Chapter 328 Giving In When Necessary
Amelia chewed on Tiffany’s words and relented. After all, what she said made sense, so they decided to stay for the day. “But you’d better tell Derrick we’re moving in advance. Don’t tell him about Mrs. Hisson, though. You’re his girlfriend. I think it’ll be out of line for you to complain to him about her, so it’s better that he finds out about her visit from other people. Plus, you shouldn’t talk about it even if he doesn’t find out.”
Tiffany nodded, but she quickly recalled that Amelia could not see her. “Alright,” she quickly said.
Amelia turned toward Kurt and gestured at him to take Tony. “I’ll go and pack Tony and my stuff first. You can pack yours later. As for the house, I have a few friends that I know over here. We should probably try to contact Reese and see if there are any houses available for us.”
“Oh, about that. I forgot to tell you that I got an agent to scout for a house two weeks ago. The agent already purchased a property for us, and it’s in Beshya. From what I know, the security and amenities around that area are unquestionable. I was just thinking about asking you when will be a good time to move.”
Amelia listened to him in surprise. It did not even cross her mind that Kurt had already settled accommodation for them a long time ago.
Nevertheless, his kindness unsettled Amelia. She knew in her heart how Kurt had always looked out for her and Tony. It was obvious that he saw her not just as his employer, yet Amelia could not and would not reciprocate his feelings.
“Don’t worry about it, Amelia. We’re friends, and I’m Tony’s godfather. It’s only natural that I do all these for him. You don’t have to feel indebted toward me.” Kurt saw through Amelia and addressed the issue directly.
“Thanks, Kurt.” There was so much she wanted to tell him, but Amelia swallowed her words and replied shortly.
Kurt smiled without answering as he watched the two women walk out of the nursery.
“Amelia, have you never ever considered Kurt? He’s a good man,” Tiffany asked after they arrived at their room.
“Tiff.” Amelia sounded solemn.
Tiffany said no more.
Seeing that Tiffany had remained silent, Amelia softened her tone and turned in Tiffany’s direction. “Kurt and I can only be friends. I’m forever grateful to him for his help and what he did for Tony, but there’s already someone special whom I will never forget in my heart. It’s impossible for someone else to take his place, so I don’t want to lead Kurt on or give him any false hope.”
Tiffany helped Amelia to the bed and crouched down in front of her. After that, she tilted her head to look at her friend.
“Amelia, you knew the Clintons would never forgive you when you took Tony and left without saying a word to them. Even if Oscar is willing to mend fences and wait for you, do you think his mother will let you marry into the family again? You know it’s never going to happen, so why don’t you consider Kurt? Try to get to know him and let him into your heart. He might not be the most romantic man, but he can make a good husband. You’re still young, and you can’t just spend the rest of your life waiting and not moving on.”
Amelia smiled bitterly. She did not know what else to say to make Tiffany understand her feelings. To her, Oscar would always be the only man in her life, and she would never have eyes for anyone else other than him.
“Tiff, you should call Derrick and talk to him about what happened. Don’t get into a fight with him over this.” Amelia changed the topic. She did not want Tiffany to project her anger toward Kate on Derrick.
Tiffany stood up and took out her phone to call Derrick. However, before she could say anything, Derrick told her, “I’m already in Beshya, Tiff. I know my mom’s already at the villa. I don’t know what she said to you, but don’t let it bother you. I’m here.”
Tiffany was surprised Derrick already knew about what happened and that he even took a flight straight to Beshya because of this.
“Alright,” Tiffany replied sheepishly before ending the call.
“What’s the matter, Tiff?” Amelia asked.
“He’ll be here in a bit.”
Amelia was equally astonished. She never thought that Derrick would reach here that soon.
Right after that, the two women fell into silence, trying to process everything.
As Derrick himself said, he arrived at the villa in no time. Kate was startled when Jeremy told him that Derrick was already here. “Were you the one who told him?” she asked, glaring at the butler.
“I didn’t, Mrs. Hisson. Even if I had told him, it would take him more than two hours to get here.” It was apparent that Derrick was already aware of Kate’s visit before she even arrived.
Just as Kate was about to further question the man, Derrick charged into the room.
His mother quickly put on a gentle face and went over to welcome him. “What brings you here, Derrick?”
Derrick glanced at her, saying, “I thought you’re still recovering? Why are you here?”
With a calm demeanor, Kate patted his shoulder and replied tenderly, “Well, I miss Jeremy’s cooking badly, but I know all of you are busy and won’t have time for me, so I took a plane here myself. I stopped by to visit Crystal as well since she’s your fiancé. I know you’ve been occupied with work and might have neglected her, so I went in your stead.”
Derrick knew this was all a show, but he decided not to call Kate out since she was still adamant about putting up the act. Instead, he pointed out a fact sternly. “Mom, Crystal has nothing to do with me. She was never my fiancé; she’s not, and she will never be. I’ve already met someone I want to spend the rest of my life with, and I believe you’ve also met her too.”
At once, Kate’s countenance fell, and a frown emerged on her exquisite face.
Just as the mother and son were about to confront each other, a voice came from the staircase. “Derrick!” Tiffany called out while coming down with Amelia.
Derrick sought the voice, and a cheerful smile broke out on his face the moment he saw Tiffany.
“Tiff! Come over. Let me introduce you to my mom. There’s no way you can run away forever.” Derrick totally disregarded his mother and bid Tiffany join him.
Tiffany helped Amelia down the staircase and came over to Derrick’s side, nodding slightly toward Kate.
“I believe you’ve met my mom, Tiff. I don’t think I need to tell you who she is,” Derrick said before turning toward Kate. “Mom, this is Tiff, my girlfriend. I have always wanted to bring her to see you, but since you’re here today, I might as well introduce her to you.”
Kate faked a cough. “Derrick, is this a joke? You’re already engaged. You’re not supposed to have a girlfriend. I know you can be a little playful sometimes, but you can’t just lead people on and hurt them later, not to mention bringing them home. Don’t behave like all the other rich spoiled brats. You can’t just bring any girl home like they always do. To be honest, I have nothing against you fooling around before you get married, but you have to at least consider Crystal’s feelings. The Halliwells are not people we can meddle with. They are influential in Beshya. What will her parents say if they find out about this? How am I supposed to explain this situation to them?”
Gloom settled over Derrick’s face the moment she said that.
Nonetheless, Tiffany sensed Derrick’s anger and swept him a quick look.
Although Amelia was unable to see a thing, she could feel that things were about to get thorny. “Why not we sit and talk?” she interjected quickly but politely.
The three of them looked at each other, and everyone proceeded to take a seat.
Kate looked straight at Tiffany, who was seated beside Amelia, and cut to the chase after sitting down. “Let me just put this plainly, Derrick. I’m not against you dating this girl, but Crystal is the girl our family chose and acknowledged as your future wife. Both of our families have already made plans about this. We’re just waiting for the both of you to say yes, and we’ll be all set to get you two engaged. Of course, both of you can get married without getting engaged as well. Crystal is already twenty-six or so, meaning she’s already old enough to be married by now. She can’t just waste her time waiting for you, so you’d better settle down soon.”
At that, Tiffany’s body became tense and so did her grip. Amelia, who stood beside her, held her fist and patted her lightly as she tried to comfort her friend.
Derrick frowned as his mother spoke. “I’m not here to pick a fight with you, Mom, but you have to know that there’s nothing going on between Crystal and me. I hope you respect my choice. I already have a girlfriend, and both of us are in a serious relationship. We plan on courting for a year or two before we get married. You know how much I love and respect you, so I hope you could give us your blessing.”
Derrick’s words assured Amelia. She was now more confident of the person her best friend was about to marry. Given her experience, to survive in a powerful and established family, the person one would eventually marry needed to be someone who could take a stance and could protect them. This was the only way to ensure that a relationship would persevere.
Now that Derrick said so, Amelia felt there was no need for her to worry about Tiffany being bullied. At that moment, Derrick had proven himself to be responsible.
On the contrary, Kate was far from feeling pleased. The last hint of a smile vanished from her face, and she looked as scary as Derrick was. The woman stood up from her chair. “Come with me, Derrick,” she ordered, her voice coarse, before she turned to go upstairs.
Derrick looked at Tiffany before following his mother. “It’ll be a short one. I’ll be back in no time, so don’t you worry.”
Tiffany nodded and watched him go.
“Tiff, Derrick is someone who will stand up for you, so don’t shoulder all the burden on your own. Things might not be as bad as you think they are.”
Tiffany sighed. “I’m not worried about his character. It’s just that the Hisson family is way more complicated than I imagined. His mother is beautiful and shrewd. There’s no way it’s going to be easy dealing with her. I’m just afraid her appearance will only make things difficult for us.”
“Don’t overthink. As long as you and Derrick are able to persist in this relationship, both of you will be able to overcome any hurdles. You’re a strong woman. I always remember how you went through the hardest time with me in the prison. For goodness’ sake, you didn’t even flinch or hesitate when I was in trouble. I’m sure you’ll be able to go through this as well, so just believe in yourself.”
Hearing those reassuring words, Tiffany smiled, and her mood instantly lit up.
In hindsight, she believed Derrick had really started to grow on her. Although they had not dated for long, she found herself worrying about him and their relationship more recently. On the one hand, she had to take care of Amelia, and on the other, she was doubtful about whether she and Derrick could actually make it till the very end. I think I must have really fallen in love with him.
Sensing Tiffany was deep in thoughts, Amelia spoke again. “Tiff, always remember to be polite toward Mrs. Hisson. She’s Derrick’s mother, which means she’s your future mother-in-law. You need to learn to give in when it’s necessary. Don’t let your temper get the best of you, or Derrick will be torn between the two of you. This is what I’ve learned over all these years. People from this kind of family usually prefer someone more soft-spoken and tame when it comes to marriage, so you just need to know when to take a step back.”
“Understood,” Tiffany said slowly.
Amelia smiled at her reply. For some reason, she felt as if she was marrying off her own daughter.
