Amelia once again shook her head. “Mr. Clinton, please leave if there’s something you need to do. After I get discharged tomorrow, I will head over to Carter’s to turn in my resignation. Our relationship is purely contractual, so it’s only right that I follow the rules. And since you don’t like me hanging around other men, I’ll make it a point to keep my distance from them.”
Oscar took a long, hard look at Amelia while he contemplated the situation. “Are you throwing a tantrum because of the phone call I just had?”
The more he probed, the more annoyed Amelia felt. Is there any point in dragging this further?
“Your lover would be the one throwing the tantrum if you don’t leave now,” she snapped.
Oscar was still gazing at her when he suddenly placed his hand on the back of her head and pulled her in for a kiss. The kiss was intense, and they were momentarily lost in each other.
Amelia was left in a daze when they finally pulled away, her cheeks flushed from their kiss.
“Still angry with me?” Oscar asked, his forehead resting gently against hers.
Amelia looked at him in bewilderment. “Mr. Clinton, why are you doing this? Am I just a pet to you? One that you play with when you’re happy but gets tossed aside when you aren’t?”
“Go to sleep. I’ll leave now and come back in two hours,” Oscar said while patting her head.
Amelia was silent as she lay back in bed and hid under the covers.
Oscar watched over her for the longest time. But once he realized she had no intention of coming out from under the covers, he left.
When the door closed behind him, Amelia finally pulled the covers back down. She stared at the ceiling, crestfallen. “Oscar Clinton,” she muttered. “Is there still a future for us?”
The silence in the ward was deafening.
Oscar got in his car after having taken the elevator down and smacked the steering wheel before driving off.
The drive to Cassie’s took almost thirty minutes. The door opened almost immediately after he rang the bell, and Cassie threw herself into his arms. Oscar caught her and had to half-drag her back into the house.
Cassie snuggled against Oscar’s chest and whimpered, “Oz, I thought you weren’t going to come.”
Oscar remained stoic as he let her hug him.
Cassie felt the reluctance in him and looked up. “Oz, are you not happy to see me?”
Oscar reassured her with a hug. “Stop imagining things. I wouldn’t be here if I weren’t happy about it.”
Cassie buried her face into his chest. “Oz, I know I threw a tantrum at you earlier, but I hope you won’t be angry with me,” she said softly. “You know how it is with pregnant women. We just become so much more sensitive about everything. The doctor told me this was prenatal depression, but as long as you spend more time with me, my mood will definitely improve.”
Oscar only held her in his arms as he coaxed her. “Don’t think too much about it. I’ll spend more time with you in the future, now be good and go to bed.”
Cassie clung to him like a koala bear with no intention of letting go. “Oz, I’m not sleepy yet. Why don’t you chat with me? We haven’t had a chat like this for a while now,” she pleaded.
“Sure.”
Cassie gently rubbed his chest like a cat kneading away. “Do you still remember where we had our first kiss?”
Oscar was taken aback by her question. He genuinely couldn’t remember where they had first kissed. Even though he claimed that he loved Cassie, the memories he had with her were few and far between.
Cassie pouted her lips and stared at Oscar angrily. “Oz, do you not remember at all?”
Oscar planted a brief kiss on her lips before turning on his charm. “The past is history. From now on, just remember that I’ll be showering you with kisses every minute and every second.”
Disappointment flashed in Cassie’s eyes. “Oz, can you promise to kiss me and only me from now?” she asked as she touched his lips.
Oscar moved her hand away. “Has the baby been behaving well today?” he asked gently, changing the subject.
Cassie stared at him while her heart began to race. “Why did you change the subject, Oz?” she asked, panic-stricken. “Have you fallen for Amelia? Even after those compromising photos of her, you still refuse to leave her?”
Oscar’s eyes flashed with annoyance. He was starting to lose his patience with Cassie. “Cassie, I took precious time out to be with you, and here you are, interrogating me?”
“Oz, I’m not interrogating you.” Cassie snapped. “You used to be so warm and tender towards me. But recently, you’ve been acting hot and cold, and I can’t help but wonder if you still love me. I’m a woman, and it’s only normal that I get worried. I worry that you’re back with Amelia. I know I’ve been badgering you, but I only did it so that you won’t forget me. Is that so wrong?”
Oscar lowered his gaze at her. “Cassie, you never used to be this unreasonable.”
Cassie angrily wriggled out of his embrace. “As you said, that was all in the past. The old you pampered me with love. Whenever I had a problem, you’d put everything down and come to my rescue. But now? No matter how much I plead or beg, you still might not show up. How can I not be angry?” she retorted. “The man I love has had a change of heart. If I still don’t do anything to change that, I’d be the biggest idiot in the world!”
Oscar stood up suddenly, his face darkened. “Cassie, you’re being emotional right now, so I won’t argue with you. We’ll talk again when you’re feeling better. Have a good rest. I’ll be leaving now.”
Cassie ran up to him and hugged him from the back. There was a note of panic in her voice as she pleaded, “Oz, don’t go. I really love you! If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have come back. Please don’t leave me.”
Oscar stood his ground, not saying anything.
Cassie continued sobbing. “Oz, don’t go. I really love you. I’m even carrying your child now. I’d go mad if you no longer want me.”
At that moment, Oscar felt sorry for her. He turned around and hugged her tight. “There, there, stop crying. Let’s not ruin that pretty face of yours,” he said softly, wiping her tears away.
“It’s all your fault. I wouldn’t be crying if it weren’t for you,” Cassie whined as she lightly hit his chest. “I want you to make it up to me by staying here tonight. If you don’t, I’ll abort the baby. Since you aren’t going to marry me, it’d be difficult for me to remarry in the future if I had a child in tow.”
Oscar’s face fell again.
“Cassie, if you’re only joking about the abortion, I can overlook that. But if you’re serious about it, I’m going to be furious.”
Cassie caressed his face, a glint in her eyes. “Oz, do you really care about my baby?”
“He’s my child, why wouldn’t I care about him?”
“Then do you prefer our child or Amelia’s child?”
“Stop it, Cassie. They’re both my children, and I love them equally. Stop asking these unreasonable questions.”
Eyes downcast, Cassie replied, “Oz, I’m just jealous. I was the one who knew you first, so that makes me the bona fide girlfriend. But you so quickly married another, and now I’ve become the mistress. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t upset, especially now that I’m pregnant. Every night I have the fear that you’d leave me for Amelia. Tell me, Oz, what should I do? I’m so afraid of losing you.”
Oscar swept her up wordlessly, carried her into the bedroom, and laid her down in bed. “Sleep. I’ll be here with you.”
Cassie buried her head into his chest, her lips curled into a smirk.
“Oz, tell me a story. I’m in the mood for one.”
Oscar patted her head and said, “Be good and sleep.”
“No, Oz, I want to listen to a story,” Cassie whined. “From the time we dated, separated, and finally reunited, it’s been so long since you’ve told me a bedtime story. I want one, and our baby wants it too. Can’t you grant me this little request?”
Oscar gave in and started narrating, “Once upon a time, there were three little bears who lived in the forest. They were Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Little Bear…”
Cassie interrupted before he could finish his sentence. “Oz, that’s such a childish story. Let’s have another.”
Oscar did as he was told. “Once upon a time, there was a maiden so fair…”
“Oz, your stories are boring. Can’t you come up with something more interesting? Oh, I know! Why don’t you tell me a story in Erihalese? You always look so sexy when you do, and it makes my heart flutter.”
Cassie had interrupted him again.
Oscar wasn’t pleased with that. He hated it when he got interrupted mid-sentence. It was just plain rude.
Cassie noticed the change in his expression and immediately put on that saccharine voice of hers. “Oz, I really enjoy listening to you speak Erihalese. You look super cool when you do. Remember that time when I visited you at college, and you spoke it in front of your Erihalese professor? You were so charming, and everyone was smitten by your magnetic voice. Will you do it again for me? Please?”
Men loved women who knew when to put on their charms for them, and Oscar was no exception. He felt a little better after what Cassie said.
Cassie stared at him with puppy eyes as he recited a monologue in Erihalese. “You ooze so much charm when speaking Erihalese. You truly are my superhero, and I love you so much.” She added, “I always wonder how I landed myself such a perfect man, and now I’m even carrying his baby. The thought of the three of us living happily ever after just overwhelms me with joy.”
Even after Cassie said that, nothing stirred in Oscar’s heart. He simply patted her arm and once again coaxed her to sleep.
Cassie closed her eyes and mumbled, “Oz, I want bacon for breakfast, can you make some for me?”
Oscar remained silent for a while before he said, “I will personally make you breakfast tomorrow. Now, be good and sleep.”
With that said, Cassie finally drifted off to sleep.
Once she was sound asleep, Oscar crept silently out of the house and drove off.
When he got back to the hospital, Oscar paced outside Amelia’s ward for a bit before he finally went in. He had thought Amelia would be asleep, but there she was, standing alone by the window with her back towards him.
Oscar was pained at how lonely she looked. He briskly walked over and hugged her tightly from the back. Amelia, who had been in a daze, was taken aback by this sudden gesture. She yelped and started to fight back, not knowing who was behind her.
Oscar whispered into her ear, “Don’t be scared. It’s just me.”
Upon hearing his voice, Amelia started to calm down. She turned around and looked at Oscar in disbelief. “Mr. Clinton, why are you back?”
Oscar pinched her nose and pretended to be angry. “Do you not want to see me?”
Amelia shook her head. “I knew you had gone to placate your lover. Which probably meant that you wouldn’t be able to return this early. It was even possible that you wouldn’t return at all. I really didn’t expect you to make it back in two hours,” she answered, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
“With words like that, one can’t help but smell the jealousy wafting off of you. Been jealous, haven’t you?” Oscar teased.
