Chapter 156 Like A Fool
On one side, there was Gary mourning for his doomed affections. On the other side, Tiffany was driving her car, watching the road through the windscreen. “Babe, where are we going?” she asked Amelia.
Amelia was resting on the passenger seat with her eyes closed. “Let’s go to the hospital,” she replied softly.
“To see Carter?”
Amelia nodded.
Tiffany glanced at her and said, “Babe, don’t you think you’ve been waiting on him hand and foot?”
Amelia sighed. “Tiff, no matter what, we are still friends. How can I heartlessly cut off all contact with him now?”
“You shouldn’t have had any contact with him from the start,” Tiffany answered solemnly. “Five years ago, ever since he vanished and abandoned you, I’d already said the two of you weren’t compatible. How could a responsible man leave the woman he loves dearly alone when she needs him the most?”
Amelia fluttered her eyes open and glanced at Tiffany from the side. “Tiff, that matter’s history. Moreover, we were merely friends at that time. Although we had feelings for each other, we were too cowardly to strive for what we wanted. Carter was the right person at the wrong time. I married someone else because we weren’t meant to be together. Back then, there was simply no chance he could go against his family. He left due to his own family issues. So, you have to stop excoriating him for the past. Indeed, once upon a time, I’d blamed him. But I’ve completely moved on from it. I understand you’re trying to stand up for me, but we can’t push all the blame onto him. It’s not fair for Carter, for we had only been friends from the beginning.”
Tiffany curled her lips. “Babe, you have a big heart. Sure, I can forget about Carter Scott being a coward in the past, but don’t expect me to be nice to him. It was never a good idea for you to reconnect with him, to begin with. Some people are meant to be left in the past where they belong.”
Amelia could only smile wryly.
Tapping a rhythm on the steering wheel, Tiffany continued, “Be honest with me. Do you still have feelings for Carter or not?”
Amelia was nonplussed. “What are you talking about? We’re just friends.”
“You keep saying that, but you obviously know how he feels for you. If you don’t feel the same, then stop leading him on. You’re only giving him false hopes this way. Do you want to ruin your marriage with Oscar over him?”
Amelia chuckled humorlessly. “Tiff, you know better than anyone that the marriage between Oscar and I is merely a puppet show. My feelings for Carter mean nothing to Oscar. As soon as he says ‘cut,’ then that’s the end of it. He’s the puppet master, while I’m the puppet who’s being pulled by the strings.”
Tiffany slapped the steering wheel in agitation. “You shouldn’t have been born with this beauty. It’s a curse. Maybe if you looked a little more mediocre, your love life wouldn’t have been such a tragedy.”
Amelia laughed, patting her own face with her hand. “I’ve never thought of myself as pretty, yet women always call me a vixen, as if I seduce men for a living.”
“Babe, vixen is a compliment,” Tiffany said, nodding her head passionately. “Don’t mind it. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to be a vixen?”
Amelia shot her a look that seemed to say, are you for real?
Tiffany shrugged. “I’m serious. Your looks are a fatal temptation to men. There are Carter Scott, Oscar Clinton, and now, even Gary Laird, who had only seen you twice and already sucked in by you. Even I can’t stand to watch this impending chaos.”
“You’re full of shit.” Amelia shook her head.
“Oh, please. You are a woman. Don’t tell me you didn’t sense that Gary was treating you differently?”
“Isn’t it because you are hitting on him? Otherwise, it wouldn’t have happened.”
“Excuse me, who do you suppose I’m doing it for? How could I have possibly known you would be such a men-magnet? I’ve only ever read something like that in a fantasy novel. The female lead has built-in attributes that could make the male lead and supporting characters crazy for her.”
Amelia shut her eyes, rendered speechless.
Tiffany took a glimpse of her and said, “You’re tired?”
Amelia nodded in response.
“All right. Take a nap then.” A few seconds of silence later, Tiffany added, “Babe, I was only joking. Don’t take it to heart. I know you don’t feel good about it either. I was merely teasing.”
Amelia shook her head. She pondered for a while before saying, “I may sound like a thankless wretch for saying this, but sometimes, it is such a burden for me when men are nice to me. If I could, all I wish is for my marriage with Oscar to be stable. I love him. I don’t wish for my child to be born without a father because of me. It’ll make me feel really guilty.”
Tiffany’s heart ached for the woman who bottled her feelings and shouldered her burdens all on her own.
“Silly woman. Don’t think too much about it. You ought to learn from me. If you’re free, watch some TV. If you’re tired, sleep. Thirsty, drink. Don’t bother about anything else. Even if the skies were to fall, we’re not the tallest anyway. It wouldn’t be crashing on us,” Tiffany said in a deliberately lightened tone.
Hearing that, a faint smile appeared on Amelia’s face. Tiffany let out a breath, smiling as well.
When they reached the hospital, Tiffany rested her hand on the steering wheel and said, “Babe, wake up. We’re here.”
It took several seconds for Amelia to sober up. “All right. Let’s go.”
Tiffany undid her seatbelt. She suggested hesitantly, “Why don’t I go see him on your behalf? I’m his friend too. I don’t think he’ll throw me out.”
Amelia raised a brow. “Do you take the Scotts as mobsters, or do you simply think Carter is a bad person?”
Tiffany shrugged. “I don’t have a good impression of the Scott family.”
Amelia shook her head and smiled. “Come on. We won’t have many interactions with the Scotts. There’s no need to stay long. A cursory visit will do.”
Unable to refute, Tiffany could only follow behind her as they entered the hospital.
When they entered the ward, Jennifer Larson was the only one in there with Carter.
Jennifer shot a complicated glance at Amelia, her fists clenched. She put on a haughty attitude and said, “You’re here.”
Amelia glanced at Carter, whose eyes were closed. She nodded and whispered, “Is he asleep?”
“Yes. He was making a fuss about wanting to see you earlier. When he heard you weren’t free to come, he got moody. Who knew you’d come at this hour.”
Amelia and Tiffany crowded around the bed. Although he looked slightly pale, it wasn’t as severe as they imagined. Seeing that, they could finally relax a little.
“I was busy earlier and came as soon as I was done,” Amelia explained vaguely.
Jennifer crossed her arms against her chest, seemingly very arrogant. But if anyone were to take a closer look, she resembled more like a prickly porcupine who was merely trying to guard her love.
“Amelia Winters, I’m glad that you could come to visit Carter. But can you stop coming in the future? Your hot-and-cold attitude toward him would only give him false hopes. You’re already married and will soon give birth to your child. It’s impossible between the two of you. So why can’t you make a clean break with him? Is being co-workers not enough for you?”
Tiffany shielded Amelia with her body and glared at Jennifer furiously. “Jennifer Larson, aren’t you being too ungrateful? You guys were the ones who asked Amelia here. Now that Carter’s awake, you want to chase her away. What the hell do you treat Amelia as? A frisbee that you throw out and retrieve as you wish? How shameless.”
Jennifer stared disdainfully at Tiffany. “Tiffany Winters, I’m speaking to Amelia Winters. Could you not get in the way?”
Tiffany sneered, imitating Jennifer’s posture. “Sorry to say, Amelia only speaks to humans. She doesn’t understand the language of beasts. That’s why I am the messenger. Pardon us, Ms. Larson. It’s rare for us to meet a beast who has a human face as you do.”
Jennifer’s face immediately turned dark. She gritted her teeth and said, “Who are you calling a beast?”
Tiffany shrugged, replying aggravatingly, “Oh. Whoever’s answering me, I guess.”
When Jennifer raised her hand, Tiffany put on a fearful expression and said, “Ms. Larson, don’t be impulsive. This is a hospital ward. If you were to make a scene, whose side do you think Carter Scott will take?”
Jennifer’s face turned even grimmer, her hand remained frozen in the air.
Tiffany clapped her hands and casually added, “Ms. Larson, it’s better for a woman to be gentle. No matter how beautiful you look, an unruly and barbarous woman will not win a man’s heart. Don’t you agree, Carter Scott?”
Jennifer was startled. She turned to the bed, only to see that the previously asleep Carter had opened his eyes and was staring fixedly at Amelia.
Her heart sank. I’ve given so much for him, but none of it could ever compare to a single glance from Amelia. In his heart, I never even existed.
Jennifer felt like a complete fool. It was the first time she made the first move to confess and pour her heart out to a man, yet he remained unmoved, making her look like she was a clown entertaining the crowd.
Her heart was overflowing with sorrow and indignation. Where exactly do I lose to Amelia Winters? Why is everyone so protective of that woman, yet they treat me like I’m dirt? I have a great family background, graduated from a prestigious university, and have model-worthy looks. Are these incomparable to her, who only has her beauty to speak for herself?
No matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t understand. She detested Amelia and was frustrated with Carter’s coldness toward her. If you would just give me a tiny little reaction, I wouldn’t have to feel so much like a fool!
