TIFFIN 3

5

I felt guilty as Hero and I waited behind the curtain for the main stage.

All our partners ever did was try to get a rise out of us and I'd threatened their jobs. Who was I? 

"I was such a bitch." I whispered, fixing my diamond clip. "Their faces went stone cold when I said it." 

Hero tried feigning a smile as he reached for my hand. 

"They were harassing you, weren't they?" 

I searched my brain for a semblance of a memory. 

"I mean yes, but I could have gone about it better-" 

He took ahold of my shoulders, shaking me. 

"Listen to yourself, baby. You go too easy on people. I'm proud of you for doing that." 

I tore my hand away, eyeing my pink nails. 

"I don't want to lose sight of who I am. That's all." 

Hero didn't get to reply to this before we were beckoned onstage. 

Our televised interview had come earlier than expected. The host had become ravenous, demanding our prescence.

According to Evelyn she had been a nightmare, screaming and smashing things when she noticed we hadn't arrived yet. 

Bright lights flooded our vision as the loud pop music pounded through our ears.

The audience's applause magnified when they saw us enter. 

Why were they so excited? 

My questions were answered when I saw the shining red sign that read:

CLAP. 

As we took our seats our host, Carrie, didn't seem as bad as she'd been illustrated. She was warm and welcoming, filling our empty Coca Cola cups. 

Everything seemed to be going well as she introduced us with a bright grin, until she began asking very intrusive questions. 

"I heard you took up a dead woman's title!" She laughed insencerely. "Guessing you jumped on that bandwagon pretty quick!" 

She then turned to Hero slapping him playfully. 

"Did she ask for money on the first date?" 

The audience broke out in laughter, but neither of us found it very funny. This brought back so many terrible memories of my past.

Yet again, I was the butt of the joke. 

We were expected to make several weekly appearances with hosts like her? 

Carrie dropped her smile, looking more serious. The audience died down immediately. 

"Enough of the heavy. Let me ask what we're all clearly thinking. It is so sad you lost your mother, Mr. Tiffin. But what was up with her the weeks before her passing? She could barely qualify as the CEO of her own company." 

Hero's hands formed into fists, though he managed to keep calm. 

"What?" He demanded though gritted teeth.

Carrie laughed.

"I mean... look at the facts. She seemed a bit sick towards the end and she was always absent. Many made speculations that she was having an affair or even-" 

"She had a lot going on." Hero snapped.
 
Carried didn't accept this answer. 

"Like what? Did the poor, rich old woman suffer a loss of a few million dollars?" 

This was the last straw for him. He stood to his feet, lashing out at her.

"Fine, you leech! You want to know everything? She was battling cancer, okay?" 

Amid this, whispers echoed through the building. Carrie looked remorseful, settling back in her chair. 

"So I see. I am very sorry, Mr. Tiffin." 

I quickly set a hand on his arm. Much to my relief, Hero settled down, kissing my hand before he sat.

After a moment or two Carrie was brave enough to continue.

"So, Mr. Tiffin, I hate to ask this again, but about your mother being absent all the time... say that there was something else going on. I say this because there was a time she told sources that she had issues to resolve... will that be the future for you?" 

I raised an eyebrow at this. What was this all about? Did Carrie know something we didn't? 

Hero cleared his throat. 

"Perhaps she did have issues to resolve. That's her business. All I can say on that matter is I won't be absent unless absolutely necessary." 

He then grabbed ahold of my hand. 

"I could never desert my wife. She's everything to me." 

As if noticing me for the first time, Carrie set her hand over her heart, cackling.

"Oh my! I totally forgot she was here! Well I guess true love is real."

After a few more comments and meaningless questions, Carrie called for a commercial break.

I didn't know what I expected her to do, but what she did next made me jump in my skin- 

"What the hell was that, huh?" She screamed at Hero. 

We both remained silent as she continued with her tirade. 

"This is my show! I make the damn decisions! Don't you dare question me on the next take, you amateur!" 

She stormed off behind the stage.  

Later, when we had all finished filming and were sent on our way, I rushed into the car, going on my own tirade. 

"That was bullshit." 

Hero groaned.

"It's fine." 

"No, it's not!" I exclaimed. "That bitch totally disregarded me. She didn't include me at all. That was on purpose." 

"Who cares if it was?" He asked. "That's just how she is. Forget about it."

For some reason, this comment lit the fires of anger within me. 

"What did that mean?" I spat. "That you wouldn't disappear unless necessary?" 

He ran his hands through his hair. 

"Kristina, I was spouting bullcrap. I would have said anything to keep her satisfied." 

I shook my head. 

"I felt like an outsider. It felt like there was something about your mother you weren't telling me. I didn't like it."
 
Hero buckled himself in. 

"You don't have to." 

Then, to my displeasure, he pressed his ear to the phone for the millionth time. 

We hadn't even gone on our honeymoon.

I'm so grateful for all the traction I've been receiving on this series ❤❤

It's truly amazing.

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