Chapter 239 Punishment
Kurt calmly explained, “There are always some disobedient little characters who are always showing off and messing things up. It is not convenient for Boss to take action. Naturally, we bodyguards will deal with them.”
Seeing that he was so calm, Amelia slowly pulled herself together. She suspected that with a group as large as the Clinton Corporations, many operations were not as simple as they seemed on the surface and many things were done in the dark. As for murder, she thought it was not altogether improbable. After all, we often do things against our will.
“Are you shocked?” Kurt glanced at Amelia thoughtfully and asked earnestly.
Amelia nodded and smiled. “A little and I’m surprised that you would tell me this.”
“I’m instructed to protect you. Naturally, I will only be loyal to you. I can tell you whatever you want to know. Of course, if you don’t want to know such bloody facts, I shall keep silent.” Kurt’s expression was very serious giving the impression that everything he said was out of sincerity.
Amelia concluded that this tall strong man was steadfast in human relationships. He was not a versatile person who could play by ear but rather loyal, unchanging and faithful to his employer.
She believed that Oscar had sent him because he liked his loyalty.
Amelia changed the subject. “Have you eaten?”
Kurt nodded.
“The maid sent me some food.”
Amelia looked at Tony who was sound asleep and spoke affectionately. “Tony is fine with me taking care of him. Why don’t you go out and stretch your limbs? It must be difficult for you as a man to just watch over a child all day. When he’s bigger, you can go back to Oscar. It seems like a waste of talent to have you with me.”
Kurt did not reply but walked towards the window and turned around. “Ma’am, call me when you need me. I’ll be nearby.” With that, he climbed out of the window and disappeared from Amelia’s view.
Initially, Amelia was surprised by Kurt’s ability to come and go without a trace. After seeing him do so several times like performing a magic show, she gradually got used to it.
Amelia squatted beside the crib, gazing intently at Tony who was smacking his lips in his sleep and she could not help but smile.
She reached out and touched Tony’s little face. Then, her eyes turned sorrowful and she whispered, “Tony, I might become blind. If I can, I really want to watch you quietly for a lifetime. Watch you grow up slowly, have a girlfriend, get married, and have children. Then, I will help you take care of your children, listening to your children affectionately calling me ‘grandma.’ But, I’m afraid that day might never come. I am afraid I would become a burden to you before you grow up. I can only tell myself, Amelia, you are the best, you have even been to the gates of hell. There is nothing terrifying. However…”
Amelia’s eyes became tearful as she realized that she was not as strong as she thought. She was really quite fragile but there was no one she could rely on so she had forced herself to grow up and stay strong. Gradually, she became what outsiders saw as an iron lady.
“Tony, I’m afraid I will wake up one day and find that I can longer see. I won’t be able to see your lovely face or your daddy. I’m afraid as time passes, I won’t remember what you and your daddy look like. Tell me what I should do?”
Amelia could not help but break out in sobs. She had held back for too long. The sum of her misfortunes pressed down on her. Stephanie’s relentless persecution with the Clintons’ permission and the possibility of blindness seemed too much to bear and she felt breathless.
Oscar was the shoulder she leaned on but she dared not tell him that she was turning blind. She did not want him to see her become useless one day as she would feel really bad.
She sat down finally, resting her head gently on the baby’s bed. Perhaps it was Tony’s presence that allayed her fears a little.
“Tony, tell me. What is your daddy doing now? If he knows that I will become blind one day, will he still love me?” Softly, Amelia asked but after that, she felt her question was especially childish.
She could not help but laugh as she whispered, “Tony, don’t you think I’m particularly naïve? I feel so. If your daddy sees me like this, I’m afraid he’ll say that I’m a sentimental fool who is not fiery and strong like before. He will say that he has really misjudged me, thinking that I was a sexy, passionate and independent woman.”
She laughed and talked but as she spoke, she was overcome with sadness and tears rolled down her cheeks. It was only in front of the pure and innocent Tony that she dared reveal her weaknesses. In front of others, she was still the unbreakable and sexy lady.
Amelia brushed the tears from her face, quite disgusted with her meltdown.
Her sorrow was fleeting, overwhelming her suddenly and fading away swiftly. She calmed herself quickly and smiled at Tony. “Tony, grow up quickly so even if I really become blind, you and your daddy will become my eyes. See all of Chanaea and describe its loveliness in words to me. Oh dear, after such a long speech. I wonder if your daddy has finished his negotiation about his project.”
Meanwhile, Oscar was sitting on a soft sofa staring with an icy gaze at Stephanie who was being pinned down by two bodyguards.
Blood trickled from the corner of Stephanie’s lips as she looked at her elder brother and spoke with difficulty. “Oscar, what did I do wrong?”
He looked at her with a gaze devoid of any feelings. “I’m teaching you a lesson since you wouldn’t follow my instructions to leave Amelia alone. She is my wife so let me make the decisions concerning her. You’re born with a silver spoon so you should not stoop so low as to resort to dirty tricks. I will treat you the same way you treat her so you could grow in wisdom. Don’t just target her at every turn.”
“Oscar, I’m your only sister. In the past, your heart would ache if I even hurt my finger. Now, you have me beaten up now and again for a woman. You treat me worse than animals are treated. If our parents found out about this, do you think they would be happy?” Besides fear, Stephanie was full of hatred as she believed that all she had done was for the family’s good. She could not see why Amelia was worthy of all the love so many people were showering upon her.
“I have warned you not to touch her. You think you are so smart, planning a car accident to harm her. For our parents’ sake, I let you off, but it doesn’t mean that I have forgiven you. You are wrong to attack her, again and again, testing my patience. You should be thankful that you are my sister, or else, you would be just a silent corpse now.” Oscar spoke without emotion, but to Stephanie’s listening ears, it sounded ever so creepy.
Stephanie rolled her eyes as an idea came to her. Instantly, she put on a sorrowful expression, saying, “Oscar, I was doing it for you. Amelia and Carter were having an improper relationship. Otherwise, I would not have been able to take those photographs. I did it because I care about you. Why do you misinterpret my intentions?”
Oscar was playing with his long elegant fingers. Suddenly, he burst out laughing.
Stephanie could not understand why he would laugh. Most men would fume when they see a photo of their wives cheating and their natural reaction would be to slash both adulterer and adulteress to death. Why does he take it so calmly?
Have I underestimated his love for his wife? If he really loved her, during these five years of them being together, why did he not demonstrate his true love for Amelia but rather seemed even distant at times.
Stephanie realized that she really did not know her brother who was like a riddle even though they were siblings.
“Stephanie, you have never loved before. If you loved someone really deeply, you would forgive her even if she had cheated on you. Furthermore, this is totally out of character with Amelia. She would never cheat on me.” Oscar was sure.
“Oscar, are you saying that you love her? Why have you never shown your love once in these five years? If you had shown your concern even a little, I would never have taken out all my frustrations on her and things would not have turned out the way they did now.” Stephanie glared at him angrily, putting all the blame on him.
In her mind, she was convinced that she was the most innocent of all. Despite all the wrongs she had done, she stubbornly insisted that it was for the good of her family, the Clintons.
The truth was that she was selfish and only cared about herself.
The corners of Oscar’s lips curled in a scornful smile.
He went over her words carefully. “In other words, you are putting the blame on me, aren’t you?
“Yes, I do blame you. When Amelia married into our family, I bullied her. If you and Mom had done anything to stop me, I would not have carried on even though I hated her. My hatred and acts of malice toward her were encouraged every step of the way by you and Mom. Do you dare deny the fact that you are the cause of my action all these years? Why must I shoulder full responsibility for something that is everyone’s fault?” Stephanie retorted self-righteously.
For a while, Oscar was taken aback but then he stood up and approached Stephanie. He pulled her head up by the hair and spoke in an icy tone. “Stephanie Clinton, today I shall make you understand that it is totally wrong to blame others for your own misconduct.”
As Stephanie watched in horror and fear, Oscar held a long fine needle in his hand and pierced it into her finger.
“Ahh…” Stephanie screamed in pain as beads of sweat rolled down from her forehead.
“Cover her mouth for me.”
In the next instant, Stephanie’s heartrending screams were no longer heard but her whole body trembled with pain.
Only after Oscar felt that the punishment was enough did he pull out the needle, stand up, and gaze coldly at this sister whom he had loved with all his heart before. If he could have avoided it, he would not want to see their relationship torn apart. However, Stephanie had gone too far; so, he had to teach her a lesson. Otherwise, she would never learn.
“Do you understand your wrongdoing?” Oscar asked.
Stephanie curled up in pain but still she twisted her head to look awkwardly at her elder brother and spoke with difficulty. “Oscar, do you not worry about hurting our parents when you treat me like this? I’m your only sister.”
