Chapter 179 In Low Spirits
Olivia took a deep, long breath.
The only thing they could do now was to hope and pray for Amelia’s recovery. Olivia had always cared for Amelia like her own, so she naturally wanted both Amelia and Oscar to pull through this dark period.
Owen patted her awkwardly. “All right. I’m still certain of what I said earlier. The children can take care of themselves. Everything will work out.”
Olivia nodded, desperately trying to believe him.
At that moment, Oscar had run into Elizabeth shortly after he’d departed from his own hospital room. Elizabeth’s face turned several shades darker when she caught sight of him.
Irate, the woman stormed towards the man, fuming, “Oscar, have you finally found it within you to care for Cassie?”
Oscar glanced at her icily. His tone was even as he replied, “Mrs. Yard, I have my own things to deal with. I’ll leave Cassie to you.”
He made as if to continue, but Elizabeth adamantly stood before him, barricading his way forward.
Infuriated, she pressed, “Oscar, what do you mean by this? Cassie attempted suicide because of you! She’s still lying there in the hospital. She’s awake now, but you haven’t even come over to visit. The doctor said she might have a tendency towards depression. Is this how you show your love to her?”
Oscar glowered at Elizabeth. He drew himself up to his fullest height and towered over her, looking incredibly intimidating.
Elizabeth suddenly felt a wave of trepidation wash over her.
The fear, however, quickly gave way to indignation at having been thus embarrassed.
“Oscar, what’s going on? Cassie suffered so much because of you. Are you really going to abandon her just like that?” Elizabeth demanded.
Oscar felt his head throb.
“Enough, Mrs. Yard. I really do have something to deal with. I’ll come over to visit Cassie when I’m done and apologize to her,” he replied, feeling his patience grow thin.
Elizabeth, however, grew even more aggrieved at his answer.
“What do you mean by that, Oscar? Do you think Cassie’s a beggar? If you don’t visit her today, I’ll never forgive you! She’s all I have. If anything happens to her, I’ll see to it that you suffer the same fate!” she declared.
Oscar slowly clenched his fists. He felt the rage within him threatening to boil over.
“Mrs. Yard, I’ve always treated you with respect. Do you think you’re deserving of it, though?” he asked frigidly.
Elizabeth glared at him, speechless.
The man then exhaled a shaky breath. “Mrs. Yard, I’ll be off then. I have things of my own to deal with,” he concluded.
Elizabeth, however, remained doggedly in Oscar’s way.
When she met his level eyes, her gaze softened slightly. Her voice took on a pleading tone. “Oscar, that was rather impulsive of me. Can you visit Cassie? She isn’t doing well. I tried calling you and going down to your office to look for you but to no avail. I don’t know what you’ve been busy with, but it’s evident that you’re avoiding her. If you’d ever truly loved Cassie, please visit her. She doesn’t eat or talk much. The only time she opens her mouth is to ask when you’ll be coming by. The doctor said she’ll develop depression soon if she continues being like this. I’m begging you, Oscar! She’s all I have. I can’t afford to lose her.”
Oscar felt his head throb even more.
The two women Oscar had ever had any real relationship with were both in trouble now. He was torn between them, but his heart pulsed with greater concern for Amelia. He was determined not to let anything happen to Amelia now that her life hung so uncertainly in the balance. All that he was willing to do now for Cassie was apologize.
“Mrs. Yard, I…” Oscar began.
He was interrupted by Olivia’s voice ringing out from behind him. “Oscar, what are you still doing here?”
Oscar turned. Olivia and Owen then got a good look at Elizabeth.
As their eyes met, a look of disquiet appeared in Elizabeth’s eyes.
The tension that hung in the air between the two women was so thick that one could almost cut it with a knife.
“Is Charlie here with you?” Olivia asked in a friendly manner, breaking the silence.
“He’s in the room with Cassie,” Elizabeth replied.
“Is Cassie awake? How is she doing?” Olivia asked apprehensively.
“She won’t die just yet,” Elizabeth snapped. Realizing that she sounded uncivil, she moderated her tone. “Olivia, Owen, we’ve known each other for a long time. I suppose we can say we’re old friends. Please ask Oscar to visit Cassie. She hasn’t spoken much since she woke up and neither does she have a strong will to live at present. The doctor said she might have depression. Oscar is perhaps the only remedy for her now. I believe that if he visits her, she’ll recover much more quickly.”
Olivia and Owen exchanged pointed looks.
“Oscar, since you’re in the hospital, why don’t you pay Cassie a visit? Your Dad and I will check on Amelia,” Olivia urged after considering the matter.
Without waiting for Oscar’s reply, Elizabeth seized on Olivia’s words. “Is Amelia in the hospital too? Has she delivered? I remember that her due date wasn’t within these few days, though. Did she give birth prematurely?”
Olivia shook her head. Vaguely, she mumbled, “She was feeling slightly unwell. She came to the hospital for a check-up.”
Elizabeth didn’t hide her clear skepticism. “Why don’t I join you to visit Amelia as well? She’s part of the Clintons, after all. Since she’s here in the hospital, it’s only right that I pay her a visit.”
Olivia’s annoyance was written clearly on her face upon hearing Elizabeth’s suggestion.
Oscar, however, replied sternly, “Enough, Mrs. Yard! Stop behaving so shamelessly.”
Elizabeth gaped at him for a moment before she scoffed, saying, “My daughter’s almost got depression because of you. You Clintons have been here in the very same hospital, yet you chose to pretend as if she wasn’t right under your noses. Did you call me shameless? Why don’t you take a look at yourself?”
Olivia’s eyes blazed. Is this woman really intent on burning this bridge? I guess she really hasn’t given this much thought.
She had never expected Elizabeth to possess such a petty nature.
Sensing the heat between the two women, Owen stepped in. “Oscar, why don’t you visit Cassie? After all, you had a part to play in this. As a man, you have to own up and bear the consequences of your actions,” he ordered.
Oscar slowly released the balled-up fist he’d clenched up till now.
“Dad, Mom, I’ll go take a look at Cassie then. Please take good care of Amelia for me,” Oscar answered in a low voice.
Olivia nodded.
After Oscar and Elizabeth left, Olivia turned to her husband rather angrily. “What’s wrong with that woman? I always thought of her as rather reasonable. She’s always been so courteous and gentle. When did she suddenly become so narrow-minded?”
Owen patted her on the shoulder to pacify her. “Don’t let her get to you. Cassie’s her only child, and Oscar did, in fact, do her wrong. In any love triangle, women are bound to be on the losing end.”
Olivia furrowed her brow. At last, she merely gave a sigh in resignation.
The couple thus proceeded in silence towards the intensive care unit. When they arrived, Tiffany immediately got up to greet them.
Olivia’s heart ached as she looked upon Amelia’s still body. Dismal, she turned to Tiffany and asked, “How’s Amelia doing? Is she still very much the same?”
Tiffany nodded. “The doctor just came by. He told us that Amelia’s immune system is still weak, so we can’t enter the room just yet.”
Olivia’s eyes brimmed with tears.
At that moment, however, her phone rang shrilly. Fumbling, the woman took it out of her bag only to see Robert’s name flash across the screen.
She hurriedly answered the call. “Hello, Robert.”
“Olivia, are you and Owen free to talk? Can you make a trip to my office? There’s something I’d like to discuss with you,” Robert told her.
Olivia’s heart skipped a beat. She had the feeling that Robert wanted to discuss Amelia’s condition. She had a premonition, however, that the news would not be good.
“Sure. I’ll come over with Owen right away,” Olivia replied, her voice quivering slightly.
After she’d ended the call, she turned to Tiffany. “Tiffany, can I trouble you to stay here with Amelia? Owen and I are going to meet Mr. Lancester for a while.”
Tiffany nodded in agreement.
Once Olivia and Owen were gone, Tiffany’s heart broke out in tumult. Upon seeing her so forlorn, Gary patted her on the shoulder. “Don’t worry too much. Amelia will be fine. I’m sure of it,” he said encouragingly.
Tiffany sighed. She took another look at Amelia, who was lying in the intensive care unit with tubes running through her body. A feeling of anguish coursed through Tiffany at the sight.
“Gary, did you know that Amelia is actually terrified of pain? Whenever she got a cut on her finger, she’d make the biggest fuss over it. After marrying Oscar, however, she became much more resilient. She looks as if she can stand up to anything, so no one knows how fearful she is inside. It’s much more difficult to be the wife of a rich man than one thinks. It’s not all about wealth and glory. Amelia used to haul me out for drinks, and when she’d gotten tipsy, she would tell me everything about Oscar. She really loves him, but he was always a difficult man to be with. I think he had something to do with this accident as well. Amelia’s been brought so low because of him! She’s always been vain, and I can’t bear to think of her looking at herself now in horror. She’s little more than a living corpse right now,” Tiffany said.
As Tiffany ranted, she worked herself up into a frenzy. She ended her monologue abruptly as she began heaving with sobs.
Gary had rarely experienced the feeling of impotence he had at that moment. He could only watch, powerless, as Tiffany cried.
In desperation, the man fished out a cigarette from his pocket in complete disregard for hospital rules. He lit it and took a drag, saying, “Don’t cry, Tiffany. I spoke without thinking. I don’t know how to comfort you. Don’t cry, okay? We can always talk about things. There’s a solution for everything.”
Witnessing Gary’s clumsy but endearing efforts at comforting her, Tiffany felt strangely soothed.
Much to her own surprise, she couldn’t help but smile.
“I’m sorry, Gary. I lost control of myself! Don’t think too badly of me for it,” she remarked, dabbing hastily at her eyes.
Gary dismissed her apology with a wave of his hands. He turned back forlornly towards the window of the intensive care unit.
It had never once crossed Gary’s mind that Amelia, a shining creature, would one day be reduced to an inert patient on a hospital bed. He would have leered at the very thought. However, there was nothing he could do for Amelia now but stand helplessly by, worrying.
In the face of death, Gary’s riches were little better than rags.
The entire mood outside the intensive care unit was downcast.
Tiffany suddenly raised her head to say, “Gary, you can’t smoke in the hospital. You better put it out, or the nurses will be sure to.”
Gary obediently stubbed out his cigarette against his shoe.
