Chapter 881 Misguided Feelings
Afraid that Amelia was going to overthink the matter, Linda turned around and said, “Amelia, don’t overthink it. It might be that Mr. Clinton was in a bad mood today.”
Amelia regained her composure and flashed a smile at Linda. “I’m all right. Go on back to your workstation. Aren’t you afraid that Mr. Clinton might punish you for leaving your post?” Amelia joked.
Linda gave her a bitter smile. “Amelia, I’m going to level with you here. With Isabella constantly trying to drive a wedge between me and Mr. Clinton, I think I’m going to get fired really soon,” Linda lamented.
Amelia glanced at her and fell deep into her thoughts. “I could say the same to you—don’t overthink it. Oscar would have fired you long ago if he did have the intention to do so. He wouldn’t have waited until now. Don’t worry. As long as you don’t make any errors, there’s no way he’ll let someone as capable as you go,” Amelia said in an attempt to comfort her.
Linda scanned their surroundings. After making sure that there was nobody suspicious around, she whispered, “Amelia, you don’t understand. Haven’t you seen the way Mr. Clinton hangs on to Isabella’s every word today? It’s as if he’s a whole different person. Besides, the way he looked at her was so much more endearing and gentle, almost as though Mr. Clinton was under a spell. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have given you the cold shoulder. Sigh. What has the woman done to bewitch Mr. Clinton?”
Amelia’s face fell as she was worried about the same thing.
With Oscar defending Isabella, there was nothing Amelia could do to her.
Linda stole a glance at Amelia after she was done talking. The grim look on Amelia’s face had her scratching her head sheepishly.
“Amelia, I was just rambling, so take my word with a grain of salt. Once the novelty wears off, I’m sure Mr. Clinton will go back to you,” Linda said. Realizing her blunder, she regretted her words as soon as she said them. It would have been better if she had just kept her mouth shut.
“Amelia, I’m not good with words. Please, don’t mind me,” Linda hurriedly added.
“I’m all right. Let’s go. We mustn’t keep everyone else waiting,” Amelia replied.
Linda nodded.
The two of them turned back, walking side by side. Amelia was greeted by an utterly heartbreaking sight as soon as she reached Oscar’s office.
Oscar was hugging Isabella as the two were intertwined in a passionate kiss. He was tender with her, treating her like a prized treasure that might break under his touch.
It pained Amelia to think that what used to only belong to her had now become another woman’s.
She felt a heavy weight bearing down on her chest, squeezing all the air out of her lungs and rendering it almost impossible to breathe.
Amelia didn’t know how much longer she could watch the two act all lovey-dovey in front of her. Even if Oscar were to regain his memories, she wasn’t sure if she could accept him anymore by then, not after what he had done.
She let out a sigh under her breath as she thought about how difficult her relationship with Oscar had been thus far and what would happen in the future. Perhaps their future would be Oscar marrying Isabella, and they would go on to have kids of their own. Feeling dejected that things had not turned out as expected, Amelia might then marry a man who loved her, and she would go on to have children with the man despite having no feelings for him.
It was the worst possible scenario that she could think of.
Linda deliberately stood in front of Amelia, shielding her from taking in the full view of Oscar and Isabella. She felt sorry for Amelia when she noticed the dejected look on her face.
“Amelia, that was all just an illusion. Don’t mind them,” Linda muttered under her breath to comfort her.
The initially despondent Amelia found Linda’s blatant lie amusing and let out a chuckle.
The young secretary was not particularly popular among her colleagues, but Amelia found her to be quite considerate and sweet.
“Mr. Clinton is going to fire you if you keep treating me this well. You’re going to lose your job, Linda,” Amelia reminded her in a soft voice.
Linda sighed. Judging by the way Oscar indulged Isabella, it was just a matter of time before she lost her job. Moreover, she truly disliked Isabella. The woman was arrogant, self-centered, and manipulative. Linda reckoned that she should just hand in her resignation letter to avoid the confrontation that would eventually arise.
“Amelia, I’m going to lose my job sooner or later. I’m just wondering if your company could employ me then. Don’t worry. I won’t ask for much. As long as the offered pay is not much lower than my current pay, I’ll be happy to accept it,” Linda said in a serious tone.
Again, Amelia let out a hearty chortle.
“Sure. Royce Technologies welcomes you with open arms if you find it difficult to continue working here. I believe that as capable as you are, you’re not going to have an issue asking for the pay you want,” Amelia said.
Linda heaved a sigh of relief.
All of a sudden, Oscar let go of Isabella and glanced at Amelia.
Linda instinctively shifted to keep some distance between her and Amelia. She still found Oscar’s domineering aura intimidating.
Isabella possessively circled her arms around Oscar’s and wrinkled her nose as she looked at Amelia.
“Oscar, didn’t you promise me to not work together with this woman? Why is she still here? Do you not care about me anymore?” Isabella grumbled coquettishly.
Oscar lowered his head to glance at her.
Isabella immediately concealed her displeasure and flashed a sweet smile at him. “Oscar, I’m just kidding. You know I’ll never interfere in your work matters. I told you I want to become a wife who can help you out,” she added sweetly.
Satisfied with her response, Oscar curled his lips into a smile, appearing to be in a good mood.
“Mr. Scott, I do hope that your company refrains from sending Ms. Winters for a discussion here at Clinton Corporations in the future. As you can see, my fiancée is not too pleased to see her. I believe that you do not wish to see the collaboration between our companies turn sour because of a woman,” Oscar stated after he glanced at Amelia. He did not bother to spare her any dignity in front of everyone.
Amelia’s face fell. However, she felt oddly calm inside. It was as if she was mentally prepared for this.
“Um…” Carter was hesitant to answer Oscar. Although Carter may sometimes try to hit on Amelia, all jokes aside, he quite liked her. After all, she was a capable and beautiful woman. One wouldn’t normally hate on a girl like that unless they had a grudge against her.
“What is it? Do you find my request over the line?” Oscar asked with a raised brow.
Amelia’s lips curled into a smile. “Mr. Clinton, I regret to inform you that I’m the one mainly in charge of this project under our headquarters’ instruction. You could file for a change in personnel with the headquarters if you wish to deal with a different person. If the headquarters think that another person is more suited for the role, I’ll be glad to hand over my work.”
Oscar shot her an impassive look.
“That is a matter of administration within your company and none of my business. I just don’t want to see you coming here next time.”
“I’m sure you know how to separate work from your personal life, Mr. Clinton. Otherwise, Clinton Corporations wouldn’t have progressed so much in ten years under your command,” Amelia said with a polite smile.
“Unfortunately for you, I’m a person who greatly respects my partner. Love comes before work,” Oscar retorted.
When he saw Amelia’s grin waver, he felt satisfaction at finally getting his revenge.
There was no doubt that he hated how hypocritical she was.
“Since that’s the case, I’ll let the people at headquarters know,” Amelia stated, wiping all emotions from her face.
She gave him a polite nod before walking right past him to leave. The people behind her followed suit.
“You should get to work, Oscar. I’ll go buy some food for you from downstairs,” Isabella offered. She stood up and gave him a peck on the cheek. The smile on her lips was so sweet that flowers seemed to bloom from where she had kissed. “You did well today. I believe that you love me, so I’m buying you food as a reward. Be good and eat it all, okay?”
The gaze Oscar fixed on her was doting and filled with affection. He looked like he was in a good mood. “Go ahead. I’ll be waiting.”
Isabella hurriedly left. She took the other elevator down, and the moment she stepped out, she called out to Amelia, who was walking ahead of her.
Amelia stopped in her tracks, and so did everyone else.
“Mr. Scott, Mr. Lawrence, and Mr. Quinn, you three can head back to the company first. I’ll go back on my own later,” she instructed.
Carter and the others had noticed Isabella charging over aggressively. Even though they were worried for Amelia, they couldn’t do anything since Isabella was Oscar’s fiancée. Thus, their only choice was to leave.
“Let’s talk outside, Ms. Walker,” Amelia remarked while looking at Isabella.
Isabella lifted her chin high in the air and snorted. Then, as if she was doing Amelia a great favor, she nodded.
Amelia didn’t pay much mind to her attitude and simply led the way out of the company.
After the two of them went to an empty corner in Clinton Corporations, Amelia stared at the arrogant Isabella.
Isabella had her arms crossed over her chest as she jerked her chin in the direction of Oscar’s office.
“You saw it, Amelia. Oscar only cares about me now. Your relationship with him is all in the past. In this war of love, you’ve lost to me. If I were you, I would be too embarrassed to stick around. If you know what’s good for you, you’d better take the chance and move to a different country,” she threatened haughtily.
Finding it hilarious, Amelia actually let out a laugh.
“What are you laughing at?”
“Nothing. I just think that if your relationship with Oscar was that genuine, you wouldn’t have had to come rushing out to threaten me like this. I’m sure you know better than I do that Oscar has no feelings for you whatsoever,” Amelia replied confidently.
The look on Isabelle’s face soured. She inhaled deeply to suppress the feeling of dissatisfaction in her heart.
“It doesn’t matter what you do to Oscar, Isabella. From now on, I’m not going to let you hurt him anymore. Someday, your dirty little tricks will backfire on you, especially in the face of true love. When the time comes, he’ll return to my side,” Amelia declared in a domineering manner while pressing closer.
Isabella couldn’t help but take a step back. However, upon doing so, she realized she was being too spineless and puffed her chest out. Her chin was once again raised high up in the air.
“So what if my tricks don’t amount to anything? I still managed to steal him away from you. What matters is that he’s mine right now, and he doesn’t remember you at all. In fact, he even told you to get lost. It feels good, doesn’t it? This is exactly how I felt back then. Now, you’re the one in my shoes.” Isabella narrowed her eyes and landed a psychological attack on Amelia. “For every day you stay in the country, I’ll come up with all kinds of ways to get rid of you. You’re so sure that Oscar still loves you, right? In that case, I’ll show you just how wrong you are. I’ll humiliate you until you willingly back away from this war.”
Amelia’s fingers twitched. Before she realized it, her nails were digging into her palms.
“You must be terrified, aren’t you, Amelia? Drop the calm act. People like you are the ones I look down on the most. You think you’re so aloof and amazing. You think that every man in the world wants you. In reality, you’re nothing,” Isabella spat cruelly.
Unexpectedly, Amelia grinned after hearing that. “Are you talking about yourself, Isabella?”
“You know who I’m talking about. I hope you come to your senses soon.” With that said, Isabella turned to leave.
Amelia watched her retreating figure. Her legs gave out, and she was barely able to stop herself from dropping to the ground.
It had taken all of her self-control not to slap Isabella in the face earlier.
This woman used such underhanded tactics to steal Oscar away, yet she still has the gall to tell me to get lost?
However, Amelia was aware that Isabella’s tactics were unexpectedly effective despite how underhanded they were. As Isabella had said just now, Amelia had become Oscar’s greatest enemy. If he never ended up being able to remember her, then they would truly become strangers.
She felt as if all the energy had been drained from her body. There wasn’t a single muscle that she could lift.
Requesting leave from the company, she then returned to her apartment.
Tiffany happened to be sipping on a cup of tea. When she saw Amelia return with a pale face, she was shocked and hurried over.
“What’s wrong, Amelia? Why do you look so pale?” Tiffany asked anxiously. She helped her friend over to the couch and poured her a glass of water.
Amelia took the warm glass and looked at Tiffany silently. After a moment, she let out a sigh and shook her head weakly.
Seeing that, Tiffany was even more concerned.
“Tell me what happened, Amelia. Don’t just keep it to yourself. As a friend, I’m worried about you,” Tiffany pleaded.
In the end, Amelia told her all about how Oscar had changed.
“Even though I’m sad that he hates me now, I’m more worried for his health, Tiff. I don’t know what Isabella did to alter his memories, but I’m willing to bet that it’s fatal to him. I’m worried that Oscar’s going to suffer terrible side effects. He’s such a prideful person. I don’t want him to…” Amelia spread her hands, the bitterness she felt keeping her from continuing.
Her concern for Oscar’s health and the uncertainty about their future were huge burdens on her. She was exhausted from how heavy they were weighing her down.
Tiffany was enraged after listening to her. “How shameless can Isabella be? Not only did she steal your man, she even openly threatened you! I’ve got half the mind to go looking for her and get justice for you. Does she think we’re all stupid?”
Amelia tugged on Tiffany, who was clearly losing her temper, and gently shook her head.
Having no other choice, Tiffany sat down beside her.
“I’m going upstairs to nap for a while, Tiff. If Kurt brings Tony home, tell him I’m sleeping upstairs. You guys can eat dinner without me. I don’t have much of an appetite,” Amelia muttered.
Tiffany watched as Amelia left. At first, she wanted to stop Amelia, but she changed her mind when she thought of how bad of a mood the latter must be in. She swallowed the words at the tip of her tongue.
The moment she walked into the bedroom, Amelia flopped onto her bed and stared at the ceiling with her eyes wide open. Chaos was clouding her mind, and she didn’t know how she was going to deal with everything.
Her thoughts ran rampant for a long time. Before she knew it, she was fast asleep.
Kurt brought Tony home, and Tiffany prepared some food for the little boy to eat before pulling Kurt aside.
She relayed everything that Amelia had told her.
“We can’t just sit and wait any longer, Kurt. It’s obvious that Isabella is a ruthless woman. If we continue letting her have her way, something will happen to Oscar sooner or later, and there’s no way Amelia will be able to handle that. Even though I don’t like the way Oscar is right now, I can’t do anything about the fact that Amelia does love him. Not to mention, it was true that he treated Amelia exceptionally well in the past. It’s no exaggeration to say that she was the apple of his eye. Because of that, we can’t stay idle any longer,” Tiffany voiced her concerns.
Kurt listened to her quietly and didn’t respond for quite a while.
When Tiffany saw him like that, she once again became furious. “I’m telling you, Kurt, if something happens to Oscar, Amelia will be devastated. You’ll have even less of a chance of becoming her boyfriend then. If Oscar gets better, you can at least be his rival, and you’ll stand a chance, even if it’s a tiny one. If you’re planning to sit back and watch him die, then don’t blame me for being blunt when I say that you won’t stand a chance in hell to become Amelia’s life partner.”
Kurt’s expression darkened as he stared at Tiffany grimly.
Fearlessly, she met his gaze head-on. The two of them seemed to be engaged in a staring contest.
In the end, Kurt was the first one to look away.
He murmured, “Don’t paint me in such a bad light, Tiffany. It’s not that I don’t want to help Boss—I just don’t know how to do it. Even if Amelia wasn’t in the picture, there’s no way I would just abandon Boss since he’s been so kind to me all these years.”
Upon hearing that, Tiffany rubbed her nose awkwardly, feeling rather embarrassed. “Sorry, Kurt. I wasn’t trying to blame you on purpose. I’m just too worried about Amelia right now. Naturally, you take a backseat in my heart compared to her.”
“I understand.” He nodded.
The embarrassed look on Tiffany’s face deepened.
The two of them had fought because of Amelia’s situation many times. Every time it happened, they were never satisfied until one of them finally admitted defeat. Tiffany could admit that she was often the one being unreasonable.
Truthfully speaking, she felt quite bad for Kurt. He had helped Amelia and her so much, but Tiffany instantly thought the worst of him when anxiety struck, completely neglecting his feelings. Thinking about it, she was indeed in the wrong.
“I’m sorry, Kurt,” she apologized once more.
“You don’t have to say sorry to me. I didn’t take your earlier words to heart,” he responded.
That caught Tiffany off-guard.
“You and Tony can go ahead and eat. I’ll go upstairs to check on her,” he added.
She nodded.
After that, Kurt went upstairs. He stood outside Amelia’s bedroom door and twisted the door knob. It wasn’t locked, so he went straight in.
Closing the door behind him, he tiptoed over to the bed.
His expression was complicated as he looked down at Amelia, who was curled up under the blanket. His heart ached for her, and he silently sighed.
Do you really love him that much, Amelia? Even when he’s hurt you, you still want to be with him unconditionally and hate to see him suffer.
He sat down on the edge of the bed. When he noticed the deep furrow between her eyebrows even as she slept, he knew the answer to his question. Everything that he had done for her was trumped by a single word or smile from Oscar.
Kurt had lost in the sense that he had gotten to know Amelia too late. By the time he showed up in her life, Oscar had already been around for five years, sealing the fact that Kurt and Amelia could never be together.
“I admit defeat, Amelia. Since you love him so much, I’ll help you. I’ve already looked into the matter, and someone told me that you can jumble up a person’s memories using a combination of medication and hypnosis by a psychiatrist. I’ll do whatever it takes to get Boss to see a psychiatrist. If anything happens to me, I hope I’ll remain in your memories, even if you only think about me every now and then,” he whispered, reaching out to stroke her hair.
In response, Amelia leaned into his touch.
The corners of Kurt’s mouth curled up, and the look in his eyes softened even more.
How wonderful it would be if you could rely on me forever, Amelia. I’d be willing to do anything, no matter the cost.
However, he knew that it was nothing but a pipe dream. Even so, he wanted to hold on to that hope.
He leaned forward to peck her on the lips, and she didn’t wake up this time. A wave of greed surged through him, and he wanted to give her a deeper kiss, but he knew that he couldn’t actually do it. If he did, their relationship would be ruined forever.
After kissing her, he was satisfied. Kurt got up and left the bedroom without even looking back.
Upon arriving downstairs, he glanced at Tiffany. “Tiffany, help me take care of Amelia and Tony. I’m going out for a while.”
Tiffany stopped him. “Where are you going?”
“To do what I have to. All you need to do is take care of them. I’ll be back soon,” he reassured.
There was a sense of uneasiness in Tiffany’s heart. She was even more reluctant to let him leave.
“I’m just trying to do what’s right, Tiffany.” He pried her hand off and left just like that. Tony hopped off the seat, wanting to chase after him, but Tiffany held him in place.
“Godpa’s gone, Tiffy. I want to go after him,” he protested.
“Don’t worry, Tony. Your godfather went to do something. He’ll be back in no time,” she replied.
“What if he’s gone forever? Who’s going to replace him?” he whined.
That left Tiffany stunned for a moment. “Why do you say that, Tony?”
“I don’t know, either. I just feel like Godpa’s going to do something bad. Tiffy, I’m really scared that I’ll never get to see him again. He treats me way better than that Big Meanie does. Why can’t he be with Mommy anymore? If Mommy was with him, she wouldn’t be sad. I hear Mommy crying at night. I don’t like that Big Meanie anymore because he hurt Mommy,” Tony blurted.
Feeling as if she had been stabbed in the heart, Tiffany pulled the little boy into her embrace.
She had no idea how to explain the complexities of the adult world to a bright child like him. All she could do was feel sorry for Tony, who had to experience his parents’ divorce at such a young age and even witness his own mother’s suffering. He was too smart for his age and paid attention to everything around him, which led to him silently worrying for Amelia.
“Tony, even though your parents are divorced, they still love you. Sometimes, adults think a lot more than children do, so things don’t seem as simple to us. However, even if we don’t say it, we still hope for you to be happy. Your mother is the one who chose all of this, so we have to support her. Isn’t that right?” she patiently coaxed.
Tony blinked, looking at her innocently. “I don’t know, Tiffy. I just feel like Godpa is the one who truly treats Mommy well. He’s never made her angry or upset, unlike Big Meanie, who likes someone else now. He’s not like the Big Meanie I remember anymore.”
“But he still loves you like always, doesn’t he?” Tiffany tried.
“He doesn’t love me. In the past, Big Meanie would carry me on his shoulders and walk around with me. Now, though, all he cares about is that bad woman,” Tony complained. “I’m a big boy now, Tiffy. I know Big Meanie doesn’t like me anymore. I want to tell Mommy to leave and go abroad. There, we can live together with you and Godpa. It’ll be wonderful with just the four of us.”
Tiffany couldn’t deny that she wished for things to be that way as well. Unfortunately, things couldn’t always go the way she wanted. Reality refused to let them achieve happiness just like that. Thus, people had to suffer the consequences of their actions.
“You’ll understand when you’re older, Tony,” she muttered.
“But I’m already older, Tiffy. I can tell that Big Meanie isn’t nice to Mommy anymore. Why can’t you see that?”
Tiffany had no response to that.
It didn’t matter if she could tell, after all. It was still Amelia’s choice in the end. No matter how she tried to convince Amelia, it was useless. After all, Tiffany’s own marriage with Derrick had been a disaster. She didn’t have the right to try and dictate Amelia’s love life.
She felt powerless. Tony’s childlike questions had tired her out, and she was beginning to wonder if letting Amelia return to the country had been the right choice.
