Amelia tried to change the subject. “Mr. Clinton, if you aren’t hungry, I’ll just pack all this food up.”
“What’s wrong with you?” Oscar asked, gripping her hand.
With a sigh, Amelia placed her silverware down. “Do you wish there was something wrong with me?”
“Don’t lie to me. No one will dare bully you while I’m here.”
“The only one who bullies me around here is you, Mr. Clinton.”
Oscar fell silent.
“I’m fine, really.” Amelia sighed again. “I got a call from a friend earlier who told me one of his relatives had passed away. I had spoken to that same relative only a few days ago, and now he’s gone.”
Oscar looked at her sharply. “How did he contact you if your phone’s at home?”
Amelia froze, her mouth agape. In her hurry to come up with an excuse, she had completely forgotten about her phone. And Oscar saw through her immediately.
The corners of Oscar’s mouth turned up slightly as he playfully pinched her cheek. “That’s it. No more lies in the future. Always remember to think before you speak.”
Amelia bit her lip and said nothing.
Seeing her so subdued, Oscar felt a little sorry for her. “You’re not filthy. My words yesterday were unnecessarily harsh. Mom said you shouldn’t get riled up while pregnant. It wouldn’t be good for the baby.”
A look of disappointment flashed across Amelia’s face. After a while, she finally asked, “Mr. Clinton, are you forgiving me only because your mom made you do so?”
It was Oscar’s turn to avoid the subject as he gestured at the food in front of them. “Didn’t you say you were hungry? Eat up before the food gets cold.”
Amelia beamed a brilliant smile at Oscar. “Regardless of your reason, I’m very grateful and glad that you’ve forgiven me. So thank you, Mr. Clinton. I shall continue to put in my best efforts in our very complicated marriage.”
“Let’s eat.”
Amelia started to dig into the food. She stopped mid-way to scoop a spoonful of it and brought it to Oscar’s lips. “How about this, Mr. Clinton? If you eat this, we’ll agree to let bygones be bygones. We won’t bring up the photos again either.”
Oscar glanced at her before accepting the food.
Happy moments like these were rare for them. After the meal, Oscar called his mother to tell her not to come over that night. He reassured her that he would take good care of Amelia.
Olivia was more than happy at the sound of that. But as all mothers do, she re-emphasized the need for Amelia to be well taken care of before she hung up.
“Did the doctor say when you can be discharged?” Oscar asked while peeling an orange for Amelia.
“Tomorrow, I guess.”
The two of them were chatting like good friends. It was a moment where they could set aside talks of love and affairs. This was another rare moment that Amelia deeply cherished.
It had been almost five years since they got married, but this was the first time she felt like she had truly gotten closer to Oscar.
Oscar nodded.
After a brief hesitation, Amelia asked, “Mr. Clinton, earlier Ms. Yard called looking for you. You should probably call her back.”
“Did Cassie say something to you?” Oscar replied. He finally understood why Amelia had been feeling low. She had been mulling over her call with Cassie.
“She didn’t say much. She only wanted me to pass on the message that she had gone for her checkup with your secretary and that the baby is healthy.” Amelia put on a forced smile. “She also mentioned that the two of you will be getting married soon. Congratulations, Mr. Clinton. As for the wedding, I’m afraid I won’t be attending it. After all, it’d be highly inappropriate for the ex-wife to be there, wouldn’t it?”
Oscar looked Amelia in her eyes. “Pay no heed to Cassie’s words. Even if we do get the divorce, I will still take good care of you and our child. No women or children of mine will need to worry about anything in life.”
As she lay in bed, Amelia couldn’t help but reach out for Oscar’s hand. “Mr. Clinton, no matter what happens to us, I just want to let you know how grateful I am for you,” Amelia said earnestly. “You lent a helping hand when I needed it the most. Even though I married you for money, at the end of the day, you’re still my savior.”
Oscar held her gaze as he listened on.
Resting in bed with no makeup on, Amelia looked incredibly frail and pitiful. Oscar felt especially moved after having heard her words and realized he was feeling increasingly sympathetic towards her.
He held his hand up and caressed Amelia’s face tenderly. “Are you tired?”
“Mr. Clinton, can you stay with me? Our child and I both need you,” Amelia pleaded as she nuzzled into his hand.
Oscar moved his hand over her eyes. “Go to bed. I’ll stay with you and send you home tomorrow.”
Amelia smiled contentedly and patted the bed. “Why don’t you join me in bed, Mr. Clinton?”
Oscar was about to comply when his phone rang. Talk about bad timing.
His expression changed when he looked at his phone, but he quickly recovered. “Let me answer this call. I’ll be right back.”
It wasn’t difficult for Amelia to guess who had made that call, and the thought of it upset her. A call from Cassie and Oscar would no longer be able to stay overnight with her.
Every time it felt like her relationship with Oscar was making progress, Cassie would undoubtedly butt in to remind her she was nothing more than just a substitute.
Amelia pulled the covers up and did not reply him.
Oscar glanced at her before walking out with his phone to answer it.
“Cassie, how was the checkup?”
“Oz, the doctor said our baby’s developing very well! I’m a little upset that you’ve stood me up twice today. How are you going to make it up to me?” Cassie asked suggestively.
Oscar kept his cool as he replied patiently, “I’m glad the checkup went well. It’s late now, so you should go to bed soon. I’ll see you first thing in the morning.”
“What? You aren’t coming over now?” Cassie whined.
“No, I’ve still got work to do. Be good and sleep early. It’d be good for both you and the baby.”
Oscar was met with silence on the other end. After a while, he heard Cassie’s muffled sobs. “Oz, why have you been so cold to me these days?”
Oscar tried his best to keep his voice even. “Cassie, be good. My love for you has never changed. Work has been so busy that I haven’t had time to spend with you.”
“I’m a woman, Oz. Women tend to be more suspicious and sensitive, especially when it concerns the men they love. It was wrong of me to break off our wedding in the past and leave without caring about your feelings. But now I’ve put everything aside just to come back and be with you. Can you feel how much I love you?”
“Cassie, I’ve just been really busy with work. I’m sorry I’ve neglected you. Once I’m less busy, I’ll take you overseas for a vacation so you’ll stop imagining the worst.”
Cassie no longer saw the need to put on a front and continued her tirade. “When will that be, Oz? Give me a date. I may be understanding, but you’ve stood me up so many times I can’t help but worry. Your attitude towards me has changed so fast overnight, and I don’t feel good about it. “
Oscar furrowed his brows. He was a male chauvinist at heart and expected women to be at his beck and call. He could put up with the occasional willfulness from the women he loved, but he still expected them to generally be obedient. However, Cassie was right about his change in attitude towards her. He had been feeling less tolerant of her behavior. Even his desire for her had started to wane.
Perhaps he refused to give up on Cassie because he had failed to win her over in the past? Men always craved for the things that were out of their reach. It was only after they had gotten their hands on them that they gradually lose their appeal.
“Cassie, be good. Like I’ve said, when I’m less busy at work, we’ll go on a vacation,” Oscar reassured her.
Cassie began sobbing loudly over the phone. “Oz, you’re always asking me to be good, and I do just that. But being good doesn’t mean I can allow you to neglect me. I’m from a respectable family, and I do well in my studies and work. But I’m willing to put up with being called a mistress, just so I can be with you. I’m even carrying your child now, for crying out loud. I just want your promise. Is that really so difficult?”
Oscar softened his voice as he replied, “Cassie, I know you’ve become more sensitive since getting pregnant. I promise I will marry you. It’s just that Amelia is also pregnant, and my mom would never approve of me leaving her during this period. I’ll wait till she has given birth before I get the divorce. Till then, please be good for me.”
Cassie didn’t mince her words now. “Oz, I don’t want my baby to be seen as an illegitimate child. You shouldn’t have hit on me if you didn’t have strong feelings for me. And now, in just a few short months, you’re treating me with such indifference. If your love for me has changed, tell me, and I’ll stop pestering you. But that also means I may no longer want this child.”
Oscar pulled his hair in frustration. “Stop this, Cassie. Even if I did get my divorce now, I wouldn’t be able to marry you immediately. You should have anticipated this blowback when you broke off our wedding previously. My mom used to love you so much, but now she has no desire to want you as her daughter-in-law. As long as you can’t get my mom’s approval, she wouldn’t care even if you had the baby. In her eyes, he’d still be an illegitimate child. If you really want to go ahead with an abortion, be my guest. I don’t like dealing with aggressive women.”
Cassie remained silent for a moment, only to burst into tears again. Oscar was annoyed by it, but he also started to feel bad.
Even though his feelings for her have become less intense, Cassie was still the woman he had loved for years. Now that she was pregnant with his child and bawling over the phone, he didn’t have the heart to continue staying mad at her.
“Cassie, be good. Stop crying.”
“Oz, I just wanted to know if you still care about me. But judging by the way you’ve been treating me, could it be that you don’t love me anymore? I didn’t mean it when I said I didn’t want the baby. I only said it in a fit of anger so I could get your attention,” Cassie whimpered.
Oscar listened in silence.
“Oz, come over, please? I’m so scared now. I’m scared that you might no longer want me, I’m scared that our child won’t be delivered safely, I’m so scared of everything. Please? Can you come over?” Cassie begged between sobs.
Oscar heaved a deep sigh. “Alright, I’ll be right over.”
“Okay, I’ll be waiting for you. Oz, don’t stand me up this time.”
Oscar hung up the phone wordlessly.
He stood outside Amelia’s ward for a long time before going back in hesitantly. She was already tucked in and sound asleep. She didn’t even stir when he nudged her.
Oscar whispered in her ear, “Amelia, wake up.”
Amelia opened her eyes to see Oscar right beside her. “Done with the call?”
“Go back to sleep. I’ll be here,” Oscar said as he patted her head.
“Mr. Clinton, you can leave if there’s something you need to tend to. I’ll be fine alone here.”
After giving it some thought, Oscar agreed to it. “Alright, I’ll head out for a bit. I’ll be back in two hours.”
“Mr. Clinton, you don’t have to come back if you’re busy. I’ll return to the company after getting discharged tomorrow,” Amelia said, closing her eyes.
“Are you angry?”
Amelia shook her head. “Get on with your work Mr. Clinton. You don’t have to shuffle to and fro,” she mumbled, her voice devoid of any emotion.
“You really are angry, aren’t you?”
Amelia swatted away Oscar’s hand. “Mr. Clinton, do I have the right to be angry? Our marriage may be nothing more than a contract, but that doesn’t mean I don’t deserve some basic respect.”
Oscar looked at her quizzically. “What’s wrong now? I thought you were fine earlier.”
