Jessica collapsed onto her seat, exclaiming, “It’s all Ms. Larson’s fault! If she hadn’t joined the company, we wouldn’t have met with this misfortune.”
The other employees in the design department had already submitted themselves to their fates.
Once Carter left the office, he immediately got into his car and drove off to a certain neighborhood. It was the one in which Tiffany stayed.
Carter parked his car. He sat inside, but the road was quiet outside. It was hard to tell if he was waiting for someone or if he had merely driven here by coincidence on a joyride.
Carter remained in this position for nearly half the night. When he finally caught sight of a woman walking towards the entrance, Carter immediately leaped into action. He got out of the car and dashed straight towards her.
The woman was none other than Tiffany, carrying a rubbish bag and dressed casually in a t-shirt and flip-flops. She waved to the security guard on duty as she walked past him. However, she had only taken a few steps when she encountered the sight of Carter racing towards her. Tiffany stopped short in her tracks.
She froze for a moment. Then she quickly recovered her wits and strode off hastily in the other direction.
Carter quickened his pace and caught up with her. Fearing that she’d slip off, he grabbed hold of her arm.
“Wait, Tiffany! I have something to ask you,” Carter had long since abandoned every thought of preserving his cool image in his great urgency.
This exchange had roused the security guard’s suspicions. He ran out from his post and eyed Carter with distaste, saying, “Ms. Winters, do you need my assistance?”
Carter broke in. “She’s my friend.”
Tiffany glared at Carter. However, she was unwilling to escalate the matter further. Tiffany thus replied the security guard, saying, “I’m fine, Mr. Langston. He’s my friend.”
The security guard fixed his gaze on Carter as he said, “That’s fine, Ms. Winters. Just give me a yell anytime you need my help.”
Tiffany nodded.
After the security guard had returned to his post, Tiffany said scornfully, “Mr. Scott, you’re indeed a jinx. Even the security guard thinks that you’re a bad seed.”
Carter looked thunderous.
“Tiffany, I didn’t come here to be insulted. I came to explain the matter regarding Amelia.” Carter decided to get directly to the point.
“Carter, can’t you get it through your head that Amelia’s already married? Is there any use for you clinging onto her like this? If you still hadn’t managed to succeed all those years ago, what makes you think you’d have a better chance now?” Tiffany tried to wrench her arm from his grip, but Carter held fast. “Carter, what on earth are you trying to do? I live here. What will my neighbors think when they see you clinging onto me like this?”
Tiffany decidedly did not want to be associated with Carter. He was handsome and eligible, and much like Oscar, turned heads wherever he went. It was impossible for anyone not to notice him. Tiffany was terrified that her neighbors would mistake him for her boyfriend or one of her suitors.
“You have two choices. Either you get into my car of your own accord, or I carry you into it. Either way, you’re getting on. Take your pick,” Carter said firmly.
Tiffany glowered at him.
She couldn’t fathom what Carter wanted of her exactly. It couldn’t be out of any genuine desire to rekindle their old friendship, to be sure.
“Carter, you can say whatever you came to say right here. I don’t want to get into any trouble because of you. You’re a brilliant man, but you’re also very much a jinx. Nothing good will come out of meeting you.” It was impossible for Tiffany’s perception of Carter to get any worse than it already was.
“Let’s go somewhere quiet. There’s something I want to tell you,” Carter cajoled.
“Come with me then.” Tiffany finally relented.
The two of them arrived at a quiet spot tucked away in a corner. Tiffany stood with her arms akimbo and said impatiently, “Get to the point, Carter. My time is precious, and I don’t want to waste it here with you.”
Carter glanced at her. “Tell me, Tiffany, was Amelia’s debt paid by Oscar four years ago?”
Tiffany scoffed. “Carter, do you think it’s necessary to ask all this now? The Scotts were responsible for Amelia’s debt of a million four years ago. Where were you then? Amelia called you countless times trying to borrow money to pay her debt, but you turned off your phone and vanished into thin air all at once. If Oscar hadn’t intervened, Amelia would still be in jail right now. Oscar may not have been the best for Amelia, but he’s a real gentleman compared to you. At least he didn’t abandon her when she was at her lowest.”
Carter felt immeasurably guilty. It was a dark chapter in his past that he’d fervently hoped would never see the light of day.
Carter had truly loved Amelia. He had left Amelia behind with good reason, but the fact remained that he had deserted her in her time of need.
“I’m sorry,” Carter mumbled in a low voice.
“Carter, let’s not bring up the past. Let me remind you once again that Amelia is doing well now. If you truly care for her, don’t look for her anymore. The photos with you caused a misunderstanding between Amelia and Oscar. Amelia was so upset that she fainted dead away in my arms. The doctor said that if she experienced another one of such shocks, she might really have a miscarriage. No one knows more than me how important this child is to her. Something unfortunate happens to Amelia whenever she runs into you. So if you really love her, please don’t meet her again.”
Carter clenched his fists, looking visibly perturbed.
“I love Amelia. I’ll make it up to her in the future for all the hurt I’ve caused her. But you can’t expect me not to meet her again,” Carter said adamantly.
Tiffany merely snorted, then said, “I’ve nothing else to say to you then. Bye.”
Carter held her back. He hesitated, then asked, “How has Amelia been all this while?”
“She has a husband and now a child of her own. How do you think she’s doing? She’s living her best life. Women don’t need much; a man’s love is more than enough for us. Amelia has all she wants. I beg you, Mr. Scott, to go on and pursue whatever happiness you desire. Just don’t disrupt Amelia’s life,” Tiffany said.
Carter’s heart ached. However, he said brusquely, “Oscar is keeping another woman on the side. How can you say that Amelia is happy? Don’t you claim to be Amelia’s best friend?”
Tiffany retorted, “So what? As long as Oscar hasn’t asked to divorce her, Amelia is still part of the Clintons.”
“How can you say that?” Carter asked.
“What would you have me say, then?”
Four years ago, Amelia had entered into a contractual marriage with Oscar. She’d signed a series of rather unfair agreements, stating that even if Oscar cheated on her and had another child outside of wedlock, Amelia remained powerless to say no. She could only accept things as they were.
“Tell me honestly, Tiffany. Is Oscar and Amelia’s marriage held together by some sort of contract?” Carter suddenly inquired.
Tiffany was startled. How did he figure that out?
“What sort of contract?” She asked crossly, trying to hide her panic.
“I refuse to believe that you don’t know about it,” Carter continued. “According to what I’ve found out, Oscar only considered Amelia after Cassie ran off. Based on the Clintons’ power and position, along with Oscar’s initial lack of interest in Amelia, it’s evident that the two of them must have signed an agreement of sorts. As her closest friend, you’d definitely know something about it.”
“Even if I knew something and told you about it, would you be able to change anything?” Tiffany challenged Carter.
Carter looked up. There was a tinge of melancholy in his voice as he said, “I only wanted to know if she was happy. I couldn’t help disappearing all those years ago. Now that I have the ability to protect her, I want to…”
“Forget it. Even if Amelia were to divorce Oscar, she wouldn’t choose to go with you either,” Tiffany interrupted him shortly.
“Why not?”
“When Amelia liked you previously, you didn’t return her affections. Now, she’s married to someone else and is pregnant with his child. That door shut four years ago. Don’t even think about it.”
Carter stood as if struck by lightning.
What did she just say? Did Amelia like me previously? Is that true?
“Did you say that Amelia liked me?” Carter stammered with some difficulty.
Tiffany looked at him curiously. “Is it that much of a surprise to you?”
“Did Amelia really like me before?” Carter repeated.
Tiffany nodded. “Amelia liked you since you were in university. Or I should say had a crush on you, rather. I thought an intelligent guy like you would be able to tell when a woman liked you.”
Carter’s head spun. He remained rooted on the spot. A casual observer would not have been able to tell just how great an effect this news had on him.
Tiffany waved a hand in front of his face. “Hey, jinx, are you OK?”
Carter seized Tiffany’s hand and looked at her with a piercing gaze. “Does Amelia really like me?”
“NO!” Tiffany shot back immediately, exasperated. “I only said she liked you before, but certainly not now. You’re just a figure from her past now.”
Carter naturally interpreted this to mean that Amelia still loved him.
He was suddenly filled with endless longing and an insurmountable hope that Amelia would one day be his.
Carter continued gripping Tiffany’s arm, asking doggedly, “Tiffany, does Amelia still care about me?”
Tiffany looked at him disbelievingly. “Carter, can’t you understand what I’m saying? Amelia’s very happy now. Let me repeat. You are nothing more than a figure from her past, OK?”
“No, Amelia must still have feelings for me,” Carter asserted.
Tiffany felt utterly defeated in the face of this extreme stubbornness.
“Carter, I’ll repeat myself. You’re a bygone memory to Amelia. If you want to know the reason for that, why don’t you ask your own parents what they did to Amelia? Once you find out, I guarantee you won’t be able to even look Amelia in the face for shame.”
Carter was stupefied. What does Tiffany mean? What do my parents have to do with this?
Seeing her opportunity, Tiffany instantly shook herself free from Carter’s grip. She grabbed the rubbish bag she had been carrying and fled.
Unable to wrap his head around what she meant, Carter walked slowly back to his car and sat inside.
Having escaped from Carter’s clutches, Tiffany threw away her rubbish bag in the bin and immediately took her phone out to text Amelia.
Babe, Carter just came looking for me. I accidentally let slip that you used to like him. Based on his stubborn personality, I’m afraid that he’ll think you still have feelings for him now. Be careful.
She had barely sent out the text when a call came in from Amelia.
Tiffany picked up immediately. “Babe.”
“Carter came to look for you?” Amelia instantly asked.
“Yes, it was pretty shocking that he did. He asked about what happened in the past and about whether you were happy being married to Oscar. I think he still hasn’t given up on pursuing you. You’ve got to be careful,” Tiffany warned.
“I’m only friends with him, nothing else,” Amelia said on the other end of the line. “Don’t worry about me, Tiff. I’ll manage my relationship with him.”
“As long as you know your limits. Now that you’re pregnant, your health is of utmost importance. Don’t get disturbed by these trivial matters,” Tiffany chided.
“Got it. Go on back and rest. I’ll hang up then.”
After the call ended, Amelia fiddled with her phone distractedly.
Just then, she heard the sound of Oscar’s voice. “Who are you calling?” he asked as he emerged from the bathroom, still rubbing his wet hair with a towel.
