Too Much to Bear, My Love

Tiffany shot Carter an angry look. “There's someone whom I dislike here that makes the air stale. I can't stand it.”

Amelia glanced at her. “Come on, Tiff. You're an adult now.”

Taking a deep breath, Tiffany spread out her hands and replied, “Fine, it's my fault. I'm being unreasonable. I'll shut up now, alright?”

Amelia did not know what to do with her.

“Tiffany, I was half responsible for what happened back then. I apologize. Give me a chance to treat you to a meal as an apology,” Carter chipped in with a smile.

Seeing the look of warning in Amelia's eyes, Tiffany nodded her head reluctantly.

As soon as Carter walked into The Grand with Amelia and Tiffany, a young, beautiful waitress greeted them, “Mr. Scott, the room you reserved is ready. This way, please.”

They were about to follow the waitress to head upstairs when they bumped into Oscar, who claimed to be on a business trip. Next to him stood a stunning woman, who, to Amelia's astonishment, looked a lot like her. However, the vibes they gave off varied considerably; one was pure and innocent, the other was sultry and vampish.

Amelia was flabbergasted as her hands and feet turned cold. Supporting her by the arm, Tiffany said cynically, “Oh, hi, Mr. Clinton. Weren't you supposed to be on a business trip to Coldbridge? Why are you here with a beautiful woman instead? Ah, I see it now. The business trip is an excuse you cooked up so that you can spend time with your lover. Well, you're a successful businessman, Mr. Clinton, so no one will blame you for keeping one or two mistresses. There's no need for you to lie, really. Tsk, tsk.”

With complicated emotions in her eyes, Amelia looked at Oscar, then put on a graceful smile and said causally, “Mr. Clinton, you're back from your business trip. How may I address this lady?”

Oscar stared at her with pursed lips, while the woman next to him prompted in a sweet voice, “Oz, are these three your friends? Aren't you going to introduce us?”

Returning to his senses, Oscar looked at her before his gaze softened. However, his answer pierced Amelia’s heart. “They're just acquaintances.”

“Don't you think this lady looks like me, Oz?” the woman asked.

“A little, but she’s not as pretty as you are,” replied Oscar.

“Oscar Clinton, you scumbag! Amelia is your wife, not some insignificant woman!” Tiffany glowered at Oscar. Then, she pointed at the woman next to him and said, “I don’t care what your relationship is with Oscar, but you should drop your pretentious act and stop acting like you don't know shit. Women like you are the b*tch in my novels. The man you're with has married someone else, and his wife is my friend right here. Do you understand?”

The woman gave Oscar an innocent look and asked, “What's going on, Oz? You're married?”

Oscar's face instantly clouded over as he looked at Amelia indifferently. “Amelia, get your friend to watch her mouth, or things will get nasty. Cassie came back for a piano performance.”

With the same graceful smile on her face, Amelia extended her arm toward Cassie and complimented, “Oh, so you're Ms. Cassie. Nice to meet you. I've heard about you from Mr. Clinton. You're so pretty.” Since Cassie was pretending not to know her, she did not mind playing along. After all, the former enjoyed being a goody-two-shoes and was the apple of Oscar's eyes.

But why does my heart ache so much?

Cassie shook hands with Amelia and said, “You can call me Cassie. Are you a friend of Oscar's? I don't think I've seen you before.”

“l only met Mr. Clinton after you went abroad. That's why you don't know me.”

“I see.” Turning to look at Oscar, Cassie added, “Oz, why are you pulling a long face? They're your friends. You're scaring them.”

Oscar wrapped his arm around her waist and replied, “I think they're going to have lunch. Let's not disturb them.”

“Alright. Let's go then.” After nodding at Amelia, Cassie went downstairs with Oscar. Enraged, Tiffany was about to lash out when Amelia said in a voice tinged with powerlessness, “Tiff, let me have my dignity.”

Holding back, Tiffany asked worriedly, “Are you okay, Amelia?”

Amelia shook her head and said to Carter, “Carter, I'm sorry you had to see that.”

“You don't look well. We should eat together next time. I'll send the two of you back,” Carter proposed, sounding like a gentleman.

“Thank you.” Amelia gave him an apologetic smile.

“We're friends, so you can always come to me if you have any problems. By the way, that man is Oscar Clinton, right? How did you get involved with him? Or are you really his wife like what Tiffany said?” Shaking her head, Amelia replied with a rare trace of vulnerability in her tone, “Can you not ask so many questions, Carter?”

Carter was not a nosy man, so he dropped the subject and said instead, “I'll send you girls home first then. Remember to come to work on Monday. And, come to me if you have any problems.”

“Thank you!”

Subsequently, Carter sent the two of them back to Amelia's apartment in the city center. After getting out of the car, Amelia said politely, “Carter, thank you for today. I'll definitely go to work on time on Monday.”

“Rest well. Don't think too much,” said Carter gently while nodding. Amelia nodded in response.

After Carter left, she said to Tiffany with a pale face, “Tiff, can I spend the night at your place?”

Suppressing her anger, Tiffany did not have the heart to scold Amelia after seeing her in such a state. Thus, they took a taxi together to her place.

After reaching her home, Tiffany said with her hands on her hips, “Amelia, didn't you feel anything when that scumbag actually brought another woman to your face?”

With her thoughts in a muddle, Amelia replied in a rather pleading tone, “Tiff, can we not talk about him now?”

Tiffany was exasperated. “Why do you become a coward in front of this man, Amelia? Where's the bold Amelia that I know?”

Still feeling a little cold, Amelia asked, “Can you get me a glass of water, Tiff?"

Tiffany held back her anger and went to put the kettle on. “I'm boiling water.”

Amelia nodded and propped her forehead with both hands, seemingly lost in thought.

"Amelia, what exactly are you thinking? The temptress has come right to your face.” Tiffany was short-tempered. Having penned a large number of romance novels, she believed in love and that love was sacred. Perhaps most of the people in the world would laugh at her for her naive thinking, but writing novels had really given her some insights into love.

If Amelia had not been her best friend, she would have grabbed her by the shoulders and asked her what she wanted exactly. Love was such a beautiful thing, and yet Amelia abused it.

Meanwhile, Amelia had recomposed herself and said in a calm tone, “What else can I do other than getting a divorce?”

“Okay, divorce it is, but don't forget to take your share of his assets. Don't act all high and mighty by not taking anything. Otherwise, I'll despise you,” snapped Tiffany angrily.

"Didn't you say that money is not important to you anymore after being on the brink of death once?” Amelia pointed out.

"Yes, I did say so. But I was referring to the income from work. As long as the salary is enough for me to spend, I'm happy. I didn't ask you not to take anything like a saint. You're embarrassing me if you really don't ask for your share.”

Amelia could not help but chuckle.

“What's so funny?”

Amelia shrugged. “I know you're saying this for my own good, Tiff. Don't worry. I know what I should do. I'll take everything that's supposed to be mine.”

Only then did Tiffany stop pulling a long face.

“You know what? Amelia, you had no fight in you at all back at the restaurant.”

“Cassie's return caught me off guard. Next time when I see her, I'll surely get nasty with her.”

Tiffany sneered, “I believe that you still have the fight in you, but you always become meek in front of Oscar. Are you sure you can get nasty with that pretentious b*tch?”

After a brief pause, Tiffany added derisively, “That woman looks innocent. She's good at playing dumb and acting weak in front of men, making her the type of woman most men like. It's no wonder Oscar can still treat her like she’s oh-so-precious. If I were a man, I would've melted too under her coy gaze.”

“Tiff, are you selling ourselves short?”

“No, I'm just telling you that your rival in love should not be underestimated,” asserted Tiffany while wagging her middle finger. Crossing her legs, Amelia leaned forward flirtatiously and said, “The stronger the enemy is, the more interesting it is to fight, isn't it?”

“Well, in my opinion, you should win without having to fight,” Tiffany argued.

Amelia responded with a smile, the sadness in her eyes well-hidden from Tiffany.

In the evening, she received a phone call from Oscar. As soon as she picked up the phone, he ordered in a domineering tone, “Where are you? Come back now.”

He hung up the phone right after speaking.

“Is it Oscar?” asked Tiffany.

Amelia nodded in agreement.

“What did he say?”

“He wants me to go back now.”

“That's it?"

Getting all riled up, Tiffany squeezed the pillow in her arms and added decisively, “Don't go back. If you rush back simply because of a phone call from him, don't call me your friend anymore.”

“He's called. How can I not go back?” Amelia threw the phone on the bed and said nonchalantly.

“You're his wife. How can he simply yell at you?”

“My dear, don't forget that he’s also your savior.”

“The doctor saved me.”

“If he hadn't used his connections and hired James, the best doctor from Anglandur, you might still be lying on the hospital bed in a vegetative state.”

Tiffany glared at her. “Amelia, are you here to play devil's advocate?” Getting off the bed, Amelia put on a red dress, took her bag, and said, “I'm going back.”

“Can you grow a spine, Amelia Winters?”

“Tiff, I know what you wanna say, but I wanna solve the matter between me and Oscar by myself. Don't worry. No one can hurt me unless I allow them to. From the moment I got married to him, I knew that our marriage wouldn't last forever, so I've never fantasized about it being otherwise. It's only after meeting Cassie today that I think Oscar is really a poor judge of character even though he’s good at doing business.” Tiffany snapped her fingers and commented, “Congratulations. You finally have it figured out.”

“Alright. I'm off,” bade Amelia while wearing her bag over her shoulder. Tiffany saw her out. “Call me if you need me after you go back. Also, be more careful now that you're pregnant.”