Chapter 553Chapter 553
After leaving the hospital, Derrick got into his car and leaned back to watch the incessant flow of cars
outside the window as a gush of unfathomable emotions began clouding his eyes. A dozen minutes
had passed by the time he straightened his body and stepped on the gas pedal to drive off.
His destination was the restaurant where Kate and Tiffany had their meal that day. Upon entering the
restaurant, he used his connections to have the restaurant manager obtain the recordings from the
surveillance cameras. The footage showed Kate and Tiffany entering the restaurant together, to the
part where the latter furiously stalked out with her bag. A waiter was later seen entering the private
room, followed by a group of waiters rushing into the room. Before long, the ambulance arrived, and
Kate was carried out of the restaurant.
“Was there anything odd with these two people when they first stepped into the restaurant?” Derrick
asked.
The waiter gave the question a thought before answering, “They were chattering away happily—there
was nothing out of the ordinary. As you know, Mrs. Hisson is breathtakingly beautiful. She had
everyone's attention as soon as she stepped foot into the restaurant, so we are fully aware of how she
was acting when she was here.”
Derrick furrowed his brows. “During the time Tiff left the restaurant, did she behave strangely?” he
asked.
To that, the waiter responded, “Mr. Hisson, isn't it clearly shown in the footage? We weren't paying
much attention to Ms. Winters when she was leaving. It was only when Mrs. Hisson made a call to thereception to ask for waiters to take orders that our waiter found her on the ground. How is she now?”
Derrick simply nodded and turned to leave.
When he got into his car, grimness darkened his gaze as he leaned his back against the driver's seat,
seemingly deep in his thought.
Then, he called Tiffany, who only picked up after a long time.
“Derrick,” she called out on the other end of the line.
Derrick took in a deep breath and tried to maintain an even tone. “Tiff, are you at home?”
“Yes, I'm at home. I will be going to Amelia's place for dinner. Do you have time? Care to join us for
dinner?” Tiffany offered.
He shut his eyes and opened them again. “I will see about that when I get to your place.”
Right after he spoke, he hung up the call without giving her a chance to ask if he was in a bad mood.
Derrick drove to Tiffany's condominium.
In one fluid series of movements, he parked his car and took the elevator to the floor.
When he got out of the elevator, he stood outside the door for a moment. Just as he lifted his hand to
knock on it, it was unexpectedly opened from the inside. Seeing Derrick standing in front of her, Tiffany laughed and said, “I figured you would be here at this
minute, so I came to get you. Don't you think there is this telepathic connection between the two of us?
That we could read each other's minds?”
He merely threw a glance at her, then walked past her to enter the house. Tiffany frowned at the sight
of his apathetic demeanor. She could tell he was not in a good mood and had a hunch that it had
something to do with her.
Having shut the door, she approached him and bent down to meet his eyes. “What's wrong, Derrick?
Tell me about it. I can see that you're not in great spirits.”
Derrick gazed at her intently.
Tiffany lifted her hand and caressed his face. “What's wrong? Does your foul mood have something to
do with me?”
At that moment, he finally spoke, answering her query with a voice that sounded a little hoarse. “You
went to have lunch with my mom, and you left early?”
Upon hearing that, Tiffany tugged the corner of her lips into a forced smile. “Did Mrs. Hisson complain
to you? Are you here to interrogate me?”
“My mom was admitted to the hospital.”
Tiffany was completely staggered to hear those words. Then, she was reminded of Kate's words before she left the restaurant. Since Derrick had come to
question her, it was clear as day that he was taking his mother's side.
“Do you think that I angered your mother?” Tiffany asked to sound him out. She then kept her eyes
peeled on him, wanting to see how sincere his answer would be through his gaze.
Derrick flashed her a sorrowful smile and made her sit on the couch with him. “Tiff, if I were to believe
my mother's words, I wouldn't be here trying to talk things out with you calmly. I need an answer. Tell
me, what happened between you and my mother?”
Tiffany briefly explained what went on between her and Kate but subconsciously left out the part where
the latter threatened to fake her condition to see whose side Derrick would take. The last thing that she
wanted was for him to think she was intentionally sowing discord among his family.
“So, you didn't say anything to provoke her?” Derrick asked with his brows furrowed.
His girlfriend stood up and explained with her arms spread out, “I wouldn't dare! She is your mother.
And therefore, I have the greatest respect for her. Why would I be disrespectful to her when all I want is
to treat her with utmost care? It is just that we're not compatible, so we frequently fail to see eye to
eye.”
After a moment of pause, Tiffany continued, “Derrick, you may say that I should be respectful of the
elderly, but I do not get along with your mom. No matter how I tried to please her, she was always
hostile to me. I am forthright and sincere in my ways and would be respectful to anyone who does the
same. Likewise, when someone is making a mockery of me, I would retaliate. I can hold myself back
for your sake since she's your mother. However, the way I see it, it is impossible for her to like me. Iwonder if our relationship can last until she approves of me.”
There were two sentences that she could not bring herself to tell him. Will your love toward me remain
strong, in spite of your mom going to lengths to threaten you with her health condition? Or will you feel
that the love you've given me is too burdensome that you have to take it back now?
Tiffany's heart became heavy.
There could be times when a relationship did not last due to the parents' meddling. Because of the
mental exhaustion, regrettably, they would break up and go on with their separate lives, cutting all ties.
Derrick stood up from the couch and pulled her into his embrace. With his chin resting on the latter's
forehead, he said, “Let's not overthink this. You have me. I will try to make Mom see the many good in
you. Don't worry about it. We will soon get married.”
Tiffany did her best to pull herself together and suggested, “Let me accompany you to see Mrs. Hisson
in the hospital. I am also going to apologize to her since she passed out after I left. There's a chance
that she was infuriated by something I said. I can be blunt with my words, so I suppose that's possible.”
He shook his head and said, “I will bring you along tomorrow. Mom had just come to herself. She's not
in her best condition, and you'll only upset her if you visit her now. Wait until she cools down.”
For some unknown reason, her heart sank.
“Derry, are you blaming me?” Tiffany questioned while staring at him. She could not hold it in and
merely wanted to know his actual thoughts about the incident. The conflict between them would only
pile on if they did not communicate. “Don't overthink it. It's not something you should fret over,” Derrick reassured and pecked her on her
forehead. “I'm going to the hospital to see my mom now. You stay here. I will ask for you to come along
when she gets better. All right, I'll make a move now.”
He then left her place as hurriedly as he came. By taking a few large strides, he was already at the
door, ready to go.
Tiffany watched as her door opened and closed. As though the earlier exchange sapped her of all
energy, she collapsed onto the couch. Her mind was a mess, and her hands were shaking.
The woman let out a bitter laugh. For a moment, she felt at a loss.
Her relationship with Derrick began with her being flustered until she eventually indulged herself in it. In
the midst of the relationship, she had also learned to love and treat a man with care.
Tiffany had wholly fallen in love with Derrick.
Feeling frustrated, she raked her fingers through her hair.
She then took over her phone to call Amelia. When her call was answered, she hurriedly asked,
“Amelia, are you at home now?”
Upon receiving an affirming answer from her, she said, “Wait for me. I'm heading to your place now.”
Afterward, Tiffany tidied herself up, left her condominium speedily, and headed toward Amelia's
neighborhood at the greatest speed.