Chapter 755 Is What The Internet Says True
“What’s going on? I spent all that money getting you guys to bump that post, and this is what you do for me?” Benjamin roared into his phone.
A man’s calm voice responded through the line, “We do exactly as we’re paid to, Mr. Hutton. This is our professional code. We’ve been doing our best to flood the comments section, but the other party seems to be bigger in number. That’s why they’ve managed to drown us out so quickly.”
“I can pay you more. Do whatever it takes to subdue those comments,” Benjamin demanded. “Of course, Mr. Hutton. As long as you’re willing to pay us, we’ll get more people to work.”
After Benjamin had someone transfer a large sum into the other party’s bank account, it wasn’t long until more alternate accounts began to surface on the internet. Then, more heated arguments ensued between the two parties, sending the post about Oscar to the headlines.
Many modern and traditional media outlets tried to obtain exclusive coverage of these two wealthy families.
As the post became increasingly viral, what was once simply a battle between two ghostwriting parties soon gained the attention of netizens who just wanted to enjoy the show. Now, with the public split into three main groups and commenting on the post for the next few days, magnified pictures of Oscar and Amelia emerged online too, and many netizens expressed that the two were a match made in heaven.
The whole incident also became an indirect plug for both Clinton Corporations and Hutton Corporations, allowing the two groups’ shares to skyrocket in value.
Sean couldn’t help but smirk as an employee reported to him. He certainly hadn’t expected a single post to benefit the company to such an extent. The price of our shares will probably continue to hike even after things die down. What a pleasant surprise!
“Should we add a little more oil to the flame, Mr. Hutton? Posts like these are sure to help boost the company’s popularity once each party takes its stance. I’m sure other companies will be more interested in working with us then,” the employee proposed.
“Go ahead, but don’t overdo it. Just keep luring the public into bickering with each other to keep the post trending for a few more days,” Sean replied, clearly in a good mood.
“Very well, Mr. Hutton. I’ll be on my way if we’re done here.”
Sean nodded.
After the employee left, Sean pondered for a moment before deciding to give Oscar a call.
“Hello, Mr. Clinton. Are you seeing the way things are going thanks to that post? Now, both our families are reaping the benefits of it. I’m calling you to ask for your opinion—should we keep the post trending for a few more days before taking it down?” he asked as though in the midst of a negotiation.
Oscar was feeling rather cheery too, given how well his company’s stocks were doing now.
“Sure, but don’t drag Amelia into this. I don’t want people to bother her. Do you understand what I’m saying?” he asked in a low voice.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Clinton. I don’t want her to get hurt either,” Sean answered earnestly. “Whether or not you trust me, I really do see her as my own sister. She deserves to have a man treat her well.”
“I hope you remember what you just said. I won’t let you off if I ever find out that you’re using her,” Oscar threatened.
“With you around, I won’t be able to use her even if I want to! Besides, Amelia’s a smart girl. There’s no way she’d allow herself to be used.”
“Blood is thicker than water to her.” No matter how intelligent Amelia was, family always had a special place in her heart.
Sean fell silent at that.
Oscar was right. It was clear from how she cared for Eleanor when the latter was critically ill. In fact, she was even more meticulous than Amelia Hutton.
Amelia Winters never asked for anything in return for her kindness, and that made Sean see her in a different light. She was extraordinary, and while Amelia Hutton was a beauty herself, the latter wasn’t too great in other aspects.
“I’ll send some of my men over to discuss the post with you,” said Oscar. “They’ve been with me for many years and are nothing but loyal to me. Send them back to me when you’ve regained power over your company. I still need them.”
“I understand,” Sean responded, snapping back to reality. “I’d like to treat you and Amy to a meal if I manage to get my company back, Mr. Clinton. We’re still family at the end of the day.”
“There’s no need for that. I don’t mind you meeting up with Amelia, but don’t bring your father and younger sister with you. I don’t like them.”
Sean laughed as awkwardness flashed in his eyes briefly. “Don’t worry.”
After hanging up, Oscar browsed the internet and saved a photoshopped image of him and Amelia as his desktop wallpaper. Seeing the picture of Amelia grinning from ear to ear could turn his bad day into a good one.
A knock came on the door at that moment. “Come in,” he called out.
With a push of the door, Amelia walked in with an exquisite five-tiered lunchbox.
“Hey, Oscar.”
The man rose to his feet, walked toward her, and took the lunchbox from her hands. “What are you doing here? You should’ve called me before coming over. What if I was in the middle of a meeting? You’d end up having to wait for me.”
“I just dropped by to pass you your lunch. I’m planning to return to work the day after tomorrow, so I might not be able to bring you food when that happens.”
“Why not get some more rest at home?”
“It’s fine. Tony has been brought over to the Clinton residence this morning, and it’s not like I can follow him there every single time. I may as well get back to work. Otherwise, the boredom will only make my mind wander too far.”
“Whatever makes you happy. Will you still be working for Shane?”
“He gave me a call earlier today to send his condolences. Then, we talked about work. He said the director of design position remains open for me, so I figured that I just can’t let him down. I may have studied design in the past, but I haven’t done much designing ever since I married you. Many things have happened in the past few years. I don’t want to give up my career.”
“If that’s what you want, go ahead,” Oscar remarked while opening up the lunchbox filled with some usual but radiant-looking homemade dishes. “You made all this for me?”
“You can tell?”
“They look different from what Molly makes.”
“Then, do you prefer Molly’s cooking or mine?”
“I prefer you.”
The woman was bereft of words.
After they were done eating together, Amelia asked, “Are you not going to delete that post?”
“Not for now. We’ll keep it up so people can continue saying whatever they want about it,” answered Oscar. “Your dad tried to use that post to force me into letting him see you, but it ended up working to my advantage instead. Don’t you think it’s fun to watch him get p*ssed off by the company’s rising stock prices?”
“I understand what you’re trying to do, Oscar, but I hope you know when to stop.” Amelia frowned. “I don’t know what he was thinking, though. How could he cause such a stir when Mom just passed on? What if she can’t rest in peace?”
“Don’t think too much of it. You still have Tony and me.”
The woman could only nod.
“Good luck with work. I’ll be off now,” she said while packing away the lunchbox. “Shane sent me a few pictures that need some changes. He wants them by tonight.”
“Be careful on your way back. Call me when you get home,” reminded Oscar as he walked her to the door and pecked her on the lips.
Nodding, Amelia beamed and left.
As soon as she arrived on the ground floor and walked out of the elevator, Isabella caught sight of her.
Isabella had initially wanted to call out to Amelia, but she decided to follow the latter instead.
She didn’t know why she was doing that; her instincts just told her to.
After Amelia drove off in a car, Isabella quickly hopped into her own vehicle and did the same.
She continued to follow Amelia, who eventually parked outside a café and walked inside with her purse.
Curious, Isabella entered the café too.
Then, she spotted Amelia in a corner, but the woman was not alone. Rather, she seemed to be chatting away happily with a tall, robust-looking man.
A ruthless look gleamed in Isabella’s eyes.
It looks like Lady Luck is on my side! I made the right decision to follow her.
She hastily ordered herself a cup of coffee before finding a discreet seat where she could keep an eye on Amelia’s facial expressions.
“It’s been a while, Gary. I didn’t think you’d call,” Amelia remarked with a smile as soon as she sat down.
Gary Laird stared at the woman he hadn’t met for three years in a slight daze. “Indeed, it has. You suddenly left without a word three years ago. I never managed to find you even after getting people to look for you, so I thought I’d never see you again. I wouldn’t have known that you’ve returned to Tayhaven if I hadn’t come across that post on the internet a few days ago.”
“I divorced Oscar three years ago for my own reasons, so I left for Beshya in an attempt to get away from the memories I had made here. That’s why I cut everyone in Tayhaven off and stayed in Beshya for two years until Oscar found me,” Amelia explained, sipping on the coffee Gary had bought her. “We’ve remarried, but so much happened within the past year that I remained out of touch with friends from the past even after I came back. I thought you’d have forgotten me by now, but it turns out you’re the first one to call me up.”
Gary smiled bitterly.
He had fallen for Amelia at first sight three years ago and couldn’t see himself with any other woman ever since. He also couldn’t stop comparing every woman he met to her, and that was why he still hadn’t settled down despite now being in his thirties.
Now, they finally met each other again. Amelia looked just as stunning as she did three years ago. The only difference was she now had a more inexplicable charm to her.
“Have you gotten married, Gary?” asked Amelia.
The man stirred his coffee with a spoon. “I’ve been so focused on my career all this while that I haven’t really thought about dating anyone.”
“Well, what about Riley, the one you employed as my bodyguard back then? Hasn’t anything happened between you two? She was so into you!” Amelia teased.
“She got married to an engineer two years ago,” Gary answered nonchalantly. “She just gave birth to a chubby boy this year, by the way. I’m his godfather now.”
Amelia was visibly surprised. She could tell how much Riley used to like Gary, so it was quite a shock for her to learn of what happened.
“I thought she and you would end up together.”
“She’s like a sister to me.”
Amelia nodded in response.
As they continued to chat, Gary noticed how her complexion now looked better, although she had lost quite a bit of weight. “Does your husband treat you well?” he asked in concern. “The post says he doesn’t allow you to meet your dad. Is it true?”
“He’s very kind to me. Whatever the post says is fake. Well, it’s a long story, but I’ll tell you more when we have the time.”
Gary nodded.
In spite of his large, brawny physique, he was especially considerate of the woman’s feelings.
