The next morning from the parking lot fiasco, Mark received a package that was delivered to him at home. Mandy was returning the compromise ring he had given her.

It was too much for him to take calmly. He had to blame it on someone and Pam´s timing was perfect, because she just entered the living room when Mark was staring at the ring.

That is when Mark had a fight with his mother too. In some sense of wanting to be fair he thought he shouldn´t blame only Mandy for what had happened, so he was straight in his talk to Pam. He said, “Mother, you and Mandy had a talk behind my back.”

“And we took turns spitting on your picture too.”

“Come on, be serious. What was all that charade of a trip together to Europe? You did this just to impress Mandy, just to keep a good image to society and your sophisticated friends.”

Pam looked at him in silence for a while, like if she was savoring what he had just said an