Chapter 374 Teach Him A Lesson
After Benjamin’s angry outburst, the tension in the apartment became so thick that one could cut it with a knife. Even Amelia, who had always been clingy, refused to come out of her room. Likewise, her friends stayed out of Benjamin’s sight the entire time, leaving Sean all alone in the living room.
“Where’s your mother?” Benjamin asked.
“She’s in her room.”
“Get her some food, then. We don’t want to starve her, do we?”
“Dad, you should know what Mom wants,” Sean muttered in exasperation.
“Sean, you’ve always been my pride and joy, which is why I’ve entrusted you with many responsibilities. It’s bad enough that your mother is throwing this tantrum, but must you follow in her footsteps, too?”
Upon hearing that, Sean fell silent.
“All right, that’s enough. I’m going out to make a call before meeting up with a friend from Beshya. Don’t wait up for me. I won’t be coming back tonight.”
As soon as he said that, Benjamin turned and walked toward the door.
“Dad, I don’t know what reason you have for not wanting to acknowledge her, but why can’t you spare a thought for Mom?” Sean suddenly said. “She has been carrying the guilt and pain with her for over twenty years. If you care about Mom, you should be helping to free her from this emotional prison. Or will you only be happy when something untoward happens to her?”
Benjamin’s steps faltered, but eventually, he left without a word.
Sean plopped down on the sofa as he buried his face in his hands, feeling utterly frustrated yet so helpless.
There was no doubt that the Huttons were in for a long and restless night.
The next day, Benjamin came to Amelia and Tiffany’s apartment early in the morning. Shortly after he rang the doorbell, Tiffany answered the door.
She might have only seen him once, but Tiffany recognized Benjamin immediately. “You must be Mr. Hutton.”
“That’s right. I’m Amelia’s father. We met briefly yesterday, didn’t we? Is it okay if I come in?”
Despite being slightly put off by Benjamin’s sudden visit, Tiffany relented and welcomed him.
“Come on in, then, Mr. Hutton.”
With that, Benjamin strode into the apartment, not at all caring that he was merely a guest.
“Tiff, is that Mrs. Hutton and Amelia?” Amelia asked as she sauntered out of the bedroom with Tony’s hand in hers.
“No. It’s Mr. Hutton.”
There was a flicker of doubt in Amelia’s eyes just as Benjamin’s gaze landed on her. Alas, his glare became so menacing that it scared Tony out of his wits.
“Mommy, he’s so fierce. It’s like he wants to hurt you,” Tony whined, leaving everyone else startled by his words.
However, before anyone could butt in, he shocked them further by crying out for Kurt, “Daddy, come out quick! There’s a man here who wants to hurt Mommy!”
Amelia immediately tugged at her son’s hand and scolded, “Tony, stop spouting nonsense!”
Tiffany, too, hurriedly walked up and scooped Tony up into her arms. “I’m sorry, Mr. Hutton,” she muttered. “You know how kids say the darndest things.”
Despite that, everyone knew that children tended to be more observant and often innocently spoke the truth. Since Tony could tell that something was amiss, it would only mean that Benjamin did intend to inflict harm on Amelia.
However, for a stranger to harbor so much hostility, one could not help but worry about what other ill intentions he might have.
Even though Amelia could not see, she had become adept at sensing the changes in people’s emotions. There was a chance that Benjamin might be her birth father, yet instead of getting a touching reunion, all she felt was her father’s hatred toward her. Sadly, she didn’t know what else she could do.
Just then, Kurt rushed out of the kitchen and instinctively stood in front of Amelia to protect her. “Tiffany, who is this?” he asked as he shot a glance at Benjamin.
“Kurt, it’s just a misunderstanding. Why don’t you continue with the food preparation?”
“The nanny will handle it.”
Releasing a sigh, Tiffany replied, “Fine, this is Amelia Hutton’s father, Mr. Hutton.” Then, turning to Benjamin, she continued, “Mr. Hutton, this strapping young man here is our best friend. He’s a trained fighter, so he’s very alert and sharp.”
Benjamin said nothing as he sized Kurt up.
“Have a seat, Mr. Hutton. Would you like me to invite Mrs. Hutton and Amelia over too?”
“No need. I’m only here for one person.”
At the mention of that, the smile on Tiffany’s face faded slightly. “I see. And who might that person be, Mr. Hutton?”
“Her,” Benjamin responded as he pointed at Amelia. “My wife keeps telling me how much she resembles her daughter and wants me to acknowledge her, so I thought I’d come and take a look for myself. If you don’t mind, can I talk to her in private?”
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible, Mr. Hutton. As you can see, Amelia’s sight isn’t great. If there’s anything you’d like to tell her, you can do so here,” Tiffany stated, stopping in front of Amelia.
After giving it some thought, Benjamin finally nodded.
Even as he sat on the sofa, there was no denying that he had a commanding presence about him.
“Ms. Winters, I have but one simple request, and that is for you to stay away from my wife. I’ve done some digging into your background, and all I can say is that your family is of modest means. I don’t blame you for wanting to improve your standard of life, but I can’t stand by and let you take advantage of a mother’s love for her child,” Benjamin remarked matter-of-factly.
Amelia understood his insinuation, but at the same time, she found it all so amusing.
“Mr. Hutton, I think you’ve misunderstood. Mrs. Hutton and I met purely by chance. However, everyone kept saying how much we resembled each other, and that’s why I found myself gravitating toward her. That said, if you want me to keep my distance from her, I will oblige.”
Straightening his suit, Benjamin nodded. “I sincerely hope you’ll keep your word, Ms. Winters. Our family doesn’t need friends with ulterior motives.”
Having said her piece, Amelia merely responded with a faint smile.
Tiffany, on the other hand, was seething with rage. “Mr. Hutton, I don’t know what business dealings your family has in Saspiuburg, and neither do I care. However, why would someone who can afford this apartment in Beshya ingratiate herself with people she barely knows? Don’t mind me being blunt, Mr. Hutton, but aren’t you a bit too full of yourself?”
Benjamin remained cool as a cucumber as he crossed his legs, looking every bit like the successful businessman that he was.
“Ms. Winters, I’ve seen plenty of people like you who would do just about anything to get into the high-society circles,” Benjamin scoffed before getting up from the sofa. “Ladies, I don’t care where you’re from, and neither do I want to know how you learned about your uncanny resemblance to my wife. She may be soft-hearted and gullible, but that doesn’t mean the rest of the Hutton family are fools.”
Benjamin then walked toward Amelia and added, “This is all I have to say. You better watch your steps from now on. Oh, and just so we’re clear, the Hutton family only has two children. There will never be another.”
With that, he marched out of the apartment.
Benjamin’s words were undoubtedly harsh, and Amelia could not help but feel a tinge of sadness.
As soon as the door closed, Tiffany leaped to her feet, quivering with anger. “Who the hell does he think he is? I know plenty of rich people, but none are as delusional as him. If the rest of the Hutton family are anything like him, I wouldn’t want you there, Amelia, even if you’re related to them.”
Amelia slowly stood up from the sofa and tried to calm her friend down. “Tiff, his comments are irrelevant. There’s no need to get mad over someone like that.”
“Babe, I can’t get over the way he treated you!” Tiffany hollered. “Just because his family belongs to the wealthy elite, he thinks everyone wants to fawn over them. We aren’t so bad ourselves! We have a house, a car, and plenty of money. Why would we need him? Seriously, I’ve never seen anyone so full of himself! He’s utterly shameless!”
“That’s enough, Tiff. You’ve already made it clear that he’s shameless,” Amelia replied. “I need some time alone now. Can you look after Tony for me?”
“Amelia…”
“I’m fine. There’s just a lot going through my mind now. I won’t take long.”
As she watched Amelia gingerly make her way back into the bedroom, Tiffany’s revulsion for Benjamin grew even more.
“Kurt, do you think you can teach the Hutton family a lesson?”
“Leave it to me,” Kurt replied with a dark scowl.
“Good, don’t go easy on him. We have to show him that even though Amelia has left the Clintons, she still has plenty of people sticking up for her.”
Kurt nodded, having already thought of a plan.
