Chapter 800 Help
Amelia pulled Eva behind her and said to James coldly, “James, Eva is rather upset now, so I’m taking her home. Go back to the hospital. We’ll talk another day.”
Rubbing his swollen cheek, James nodded. “I’ll be going back, then, Amelia. Do talk to her.” After saying that, he swiftly left. Eva initially wanted to chase after him, but Amelia held her back.
“Stop messing around, Eva. Right now, go back to my house and stay there. I’ll have a chat with you when I return after work. I think you’ve already reached the point where you’ve got no bottom line in loving someone,” Amelia reprimanded with a stony expression.
Eva bit her lip hard. Yet, her eyes remained trained in the direction where James left, making it clear as day that her thoughts were still on the man.
At the sight of her in such a condition, sheer disappointment swamped Amelia.
“Go home. Otherwise, our relationship ends here,” Amelia ordered austerely.
Eva wavered for a while, but still, she left in the end.
When Amelia returned home in the afternoon after work, Eva had several pamphlets on cosmetic surgery centers spread in front of her and several books on increasing one’s height through surgery scattered by her leg. The instant she saw all that, her expression darkened frightfully.
“Eva.” She walked over, keeping a tight rein on her fury.
As soon as Eva saw Amelia and Oscar entering the house, she put away the books on the table. Feigning calmness, she greeted with a smile, “Amelia, Oscar, you’re both home.”
Amelia pointed at the books in her hands and demanded, “What’s with all these, Eva? You should give me an explanation, no?”
Eva shook her head and fibbed, “It’s nothing, Amelia. I was merely looking through them casually. Since both you and Oscar are home, I’ll go back to my room. I’ll have to return to base for training in a few days.”
“Stop right there.”
“Amelia,” Eva purred, hoping to diminish Amelia’s dissatisfaction.
“We shall talk after dinner,” Amelia stated without any room for negotiation.
Left with no other choice, Eva could only relent.
After dinner, Amelia called Eva to the study.
She crossed her arms before her chest, looking all serious.
“Eva, no matter what, I’ll never agree to you undergoing cosmetic surgery. It’s true that a woman beautifies herself for her beau, but that’s on the premise of not damaging her own countenance. If you really go for cosmetic surgery and limb-lengthening surgery because of a single remark from James, I’ll break your leg straight away. Also, I’ll feel ashamed on your behalf that you’re stooping so low in loving someone,” she asserted gravely.
Eva remained silent, but her eyes slowly turned red-rimmed.
“I really love him a lot, Amelia. I’ve never liked someone so much. From the moment I laid eyes on him, I felt that he was my Prince Charming. He’s so outstanding that he practically shines. Truly, I can’t live without him. Amelia, cosmetic surgery and limb-lengthening surgery are the only methods available to me. As long as I become his type, I believe he’ll fall in love with me,” she countered aggrievedly.
Amelia regarded her in anguish.
“Eva, the fact that you’re saying such words breaks my heart. Because of a man, you’ve even lost your bottom line. Are you not ashamed of yourself?” Amelia questioned.
Eva said nothing.
Inhaling deeply, Amelia composed herself.
“Eva, I don’t mind allowing you to mess around, but my only condition is that you can’t damage your body,” she warned.
Eva remained silent, but deep within, she had already made up her mind. She was planning to go for cosmetic surgery.
For James’ sake, I’m willing to do anything at all, even if doing such things will damage my body!
“Got it, Amelia,” Eva muttered.
When Eva wanted to leave the house the next day, Amelia asked Oscar to send two men to tail her.
Oscar did as she wished but then said to her, “She’s already an adult, so she can take responsibility for the decisions she makes. If she wants to have cosmetic surgery, you can stop her once, but you can’t stop her forever.”
“I’m not stopping her from having cosmetic surgery. If she wants to do it because she’s dissatisfied with her appearance, I definitely won’t stop her although I don’t quite agree. But now, she’s planning to do it because of a single remark from James. That’s what makes me angry. What if James were to say that he’d only fall in love with her if she jumped off the building one day? Wouldn’t she then do as he says?” Amelia huffed.
That had Oscar torn between amusement and exasperation.
“You worry too much, Amelia. She’s already in her twenties, so she has a certain degree of judgment. If she were to really commit suicide because of a man, she doesn’t deserve other people’s sympathy then.”
Following his remark, Amelia’s rage blazed hotter. Dad told me to take good care of Eva, so I can’t take such “good care” of her that the whole of the Winters family doesn’t recognize her anymore when she returns during New Year, can I?
As Oscar clocked her irritation, his gaze abruptly darkened. A plan took shape within him.
After driving Amelia to her office, he turned the car around and headed to the hospital.
Climbing out of the car, he went into the hospital and marched straight to the director’s office. James, who was working in the room, stood up and exclaimed, “What brought you here, Oscar?” Just when he had finished saying that, Oscar’s fist landed on his face. Thanks to that punch, his face, which had been marred with bruises, turned all the more unsightly.
As James cradled his throbbing face, he wanted to speak, but he ended up grimacing in pain.
“Have you lost your mind, Oscar? Why did you hit me?” James questioned in bewilderment.
Oscar’s expression was frightfully grim. He stared at the other man in displeasure.
Only then did James realize the gravity of the matter. Rolling his jaw, he walked over and queried, “What’s wrong? I don’t think I did anything wrong that would anger you, did I?”
“You didn’t anger me, but you upset Amelia. As I said, you can do anything here, but you can’t ever offend Amelia. You turned a deaf ear to my words, huh?” Oscar snarled, sweeping a glance over him.
James was nonplussed, helplessness inundating him.
“You’ve got to show a bit of fairness in your speech and actions, Oscar. I rejected Eva because we’re not suited. You can’t have me tie myself to her just because she’s Amelia’s cousin,” he whined in exasperation.
Glaring at him, Oscar replied coldly, “I’m not asking you to be with her. I won’t interfere in your love life. However, you shouldn’t have proposed such unreasonable requirements. If she were to have cosmetic surgery and limb-lengthening surgery for real, Amelia would undoubtedly feel guilty. When something is burdening her mind, she’ll be out of sorts. Do you still think this matter has nothing to do with me?”
James went silent, and a hint of guilt showed in his eyes.
“I was merely joking, Oscar. I never thought that she’d really take it seriously.”
“You were joking? You’ve known her for a while now. Don’t tell me you can’t tell that she really loves you.”
Left without a retort, James said nothing.
Oscar placed his hands at his back, enunciating with an exceedingly solemn expression, “I don’t care about the romantic entanglements between you two. But I hope you’ll talk her out of it. If this matter worries Amelia, our friendship will also end here.”
Exasperation flooded James. Well, he’s the only one who can make such a remark that expresses “dates before mates” bluntly and without guilt.
“I’ve still got something to do, so I’ll be leaving first. Go and settle the matter about Eva.” After saying that, Oscar left right away.
James ruffled his hair irritably. The moment he moved his mouth, he tugged on his injury. The pain was so excruciating that he grimaced once more.
Coincidentally, Eva came to the hospital to seek him out with a ton of food. Upon seeing the bruises marring his face, she hurriedly inquired in concern, “Did I go too far when I hit you yesterday, James? Why have the bruises on your face grown in number?”
James shot her a complicated look. He instinctively backed away, wariness distinctly written in his eyes.
Eva was slightly hurt when she saw that. “Are you afraid of me, James?”
James took another step back, but he replied with feigned nonchalance, “I think it’s best that we keep a distance between us since you’re so skilled at combat arts. Also, I’ve made it clear that I don’t have any feelings for you. Your appearance before me each time is a burden.”
His words were so hurtful that Eva felt as though she was pierced by a thousand arrows.
Forcing a smile, she declared, “It’s okay. It’s enough that I like you. I prepared a lot of delicious food for you. Consider it an apology for my impulsiveness previously. You’re busy with work, so you probably haven’t had breakfast, yes? I prepared a myriad of dishes. Go ahead and eat.”
A glimmer of dilemma flashed across James’ eyes. Subsequently, his tongue became much sharper.
“Stop doing this, Eva. I beg you. It’ll be a mercy if you’d stay away from me. You don’t need to go and have cosmetic surgery or limb-lengthening surgery either. Even if you transform into a devastating beauty, I still won’t have feelings for you. Other than falling in love with you, I’ll agree to any compensation you want. My only request is that you never appear before me again. Can you do that?” James implored.
Eva clutched the fork tightly, tears welling in her eyes.
She tilted her head up, forcing the tears in her eyes back.
“Eat first. I woke up at five o’clock in the morning to prepare these.” She handed the fork to him without looking him in the eye.
James felt a touch sorry for her, but irritation predominated.
“No, thanks. A leukemia patient on the sixth floor is waiting for me to go and check him out. Go back first.” Having said that, he brushed past her and headed toward the door.
Eva remained standing there, asking stubbornly, “James, would you fall in love with me if I were to really have cosmetic surgery to look like Ms. Yates?”
In order to have him, she was even willing to become a replica of someone else.
Loving him to the marrow, she gave up her dignity.
James’ hand stilled on the doorknob. After a moment’s hesitation, he answered firmly, “No. Compared to a replica, I prefer the real thing without any flaws.”
No sooner had he opened the door and left than Eva collapsed onto the ground. She yanked at her hair helplessly and irritably.
She simply couldn’t figure out why James didn’t like her. Why can’t he take my feelings for him seriously when I’ve changed so much for his sake?
She sat on the ground for a long time. In the end, she sprinted out.
When Amelia received a call from her, her hitched voice rang out, “Say, Amelia, just why can’t James like me? I’m really devastated right now. It feels as though countless ants are biting my heart. He’s the only man I love, but he disdained me from head to toe. Say, is my existence in this world superfluous?”
Terror struck Amelia when she heard that, and she forgot all about her design draft.
She hastily strode out of the design department, with Jolin following at once.
“Where are you right now, Eva? Don’t do anything foolish. You can talk to me,” Amelia maintained urgently.
“I’m at the seaside. Amelia, only now do I notice that the color of the sea is rather lovely. It should be pretty nice to stay here forever.”
At those words, Amelia grew all the more frantic.
“Which seaside are you at? I’ll go over and look for you right away!” she demanded.
“Which seaside? I don’t know. I drove here randomly.”
“Then, don’t hang up the phone. I’ll go over to look for you right away!”
However, just as her words fell, the disconnect tone sounded from the other end of the phone.
Anxiousness was written all over Amelia’s face. Seeing that, Jolin assured, “Don’t worry, Mrs. Clinton. I’ll give the others a call right away. With them helping, Ms. Winters will definitely be fine.”
Clutching her phone tightly, Amelia replied, “Okay, quickly do that, then. We can’t let anything happen to Eva.”
In no time, Jolin phoned the others.
Amelia wasn’t idle either. She strode right toward the elevator. Jolin followed while making calls.
Just as she stepped out of the building, she heard Gary calling out to her, “Amelia!”
At the sight of him, she asked urgently, “Can you lend me a hand, Gary? My cousin ran into some relationship problems. She’s now at the seaside. Can you send your men to help look for her? I’ll transfer the money to your company’s account when she’s found.”
“Sure! I’ll call them over to help right away! We’re friends, so let’s not speak about money,” Gary replied.
Amelia merely smiled without saying anything.
Jolin, on the other hand, swept a wary glance at the man.
