“Mr. Clinton, when our divorce has been finalized, I won’t ask anything of you if you’ll let me have our child,” Amelia said.
“No,” Oscar refused without a moment’s hesitation. “I won’t allow a Clinton to be left out in the cold like this.”
Amelia’s eyes widened. She said incredulously, “But Mr. Clinton, Ms. Yard is already pregnant. If my child remains with the Clintons, what would he do without either of his parents by his side? Why won’t you let him come with me instead? He’ll only be another sticking point between Ms. Yard and yourself if he stays here.”
Oscar frowned, looking wrathful. “He’s a Clinton. He’s not a sticking point,” he declared.
A sardonic grin appeared on Amelia’s face. She said scornfully, “What he’ll have instead of real parents are a stepmother and a stepfather. Mr. Clinton, you and Ms. Yard have children of your own. What makes you think that you’d be able to care for mine on the same level?”
Oscar’s frown deepened. “You’ve gravely misunderstood Cassie. At the rate this conversation is going, there’s no way it can end well. Perhaps we should discuss this when you’ve calmed down a bit more.”
Amelia wriggled out of his embrace. “I’m perfectly calm now, Mr. Clinton, so I would like to discuss this now.”
Oscar looked at her wordlessly.
Amelia pressed on, insisting, “We didn’t even consider the possibility of having a child when we signed our marriage papers all those years ago. Why can’t you revert to that original mindset now that we’re divorced? I’ll leave with no strings attached. All I want is my child.”
Amelia paused and took a deep breath. Then she continued, “You’ll have other children with Ms. Yard. But this may be the only child I’ll ever have in my life. If you’ve ever loved me even a little, please give me custody of him.”
Oscar continued looking at her.
“Will you, Mr. Clinton? Say something.” Amelia returned his gaze resolutely.
Oscar fished for a cigarette. As he brought it to his lips, however, he suddenly remembered the doctor’s orders not to smoke in the presence of a pregnant lady. He lowered his cigarette again.
Oscar got off the bed, crossing over to the couch, then sat down. Matter-of-factly, he said, “Amelia, don’t we have a rather good arrangement now? When you asked for romance, I created countless swoon-worthy moments for you. When you got pregnant, I permitted you to carry the child to term. If money is what you want, I’ll see to it that you receive a hefty sum upon the finalization of the divorce. You can lead a carefree existence for the rest of your life. These are riches some women can’t even dream of. Tell me, what is it that you’re lacking?”
Amelia laughed bitterly. Her label as a gold digger now eclipsed her. She couldn’t blame Oscar for thinking she could be bought off by money.
When she had married Oscar four years ago, she never once imagined they’d get divorced one day, much less under such tumultuous circumstances.
“Mr. Clinton, I only want the child,” Amelia repeated firmly.
“You can have him, but I’ll freeze every one of your accounts. You won’t be able to take a single cent with you,” Oscar threatened. In his mind’s eye, he thought Amelia’s grubby personality would immediately back off when faced with this threat to her wealth. He thus never saw her reply coming.
“Great. I hope you’ll honor your word, Mr. Clinton,” Amelia replied without missing a beat.
Astonished, Oscar looked at her and asked, “Are you certain of this?”
Amelia simply nodded.
“We’ve been married for nearly five years. It’s not a long period of time, but it isn’t insignificant either. I’m thirty now, and I’ve given you some of the best years of my youth. I’ll never regret having met you. Let’s save ourselves the sleepless nights and finalize our divorce in five days. And please help me to convey my thanks to your mom. She’s always treated me well, and I don’t think I’ll be able to bear her disappointment.”
A warning gleam appeared in Oscar’s eyes. Menacingly, he asked, “Are you that eager to get away from me?”
Amelia shook her head wearily and said, “A love triangle will always leave victims in its wake, Mr. Clinton. I’m already at the losing end, so I don’t wish to prolong my entanglement in this childish and hopeless affair.”
Oscar strode over. Towering over her, he bent down and seized her chin, saying, “Amelia, I don’t want to get a divorce now. As for the child, I’ll let you have him, but as far as I’m concerned, this is game over.”
Baffled, Amelia looked at him. Then she asked evenly, “If you no longer love me, Mr. Clinton, then why do you insist on keeping me chained to your side? What’s the point of that?”
Oscar stroked her face absently. “Leave that up to me,” he replied.
Resigned, Amelia shook her head. “Mr. Clinton, has anybody ever told you that you’re an absolute devil?”
Oscar replied cheerfully, “You’re the first, but I like the sound of it. You’re my wife, so I don’t mind you calling me that.”
His ability to remain unfazed by her insults left her feeling most helpless. Trying another tactic, she lowered her gaze and meekly pleaded, “Have mercy on me, Mr. Clinton. I don’t wish to continue playing games with you anymore.”
Oscar’s hands dropped to his side. Flatly, he intoned, “You were just discharged. Stay at home and rest. I’ll be heading out for a while.”
Amelia knew that it was, in fact, Cassie who was on his mind. However, she refused to concern herself with that. In the brief exchange that had just occurred, she had allowed herself to think that there was a glimmer of hope for her relationship with Oscar—until Cassie reappeared.
Whatever affection Amelia thought she’d glimpsed in Oscar was merely wishful thinking on her part.
After Oscar left, Amelia sat dejectedly on the bed. Suddenly, the shrill ringing of the phone startled her out of her thoughts.
Amelia fumbled around for her phone. When she picked it up, Carter’s name flashed luminously across her screen. She instantly felt a rush of guilt.
Amelia answered the call. “Carter.”
On the other end, Carter asked anxiously, “Have you been discharged yet?”
“I got out today. I’m very sorry, Carter. I’ve barely worked for a month at your company, and I’ve already taken half a month’s worth of leave. Perhaps it would be better for me to resign. I don’t want to make things too difficult for you.”
Carter laughed gaily. “This position’s reserved for you. It’s a small matter, so don’t take it to heart. Your health is of paramount importance. By the way, if you’re still interested in going to Saspiuburg for training, I’ll leave a spot open for you.”
Amelia was silent.
After a few minutes, she finally said, “Carter, thank you for all the help you’ve given me, but I don’t think I should go to Saspiuburg. Please let someone else have the spot.”
“All right,” Carter agreed.
“My body’s mostly recovered, and I can actually return to work tomorrow. Will that be okay for you? Will it cause you too much trouble?” Amelia asked worriedly.
On his end, Carter smiled to himself. In a low voice, he replied, “Silly, enough of your nonsense. If you feel up to it, come in tomorrow then.”
“Okay.”
“Have a good rest, and bring back that fearless iron lady I used to know. I look forward to working with her again,” Carter teased.
Amelia cheered up. “Got it. I won’t let my personal issues affect my work.”
“Rest well. I’ll hang up first then,” Carter replied.
After the call had ended, Amelia stared at her phone for a while, lost in thought. Cradling her belly, she whispered, “Sweetheart, your daddy’s determined to marry Cassie. It’s not that Mommy wants to give up, but I am always destined to come out poorer from this love triangle.”
Amelia sat on the bed for a good ten minutes before deciding that she might as well lay down for all her trouble. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep, but the unending clamor of her thoughts made peace and sleep a distant dream.
Amelia tossed and turned, but her thoughts returned unfailingly to Oscar. It was in this state of longing that she finally drifted off to sleep.
It was six in the evening when she was woken up by the maid for dinner. After she had gotten pregnant, she was prone to long bouts of drowsiness. She found herself wrestling frequently with her increasingly heavy eyelids. Hence, going to work was good for her as it provided an environment in which she didn’t dare to fall asleep.
Amelia headed to the bathroom for a quick wash-up. She then changed into a flowy dress that left her feeling less restricted before proceeding downstairs.
She was greeted by the sight of Olivia already seated at the dining table. She smiled and made her way over to her, asking concernedly, “Mom, are you feeling better now?”
Olivia returned her smile warmly. “I’m all better. Why are you here all alone? Where’s Oscar?”
Amelia hesitated, then replied falteringly, “Something came up at work. His employee had called him back to manage it.”
Olivia’s face darkened. A woman of the world, her keen eye saw right through Amelia’s reply to the heart of the matter—work was merely an excuse and Oscar was with Cassie this very moment, no doubt.
“Mom, something really came up at work. One of Oscar’s secretaries had personally called to inform him of it,” Amelia consoled.
Olivia’s heart ached for Amelia. She stifled her dissatisfaction toward her son and pulled Amelia closer to her. “Since Oscar is busy, we shan’t wait for him to eat dinner then. It’s late, and my darling grandchild can’t be made to endure hunger.”
Stephanie pouted and whined, “Mom, aren’t you exaggerating? Amelia’s just pregnant. It’s not as if she has a national treasure with her or something. Isn’t pregnancy something that every woman will go through? You’re fussing over her as if she’s royalty.”
Olivia gave Stephanie a hard look, then said, “You’ll only know the pain of being pregnant when you actually get there. You can choose to be civil and eat your dinner here, or I can get the maid to send the food up to your room.”
Oliva’s stern speech subdued Stephanie.
When the steaming hot dishes arrived, Olivia affectionately turned to Amelia, saying, “Amelia, these are nutritious dishes that I’ve prepared especially for you according to the doctor’s instructions. Try it and see if it agrees with you.”
Amelia replied modestly, “Mom, there’s no need to go to such trouble. I’m five months in, but I’ve yet to experience morning sickness or any particular cravings. There’s no need to put yourselves out for me. I don’t want to ruin the menu.”
Stephanie snorted. “Come on! Don’t waste your acting talent here. Why don’t you go ahead and forge a career in showbiz?”
Olivia gave Stephanie another warning look and said, “Steph, Amelia is pregnant. Can’t you be a little more understanding? What if you agitate her and she ends up having a miscarriage?”
Stephanie burst in exasperatedly. “Mom, she’s not the only woman who will ever get pregnant! Cassie also has Oscar’s—”
Thwack! A firm sound of silverware clattering onto the floor was heard.
Olivia was seething. “Steph, if you keep this up, I’ll get your father to pack you off to study overseas! If I can’t tame you, I’ll get someone else to do it. I won’t let anyone speak badly of our family on your account.”
Stephanie bit her lip, looking hurt beyond measure. “Mom, I don’t like this woman. I don’t care if the child she’s carrying is related to me. Don’t even think about asking me to get along with her.”
Owen gave Stephanie a stern look. “That’s enough from you, Steph! Amelia has rarely come over to spend the night. Stop angering your mom, or I’ll make a large deduction from your allowance for this month.”
That was sufficient to quell Stephanie.
“Let’s eat,” Owen commanded. His family promptly obeyed.
The tension hung heavy in the air, however. Stephanie ate a few mouthfuls, then set her plate down. “Dad, Mom, I’m done eating. I’ll head back to my room.”
“Stop right there!” Olivia ordered. She pointed toward Stephanie’s half-eaten dinner and said, “Steph, you’re only allowed to leave this table when you’ve finished all your food.”
Stephanie turned around in a huff. “Mom, I had too many snacks before dinner. I don’t have much of an appetite now.”
Olivia was on the verge of a retort when Amelia stood up, saying, “Steph, please go ahead. I’ve had my fill, and I’ll be going out for a walk to aid indigestion. Why don’t you stay to accompany your parents?”
Stephanie clearly resented Amelia’s graciousness. She spat, “Stop being such a hypocrite, Amelia! When you’re here, this entire place feels suffocating. I’m going out for a breath of fresh air.”
Having displayed her annoyance, Stephanie turned and stomped off.
Amelia remained where she was with an indecipherable expression on her face.
Olivia was evidently displeased. She pulled Amelia toward her gently and said, “Amelia, Steph is just young and ignorant. Don’t take her words to heart.”
Amelia recovered herself. Smiling, she replied, “Mom, I’m fine. I’m just a little full from dinner. I’m gonna head out for a short walk; I’ll be back in a while.”
“I’ll come with you,” Olivia said.
