Are you free, Babe? Mrs. Hisson has invited me to attend the wedding of one of Derrick’s cousins. I’ve no idea what she’s up to, but whatever. Come over to my place if you’re available. I’ll let you in on the rest when you’re here.”
Considering it briefly, Amelia agreed, “I’ll see you in an hour.”
After she hung up, Amelia got into the car driven by Oscar and leaned over to give him a peck on his lips. “I won’t be able to have dinner with you and Tony tonight, and could you drop me off at Tiff’s? Mrs. Hisson has invited her to attend the wedding of one of Derrick’s cousins, and she has no idea what would be waiting for her there.”
Oscar’s lips curled up as he started the engine. “Then she may be in luck. I guess Old Mr. Hisson’s putting Mrs. Hisson under some real pressure, so tell Tiffany to make the most out of this opportunity. Perhaps we should start preparing a generous gift for her already.”
Amelia had also been put in a buoyant mood. More than anyone else, she would be delighted to be able to see her friend married off.
After Oscar rolled into the neighborhood, Amelia unbuckled her seat belt. “Head on home first, Oscar. I’m going to help Tiff check on her gown. You can come by and pick me up when I’m done.”
Oscar acknowledged her with a nod before Amelia alighted and took the elevator upstairs.
The sight of a disheveled and unkempt Tiffany had her frowning in disapproval. “What’s going on, Tiff? Why do you look so knackered?”
“Come on in first.” Tiffany turned sideways to allow Amelia through.
The former then shut the door behind Amelia. “Take a seat, Babe. I’m going to go freshen up for a bit.”
No more than five minutes elapsed before Tiffany reemerged in a clean change of clothes. However, there were dark circles beneath her eyes.
“What have you been up to, Tiff? Why are your eyes so puffy?” Amelia asked.
“I’ve been working on a manuscript for two days straight and haven’t gotten more than six hours of rest in between. It wasn’t long after I fell asleep that Mrs. Hisson’s call woke me,” the yawning Tiffany stretched herself on the couch and replied with a shrug.
“Weren’t you already close to finishing that manuscript that is due for publication? What’s with the rush then?” Amelia asked.
“Owing to how well-received the movie was, I had multiple inquiries coming from a number of studios. The famous director from the entertainment scene, Stu Fox, said he wanted me to pen an action-themed script. It so happened that it was something I had in mind as well. With him helming the project, it could be a great boost to my professional credentials and perhaps propel me to the top of the heap. Previously, I only specialized in writing all sorts of novels, and the first time I did screenwriting was for an adaptation of my own fantasy novel. On top of it being an action script, it’s going to be directed by Stu, so I cannot afford to skimp on my effort. I just had to give it my all.”
“It’s okay to want to give it your best, but you shouldn’t take your own health for granted either,” said Amelia, who was not completely supportive of her approach.
Tiffany then brought herself close to Amelia before she said, “Let’s drop that for now, Babe. Come check out some gowns with me. I’ve no idea what Mrs. Hisson is up to by having me over this time.”
Getting onto her feet, Amelia chuckled. “Didn’t it occur to you that this wedding invitation could actually be another expression of Mrs. Hisson’s compromising, Tiff? Perhaps her invitation could be an opportunity to see whether wedding bells might be on the horizon for Derrick and yourself?”
Tiffany was comparatively less optimistic. “She’s extremely calculating and unpredictable, so who knows what’s going on inside that head of hers? I can only hope that I don’t screw this up. Everything else will have to wait after this is over. Come on, let’s go have a look at those gowns.”
Amelia nodded in assent.
The duo arrived at the boutique where they had made an appointment prior.
“We have the gown that you’ve reserved ready for you, Ms. Winters. Please, come this way,” the store assistant said courteously.
Tiffany nodded in acknowledgement.
After heading inside to put it on, she did a little twirl in front of Amelia when she came back out. “What do you think of this one, Babe? It shouldn’t come across as too shabby at the wedding banquet of the mega-rich, right?”
“It suits you well. The light claret tone looks very charming. I like it,” came Amelia’s honest opinion.
“Great. Then I’ll take this.” Tiffany was also rather decisive. Heading back inside to change out of the gown and into her own clothes, she promptly had it wrapped up afterward.
“Aren’t you going to take a look at the others?” Amelia asked.
“There’s no need to, as I’m just going to be a guest in the company of Derrick. No reason for me to try to steal the limelight from the bride either, so I’m fine so long as I don’t come across as being too miserly. A prim and proper outfit that wouldn’t draw too much criticism would suffice,” Tiffany said.
That made certain sense to Amelia as well.
As the Hissons do not think too highly of Tiffany’s background, they would be bound to scrutinize her attire no matter what. By avoiding showiness and dressing modestly right from the get-go, she would be giving them very few justifications to give her grief over it.
Once done with her purchase, Tiffany held Amelia by the arm as they sought something to eat.
After settling themselves inside a restaurant, the two of them casually ordered four dishes and a soup. After Tiffany urged the waiter to have them served up quickly, she started to stare at Amelia out of boredom.
Amelia was a little bemused by the way her friend was looking at her. “Why are you staring at me like that?”
“It feels like I haven’t had a proper look at you in a long, long time. During those two years in Beshya, we spent almost every single day together, but after coming here, we were both kept busy by our own lives. Even Kurt made up all sorts of excuses to exit our social circle. Now that I think back on it, it seems that our time in Beshya has been our most carefree days because once we were back here, it has been nothing but stress, stress, and more stress from work and family,” said Tiffany in lamentation.
Amelia smiled wistfully. How true is that, but that’s life. There are just so many things that are out of our own control.
“That’s so unlike you, Tiff. No matter how close friends are, they can never compare to one’s life partner. That’s why I really do hope for a happy ending between you and Derrick,” said Amelia in earnest.
“You can be sure of that, Babe. So long as he does not turn his back on me, I’d never let go of him,” Tiffany said.
That prompted a subtle smile from Amelia.
Once the food was served, the two of them dined in a harmonious atmosphere until they were rudely interrupted by a shrill female voice that emanated from the other side. “You’re such a jerk, Derrick Hisson.”
When that voice trailed off, Amelia and Tiffany were left staring at each other. That was because they recognized that voice as belonging to the one and only Crystal Halliwell.
Following that, they heard Crystal’s high-pitched voice again. “When do you intend to be a man about it, Derrick? Didn’t you say that you were just fooling around with Tiffany? That you wouldn’t marry her? What’s the meaning of this now?”
Hearing that made Amelia feel ill at ease. Reflexively, she looked toward Tiffany. Quite foreseeably, the latter wore an awful expression on her face.
That harrowing voice kept at it, though. “I want an answer from you today, Derrick. Otherwise, I will send the video of our most intimate moments to Tiffany. I bet she’d love to know what sort of man you really are.”
Amelia regarded Tiffany, seemingly at a loss for what to say. “There has to be some sort of misunderstanding here, Tiff. Don’t read too much into it.”
Lifting her glass of water from the table, Tiffany downed it all in one gulp. When she placed the vessel back down, her hands were still trembling.
Then, she stood up so suddenly that it jolted Amelia onto her feet as well. Amelia reached out and grabbed her by the shoulders. “What are you doing, Tiff?”
Tiffany was breathing rapidly, and the veins on her neck were visibly popping.
In spite of that, she still managed to stay in control. “I’m just going to pop over to take a look. If Crystal is really the one Derrick loves, then I’d back out of this. No questions asked.”
Amelia grabbed onto her arm and would not let go of her. “Don’t be rash, Tiff. I’m coming with you.”
When Tiffany and Amelia went over, it became apparent that it was merely an exhibition of Crystal’s vocal histrionics. The male protagonist was, in fact, not the “Derrick Hisson” she had mentioned but someone else.
Exchanging glances with each other, all Amelia and Tiffany saw in each other’s eyes was bafflement.
A sliver of awkwardness and embarrassment flashed across the eyes of the initially hollering Crystal when she noticed the pair’s arrival but was quickly able to compose herself.
Clearing her throat purposefully, she smoothed out her already tidy hair. “Oh, it’s you guys. What a coincidence.”
Snickering, Tiffany responded a little acerbically, “That is an extraordinarily unusual thing you are into, Ms. Halliwell. It’s only now that I know you enjoy roleplaying. For a moment, it almost had me believing that you might have some unspeakable secret going on with my boyfriend.”
Clenching her fists tight, Crystal replied with a snort, “Don’t get too cocky, Tiffany. Do you think Derrick is really in love with you? Sooner or later, he’s going to dump you.”
“You won’t have to worry about that, Ms. Halliwell, because Derrick and I are currently very much in love and happy together. We’ll let the fates decide what the future holds,” Tiffany hooted boisterously. “I do sincerely hope that you’d be able to find yourself your own better half someday, Ms. Halliwell. That ought to fix your preoccupation with stealing other people’s boyfriends.”
“You…”
“Happy roleplaying with your buddy, Ms. Halliwell, and have a nice day.”
Off went Tiffany leading Amelia by the hand, leaving Crystal nearly passing out from rage.
That episode of shenanigans by Crystal made it impossible for Amelia and Tiffany to resume eating. In the end, the duo opted to have some tacos on the streets instead.
“Not upset anymore?” asked Amelia in amusement.
“Was I ever, Babe?”
Putting on a tough front, as usual.
Despite that, Amelia did not expose her. “Why didn’t Derrick accompany you to the boutique today?”
“He had to meet with some studio executives to discuss the adaptation of a novel by another author. If it pans out, we could have new investments to commence shooting come next spring. That author is a newcomer but is pretty talented. Shows considerable maturity craft-wise too. Should we be able to adapt it, we would be expecting a promising viewership.”
“I have faith in Derrick’s judgement.”
The two of them idly chatted away until they finished the tacos. After Amelia footed the bill and got into the car, she said, “Say, Tiff. What would you have done had Crystal and Derrick really been together?”
“First, I’d castrate Derrick. Then, I’d dump him,” said Tiffany resolutely.
That’s totally Tiffany’s style. It’s a good thing Derrick hasn’t cheated on Tiffany. Otherwise, he would have been reduced to a wreck.
What Tiffany could never have anticipated was that should Derrick ever prove to be unfaithful to her, she would not harm him but choose to leave him quietly.
To truly love someone meant that one would rather bear the pain than hurt one’s beloved.
Though Tiffany came across as being extremely loud and brash, she was the rare type who was unfailingly devoted and whose love would only grow. If her lover stayed loyal to her, then she would never turn on him.
