Chapter 222 Explaining Himself
As soon as Oscar’s plane touched down, he hopped into the car and asked the chauffeur to take him to the neighborhood where Tiffany was staying.
He saw Tiffany holding a bag of trash and throwing it away when he got out of the car. Oscar was quick and ran a little to reach Tiffany. She saw him there, but her smile turned upside down immediately after. She didn’t even bother looking at him before she turned around and walked in the other direction.
Oscar reached out and grabbed her before getting right to the point. He asked, “Tiffany, where is Amelia?”
Tiffany glared over icily. “Look who’s here. It’s Mr. Clinton. I was wondering who it was. So, you still care about Amelia, huh?”
Oscar frowned and replied, “Amelia is my wife. Why would I not care about her? Also, why didn’t she pick up my calls?”
Tiffany had a skin-deep grin on before she taunted, “Mr. Clinton, are you sure you called her?”
Oscar frowned so much that he could catch a fly between his brows.
He knew that there had to be some misunderstandings.
“I called Amelia countless times, but she never picked up. At first, I wanted to fly back immediately, but I needed to stay overseas and manage the company. I can’t let all the employees of Clinton Corporations lose their jobs and go hungry over my personal issues,” explained Oscar with a grouchy expression.
Tiffany seemed to have realized that there was a misunderstanding.
She took a deep breath and calmed down before complaining, “What the hell is that supposed to mean, Mr. Clinton? You were overseas? What happened to Clinton Corporations? Why haven’t any of the Clintons come to visit Amelia and Tony over the past two weeks? Every single one of you claimed that she is a member of your family and that Tony is your heir. Yet, you guys heartlessly ignored her after she left the Clintons’ family home. Seriously, are you guys heartless? Your baby sister almost killed Amelia and her baby, and none of you bothered to do anything about it. How can she not feel abandoned under those circumstances?”
Oscar frowned and answered, “I didn’t abandon Amelia. I just got back from Pillere and had my people drive me directly from the airport. Also, I kept calling Amelia, but she never picked up. I ended up calling Kurt, and he said that she was okay. I sent someone else over to check up on her as well, and they claimed that she was fine as well. That was the only reason why I could focus on my work these past two weeks.”
Tiffany stared at him in suspicion. “Really?”
“Why would I lie to you?” demanded Oscar.
Tiffany glared over angrily before she replied, “Fine, I will trust you this one time. All that matters is whether Amelia will forgive you. You lost touch over the past two weeks, and that knucklehead Kurt never mentioned anything about you calling. From our perspective, you went missing for two weeks, and Amelia couldn’t eat well or sleep right because of that. She lost so much weight and her illness acted up. I accompanied her to the hospital two days ago, and the doctor said that she has depression. If this goes on, her body will not be able to heal well.”
Oscar was heartbroken as he asked, “Is she upstairs now?”
Tiffany shook her head.
“I asked someone to accompany her to the supermarket. They will probably be back soon,” answered Tiffany. She glared at Oscar in displeasure before complaining, “Oscar Clinton, please don’t go missing if you really care about Amelia. She only left the family home in a fit of anger, and that was only because you people condoned that murderer, Stephanie. All she wanted was a heartfelt apology from you guys. Seriously, you Clintons are too much. It’s been two weeks, but you never bothered calling or stopping by to visit Amelia or Tony. It was as if you guys fell off the face of the Earth, and you acted as if Amelia turned into a nobody once she left the compound. I knew it. Your entire family is just a bunch of rich brats who grew up with a silver spoon. I am so done with your kind.”
Oscar remained quiet.
Still, Tiffany was angry.
She warned, “Oscar Clinton, don’t blame me for being straightforward and harsh, but Amelia is a great woman, and she loves you. Please don’t take advantage of that love and hurt her recklessly. You were gone for two weeks, and she hadn’t been able to sleep or eat well this entire time. I would go at you with a blade if that act wouldn’t break her heart. Seriously, karma will come for you if you keep hurting her like this. The day will come when she falls out of love with you, and you will learn that what you lost is unconditional love. You would better buck up, or you will regret it.”
All Tiffany wanted was for Oscar to pay more attention to Amelia. He shouldn’t make this marriage look like a game to him.
Oscar frowned and was deep in thoughts.
“I will talk to Amelia in person about this, and I will explain everything,” promised Oscar in his deep voice.
Tiffany crossed her arms and gestured with her lips before saying, “The person you want to talk to is right behind you, so you better explain yourself well.”
Oscar turned around and saw that Amelia was heading over with a middle-aged woman.
At first, the duo was chatting away cheerfully, but Amelia’s smile slowly faltered when she saw Oscar there. She stopped walking when she was about three meters away from him.
Oscar approached Amelia. The middle-aged woman had no idea who he was, so she was quick to shield Amelia behind her. She asked, “Who are you?”
Oscar didn’t bother looking at that woman. His anxious gaze was stuck on Amelia, who stood behind that woman.
“Amelia,” murmured Oscar in a loving tone.
Amelia stared at him with a complex glow in her eyes. She told the middle-aged woman, “He is my husband. Please go ahead without me.”
The middle-aged woman nodded before she picked up the bags and left.
Oscar walked toward Amelia, but she instinctively backed away.
Seeing her reaction got Oscar’s gaze to take a sharp turn.
“Mr. Clinton finally shows up. Have you finally decided to get a divorce?” After two whole weeks of emotional turmoil, Amelia had gone from being disappointed, to heartbroken and now, she couldn’t care less anymore. She would be heartbroken if Oscar wanted a divorce, but she wouldn’t shamelessly hang on to a dead marriage either. She had loved him unconditionally for five years. If that wasn’t enough to get him to care, even a little, then there was nothing else she could do.
Oscar’s expression soured upon hearing that.
He walked over and pulled Amelia into his arms before complaining, “Who the hell said that I want a divorce? You are my wife! Who do you plan on remarrying if we get a divorce? I forbid you from even thinking about.”
Amelia rested in his arms and relaxed in that familiar embrace and unique scent. She couldn’t help tearing up a little, but she started struggling at the very next second. To her surprise, Oscar locked her in his arms.
He whispered into her ears, “I love you, Amelia. I kept calling you over the past two weeks, but you never picked up. I called Tiffany, too, but she didn’t pick up either, so I dialed Kurt’s number. He finally picked up and told me that you are fine. I didn’t mean to wait so long, but something happened to Clinton Corporations on the day you ran away from home. Someone leaked crucial information about a corporate collaboration and caused the share prices to drop drastically. My business partner was in Pillere, so I had to fly over. The only things I did over these past two weeks are hosting emergency meetings and missing you. I miss you so much. I was worried that you won’t be able to take care of Tony and was terrified that you aren’t healing well. Also, I worried that you’d overthink when I don’t show up, and I am especially terrified of the idea that you may not love me anymore. All that anxiety had caused me to suffer from insomnia.”
Slowly, Amelia stopped struggling. She tilted her head up and looked at Oscar. That was when she realized that he had lost a lot of weight, and his cheeks looked a little sunken. His beard was growing out as well, and those beautiful eyes had turned bloodshot. At that moment, Oscar was no longer the handsome man. He was a shadow of his former self and looked a little disheveled.
Amelia’s eyes shone with heartbreak. She reached out to caress Oscar’s face and asked, “Why didn’t you tell me that the company was in hot waters?”
Oscar held her hand and interlaced his fingers with hers before he explained, “You haven’t recovered yet, so I didn’t want to worry you.”
“I was worried because you disappeared for two weeks without telling me anything. I thought you didn’t want to be with me anymore because you found me to be too childish. I was emotionally tormented, worrying that you would have the divorce papers with you when you finally showed up. We talked about divorce and discussed the division of assets earlier, but that was when you were in love with someone else. I have to accept that arrangement, even if I didn’t want to. Things have since changed. You have just told me that you love me, and I don’t think I can handle it if you suddenly ask for a divorce like that. It’s been days since I last slept well.”
Oscar kissed the back of her hand with a broken heart and apologized, “That is all my fault. Why would you think that I’d want a divorce, though? You are the woman I love, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. We have our entire lives ahead of us, so you’re not allowed to think like that anymore, okay?”
Amelia nodded. She seemed sad about how much weight Oscar had lost, so she asked, “You seem to have lost a lot of weight. Did you not eat well?”
Oscar shrugged nonchalantly and replied, “It’s nothing.”
He thought about it for a while before he added, “I explained why I didn’t show up over the past two weeks, but you should know that there is a reason why my parents never visited. Mom’s illness acted up again, and she was hospitalized. She didn’t want you to worry, so she didn’t tell you about it. Please don’t hold it against them for not visiting.”
Amelia looked worried. She quickly asked, “Oh dear! How did that happen? Isn’t she fine all this while? Why didn’t you tell me about it? I am her daughter-in-law, so how can I not be there when she is sick? Others will assume that there is a conflict between us. No, that won’t do. I’ll go pack my things now, and we’ll head home right away.”
Oscar stopped the anxious Amelia and pulled her into his arms. He rested his forehead on hers and replied in an exasperated tone, “I knew that you would react this way. That’s why I didn’t tell you. You haven’t fully recovered yet, and the doctor said that you can’t get too agitated.”
Amelia refuted, “You shouldn’t keep things from me even if I have not recovered. I was angry at Mom for shielding your sister, but that is not an excuse to be disrespectful to my elderly. Mom is sick. It’s only right that, as her daughter-in-law, I go back and take care of her.”
Oscar felt warm. I knew I made the right decision. My wife is still as kind and as caring as she has always been. I was blind those five years and neglected her. We ended up wasting so much time.
What can I do to make up for all the years I’ve neglected you?
Oscar was about to talk to Amelia when a woman’s voice interrupted them. The woman cleared her throat and said, “Guys, you’re in public space, so maybe you should go somewhere else before you get all lovey-dovey? The ones who use this space are just mere mortal, and we can’t withstand the suffocating love bubbles you throw at us.”
Amelia got out of Oscar’s arms. She seemed a little embarrassed when she turned to Tiffany, who had her arms crossed and was by the entrance. Amelia had just realized that she and Oscar had put on a dramatic show. Their audience included Tiffany and two guards, who were practically eating popcorn while watching the show.
Amelia couldn’t help blushing. She rolled her eyes at Tiffany. Holding Oscar’s hand, Amelia said, “Let’s go.”
Oscar let her hold his hand and lead him in. Tiffany, on the other hand, was teasing mercilessly and laughing aloud at the two of them.
