Chapter 855 Suspicion
Because Isabella constantly brought up how aggrieved she was in front of Oscar, the latter insisted on divorcing Amelia. There was no persuading him. Amelia could only agree to the divorce.
Olivia hugged Tony tightly as she said, “Amelia, I know Oscar has done wrong by you, but I can’t let you take Tony. He is my most precious treasure. Without him, I cannot eat well, nor can I sleep peacefully. Please don’t blame me for this.”
Sucking in a long breath, Amelia promised, “Mom, I promise you I will bring Tony back safely. My divorce from Oscar is only a temporary measure. I love him too much to let him be manipulated by such a sinister and cunning woman. I will make him recall who I am. Give me a year. I will return to Oscar with a brand-new appearance.”
Olivia stared at her doubtfully. “But Amelia, where will you go?”
“Mr. Rice invited me overseas to further my studies, and I plan to agree to his request. I will improve myself so I have more opportunities to get closer to Oscar,” Amelia replied.
Olivia pondered for a moment before suggesting, “Why don’t you leave Tony here with me? I promise no one will harm him with me by his side.”
“Mom, Tony is a bright and sensitive child. Oscar’s change in attitude is drastic. If I go overseas without taking him with me, perhaps Tony won’t recognize me when I return. Being abandoned again will likely leave scars on his heart. You love him the most. Are you really willing for him to become so unhappy at such a young age?” Amelia was aware that Olivia cared about Tony the most. She knew that if she approached the subject this way, Olivia was bound to give in.
As expected, Olivia fell silent.
Stroking Tony’s head, Olivia asked gently, “Tony, do you really plan to follow your mother overseas and not see me for a long time?”
Tony lifted his head and declared, “Don’t worry, Grandma. I’ll think of you and call you daily. Wait for our return. We’ll chase away the vixen clinging to Big Meanie then.”
Olivia caressed his cheek sadly, her heart aching.
Tony was so very young, yet he had undergone so much already. He was involved in a life-or-death car accident before he was even born. Following that, his parents divorced, and he was brought to Beshya. And now, Isabella had done something to his father, forcing Tony to have to leave the country once more.
My dear grandchild, how can someone be so ill-fated?
“Okay, I’ll agree to it. But you must come back in a year, or I’ll miss you too much,” Olivia compromised.
Amelia watched the exchange between the grandparent and grandchild, a smile on her lips. However, her mind was clouded with worry. I so confidently declared that I would take back Oscar when I returned in a year, but so much could change within that period. The most crucial thing is, what if Oscar really fails to remember me? Also, what if he got Isabella pregnant?
If Isabella bore a child, her relationship with Oscar would become even messier. If that happened, Amelia was not sure she would be able to snatch Oscar back.
Amelia was terrified that she would eventually be left with nothing.
Leaving Tony with Olivia, Amelia proceeded to negotiate the divorce terms with Alex. She was not planning to say that she did not want anything like when they first divorced. Instead, she accepted everything Oscar allocated to her and even added a condition of her own—she wanted to have custody of Tony.
Alex nodded. “Mrs. Clinton, as long as it’s not too absurd a request and you’re willing to sign the divorce agreement, Mr. Clinton told us to agree to your conditions.”
Amelia looked at the divorce agreement placed before her in a daze.
Seeing that, Alex prompted her, “Mrs. Clinton, please sign here.”
That snapped Amelia back to her senses, and she hesitated for a brief moment before signing her name.
She then handed the agreement over to Alex. “Mr. Feltham, I’ll leave it to you. Please help me pass a message to Oscar. Tell him to take good care of himself. He mustn’t neglect his meals even if he’s busy with work.”
Alex could not help but sigh silently upon hearing Amelia’s words. He had once been optimistic that they were a dynamic power couple, but they ended up fighting and divorced within such a short period.
Perhaps true love did not exist between people from prominent families.
Amelia was unaware of the extent of Alex’s pity toward her. Standing up, she said, “Mr. Feltham, I’ll be on my way if we’re done here.”
Alex also got to his feet. “Goodbye, Mrs. Clinton.”
“I’m no longer Mrs. Clinton; just call me Amelia.” Amelia laughed faintly.
Smiling in response, Alex saw her to the door.
Amelia departed from the lawyers’ office and called Tiffany.
“Tiff, are you home?” Amelia asked as soon as the call connected.
“Yeah, I’m home. I just finished my manuscript and planned to take a nap. What’s up? Are you calling me to invite me for a meal?” Tiffany yawned.
“I’m heading to your place. Cook something for me, will you? I haven’t tasted your cooking in ages,” Amelia replied moodily.
Tiffany’s perceptive senses told her something was off with Amelia. Concerned, she asked, “What’s wrong? Are you unhappy?”
“I’ll fill you in when I arrive.”
After ending the call, Amelia drove to Tiffany’s place.
“What? You and Oscar are divorced? When did this happen? Weren’t you happy together?” Tiffany was beyond agitated.
Furrowing her brows, Amelia replied helplessly, “Tiff, keep it down. You’re giving me a headache.”
Tiffany was furious when she saw the state Amelia was in.
“You’d better explain yourself. What’s going on? You guys were getting along well. Why did you suddenly divorce? Did Oscar do something unforgivable?” Tiffany demanded angrily.
Sighing, Amelia proceeded to explain everything that had happened.
Tiffany’s face contorted with rage when she heard the story.
“Isabella, that d*mned woman! How could she do something as shameless as breaking up someone else’s marriage? She’ll get what she deserves someday,” Tiffany scolded. When she saw Amelia’s dismal mood, she asked softly, “Babe, did Oscar really not recognize you?”
Amelia nodded and bowed her head. The next second, a tear rolled down her cheek. It was followed by a second, then a third as she began to cry soundlessly.
Tiffany was shocked. She hurriedly lifted Amelia’s head before hugging her when she saw the latter’s tear-drenched face. “There, there. I’m here for you. Look at me, all fine after my own divorce. You divorced Oscar a few years ago. This time, you got to spend a year with him. I’d say this is a win for you.”
Amelia continued to weep soundlessly.
At a loss for what to do, Tiffany did not have the words to comfort her friend.
“Babe, don’t be like this. I don’t know what to do when you cry like this,” Tiffany consoled her clumsily.
Despite that, Amelia continued to cry silently as she had kept it all bottled up till now. Oscar was like an entirely different person, which broke her heart to pieces. Nonetheless, she had been unable to reveal her feelings in front of Olivia and the others. Tiffany was the only person that Amelia was comfortable with showing her vulnerability.
Tiffany grew angrier as she watched the tears flow non-stop. “Babe, I’ll kill those two for you. I reckon Oscar isn’t really under a spell by Isabella. He’s probably acting because he wants to abandon you and your son. I can’t believe they’d come up with such a wicked trick. I’ll expose them if that’s the last thing I do!”
The more infuriated Tiffany was, the more certain she became that she spoke the truth. It was the twenty-first century—the age of science. She did not believe in sorcery or black magic. While she did enjoy ready fantasy and suspense novels, in reality, she did not believe in such hocus-pocus.
Still, Amelia sobbed.
Tiffany propped Amelia on the sofa and stood up to leave, ready to confront Oscar. Grabbing her hand, Amelia said, “Tiff, don’t. I’m okay.”
“How can you be okay when you’re practically bawling your eyes out?” Tiffany was exasperated. Suddenly, she remembered Tony. “Where’s Tony? Please don’t tell me you gave up custody for him when you signed the divorce agreement.”
Tiffany started pacing in the same spot as she went on, “No, I have to bring him back here. We’re both divorcees, so there’s no way we can trust men anytime soon. Since they’re unreliable, we can’t lose Tony too.”
Amelia grabbed Tiffany’s hand and said, “I have custody of Tony. I’m just letting Olivia watch over him for now.”
“Are you daft? Olivia has always treasured Tony. What if she finds some excuse to hide him away since you left him with her?” Tiffany grew even more agitated. Countless child abduction scenarios began to play in her mind. “Come on! Let’s hurry to the Clinton residence and bring him back. You’re truly hopeless. You kept quiet and endured being bullied for so many years.”
A warm feeling rose within Amelia’s heart. After all that had happened, at the very least, she still had a staunch, true friend. If they relied on each other, they could overcome any difficulties.
Amelia laughed. “Tiff, calm down. Tony’s custody was given to me after I signed the agreement. We can go to court if Oscar decides to go back on his word. Moreover, you know how much Olivia loves Tony. She’ll always put him first, so she won’t let him lose both his parents. While she may be a selfish person, she won’t do something bad to him. Don’t misunderstand her.”
Tiffany glared at Amelia in frustration.
In the end, Amelia was still dragged to the Clinton residence by Tiffany.
When they stepped into the house, they witnessed Isabella peeling grapes for Oscar. Tiffany immediately flew into a rage.
“Well, well, if it isn’t the professional mistress who shamelessly wrecked a marriage. They haven’t even divorced, but I see you’ve already made yourself at home.” Tiffany sneered, crossing her arms before her chest.
The hand that was holding the grape froze before Isabella stared at Oscar beseechingly.
Oscar swept a glance at Isabella and ordered the butler, “Send this rabid dog outside. Do not let stray animals enter in the future.”
Tiffany scoffed in response.
“What a sharp tongue you have, Oscar. Then again, you’re able to suddenly change your mind and divorce the wife you once cherished so deeply. It’s no wonder you’re not holding back when it comes to an outsider like me,” Tiffany mocked. The next moment, the expression on her face changed as she said angrily, “Even if you’ve forgotten Amelia, you’ve left so many traces at your little love nest. Are you blind? You have so many photos together. Can’t you see how deeply you love her from them? Your condominium was also renovated to her tastes. Everything in there is to her preferences. Doesn’t that seem suspicious to you? Are you going to say that you haven’t seen the photos and that you don’t remember what she likes? All right. I have a ton of photos on my phone and hers. With so much evidence before you, if you still refuse to believe us and prefer to trust a woman you hate to the core, maybe there’s something wrong with your brain.”
When Oscar heard Tiffany’s words, something glimmered in his eyes.
Panic flashed across Isabella’s eyes, and she subconsciously gripped Oscar’s arm.
“Oscar, Amelia forced you to take those photos. She said if you refused to take them with her, she was going to abort the baby. Don’t trust that woman’s words!” Isabella insisted.
“Bullsh*t!” Tiffany cursed. “Oscar is in charge of thousands of employees at Clinton Corporations. Every day, he deals with projects that are worth millions. He has a stronger resolve than most people. Do you think someone like him could be threatened by Amelia? I don’t know what you did to him, but you’d better not venture out alone. I’ll beat you up each time I see you. That’ll teach you to come between a married couple. You’re disgusting!”
Oscar had initially been slightly doubtful, but when he heard Tiffany’s rude words, his expression darkened. “Shut up.”
Tiffany instinctively closed her mouth.
“What are you still standing around for? Send them out!” Oscar ordered the butler.
Standing in front of Tiffany protectively, Amelia told the butler, “Please step away. Tiffany is a guest I brought over.”
The butler was torn.
“Go on. I’ll handle the repercussions,” Amelia said softly.
The butler hesitated for a moment before nodding at Amelia. Turning to Oscar, he said, “Mr. Clinton, I’ll be taking my leave.”
Oscar said nothing in response.
“Oscar, I apologize. Tiff was only looking out for me. You can go back to whatever you were doing with Ms. Walker. We’re going upstairs to see Tony.” Amelia nodded politely at him before pulling Tiffany upstairs.
Once they stepped onto the second floor, Tiffany shouted down angrily, “Oscar, I think you should check your phone. It contains many pictures of you and Amelia. If you still think the woman beside you is your true love after seeing those photos, I can only say you really are blind.”
Amelia tugged at Tiffany. Only then did the latter reluctantly close her mouth and follow Amelia into the room.
Oscar lowered his gaze, seemingly deep in thought.
Isabella looked at him worriedly, afraid that he would begin to suspect something. The relationship she had schemed and stolen was one rife with many uncertainties. Thus, she was terrified that something unexpected would occur.
When Oscar pulled out his phone, she stared at it intently, her eyes wide.
She hurriedly looked away after he glanced at her, muttering, “Oscar, do you believe what Tiffany said? That I’m lying to you?”
Oscar patted her face and laughed. “Don’t overthink it. I’m only checking to see what’s on my phone.”
“Let me help you!” Isabelle offered.
Oscar looked at her with an unfathomable expression.
With that, Isabelle realized she had been too hasty. It was as Tiffany claimed. Isabella had gotten someone to hypnotize Oscar. However, she was not able to erase the traces of his life with Amelia. Their love nest was filled with vestiges of Amelia. There were also a lot of photos of the couple on their phones, WhatsApp, and other messaging apps. Only a blind person would not be able to see how much the two loved each other. Isabella, as someone who stole his love, could never measure up.
“Oscar, I’m worried. You say that you love me, but you don’t trust my words. You’d rather trust the photos. Have you fallen for Amelia?” Isabella implored with reddened eyes.
Oscar’s face darkened. “Isabella, is there something you’re worried about?”
Isabella’s expression froze. She could not even bring herself to cry.
Even after being hypnotized, he did not treat her with affection. When she desperately tried to seduce him at night, he shrugged her off, claiming that he had work to finish.
Their love was fabricated. Hence, Isabella felt guilty and would feel afraid whenever Oscar treated her coldly.
“I’ll only take a brief look.” Oscar hid the unlock passcode from Isabella and tapped on the phone’s photo album. It was filled with photos of him and Amelia—intimate ones. In each one, he was staring at Amelia devotedly while the latter smiled sweetly. There were also several family photos. There was no hint of reluctance on his face in any of the pictures.
Oscar furrowed his brows as he realized there was a discrepancy within his memories. The photos were obviously not edited, so why did he have no recollection of taking these with Amelia? Instead, the woman in his memories was Isabella.
From what he could remember, he and Isabella were very loving. He admitted that he loved her. However, he did not feel a burning passion when he was with her.
So, what’s going on?
A feeling of unease rose in Isabella’s heart when she saw Oscar frowning while appearing to be in deep thought.
“Oscar…” she murmured.
Oscar shot her a glance and sighed. “Isabella, are you hiding something from me?”
As her heart plummeted to her feet, Isabella pretended to be clueless. “What are you talking about?”
Oscar observed her, gauging her inwardly.
Seeing that, Isabella started to panic. “Oscar, do you regret divorcing her?”
