Chapter 246 A Compromise
Owen called out to Oscar, and the two walked toward the stairwell.
Solemnly, the former cut to the chase by saying, “Oscar, was it you who hurt Stephanie?”
Oscar was exceptionally silent — it meant that his father’s assumption was right.
Though Owen appeared composed, his heart was aching. Both Oscar and Stephanie were his children, and he loved them equally. He felt distressed whenever anything untoward befell either one of them.
“Why?” Owen’s voice was hoarse.
He had always firmly believed that no matter how brutal Oscar was, he would never lay a finger on his sister who he grew up with. The two shared a special bond. As an elder brother, Oscar had always been doting her.
“Dad, Stephanie crossed the line this time,” Oscar said, giving his father a brief explanation.
Patting Oscar on the shoulder, Owen wanted to reprimand him. Yet, he could not bring himself to do it. At last, he said, “Oscar, please don’t be too cruel to your sister. Your mom and I have only one daughter. If anything bad happens to her, I’m afraid your mom won’t be able to take it.”
After pondering, Oscar uttered, “Had she known her place and behaved herself, I wouldn’t have given her a hard time.”
Indirectly, Oscar had conveyed his bottom line to his father.
The latter stared at his son and nodded in compromise.
“Head back in now. Otherwise, your mom will be worried,” Owen urged.
Oscar declined by saying, “You go ahead, Dad. I wish to smoke for a bit.”
“Come back in early, then. Don’t smoke too much; it’s bad for your health,” Owen cautioned.
Oscar acknowledged those words with a simple nod of his head.
As soon as Owen left, Oscar followed suit. However, he went the opposite direction and strode toward Robert’s office. The two had a chat and kept their conversations private.
Meanwhile, Amelia, who had volunteered to buy snacks, met with an accident. Right when she was about to cross the street, her vision blurred. Concurrently, a rampant electric car driven by a reckless driver knocked her down. The driver tried to steer the car away but could not stop in time. Anyhow, her injury was not particularly serious. Luckily, she only suffered from minor skin abrasion.
The driver rushed over immediately and assisted her while anxiously asking, “Ma’am, are you all right? Should I bring you to the hospital?”
The driver was a girl in her mid-twenties with beautiful features.
Shaking her head, Amelia waited for a bit to regain her vision. Then, she told the driver, “I’m fine, don’t worry.”
“Are you sure?”
Amelia nodded.
“I shall take my leave then.” The young woman went back to her car but returned to Amelia the next moment. Concerned, she took out a pen from her bag and wrote her number on Amelia’s palm. “Ma’am, this is my phone number. If there’s anything you need help with, please feel free to give me a call. I was speeding because I was running late. I didn’t mean to hit you. I’m really sorry.”
Amelia answered her like a saint, “I’m really okay. You can go ahead.”
Before leaving, the driver examined Amelia once more to confirm that she was not hurt.
As soon as the driver left, the smile on Amelia’s face faded gradually. She felt weak in both her hands and feet.
Her vision seemed to have deteriorated, and the dizziness continued for a very long time. Could this be…
Amelia could not imagine the possible consequences. Fretting at how bad things might turn out to be, she was afraid that she could not handle the truth.
Suddenly, her ringing phone pulled her back from her depressing thoughts. With a pair of trembling hands, she opened her bag. It took her quite a while to find her phone.
It was a call from Tiffany.
She tried to keep her calm as she picked it up. “Hey, Tiff.”
On the other end of the line, Tiffany spoke, “Amelia, I’m outside the Clinton residence. Come on out. Let’s go to the hospital for the results.”
Amelia felt rather bad as she replied, “Tiff, I’m already at the hospital.”
“What? You’re already there? Why didn’t you tell me? Is it the same hospital as yesterday?” Her friend bombarded her with a series of questions.
Amelia gave her a brief explanation of everything that had happened.
Upon hearing so, Tiffany said resentfully, “Darn it! It’s about time someone gives Stephanie a harsh lesson. If I were you, I’d light some fireworks and celebrate her hospitalization. You really shouldn’t have trailed behind her, let alone visiting her at the hospital. If it weren’t for her, would you have to endure so much?”
Amelia was not in the mood to be calculative and play the finger-pointing game.
“Babe, wait for me over there. I’m on my way. We’ll get the results together.” After making some sarcastic comments about Stephanie, Tiffany returned to the main topic.
“Drive carefully,” Amelia reminded.
“I know, I know. That’s it for now, see you soon!” Tiffany hung up after saying that.
Moments later, another call came in. It was Oscar.
Amelia answered the phone, greeting, “Hello?”
“Where are you?”
“Oh, I’m downstairs. I was attracted by the picturesque scenery here, so I planned to spend some time enjoying it. I wanted to get some snacks for Mom, but I got distracted,” Amelia replied casually while looking at the food that had been smashed on the ground.
“Just stay where you are. I’ll be right there.”
“No, I…” The call ended before Amelia could dissuade him otherwise.
She stared at her phone screen helplessly.
She quickly discarded the food into a bin and took a seat on the long bench.
Oscar was down in a flash. From afar, he saw the woman sitting by herself. A trace of loneliness appeared on her side profile. Her presence and the surrounding environment formed a contrasting picture, one that was solitary.
Unknowingly, the man’s heart wrenched as if it had been bitten by millions of ants repeatedly.
He fixed his eyes on Amelia. One was standing while the other was sitting. The two seemed to be in their own world where others could not enter at all.
After what felt like an eternity, Oscar approached Amelia quietly. He startled her when he hugged her from the back.
“It’s me,” Oscar assured her.
Amelia turned and gazed at him. “Why weren’t there any footsteps?”
He tapped her button nose gently and asked in a loving tender voice, “Why are you here alone?”
“I like it here! The fresh air and the lush green grass makes me feel at peace. If it wasn’t a hospital, this place would actually make an excellent residential area.” Amelia tried to switch the subject.
“I have a villa on the West side that is surrounded by mountains and the sea. The climate is pleasant too. If you’d like, let’s find time and spend a few days there,” Oscar suggested while holding her in his arms.
She rested her head on his chest before agreeing, “Sure, we can go there when we’re free.”
Stroking her hair, Oscar mulled over his thoughts for a while then said, “I just met up with Mr. Lancester. He wants me to bring you for a check-up to ensure that you’ve fully recovered.”
Upon hearing his words, Amelia’s body stiffened, and her smile became unnatural.
The man caught the change in her reaction and queried, “Are you feeling cold?”
She quickly put up a straight face and replied, “In this weather? Of course not.”
He caressed her head with his big palm. Trying to test the waters, he popped the question, saying, “Come with me and go get it checked, hmm?”
Amelia was rather hesitant to agree.
“Oscar, I don’t think that’s necessary because I’m recovering well thus far. Moreover, Stephanie is on her way here. She wants me to go with her and meet the publisher. Please help to inform my mom.”
Oscar frowned, his brows showcasing his dislike of being kept out of the loop with regards to everything related to Amelia.
He lifted her chin and asked in a serious tone, “Amelia Winters, are you hiding something from me?”
Instantly, the woman’s eyes glistened.
Judging from her response, Oscar became dubious. He asserted, “Amelia, we’re husband and wife, so we should be honest with each other. You’re not alone now. You can depend on me for everything. I’ll always help you regardless of how big your problem is.”
Amelia faltered, not knowing what to do or say at that moment. In the end, she simply shook her head in silence.
That action of hers made Oscar furrow his brows even deeper.
“Don’t knit your brows together. It isn’t like you at all,” Amelia chided, stroking his forehead gently.
“Then tell me exactly what’s on your mind. I’ve always got your back.” Oscar was able to guess what was bothering Amelia, but he wanted to hear it directly from her. He longed to be the supportive husband she could find comfort in, be it in good times or bad times.
However, Amelia was not ready to open up fully to him, albeit loving him very much. Her silence and refusal to share her burdens with him displeased him.
Oscar was getting rather upset, wondering why she could not be more candid and transparent toward him.
“Tell me. What are you worrying about?” he asked, moving his body near hers.
For each step he took forward, she retreated.
“Don’t be scared, Amelia. I’m with you on this. Tell me. I’ll help you.” His tone was laced with tenderness.
Shaking her head, Amelia pleaded, “Please, Oscar, don’t force me. When the time is right, I’ll tell you everything. I feel fine, okay? I don’t need to go for the check-up.”
Oscar creased his forehead deeply at her response but compromised in the end.
