Chapter 729 Trauma
Stephanie snorted lightly. “Amelia, Noah is just being concerned about you. Why are you treating him so coldly?”
Amelia shot her a glance. Before she could say anything, Tony skipped down the stairs and pounced on Olivia, clinging to the latter in a cute manner. Olivia hugged him with a loving look on her face.
“Oh, my lovely grandson. Aren’t you happy that your mom’s back? You won’t be a crybaby anymore, will you?” she said with a smile. Tony nodded.
Stephanie felt slightly jealous as she watched Olivia pouring all the affection onto Tony, who was still in her embrace. From Stephanie’s point of view, he had taken away all the motherly love that once belonged to her. In the past, Amelia’s presence turned Stephanie, the legitimate daughter of the Clintons, into a nobody. And now, Tony was doing the same.
Both Amelia and Tony were like Stephanie’s nemesis. As long as Tony said something, Stephanie would not stand a chance to be heard in front of Olivia.
Stephanie commented sarcastically, “Mom, Tony’s turning three soon. He can start going to preschool next semester. If you pamper him so much, he won’t be able to do anything on his own when he starts school. He’ll be ostracized by his schoolmates if that happens.”
Olivia released Tony and glared at Stephanie with a frown. The former’s eyes were clearly filled with displeasure.
Noah cursed Stephanie in his heart and put on an apologetic smile. “Mom, Stephanie doesn’t mean it that way. She just thinks Tony is a smart boy and should be trained to be independent at a young age. After all, he’s not from an ordinary family.
He’ll have to take over this massive family business in the future. Stephanie doesn’t want him to turn out problematic. She’s just being straightforward because she loves him. He’s a boy anyway, so having a sense of independence will do him some good.”
It was only then that Olivia’s expression eased up.
“Stephanie, you should learn more from Noah. Don’t offend others with your straightforwardness. I pamper Tony because he deserves it. He massages my back when it hurts and even says he’ll earn a lot of money to buy me gifts when he’s older.
He’s sweet, sensible, smart, and knows how to make adults happy. These are skills that you don’t have. You’re his aunt, yet sometimes, you are not as sensible as him. You should mind yourself and not let a child turn you into a joke,” Olivia scolded.
Stephanie clenched her fingers, feeling extremely displeased. Stephanie knew Olivia loved Tony very much, but she felt as if Olivia did not care about her own daughter after having a grandson.
“Mom—” Before Stephanie could finish, Noah pinched her hand, saying, “Mom, Stephanie’s pregnant. It’s natural for her to be a little emotionally agitated during this period. For the sake of your grandchild, please don’t be mad at her.”
Olivia finally remembered that Stephanie was pregnant. A woman’s emotions changed drastically during their pregnancy. In fact, some would even have prenatal depression because of the family’s negligence. Besides, Olivia still loved Stephanie deep down.
After pondering for a moment, Olivia said gently, “Stephanie, you shouldn’t move about when you’re pregnant. Stay at home and relax. If you’re bored, you can come home and stay with us for a few days. I’ll get the cook to make your favorite food.”
“Got it, Mom.”
Olivia sat there for some time and said, “Amelia, I’m sure you must be shocked since you just came back. Well, Owen and I shall not stay here any longer. Remember to come home with Oscar for a meal sometime, okay?”
“Okay, Mom.”
As Olivia and Owen got up to leave, the former said, “Stephanie, why don’t you leave with us? Amelia needs to rest.”
Given no choice, Stephanie stood up, shot Amelia a look of dissatisfaction, and walked out of the house. Isabella followed behind her, secretly glancing at Amelia while concealing the jealousy and hatred in her eyes.
The plane had gone missing, yet she was fine. Moreover, she was found in just three days. It was undeniable that Amelia was very lucky. Not only was she able to regain her sight, but she was also discovered even after the plane went missing. It was as if the gods had poured all the good luck on her.
No matter how unhappy Isabella was with the outcome, she could do nothing but only leave with Olivia.
Once they were gone, Eva said somewhat angrily, “Oscar, why is your sister like that? Does she really want Amelia to die so badly? Amelia’s her sister-in-law! She’s really outrageous. If I were a stranger, I would’ve thought she was an unruly and narrow-minded woman.”
Amelia cleared her throat, saying, “Eva, watch your words.”
“Am I wrong, Amelia? We were so anxious when something happened to you. I couldn’t get back in time because I had a training mission at that time, and I wasn’t allowed to take leaves. I was so worried that I made mistakes while training my men, leading me to be scolded by the chief instructor. It was only then that he realized something was off with me and gave me two days off. I rushed to the airport and took the first flight home. Thank goodness you’re okay. Otherwise, I would’ve been worried to death,” said Eva.
Amelia’s lips curled into a smile. “Thank you for your concern, but I’m fine now. You should focus on your work. Don’t get distracted because of me.”
“Got it, Amelia,” Eva answered. However, another concern came to her mind after thinking for some time. “Amelia, are you really fine? We’re talking about a plane going missing, after all. Should we get James to examine you?”
Amelia was amused by her words. “I’m really fine. Look at how lively I am. I was just stranded on the island for a few days. To be honest, I did miss home. I was worried Tony might overthink things when he realized I wasn’t around. I was also worried that no one would come to rescue me. Anyway, everything’s fine now. All is good.”
“It’s great that you’re fine. You’ve really given me a shock during these three days.” Eva walked over and gave Amelia a tight hug. To everyone’s surprise, the former spoke in a childish manner. “You made me so worried, Amelia. You’ve got to compensate me for the psychological trauma I went through. I bet many of my brain cells died along the process.”
Amelia did not know whether to laugh or cry. In the end, she played along. “Okay. I’ll compensate you for the trauma you have suffered.”
Meanwhile, Julian, who had been sitting in the corner silently, watched the drastically different Eva in amusement. Last they saw each other, she was still a tomboy with a punk hairstyle. But now, she had transformed into a gorgeous woman. It was way out of his expectations, which intrigued him at the same time.
What kind of magic can make a woman so confident, charismatic, and straightforward at the same time? She can be as fierce as a man, yet feminine when she dolls up herself. She’s really interesting. Then again, she seems to adore this “James”. Looks like someone has a place in her heart already. I’m just one step too late. Ah… What a pity.
After all the clingy interactions, Amelia turned to look at James. “Have you been to Saspiuburg? How’s my mom? I got home too late last night, and I didn’t manage to call them.”
James responded, “Amelia, I’m going to be honest with you. Mr. Hutton doesn’t want me to be involved with his wife’s condition. So, I haven’t visited Saspiuburg ever since I came back from there.”
Amelia frowned, asking, “When did this happen? You’re extremely experienced in neurosurgery. Why would he not want you to be involved in my mom’s treatment? Even if he hates me, he shouldn’t risk my mom’s life.”
Amelia was slightly furious. After all, she got onto a plane for Eleanor’s sake. She could not help but feel mad when she heard the relatively bad news.
“I think Mr. Hutton has his own plans. Some people might take me as a specialist, but some might not,” James remarked nonchalantly.
Eva was perplexed by what she heard. “Amelia, is Aunt Melanie sick?” She still did not know that Amelia had met her biological mother.
“No. It’s my biological mother. She’s diagnosed with a malignant tumor that’s in the metaphase,” said Amelia.
Eva blurted, “Metaphase? That’s basically hopeless, isn’t it?” As soon as those words left her mouth, she realized she was rather insensitive. “I’m sorry, Amelia. I don’t mean that. It’s just that I heard malignant tumors in the metaphase can’t be operated on. That’s why—”
“It’s okay. It’s indeed a little tricky with her tumor in its metaphase. Many doctors have recommended going with the conservative treatment, but James’ medical skills are exceptional. Even his mentor is incredible. Thus, I figured there’ll still be hope for my mom if James worked together with his mentor.”
Eva immediately turned toward James and said, “James, get your mentor to make a trip to Chanaea and operate on Amelia’s mom. You and Amelia are basically best friends. You can’t possibly not lend a helping hand, can you? The man I adore would never be so heartless.”
James frowned upon hearing her words.
Amelia piped up, “Don’t speak so mindlessly, Eva. Let’s continue this conversation after I’ve gone over to Saspiuburg in the afternoon to check with the Hutton family. If Mr. Hutton really insists on not involving the doctor I hired, then there’s nothing I can do.” However, she could not help but feel upset over the fact that Benjamin was risking Eleanor’s life. That man was too unpredictable. Most of the time, she could not figure out what was on his mind.
“You’re not allowed to go, Amelia,” said Oscar suddenly. There was still a lingering fear of the missing plane incident in his heart. Hence, he was not going to allow Amelia to board any planes for the time being.
“Oscar, I understand your concerns, but she’s my mom. I can’t just sit here and do nothing. You can come with me if you want to,” Amelia said weakly.
Oscar frowned. “Do you really want to go to Saspiuburg?” It was impossible to force Amelia to stay if she insisted on going.
“Yes, Oscar. I won’t let anything happen to me. The missing plane incident was just an accident.”
Oscar gazed at her intently. Finally, he had no choice but to compromise.
“I’ll get my secretary to get two flight tickets. Let’s go there together. I’ll stay there for a day and come back,” he said.
“Thank you, Oscar. Sorry for troubling you again.”
“You’re my woman, after all. Who are you going to cause trouble if not for me?”
His words put a soft smile on Amelia’s lips.
“James, will you be my mom’s attending doctor if I manage to convince the Hutton family to let her come to Tayhaven?” asked Amelia, looking at James.
“As long as it’s an order from you, I’ll do anything you want, not to mention being an attending doctor.”
“Hey, James. Oscar should be saying that instead. You can’t steal his line. You’re mine,” Eva said domineeringly. James was rendered speechless.
Soon, Eva, James, and Julian left, leaving Tiffany and Derrick in the house. “Tiff, why don’t you and Derrick stay for a meal? I’ve gotten Molly to get a lot of ingredients, but she can’t cook because her grandson’s sick. Do you want to help me cook?”
Tiffany nodded. Thus, Amelia and Tiffany entered the kitchen, leaving the two men, Derrick and Oscar, staring at each other.
As soon as they stepped into the kitchen, Tiffany punched Amelia gently on the back, saying agitatedly, “Babe, you gave me a shock. I just finished writing my script when I heard the news about your disappearance. I told Derrick to locate you using his connections, but we found nothing. I really thought you’d be lost forever this time. I’m going to get a heart attack if you do this again.”
Amelia burst into laughter. “Oh, come on. I’m fine now, ain’t I? Remember what you kept telling me back then? Something about good people not living long while cunning ones live up to a thousand years? I’m such a gorgeous vixen. I bet even Hades doesn’t have the heart to take my soul. Don’t worry, okay?”
Tiffany could not help but laugh, too. “I like how you still remember that joke from the past. You know what? If the plane falls into the sea, I won’t even get to see your body. Where am I supposed to go during your death anniversary, then? Tsk. You’re always giving me problems.”
“Oh, please spare me from that.”
Time flew as both of them continued chatting in the kitchen.
While stir frying the vegetables, Tiffany’s voice rang out among the sizzling sound. “Babe, I think you should stop getting involved in the Hutton family’s business. Look, none of them called to check in on you after you got into an accident. Clearly, they’re a group of heartless beings. You don’t even get anything for the kind efforts you put in on normal days.”
“I don’t really expect anything in return. It’s just that Mrs. Hutton treats me well from the bottom of her heart. I’m just helping out now that she’s sick. Otherwise, I won’t be able to repay her kindness once she’s really gone.”
Tiffany moved her lips as if she wanted to say something. Ultimately, she swallowed her unspoken words. “Fine. As long as you’re happy with it.” Amelia smiled.
The two worked together and prepared many dishes. All five of them, including Tony, enjoyed the meal happily. No one mentioned the incident of the lost plane, yet it left a trauma in Oscar’. From that point onward, he had the deep seeded fear of letting Amelia fly on her own unless he was there with her.
If not, he would not agree to Amelia’s traveling if it required flying. He would never approve of it, no matter how hard she tried to convince him.
