“Be honest with me, Mr. Clinton. How many women have you kissed?” Amelia interrogated. Simmering with jealousy, she looked him boldly in the eye.
Oscar held a straight face. He leaned into her ear and chuckled suggestively, “Are you being jealous?”
A chill crawled up Amelia’s spine, making her head shake furiously. He’s got a nasty habit of getting on my nerves.
“Mr. Clinton, can you be more serious?” Amelia spoke irritatedly and patted his chest again.
He focused his gaze on her. “Will you believe me if I said that you’re the only woman I’ve kissed so affectionately?”
Amelia gazed into the depths of his eyes; people often said that eyes were the windows to one’s soul, that a person’s eyes reveal whether or not they are sincere.
From the intensity in Oscar’s eyes, Amelia believed that his words were true.
Oscar was a man of few words, but his every word brimmed with sincerity.
“Weren’t you like this with your beloved?”
“I’ve told you. I was too busy with work back when I dated Cassie. Plus, Cassie was wilder then. She’d spend more than half a year on travels and shopping trips. We’d barely get a few days to spend time with each other, and when we did, she would cut our time short to be with her girlfriends. So while I was fond of her, I never touched her intimately.”
Amelia’s eyes widened at him. “So, you and Ms. Yard lived as celibates when you were together?”
Oscar shot a glare her way. He tapped her nose and sighed, “Do you have to ruin the mood?”
Amelia chuckled. Her laughter was light and airy, like her happy disposition.
Her heart swelled with joy when she heard that Oscar wasn’t physically intimate with Cassie. At least I have an advantage over Cassie when it comes to physical touch.
Oscar leaned in for another kiss. Before he could take things to the next level, however, his phone rang untimely.
He pulled out his phone and saw his secretary’s name on the caller id.
He answered and said, “Hello?”
Their exchange on the phone wasn’t audible to Amelia.
“I will arrive in half an hour,” Oscar said before ending the call. Then, he nibbled on Amelia’s lips and promised, “I’ll deal with you later tonight.”
Amelia hopped off the sofa. She helped put on his suit and tie as a virtuous wife would.
Following this, Amelia saw him off at the door. “Drive safely, Mr. Clinton. Are you coming back for dinner tonight? I’ll have Molly prepare some lobster, your favorite.”
“I’ll come home as soon as the meeting ends,” Oscar promised. This was an unusual sight as he rarely made promises to get home early for dinner.
Amelia chuckled, “Alright. Take care, Mr. Clinton. I’ll wait up to have dinner with you.”
Oscar nodded.
Once he left, Amelia retired for a nap.
She slept till four in the afternoon before she freshened up and went out with Molly for some groceries.
“You didn’t have to accompany me, Mrs. Clinton.” Molly continued worryingly, “The farmer’s market can be a bit crowded, and it can smell a bit odd at times. What if someone accidentally bumps into you while we’re walking?”
“Come now, Molly, I’m not that delicate. The doctor says I’m perfectly healthy. Plus, I haven’t cooked in a while. I thought I’d surprise Oscar by cooking him a meal tonight.”
“You’re a good lady Mrs. Clinton,” Molly said endearingly. “Mr. Clinton is blessed to have you for a wife. Seeing the two of you being lovey-dovey makes me happy. I’ve worked for the Clintons for many years, and I’ve watched Mr. Clinton grow up before my very eyes, so he’s like a son to me; I really hope that the two of you can live happily. Maybe because I grew up poor, but I can see that only you are worthy of Mr. Clinton. Any other heiress could never be as devoted to him as you are.”
Amelia held Molly’s hand and smiled softly. “Oscar and I see you as our parent too, Molly. Your hopes for us are kind. We’ll do our best to make it come true.”
“Good, good.”
When they arrived, almost every vendor at the farmer’s market greeted Molly. One of them asked excitedly at the sight of her, “Molly, is this your daughter or your daughter-in-law? What a pretty girl. How long has she been pregnant? Not many youngins are willing to accompany their elders out for grocery these days.”
Molly beamed from ear to ear. “She’s my employer’s daughter-in-law. She happened to have some time today, so she’s joining me on a grocery run.”
Amelia flashed a honeyed smile at the vendor. “Ma’am, seeing that it’s my first time here, are there any deals that I can get for these vegetables? Molly has always praised that your vegetables are the best.”
This brightened the vendor’s mood immediately. She answered with a chirpy smile, “You flatter me, dear! Alright. I’ll let you have this cabbage at two-fifty for a pound. As for the bean sprouts, that’ll be one for each pound. The cauliflower is three-fifty. If Molly buys them all today, I’ll add another twenty percent off.”
Molly bought a fairly large amount of vegetables from this stall. As they continued their grocery shopping, everyone complimented Amelia every step of the way.
After all, it wasn’t every day that a stunning and celebrity-like woman was seen at the farmer’s market.
They shopped for nearly an hour at the market before returning with arms full of grocery bags. They bought some chicken and half a pound of pork ribs, as well as other vegetables.
Upon returning to their residence, Molly suggested, “You go take a rest, Mrs. Clinton. You can start in the kitchen after I prepare the ingredients.”
“Can’t I join you, Molly? It’s more fun to cook together anyways.”
Molly gave in and agreed to her request.
Whilst working in the kitchen, Amelia felt curious about Molly’s life. She asked, “Molly, are you living with your eldest son and his wife now?”
“Yeah. I originally wanted to live with my youngest son, but my eldest and my daughter-in-law insisted on me moving in with them. They’re really devoted children, so I couldn’t help but agree.”
Amelia laughed softly, “You’re so blessed, Molly. All your sons are so filial. The man that previously came over… was that your youngest son? He seemed like a fine young man. I wonder if his life achievements are equally as promising?”
A proud grin spread across Molly’s face. “He passed his civil service exam three months ago. He worked as a manager in a private company previously. Now, he’s a member of the civil service. While he’s not earning large sums, his current job is more stable, and the added benefits are pretty good too.”
Amelia smiled but asked worryingly, “Being a civil service member isn’t too shabby. However, I heard that the salary is low and it’ll be hard to achieve a well-off life, but it’s not entirely impossible. Molly, why don’t you let him work at Clinton Corporations?”
Molly shook her head, declining with a gentle smile. “Clinton Corporations is full of talented people. All of them are graduates from prestigious universities… even the lowest degree holder owns a master’s degree. And let’s not even talk about the foreign doctoral students. I don’t think it’s wise for my son to be a part of such an elite group. After all, he graduated with only a bachelor’s degree. It would embarrass the Thayers’ family name.”
“Molly, those things don’t matter. Although Clinton Corporations do look at an individual’s education levels, it doesn’t mean that higher degree levels are valued above all. Those are just pieces of paper. If someone has a degree but is incapable of work, then they’re basically crippled. I believe that Elijah is a man of stable temperament, as well as refined and scholarly intellect. If he’s ever free in the future, have him come over more often. We’re all family here,” Amelia said heartily.
“You really are a kind person, Mrs. Clinton. I’ve worked here for decades, and I’ve met other housekeepers from wealthy families; they say that some employers are snobbish. They don’t care about us, housekeepers. Sometimes, employers even drastically deduct wages when they’re in a bad mood.”
Amelia cast a warm smile, “You took care of Oscar as he grew up. You’re already family at this point. I can’t even begin to express how much I respect you; how could I ever look down on you? Besides, only obnoxious people think they’re more superior than everyone else.”
Molly smiled back. An endearing warmth hummed in her curved eyes.
Amelia washed and sorted the vegetables that she bought. Molly tittered next to her, “Mr. Clinton will certainly be touched if he knew that you personally made all these dishes for him. The man looks so tough and unfeeling on the outside, but deep down, he’s a softie. He will remember dearly what a woman has done for him. Even if he doesn’t necessarily say he will.”
If she was being honest, Amelia was equally excited about their candlelight dinner that night.
These past few days, Oscar’s keen attitude toward her has reignited her expectations for this marriage.
She even wondered whether their lives would turn out differently if they hadn’t married for money.
The meal took roughly three hours to make. By the time all the dishes were ready, her phone showed that it was already six-thirty in the evening.
Molly had helped place the food out on the dining table and was taking off her apron. She chuckled. “I’ll be off now, Mrs. Clinton. I don’t want to disturb yours and Mr. Clinton’s romantic night together.”
Amelia’s cheeks warmed into a soft pink. She shushed, “Molly! Quit teasing me.”
Molly radiated the warmth of a loving elderly woman as she wished them, “I really hope the two of you continue through life as a loved-up couple. Alright, it’s late now. I won’t stay and third-wheel any longer.”
Once Molly left, Amelia showered and put on some light makeup. She then checked herself in the mirror. She was still as beautiful as ever, the only difference was the fact that there was now an added pregnancy glow on her.
“You got this, Amelia. You’re the best! Go get em!” Amelia cheered her reflection on.
After going downstairs, Amelia sent a text to Oscar. But five minutes passed, and there was still no response. She tried to call him only to find that his phone had been turned off.
He had answered her earlier call at six o’clock. He said that work was ending soon and that he would be back. Yet now, his phone was unexpectedly switched off. This made Amelia’s stomach churn with worry.
She called for the seventh and eighth time, but he was still unreachable.
Amelia called again at seven-thirty. This time her call went through, but a woman had picked up.
“Who are you?” Amelia frowned and asked.
“Hello. May I know your relationship with the owner of this phone? The owner was involved in a car accident. He’s now in the surgical room to get some bandaging done. His phone had run out of battery, so he asked me to find a charging spot. Hence, I answered the phone,” the woman at the other end of the call explained.
Amelia froze at this. She stilled before frantically asking, “Is he badly injured? What’s the name of your hospital? I’ll head over now.”
Once the woman told her the hospital’s address, Amelia yanked her bag and rushed out the door in a frenzy.
As Amelia drove, her blood was icy cold as her stiff fingers clutched onto the steering wheel.
She pursed her lips tightly. Biting down on her lower lip, she drew blood and prayed hard. “Oscar, please be okay… As long as you’re not hurt, I’ll do anything you say from now onwards.”
Although the after-work rush hours had passed, the road was still congested. On top of that, Amelia kept getting stalled at multiple red lights before ending up in a traffic jam. She was already anxious enough, and this made her blood boil.
The commute would have taken half an hour. However, Amelia took one hour to reach the hospital. When she got there, she immediately phoned the woman who answered Oscar’s phone earlier. It didn’t take long before the woman rushed over to her. Only then did Amelia realize that it was a nurse from the hospital.
“Are you Mrs. Clinton?” the nurse asked.
