Too Much to Bear, My Love novel Chapter 899

Chapter 899 An Internal Feud

Kate shot Tiffany a conciliatory smile. Then, she lowered her pride and practically begged, “Tiff, please accept my sincerest apologies. I’ve given the matter much thought over the past year, and I’ve realized I must shoulder part of the blame for the end of Derrick and Crystal’s relationship. That’s why I’ll no longer object if you and Derrick reconcile. Please forgive me and give him another chance.”

Tiffany stiffened in surprise, though she was quickly amused by the older lady’s words. She replied civilly, “Thank you for your generosity, Mrs. Hisson, but Derrick and I have been divorced for a year. We’ve never reconnected since then, and I’m just trying to get on with my life after the split. There’s nothing to forgive, Mrs. Hisson. That’s all I have to say. I hope you and Mr. Hisson live a long and healthy life.”

Considering her numerous conflicts with Kate in the past, it was already a feat that Tiffany managed to maintain a courteous tone with her former mother-in-law. Kate opened her mouth as though to say something, but Derrick deliberately coughed to catch her attention. She glanced at him and swallowed the words on the tip of her tongue.

Tiffany also glanced at Derrick. She clearly sensed that Kate was somewhat fearful of her son. She had no idea what had happened in the past year, but the power dynamics in the family had obviously shifted, and Kate was no longer as overbearing as she remembered.

She did have a guess, though. Perhaps it’s because Derrick is formally the head of the Hisson family now. Not that it mattered to her now.

The uncomfortable meal eventually came to an end. Tiffany declared politely, “Mr. and Mrs. Hisson, thank you for inviting us to a meal today. I’ve got a manuscript to rush, so I shan’t take up more of your time.”

Before Kate could say a word, Derrick piped up, “Don’t worry about it. Your manuscript is more important. But make sure you take it slow sometimes. Don’t forget to eat and rest while you’re rushing your manuscript. You look as though you’ve lost some weight, so don’t skip any more meals.”

Tiffany glanced at her ex-husband and gave him a slight nod.

Then, Derrick firmly dragged his parents away from the restaurant. Tiffany stared at his back, something akin to admiration flashing through her gaze.

“Tiff, he’s gone. Stop staring.” Amelia even nudged her friend for good measure.

Only then did Tiffany retract her gaze and smile at Amelia.

Amelia had already turned to Teddy and asked, “Have you booked a hotel, Teddy? Should I get Oscar to arrange a place for you to stay?”

“I asked my assistant to get me a room at a hotel I always stay at when I’m in Chanaea. I’ll head over there in a bit. You can go meet your love Oscar now, Amelia. Let Tiff and I have some alone time. Won’t you take pity on my depressingly single life?” Teddy shrugged as he replied jauntily to Amelia’s question.

Tiffany shot Amelia a look that warned her against leaving them alone.

Amelia immediately said to Teddy, “Alas, I think your wish isn’t happening tonight. Tiff is rushing out a script for an office drama, so please forgive her absence tonight. Oscar and I will clear our schedules tomorrow and be your dedicated tour guide.”

Teddy glanced at Tiffany. Then, as though remembering something, he swiftly agreed to Amelia’s suggestion.

“Get some rest then, Tiff. If you’re free in a couple of days, then I’d love to have you show me around. Don’t worry; I won’t try anything funny. Please don’t treat me like some predator. I’m a bona fide gentleman.”

Tiffany mustered a smile in response.

A moment later, Oscar sent someone to drive Teddy to his hotel. Tiffany was visibly relieved when the car left.

Amelia turned to her husband and said, “Wait for me in the car, Oscar. I need to talk to Tiff.”

Oscar wrapped his hand around her nape and pulled her in for a forehead kiss before getting into his car.

The lovebirds’ public display of affection had Tiffany cringing dramatically in response. She smirked at Amelia and complained, “You’re really rubbing it in, huh.”

Amelia merely stared at her friend quietly.

The smile on Tiffany’s face disappeared, and she shrugged before explaining, “I went to the airport to fetch Teddy, hoping to treat him to a meal. I didn’t expect to run into Derrick and his parents here. Everything else happened like what you saw earlier.”

Amelia decided to test the waters and commented, “Teddy only called you when he came to Chanaea; I didn’t hear even a hint about his travel plans. The two of you seem to be pretty close. Are you considering dating him?”

Tiffany shrugged again and denied it. “There’s nothing to it. We’re just friends. I went to the airport to fetch him because he asked me to. He said so many things on the phone and made me sound like some heartless villain if I refused to pick him up, so I went. But at the end of the day, I know we can never be together. Even if Derrick is out of the picture, I would never consider Teddy as boyfriend material. I prefer dating a local.”

She had laid everything out in the open, and it was impossible for Amelia to misunderstand her reasons.

“You’re the only person who can decide on your relationship. I won’t interfere, but I have a little piece of advice for you. Teddy won’t give up that easily, so you might be better off nipping his intentions in the bud.”

Tiffany said wryly, “I expressed my thoughts very clearly on our way here, but your mentor seems very confident in his ability to change my mind. I think you know what I mean.”

“Well, you’ve clearly bewitched your admirers, though your popularity with the opposite sex hasn’t exactly given you decent candidates.” Amelia patted her friend on the shoulder and said, “You should go home. We can talk about this tomorrow. I can tell Mrs. Hisson is softening her stance. She might try to play the emotional card to help Derrick win you over.”

Tiffany lowered her eyes, seemingly lost in thought.

Amelia led Tiffany to her car and opened the door, gently coaxing her inside.

She only returned to Oscar’s car after Tiffany drove off.

As she put on her seatbelt, she said to Oscar, “I thought Derrick had finally let go after a year. He must’ve been acting every time I saw him in the past. I think he’s determined to win Tiff over again, but Teddy’s pulling out all the stops, and he’s definitely a strong contender.”

Oscar steered the car steadily. Turning the steering wheel at a corner, he then replied, “Frankly, Teddy has no real advantage here. Tiffany doesn’t even like him. Now Derrick is a different story. She doesn’t look as though she has forgotten about him at all, but his betrayal is a big hindrance toward their reconciliation. They’ll need a massive breakthrough to bury their past before they can get back together.”

Amelia blinked several times as she mulled over his words. “Do you have any suggestions, Oscar?”

He shot her a glance and smiled. “What do you think would happen if Derrick suffered a car accident and news of his life being in critical danger gets out?”

Grudges, big or small, became inconsequential in the face of life-or-death situations.

Amelia initially blinked in confusion, though realization soon dawned upon her.

“Oscar! What a wicked suggestion. I hate lying to Tiff, though. Let’s go back to square one. Accidents are far too cliché anyway,” Amelia responded after some thought.

She was not against the idea of matchmaking Derrick and Tiffany per se, but she thought it was prudent to confirm Tiffany’s feelings for her ex-husband. If she acted selfishly and encouraged their reconciliation, Derrick’s illegitimate child would always haunt them, and inevitable arguments about his past betrayal would slowly but surely erode their love for each other.

Oscar arched his brow at his wife’s reply but did not seem to mind that she had shot down his suggestion.

Amelia fell back into deep thought. Suddenly, she asked, “Oscar, do you think I should help Tiff to reconcile with Derrick?”

“Well, they’re both hung up on each other, so getting back together seems to be the straightforward solution. But let’s not forget about the child who triggered their divorce. That’s the main hurdle to their reconciliation. If we want a reunion to happen, we need to help Tiffany fully warm up to Derrick’s child.” Oscar instantly identified the crux of the problem.

Amelia nodded her head in agreement.

“Amelia, you shouldn’t interfere in this matter. Just let her make the decisions. She’s already an adult, so she should know what’s best for her. Your interventions will only halt her growth. Besides, I think it’s fine for her to stay single now. She’ll be able to find her soul mate once she wishes to accept someone,” Oscar said.