Chapter 278 Determined
The two of them discussed the matter concerning Tony’s custody for a while before they fell silent once more. When they arrived at the Clinton residence, Oscar parked the car. Amelia was going to open the door and hop out of it, but she suddenly recalled something, so she paused.
She turned to Oscar and requested, “Oscar, I think it’s best if we don’t tell your parents about our divorce until everything is settled.”
Oscar turned to her and replied, “Don’t worry. I’ll deal with everything accordingly.”
Amelia trusted Oscar on the matter. He had always been a reliable man when it came to handling matters. No one, not even his parents, could change his mind once he made his decisions.
After they got out of the car, Oscar wrapped his arm around Amelia’s waist. She struggled a little, but he whispered into her ear as she did so, “Honey, we haven’t gotten the divorce yet, so you’re still bound to do your duty as my wife.”
Amelia stopped struggling.
They had been apart for quite a few days, and she actually missed him dearly. She often dreamed about the sense of security and the warmth his arms offered, and she felt safe as long as he was with her.
Oscar was happy with how Amelia was being obedient. After the incident with Cassie, Amelia had been repulsed by Oscar’s touch. That stung his heart a great deal. Hence, he was practically jumping in delight when the woman he loved settled down quietly in his arms.
When they entered the living room, Olivia, who had originally been talking to Owen, jumped up from the sofa right away. She hurried to Amelia, but she was obviously aiming for Tony, who was in Amelia’s arms. All the while, she kept calling out to their precious grandson.
Olivia cradled Tony in her arms, and Owen walked over while staring at the baby. After a while, Owen turned to Amelia and said, “I’m glad you’re back. Amelia, it’s undeniable that Oscar made a mistake, and I’ve already reprimanded him as his father. He is at fault, but his mistake doesn’t deserve a death sentence. Please, for Tony’s sake, forgive him just this once! I promise I won’t let him get away with it if he makes the same mistake again!”
Amelia grinned and replied, “Dad, I’m so sorry that the matter between Oscar and me has you and Mom worried. I promise you won’t have to worry about it much longer.” Once Oscar and I get a divorce, he’ll marry someone else with the same social status as him. She’ll be someone Owen approves of and someone who can talk about fashion, tea, and high society drama with Olivia. The Clintons will have peace and quiet again. Give them a little more time, and a nobody like me will be erased from everybody’s mind. When someone accidentally brings up my name, there will simply be a fleeting conversation of how a woman like me is not worthy of the Clintons and how I was chased out of the house even though I bore an heir.
Amelia believed that was how life was. Some people were simply not destined to lead a peaceful and wealthy life.
A sparrow can never evolve into a phoenix, and I should stop fantasizing.
When Owen heard what Amelia said, he thought that she was over it and had forgiven Oscar. That caused him to shoot an approving look at her.
“I’m glad to hear that. I’ve already had someone prep a villa in Horbah, and it will be ready in a couple of days. You and Oscar can head over for a holiday. It can be the honeymoon that the two of you never got to have. So much has happened in the past few years, so it’s good to head out and relax,” suggested Owen.
Amelia shook her head and said, “There’s no need for that. Tony is still too young, and I’ll worry if I leave him alone. Oscar and I will be fine in a few days, so you don’t need to do all that for us. As for the honeymoon, perhaps it’s best if that discussion is postponed. Oscar and I have been married for five years, and the honeymoon isn’t actually that important to me. Oscar and I will be happy as long as we truly love each other. Every day will feel like a honeymoon then. Don’t you agree, Dad?”
Amelia’s words were so understanding that even Olivia nodded in satisfaction.
As the latter hugged Tony, she smiled and said, “Amelia, I’m happy to know that everything is all right between you two youngsters. If Oscar ever does anything to hurt you again, I’ll teach him a lesson on your behalf. Still, couples argue, and that’s inevitable. Promise me that no matter what Oscar does, you won’t get a divorce.”
Amelia’s expression froze.
At the end of the day, Olivia’s love for Amelia was mixed with selfish desires. Olivia might claim that she would treat Amelia as though the latter was her daughter, but when it came down to it, Olivia would still side with her biological children. Amelia was still just an outsider.
Oscar chimed in and said, “Mom, Tony was fussy the entire night last night, and Amelia barely got any sleep. I’ll take her to the room and let her rest up. Please babysit Tony for the time being.”
“Go on, then,” said Olivia.
Oscar led Amelia up the stairs, but they bumped into Stephanie, who was coincidentally coming down at that moment.
Stephanie pouted and snarked in a surly tone, “So you’re back, Amelia. And here I thought that my house is too vile and small for a holy saint like you.”
Amelia ignored Stephanie’s taunts.
Oscar, however, glared at his sister and warned, “If you can’t keep your mouth shut, I’ll send you to a place where the people will teach you what basic respect means.”
Stephanie seemed a little miffed as she glared over at Amelia. Unfortunately, she didn’t dare to act up in front of Oscar.
Wrapping an arm around Amelia’s waist, Oscar walked them past Stephanie and right into the bedroom.
Stephanie stomped hard on the floor before she turned around to go to her room as well.
Inside the bedroom, Amelia discreetly moved away from Oscar’s embrace and walked to the edge of the bed. Pretending to be calm, she tilted her head up to gaze at him and asked, “When are we going to sign the divorce papers?”
The look in Oscar’s eyes changed at those words.
He took a deep breath before walking to a drawer and opening it. Pulling a manila envelope out, he turned around and headed back to Amelia. “Here, you should read through it.”
Amelia was a little confused as she took the envelope from him. She asked, “What is this?”
“This is what I had my lawyer write up. The assets you’ll receive from this divorce will ensure that you’re set for life even after you leave the Clintons,” answered Oscar without missing a beat.
When Amelia heard Oscar talking about the divorce, her heart inevitably clenched in pain. She had thought that they would both be suffering for a while when the marriage finally came to an end, but to her surprise, it only took Oscar a few days to regain his footing. He calmly dealt with everything perfectly and was barely giving her time to react.
He’s still the same guy I met all those years ago, able to remain unfazed to the point of aloofness regardless of what’s going on. It’s borderline cruel. Even though he’s finally admitted he loves me, his ego still made it impossible for him to ask me to stay.
Amelia couldn’t help wondering if Oscar’s love for her was real. If he even has a shred of love for me, shouldn’t he fight, even a little, and ask me to stay? He didn’t do any of that. Instead, he divided the assets and had the divorce papers ready before I even knew what was going on. Is he really that eager to get a divorce and get back together with his ex?
Maybe he saw through my trick ages ago. He is a genius, after all, and my plan is far from being faultless. If he had taken the time to analyze the situation, he would’ve noticed the countless clues left behind. Yet, he never mentioned anything. It feels as though he had a plan of his own. All he had to do was wait for me to implement my plan, so he could give it a push and get the divorce done quicker.
Amelia didn’t want to see Oscar as a heartless man, but he had gotten everything ready within a few days. That made it impossible for her to trust him. She couldn’t help thinking that he was actually eager to get a divorce just so he could get back together with Cassie.
Amelia was overwhelmed by her raging emotions, and she was jealous of Cassie. The latter had betrayed Oscar five years ago, and he forgave and took her back in just like that. Amelia, on the other hand, spent the last five years standing by Oscar, and all she got in return was divorce papers.
At that moment, Amelia had all but forgotten that she was the one who asked for the divorce in the first place. Oscar was simply agreeing to her terms.
Women could be rather ridiculous creatures at times. Most wouldn’t say what they truly meant, and many were hoping that their man would fight for them when they asked for a divorce.
Little did Oscar know, this plan of his would prompt Amelia to leave the city sooner. He never would have expected that he would be the reason she spent her next two years alone either, suffering the pain of losing her eyesight and also a broken heart from his betrayal.
The truth was that the so-called betrayal was just Oscar trying to get her back. However, the tricks and surprises turned into misunderstandings between them, and that would cause them to lose each other for two years.
People were liable to change greatly in the span of two years. A couple that had been apart for so long would find themselves feeling awkward when they finally reunited.
By then, Amelia, who was still blind, would look especially pitiful when Oscar suddenly showed up in her life again.
“Aren’t you going to take a look?” asked Oscar when he saw how Amelia was simply staring dumbly at the manila envelope.
Amelia finally came back to her senses. An indecipherable look shone in her eyes when she turned to Oscar and replied, “There’s no need for that. I won’t be taking anything with me after the divorce. All I want is Tony. Back when we first married, you helped me out a lot. I’d probably still be in prison if it hadn’t been for you, so in a way, I’m indebted to you. Besides, I have a sizeable sum in my bank account because you gave me a lot of spending money over the years. That money is more than what an ordinary person can make in a lifetime, so don’t worry. I can take good care of Tony even after I leave.”
Oscar’s expression darkened a little as he insisted, “Take a look inside. It’s what you deserve.”
Amelia stopped being too courteous and opened the envelope. Her eyes bulged when she saw the contents.
He was giving her so much more than what she was previously offered. In black and white, it was listed he was giving her ten percent of Clinton Corporations’ shares, two apartments in the city, one villa in the suburbs, a luxurious KTV bar, and thirty million in child support. Tony was also getting twenty percent of Clinton Corporations’ shares, and he could make a legal claim as soon as he was eighteen.
Amelia shoved the papers back into the envelope and handed it to Oscar to give everything back. She insisted, “Oscar, this is too much, and I can’t accept it.”
“Just keep it. You’ll eventually come back anyway, and Tony is the only heir of the family, so all of these assets will remain within the family,” said Oscar in a meaningful tone.
Amelia smiled bitterly when she heard that.
We’re getting a divorce, so how can I possibly come back? You’ll marry someone else, and she’ll give you heirs, so how will Tony, who will live away from the family, be the only heir? I can’t believe it! Even when we’re getting a divorce, he’s still making empty promises that he can never fulfill.
How was Amelia to know that Oscar had never even considered letting her go? That was why he was so confident when he said those words.
