Chapter 441 In Front Of The Kid
Amelia grabbed Tony’s shoulder and said sternly, “Tony, please stop crying. Listen to me.”
Tony stopped crying instantly, intimidated by Amelia’s gesture. “Mommy.”
“Tony, you have been smarter than other kids since you were small. I have always been proud of you. But ever since you came back from Beshya, you have been behaving rudely. Is that how I taught you to behave? How could you be so inconsiderate? Do you want to break my heart?” Amelia asked.
She tried to put on a strict face, but her heart was twitching in pain.
As Tony stared at Amelia, his eyes were beaming with tears, he felt that he had been wronged.
Oscar walked over to Amelia and hugged her. “All right. That’s enough. Please calm down. It takes time to educate a kid. Please don’t be mad.”
Amelia buried her head into his chest and began to sob.
Oscar’s expression darkened as he felt bad for Amelia. He caressed Amelia’s hair and coaxed. “Be good. Please don’t cry. Let’s eat first. I’ll educate him later.”
Tony also panicked as he ran to hug Amelia’s leg. “Mommy, I promise I won’t be like this anymore. Please don’t ignore me.”
Amelia got out of Oscar’s embrace and wiped off her tears. Then, she carried Tony and wiped his tears. “Tony, I’m sorry. I overreacted. Please don’t be scared of me, okay?”
“Are you still mad at me?”
Amelia shook her head and placed him back in his chair. Then, she took a bowl of soup for him. “I’m not mad anymore. But what should you do after being rude to Daddy?”
Tony stared at Oscar indignantly. “Big Meanie, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t throw food at you. Please forgive me and I won’t do it again.”
Oscar approached him and rubbed his head. “Let’s eat.”
With that, the three of them continued their dinner silently. What was supposed to be warm family time was replaced by awkward silence. It was the first time Tony did not speak much during mealtime. While eating, he lifted his head to observe Amelia’s expression, fearing that the latter might still be mad at him.
Amelia’s dark expression shocked him just now. He nearly thought Amelia had given up on him for a brief moment.
After diner, Amelia was washing the dish quietly. Tony showed up behind her. “Mommy, it’s my fault. Please don’t abandon me.”
Upon hearing that, Amelia paused her chores. She turned around and knelt in front of Tony. “Tony, you’re my son. I won’t abandon you no matter what happens.”
Tony buried his head into Amelia’s embrace and cried. “Mommy, Grandma told me today that you sent me there because you planned to leave me to her. That was why I was angry with Big Meanie. I want to live with you and not him. If you marry someone else, please bring me too, okay? I can’t live without you.”
Amelia felt a pang of sadness within her heart.
“Did Grandma tell you that?” she asked in a raspy voice.
Tony nodded.
“She has told me more than once. At first, I didn’t believe her, but she kept saying that you would marry another man one day. By then, I would become your burden. I don’t know what that means, but I want to be with you,” Tony uttered childishly.
An inexplicable sadness came over Amelia. She had been trying her best to mend the relationship between Tony and Olivia, but the latter did not seem to appreciate her effort. She had not stopped fabricating lies even after getting caught once.
Amelia’s guilt toward Olivia was replaced with utter rage at that moment.
“Tony, what else did Grandma tell you?” Amelia asked patiently.
“Grandma said that I would have a new mother and a new father, and I would be living with them,” Tony revealed everything.
“Anything else?”
“Grandma said that you sent me to her because you didn’t want me anymore. Is that true?”
Amelia’s expression changed, and her heart was filled with mixed feelings.
“Mommy, I will be good from now on. Please don’t leave me.” Tony wrapped his hands around Amelia’s neck and kissed her nose. “Mommy, I don’t want to go there anymore tomorrow. I don’t like them. They keep saying bad things about you, and I don’t like that.”
Suppressing the dissatisfaction in her heart, Amelia kissed Tony’s forehead. “Tony, Grandma was kidding around with you. She probably threatened you because she wanted you to be good.”
Tony stared at Amelia in disbelief. “Mommy, you’re lying.”
Amelia kissed him gently. “Have I ever lied to you?”
“No, you didn’t, but you will,” Tony pouted. “You always push me to others even when I don’t like it.”
Upon hearing that, Amelia could not help but feel a tinge of sadness.
Indeed, Tony was too young to comprehend her reason for doing all this.
Amelia carried Tony silently and went to the bedroom. Then, she looked him in the eyes. “Tony, I did all this for your good. You’re the eldest grandson of the Clintons. So you bear the biggest responsibilities. Whether you like it or not, you have to endure it.”
Tony tilted his head, somehow confused with what Amelia said.
Amelia lifted her hand and patted Tony’s head gently. “It’s okay if you don’t understand now. One day, you will understand my effort. Come on. Let’s take a shower. I’ll tuck you in bed and tell you a story before you sleep.”
Tony coaxed, “Mommy, can you sleep with me tonight? It’s been a long time since I slept with you.” She’s been taken by Big Meanie and I don’t like that.
Amelia gladly agreed to it.
Tony clapped in delight and kissed Amelia’s cheek firmly.
After Tony dozed off, Amelia went downstairs and sat beside Oscar.
Oscar asked, “Is he asleep?”
Amelia nodded.
Oscar asked again, “Do you want some wine? It helps to have good sleep.”
“All right.”
Oscar stood up and got a bottle of wine that he had bought recently. He poured some into a glass, shook it slightly, and handed it to Amelia.
Amelia took a sip of it.
“Oscar, I want to talk to Dad and Mom,” she uttered right after.
Oscar knew what she wanted to talk about. “Leave it to me.”
Amelia leaned at his shoulder. “Oscar, I don’t want to quarrel with Dad and Mom, and I don’t want to think badly of them. I know it was my fault for leaving with Tony back then. I can accept the fact that she blames me. Despite so, she should not talk nonsense in front of the kid. Tony will believe everything she says. Mom should know the negative impact on a child being told that he will be abandoned by his parents.”
Oscar’s gaze darkened, somehow displeased with Olivia’s deeds.
He caressed Amelia’s hair gently. “I’ll talk to her about this. Please don’t go and see her, or she would be displeased.”
Amelia heaved a sigh as there was nothing she could do.
She did not know since her relationship with Olivia had become so tense. She feared she would not have the chance to get along with her ever again.
She never wanted to have a lousy relationship with Olivia. Yet, things turned out to be precisely that. She had no idea if this shattered relationship could ever be mended.
