Tiffany felt so sorry for Amelia. Tightening her grip on the steering wheel, she advised the latter, “Babe, divorce him if you’re no longer feeling happy in this marriage. Considering how long you guys have been together, I think Oscar won’t demand a hundred million from you for breaching the contract, will he?” Shutting her eyes, Amelia forced out a stiff smile. Tiffany took a quick glance at her. As an outsider, I’m not in any position to pass remarks on their marriage. If it’s so easy to cut off ties with a person, especially one whose life is closely intertwined with yours, there won’t be so many couples locked in bitter battles.
“Babe, if you don’t want to leave him, then stay and work hard to capture his heart,” Tiffany suggested. Heaving a sigh, Amelia said disappointingly, “It’s very challenging to read his mind. We’ve been married for five years, but I still have no clue what he’s thinking half of the time. Generally speaking, he treats me well and does show affection at times. However, I can’t tell if he still has any feelings for me.” Tiffany chuckled. “Babe, one thing I don’t like about you is how you’d falter back and forth before making a decision. From my point of view, what’s there to be afraid of? It’s no big deal even if you fail in the end. Most importantly, you’ve worked on it and have no regrets for yourself.”
Amelia tried to shake the thought away. “Let’s not talk about him anymore. I don’t plan to go home tonight. I’ll stay at your apartment.” Tiffany felt so helpless. “You know what? Since the day you married Oscar, I’ve lost count the times you stayed over at my place.” Looking completely nonplussed, Amelia replied, “Well, you always turn into a nocturnal creature when you try to meet deadlines at work. You even barred me from visiting you if I had nothing urgent.” Batting her eyelids, Tiffany defended herself, “Babe, don’t put the blame on me. Haven’t I been welcoming you with open arms and serving you the best cuisines when you sleep over at my place? I’m so hurt by your words.”
As the atmosphere started to liven up, Amelia became more relaxed. After a moment of silence, her topic revolved around Derrick again. “Tiff, I do think that Derrick is serious about you. How do you feel about him? Would you consider going out with him?” Tiffany paused. The question had removed the twinkle in her eye. “Babe, why are you talking about him again? He’s my boss, the one who feeds me, and there’s no other possibility between us. Although I’m a renowned author, I’m just a small fry compared to his family. My salary per annum is not even comparable to what they earn in a day.
Do you think that they will accept a daughter-in-law like me?” Amelia fell silent. Some prominent families may prefer a spouse who comes from the same social circles. As realistic as this may sound, it doesn’t rule out the possibility of gaining equal footing on other aspects which are as important. For example, if the woman is highly educated and has a similar lifestyle, then she is most likely to handle the etiquette required in unfamiliar situations too. This may bridge the gap of having a distinct difference in terms of wealth, making the union more desirable. There are many fairy tales about Cinderella marrying her Prince Charming. The story will usually end with a happily-ever-after with no sequel.
This is because everyone knows that Cinderella didn’t marry only the prince, she’s gotten herself involved in the entire royal family. She needs to master all kinds of etiquettes and rules, endure the cynicism of others, demonstrate flexibility as well as an ability to overcome various unforeseen circumstances. When the going gets tough, Cinderella must either demonstrate tenacity or she will be defeated, end up getting a divorce, and leave her prince miserably. Conversely, the prince would succumb to the arrangement made by the royal family to choose the next princess who suits him best.
The new partner might not be the love of his life, but a compatible one nonetheless. Unfortunately, this is the reality. “From the way he acts and carries himself, Derrick seems like a person who’s in control of his own life. Why don’t you give him a chance?” Amelia thought for a while before prompting Tiffany. “Babe, did he bribe you or something? Why do you keep saying good things about him? Tell me, what benefits are you reaping?” Amelia grinned from ear to ear. “Will I go above and beyond to promote him if I don’t think he is any good?” Tiffany was puzzled. “Why, Babe?
Give me a reason. You’ve only seen him once. Why are you working so hard in making us an item?” “My sixth sense,” Amelia said. It made Tiffany even more flabbergasted. “I thought you loathe forming an opinion based on sixth sense?” “The gut feeling of a woman can be quite accurate. I can just envision how he will spoil you rotten.” Arching her brow, Tiffany questioned, “Are you bewitched by his charm?” “That’s one of the reasons.” Tiffany could not help but shudder as her brows twitched. “Babe, when did you start judging a book by its cover?”
“I’ve always been like this. Don’t you know?” Rolling her eyes, Tiffany gave up. Then, she said in a serious tone, “All right, Babe. Let’s stop talking gibberish. At one glance, you and I can see clearly that Derrick and I are from different realms. I’ve been working with him for two to three years now and I can safely tell you that he didn’t show any interest in me all this while. Anyone would be shocked to the core with his sudden confession. Aren’t you worried if he’s approaching me with ill intentions? Perhaps he wants to exploit my talents and then chuck me aside once I’m of no more value to him. Won’t you feel bad for me?” “Tiff, your reasons are…” Amelia was utterly dumbfounded by her logic.
“I might believe it if you tell me that Derrick is eyeing your beauty and he wants to get intimate with you. But you’re saying that he wants to manipulate you and take advantage of your expertise. Are you serious? He’s the boss of a big company. Is there a need for him to do so?” Knowing how bizarre her argument was, Tiffany did not refute. “Okay, don’t think too much. I can only say that your fate shows up in a timely manner. Prior to this, I was worried that you’d be a spinster forever. Unexpectedly, you wowed me with how the story has unfolded. I’m relieved, nonetheless.” Sulking, Tiffany protested, “Are you looking down on me, Babe? What do you mean by I’d be a spinster forever?”
“Your daily activities rotate between writing novel, sleeping, and sticking around me. When I introduce a man to you, you always reject it by giving me lots of excuses. Wouldn’t I be worried when you refused to meet any guy? I’m just like an anxious mother waiting for my overaged daughter to get married. Now that there’s a person trying to court you, I actually feel good about it.” Tiffany was rendered speechless. Before Amelia could continue speaking, her phone rang. It was Carter. She looked sideways at Tiffany while the latter simultaneously asked, “Who’s it, Babe?”
“Carter.” Furrowing her brows, Tiffany was slightly annoyed. “Why does that jinx keep calling you? As an eligible bachelor, he’s always in contact with a married woman, is he trying to be a homewrecker? Are all those who are born with a silver spoon that free? They’ve got nothing better to do besides coming up with ideas to destroy someone else’s families?” Amelia was amused by Tiffany’s comments. She picked the call up, “Carter.” His faint voice was heard from the other side of the line. “Amelia, are you at home?” “I’m with Tiff right now and I’ll most probably sleep over at hers tonight. How are you feeling?
Any better?” “I’m all right. Thanks for visiting me today. I’d like to meet you. Is that okay?” Carter faltered before stating his request. “What time?” Amelia hesitated. “Now.” Amelia’s frown deepened. “Carter, you’ve just undergone a surgery and shouldn’t be moving around. We shall meet when you’re discharged.” “I’m in your neighborhood. I’ll just wait right here until you show up.” “Carter, stop fooling around. Go back to the hospital. You can’t move so much after an operation.” Panicked, Amelia did not expect a capricious Carter, who would risk his health just to see her. “Amelia, I’ll wait for you in the neighborhood.
I’ll wait here the whole night until you show up.” Then, he hung up. Amelia had a strong urge to curse when the call was disconnected. “What’s the matter?” asked Tiffany. “Carter is waiting for me in my neighborhood albeit not feeling well. He said he won’t leave until he sees me.” Feeling helpless, Amelia asked for a favor, “Tiff, please make a U-turn and send me home.” The request almost made Tiffany hit the ceiling. “Who does the jinx think he is? A three-year-old? He’s such a childish dude. If others find out, it has no effect on him as he’s still single. On the contrary, you might be reprimanded by the Clintons.
This man doesn’t think about your situation. He’s so spoiled and willful. Let’s just ignore him. Nothing good ever happens when he’s in the picture.” “Tiff, don’t be so stubborn and send me home. He was admitted to the hospital a few days ago for stomach perforation and underwent surgery. His body surely can’t withstand the hassle of traveling to and fro. If he continues staying out in the cold, his condition might get worse.” After some consideration, Tiffany’s heart was softened and she changed the course though she remained firm in her words. “I couldn’t care less even if he dies. He’s not concerned about his own health, so why should we?” On the way home, she continued advising Amelia, “Babe, don’t go easy on this man who wants to be part of your life.
If you allow him to do so, he will continue to sink deeper in his crooked love. Alas, things will get complicated or out of control.” Amelia scratched her head. “I know, Tiff, but he’s the first man whom I’ve ever loved. Frankly, it’s so difficult for me to harden my heart and ignore him totally.” Tiffany sighed because she understood what Amelia was going through and felt bad for her. She takes everything in and bears all the burdens on her shoulders. Yet, she always portrays to be strong, generous, and ever so gorgeous.
Just because she can withstand the pressure, everyone thinks that she’s full of grit and competitiveness. However, nobody knows that Amelia lacks a sense of security. She’s extremely sensitive and is sharp to find out how others think or feel about her. She doesn’t show it upfront. Hence, others would think that she doesn’t take it to heart. The truth is, she gets hurt often too. “Babe, I’m not trying to pinpoint your mistake. I’m just reminding you to protect yourself and don’t get hurt.
Neither Oscar nor Carter suits you. Admittedly, Carter loves you but he’s not a conscientious man who can fulfill the duty of taking good care of you. You’re destined to get hurt because of his carefree attitude,” Tiffany said earnestly. Shaking her head, Amelia assured her, “Tiff, Carter is just a friend. He was then, he is now and he will only remain a friend even in the future.”
