Chapter 80
“Mr. Scott, will you please let me go first?” Amelia said in an indifferent tone, her expression cold.
Carter stared at her passionately with the urge to caress her cheeks, but his actions didn‘t go unnoticed. Amelia added frigidly, “If you do this, we can‘t even be friends from now on. I‘ll tender my resignation, and there‘ll be no need for us to meet in the future.”
He stared fixedly at her. “Amelia, can you change back into the old you? Although you didn‘t use to be this poised, you were kind and innocent. You were never cold to me either.”
The old Amelia Winters gave him the feeling that he could still retain control. But the new Amelia Winters wore sarcastic smiles on her face and greeted everyone with proper yet distant etiquette. At times, he felt like tearing away the facade she wore to find out if she was still the same Amelia Winters she was all those years ago.
He missed the old Amelia dearly. Her smile back then had been contagious like an angel of sunshine.
Amelia was taken aback by his words. “Time changes people, Mr. Scott. The old Amelia disappeared the day she was framed. The present Amelia you see before you is a gold digger who‘s only fond of materialistic things, or else she wouldn‘t have gotten married to the successor of Clinton Corporations.”
Pain flashed in Carter‘s eyes. As if driven mad, he tried to kiss Amelia‘s neck, only to be shoved away and received one tight slap in return.
“Are you done, Carter Scott?” Amelia stared coldly at him. “I’m not sure what triggered you today. I can pretend nothing happened earlier. But if this were to repeat itself, then we‘ll no longer be friends.”
The longer he looked at her, the more his heart ached.
“You said you‘re materialistic. The Scotts‘ assets aren‘t inferior to the Clintons. As long as you name the price, I‘ll give you anything you want. If you could sell yourself to Oscar Clinton, why can‘t you sell yourself to me?” he questioned in a heavy voice.
“It‘s working hours right now, Mr. Scott. Can we stop fooling around now?”
ow that I don‘t make jokes. You said Oscar Clinton bought you with his money, then so can I. Name it. No matter how much you want, I‘m willing to give, even if it means my entire family‘s fortune.”
She looked at him in slight despair and sighed. “Carter, you‘re a real friend to me. I never expected to hear this from you someday.”
“I have no intention to hurt you, Amelia. But if this is the only way for me to have you, then I‘m willing to give up all my assets in exchange,” he emphasized, his eyes red.
Amelia felt like her heart was stabbed. She had truly regarded Carter Scott as a friend. Yet, he was viewing her with prejudice.
Though she had mixed feelings inside, she grinned. “How generous of you, Mr. Scott. But to give up your assets for a woman like me, is that worth it?”
There was no hesitation when he answered, “Yes! As long as it‘s you, it‘s worth it.”
“I never knew I was this valuable.”
Whipping out the checkbook he always carried, he tore out a piece and said, “It‘s an empty check. Fill up the amount as you wish.”
“If I were to divorce Oscar Clinton, he would give me ten percent of Clinton Corporations‘ shares. Do you reckon you could give me more than he could?”
Carter‘s eyes flashed. Noticing that, Amelia continued, “Didn‘t you say you were willing to give me all your assets? Why? Are you reconsidering now?”
“I am willing. But I‘m not worth as much as Clinton Corporations‘ ten percent shares right now. If you‘ll give me two years, I‘ll definitely grow the company,” Carter promised solemnly.
“Then let‘s shelf this until you‘ve grown the company, Mr. Scott. I‘m not a fan of empty promises. After all, you‘ve left the Scotts. Your own capabilities cannot be compared to Oscar Clinton‘s. Did you think I‘d give up such a big financial backer like him for you?”
“You‘ve truly changed, Amelia.” Carter stared fixedly at her, no longer recognizing the person before him.
Amelia broke into guffaws for a good minute, unable to stop herself. “I never thought you‘d say something so stupid either, Mr. Scott. Many years have passed. I‘m not the only one who changed. You have, too. No, I should say, everyone is constantly changing. I feel like the present me is the most authentic.”
Carter leaned in to pinch her chin. “Amelia, you‘ll be with me as long as I could give you ten percent shares of Clinton Corporations?”
She subtly shook off his grasp and said, “If you still regard me as a friend, then please respect me a little so we could both live in peace. Otherwise, if I could manage to vanish for the last few years, I can most certainly do it again.”
Reluctantly, he released her, his eyes filled with anguish. “Do you hate me so much, Amelia?”
She shook her head. “No, Mr. Scott. It‘s because I treat you as a real friend that I do not wish for you to view me that way.”
Carter chuckled humorlessly, shaking his head. “If I don‘t do this, then I‘ll never have a chance this lifetime.”
“Mr. Scott, I promise you. If I were to divorce Oscar Clinton, I‘ll reserve a position for you, but it‘s definitely not now. Don‘t lower yourself to such a state for someone like me. If we‘re fated, we‘ll naturally get together in the future. If we‘re not, I hope you don‘t force me.”
“Are you for real?” He wasn‘t as hopeless anymore.
She nodded.
Finally, Carter smiled, slightly flustered. “Did I hurt you earlier, Amelia?”
She shook her head in response. “It‘s working hours. May we return to work now?”
Having returned to his senses, he said apologetically, “I‘m sorry. I was too impulsive and wasn‘t thinking straight.”
“I‘ve put it at the back of my head, Mr. Scott. I hope you don‘t think the worse of me, but I do love money. Back then, your parents tricked me to shoulder the debt and even implicated Tiff. She‘s the person you should be feeling apologetic toward. If you can, I hope you‘ll apologize to her on behalf of your parents.”
He nodded.
“Then, shall we go back to work?”
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Smoothing down his crumpled attire, he apologized again, “Amelia, I‘m truly sorry for earlier. It was all due to my impulse.”
“I‘ve forgotten it, so stop mentioning it.”
“Alright.”
The two of them acted as if nothing happened as they left the parking lot. When they got back to the company, Amelia returned to the design department. The colleagues in there merely glanced at her nonchalantly. Subconsciously, Amelia turned to steal a glimpse of Jessica Davis. As an expert gossipmonger, she was now working pretty diligently.
“Amelia, someone witnessed you being dragged out of the building earlier. Did he do anything to you?” Jessica whispered.
Amelia let out a sigh on the inside. Sure enough, there were no secrets in the workplace, especially when it came to the relationship between the boss and the employee. It was already scandalous on its own, but if the employee happened to be married, it was worse.
And Amelia, as the wedded woman, feared that in the eyes of the others, she had become the woman who was in the company purely due to her relationship with the boss.
The workplace was like the battlefield. One mistake, and you could be annihilated.
Amelia replied, “Mr. Scott merely had something to discuss with me. I‘m pregnant and have a husband. What relationship do you suppose Mr. Scott and I have?”
Looking at how nonchalant Amelia was, even Jessica was getting anxious. “Amelia, you always said you didn‘t have any special relationship with the boss. But others don‘t think that way. Since you‘re married and pregnant, I think you better be wary, or else your reputation could very easily be ruined by nasty rumors.”
Amelia‘s heart warmed. Although this millennial was gossipy, she was a considerate person.
“I got it, Little Gossipmonger. I‘ll be careful to keep a distance from the boss. Go back to your seat.”
Jessica glanced at her. “Amelia, Ms. Larson already has suspicions of you. You‘d better take it seriously instead of always being so indifferent.”
Amelia chuckled. “Little Gossipmonger, when have you become a nosy–parker?”
Feigning offense, Jessica pouted. “I was being kind, and you call me a gossipmonger. Trust me to waste my efforts on a wolf like you. I‘m washing my hands off!”
Having said her piece, Jessica returned to her desk.
Amelia shook her head and laughed. “Don‘t be mad, Jessica. I‘ll treat you to lunch.”
Jessica scrunched up her nose haughtily. “On the account of lunch, I‘ll forgive you this time.”
“Then I‘ll have to be grateful for your big heart.”
With a grin, Jessica went back to work.
Amelia, too, abandoned the vexatious matters in her head and devoted herself to her work. While her side of things had calmed down, Jennifer Larson, who had been sitting in her office, received a call. She picked it up only to hear a few sentences uttered from the other side. She then answered, “I‘ll see you in the cafe later,” before hanging up right away.
With her Louis Vuitton bag in hand, Jennifer swiftly strutted out of the office in her fifteen–centimeter heels. She took the elevator down to the parking lot before driving off in record time.
It was no wonder Jessica Davis was named an expert gossipmonger in the office. Jennifer had only left for approximately fifteen minutes, and she had found out, proceeding toward Amelia‘s table to spread the message. “Amelia, someone saw Ms. Larson leaving hurriedly ten minutes ago. I reckon she definitely has some tricks up her sleeves. You better be careful.”
Amelia chuckled, using a pen to knock lightly on Jessica‘s head. “Sweetie, have you watched too many conspiracy flicks? What great imagination you have. Hurry and go back to work. Otherwise, your perfect attendance award will be revoked if the boss
were to catch you.”
Jessica pouted. “You have to believe in a woman‘s sixth sense. Ms. Larson may seem pure, but she has a vicious heart. You‘ll have to watch your back.”
“Hurry and go back to work! Although she‘s strict concerning work, she wouldn‘t punish her subordinates for no good reason. I think you‘re simply jealous of her beauty, aren‘t you?”
“You‘re completely putting your own words in my mouth.” Jessica pouted even more.
Amelia merely smiled.
Jessica‘s gossip hadn‘t caused any waves. Amelia resumed her work normally, while Jennifer, on the other hand, had arrived at the cafe. She took out her sunglasses, strutting into the shop like a high fashion model.
The cafe employee came to greet her. “Welcome, Miss, table for one?”
“Two.”
“This way, please.”
Jennifer sat at the most obscure seat, never saying a word until the man she was waiting for arrived. “You‘re late.”
“My bad, there was a traffic jam on the way.”
Jennifer reached out her hand and said, “Where is it? I have to go back to work soon.”
“Jennifer, it‘s been years since we last met. You‘re not even going to engage in small talk before asking me for it. Aren‘t you worried about hurting my feelings?”
