Chapter 818 Unreachable
Derrick went after them and called out to Tiffany’s departing figure, causing her to freeze while a complicated glint arose in her eyes. “Go on, Tiff,” Amelia coaxed. “You should talk things through with him properly.”
Tiffany pondered for a long while before nodding. Amelia and Oscar stood tactfully aside as Derrick quickly arrived before Tiffany and gazed lovingly at her. “Can I assume that there’s a chance you might forgive me based on what you said in there, Tiff?” he asked expectantly, though he appeared afraid of her answer.
Tiffany sighed and gazed up at him. “I don’t know if I would ever forgive you, but I know for certain that I can’t take you back like none of this ever happened.” Derrick saw a glimmer of hope.
“It’s all right,” he said at once. “I’m willing to wait however long it takes, as long as you’ll forgive me. Crystal and I are not what you think. I’m not making excuses for myself since I have indeed done wrong, but I only have you in my heart.”
Tiffany gazed deeply at him and gave a bitter smile. She did not know which of Derrick’s words were genuine and which were not, and she wanted to ask if his vows were so cheap that he had violated them less than a year into their marriage.
However, she swallowed the urge to say those things. It no longer matters whether or not I asked him.
“I’m heading back. I want to straighten my thoughts. So don’t come over in the next few days. I can’t think rationally when I see you,” Tiffany declared, deliberately lowering her eyes to avoid looking at Derrick’s anticipatory ones.
Despite how much she had once loved him, she felt disgusted at what Derrick had become and could not bring herself to believe he loved her.
Derrick grabbed her hand, but she shook him off as if she had touched something foul.
His gaze dimmed.
“I’m leaving.” Tiffany turned to leave without another word.
Derrick gazed longingly after her departing silhouette got into the car, which sped off soon after.
He clenched his fists slowly as his heart twinged with guilt. I have single-handedly destroyed the trust between us. I’m sorry, Tiff.
Tiffany gazed listlessly out the window at the scenery racing past. Amelia was worried sick about her friend’s state.
“What are you thinking of, Tiff?” she asked at last.
Tiffany jumped. She turned around and faced Amelia, disoriented.
Amelia sighed. “Why don’t you take a nap? You haven’t been sleeping well for the past few days. There are dark circles beneath your eyes, you know?”
Tiffany obediently shut her eyes.
Amelia gazed at her friend, plagued by an anxious feeling she could not quite shake off.
When they arrived home, she woke Tiffany up. The woman opened her eyes which had lost all of their lusters.
“I’m going up to sleep, Amelia,” Tiffany announced when the trio entered the house. “Don’t worry about me, I’m fine. I’ll feel better once I wake up.”
Amelia was about to say something but thought the better of it.
Tiffany locked the door immediately after entering her room.
Amelia gazed at the shut door from down the stairs and turned helplessly to her husband. “What do we do, Oscar? Tiff looks more hurt than I expected. I’m afraid she wouldn’t recover from this ordeal.”
Oscar touched her cheek. “Don’t worry. I’ll speak with her soon. I don’t think she’s as weak as you think.”
Amelia nodded.
The pair conversed downstairs for nearly two hours before Oscar went up the stairs and knocked on the door to no avail.
“I’m coming in, Tiffany,” he called. There was no response from within. He turned the knob but found it locked from the inside.
He then procured a key and unlocked the door. The first thing he saw was Tiffany standing fixedly by the window.
His gaze darkened as he walked over.
Tiffany turned around. She pursed her lips when she saw it was him. “I thought you were Amelia.”
Oscar sat down on the couch, looking business-like.
Tiffany walked over and joined him.
“Did Amelia ask you to come?” she asked.
Oscar nodded. “Yes. Amelia’s very worried about you, so I came up to check on you. You’ve been wasting away for close to half a month, and it’s time you got your act together.”
Tiffany glanced at him. “I’m bothering you guys, aren’t I?”
“Yes, you are. I’m willing to help you because you’re Amelia’s best friend, but I have no obligation to help a hopeless case who refuses to help herself,” Oscar said firmly. “I’ll give you another three days. I hope you’ll pull yourself together by then.”
Tiffany pursed her lips.
Subtlety was never Oscar’s strong suit, but she could not fault him as he was right. She had not been herself as of late, and it had obviously disrupted Oscar’s life with Amelia.
Tiffany nodded. “I understand.”
The following day, she came to say goodbye to Amelia.
“You’re going on a vacation? Where to? Did Oscar say something unpleasant to you?” Amelia asked in a panic.
Tiffany shook her head. “Calm down, Babe. I want to take a trip to clear my head. Ever since I became a freelance novelist, I have been writing non-stop for the past few years without going on a holiday. Now’s as good a time as any.”
Amelia gazed doubtfully at her.
Tiffany smiled. “Don’t worry, Babe. You know nothing can get me down. It’s about time I pulled myself out of my stupor. I’ll give the matter between me and Derrick closure when I return.”
Accommodating her friend was the only thing Amelia could do.
After packing several sets of clothes, Tiffany was ready to leave.
Amelia reluctantly sent her to the airport. “Call me once you arrive at Yaleview,” she reminded Tiffany anxiously. “You must be reachable every hour of the day, and you must pick up whenever I call you, or I’ll call the police. Also, you must have regular meals no matter where you are. Be kind to your belly.”
“You’re becoming a naggy old lady, Babe,” Tiffany teased, amused. “I’m grown-up enough to know how to take care of myself.”
Amelia opened her mouth again but decided to leave her words unsaid.
“I’ll be going through security check now. You and Oscar should head on back.” Tiffany waved her hand and walked through the metal detectors looking as if she did not have a care in the world.
Amelia gazed at her best friend and only looked away after she disappeared from sight.
“Did you say something to Tiff yesterday, Oscar?” she asked after returning to the car and fastening her seat belt.
“I only told her to pull herself together as she was worrying you by being dejected. It wouldn’t do her marriage with Derrick any good either,” Oscar explained. “I can have somebody bring her back if you think what I did was wrong.”
Amelia shook her head.
“That’s not what I meant, Oscar. Forget it. It’s good for her to be out and about, I guess. Perhaps this trip would open her mind and make her feel less strongly about Derrick’s affair.”
Oscar glanced sideways at her.
“Don’t overthink it, Amelia. This is her personal problem. You can give your opinions, but it’s best not to be too involved. Although she looks fine now, there might come a day when she will hate you for it.”
Amelia was rendered speechless, aghast at his words.
“Forget it,” Oscar continued. “Just think of me as a pessimist. Regardless, she must be the one to work through the matter between her and Derrick, or any words of help you have for her would be useless.”
“I understand.”
Oscar drove them home, and life went back to normal for Amelia.
Unexpectedly, Tiffany stopped responding five days after her departure. She was also unreachable via phone or any of her social media. Driven to despair, Amelia even called the police.
