Ch. 36..40: My Sugar And Your Spice Chapter 36-40
Chapter 36
At that moment, Amelie slapped the person instinctively.
“It’s me, Elyse!” said the person. Then, he opened up the flashlight on his phone. From the faint light, Amelie could see a man with a buzz cut He had an arrogant and unruly face.
At the same time, the person also saw her. Then, his concerned eyes turned cold, and he pushed her away in disgust while saying, “How is it you?”
Only did Amelie know who he was when she heard his voice. “Ashton?”
It was obvious that he had mistaken her for Elyse.
At that moment, Ashton took a big step backward, frowned in irritation, and huffed. Then, he took out a tissue before her and wiped his hands. Although he didn’t say anything, his actions were enough to prove that he did
not welcome Amelie.
Knowing that Ashton disliked her, Amelie turned and left since she did not intend to stay and watch Ashton’s reaction. However, as soon as she was about to leave, Ashton called out and said, “Do you have to be this disgusting, Amelie?”
Then, he threw the tissue on the ground harshly and stepped on it with his leather shoe. While crumpling the tissue with his foot, he said, “Do you think that Leo would acknowledge you if you sound like Elyse and dress like her?” As he spoke, he kicked the crumpled tissue and glared at her in contempt.
Hearing his words, Amelie looked at her Chanel dress. It was an exclusive brand, and it was only normal for her to own it given her status. As for her voice, she recalled that Julia had said something similar as well.
“You are a clown! No matter how much effort you put in, you are still different from her, looking hideous as ever! I’d advise you to stop with such sickening actions!” Ashton’s words were harsh. After he finished his words, he stuffed his hands in his pocket and walked past her arrogantly.
Just as he was about to walk away, Amelie called out for him and stood in front of him. To his surprise, she was not mad but smiling. “Where do you live, Ashton?” she asked.
When Ashton heard her words, he looked at her in confusion and wondered why she was smiling and caring. about where he lived when he had said such terrible words toward her. However, her following words were like a slap to him. “Let me guess; you probably live in a swamp since you’re so vile!”
Hearing her words, Ashton’s ears were red from embarrassment. At that moment, his arrogant face darkened.
Usually, Amelie would endure his hatred toward her because of Leo since they were at the Alston Residence. However, since she and Leo had divorced, there was no way she would still need to bear the mocking of Leo’s friends
After Amelie finished her words, she pursed her lips and smiled casually. Although she didn’t say anything more, Ashton could still sense the mockery she had for him!
“How dare you?” He gripped his knuckles in anger.
However, Amelie didn’t give him a chance to speak and continued, “There are many people who wear Chanel in this world If what you said is true, is everyone trying to imitate Miss Clayton?”
Hearing her words, Ashton widened his eyes in shock while looking at her. In his memory, Amelie was always a cautious and uptight woman, seemingly as if she had never experienced life. Even when he mistreated her in front of Leo, she never dared to retaliate, but things had changed now, and she was speaking to him sarcastically
As a person who was born into a noble family, Ashton was arrogant and had never been talked back to by anyone. Thus, when he heard Amelie’s words, his face darkened, and there was fury in his eyes.
Despite that, Arnelie didn’t indulge him and continued, I’m afraid you might have hearing issues since you
can’t even tell that this is my actual voice when you have been at the Alston Residence for so many times. Thus, I’d advise you to see a doctor and perhaps check if there is anything wrong with your brain. After all, you are the young master of the Lowe Family. If you are acting like a fool, you’ll only humiliate yourself!” Then, she ignored him and flipped her hair, striding away.
Did she… just scold me? Glaring at Amelie’s figure with wide eyes, Ashton thought to himself and twitched his fingers. Then, he punched the guardrail hard and cursed, “Damn it!”
Once Amelie was done with everything, she went home, hugged Bria, and slept in satisfaction. She had to get up early tomorrow morning since she had to return to her father’s place.
To be honest, Amelie had bad sleep quality. When she lived at the Alston Residence, Leo would come home late every day, and Melissa would order her to open the door for him. Although this was supposed to be a servant’s job, Amelie was happy to do it since she was deeply in love with Leo. Besides, this was the only time she could see and talk to him.
Since Leo was impatient and would kick the door in a tantrum when no one opened the door for him on the first knock, Amelie didn’t dare sleep soundly when he was not around, afraid that Bria would be disturbed in her sleep. So, to avoid getting Leo mad, Amelie would open the door as soon as she heard
the car engine. Even though she was met with Leo’s cold face every time she opened the door for him, she was happy to oblige. Sometimes, when Leo didn’t come home all night, she didn’t even dare call him and would pull an all- nighter instead.
Thinking about what she had done for him in the past, Amelie felt that she was a fool blinded by love. Now that she didn’t have to worry about Leo’s return, she fell asleep as soon as she closed her eyes.
While Amelie was sleeping soundly, Leo was drinking at Prix Bar. At this moment, Amelie’s words engulfed
him.
During those years, he was furious that Amelie had set him up. Hence, he never treated her like she was his wife despite being married. Not only that, he didn’t even treat her like a human being.
Visiting his father’s grave was a mere formality, so he had subconsciously left her by the road when Elyse called him. At that moment, it didn’t occur to him if Amelie was pregnant or if she could return home! After that day, she disappeared for a couple of days, but he didn’t care since he wished she would disappear
forever in his heart!
Then, she returned and looked skinnier than before, staggering wherever she went. When he saw her, he thought she was acting and still ignored her. Moreover, he even allowed Jodie to cause her trouble.
Did she have a miscarriage back then? Leo thought to himself.
Although he did things the hard way and had a heart made of stone, he never wanted to cause a woman to starve and freeze to the point where she would have a miscarriage. As Leo thought about it, he felt a sharp pain in his heart as he felt guilty.
At that moment, Laura, who was wearing casual attire, walked toward him and said, “Mr. Alston.” Then, she eyed him secretly and was startled momentarily when she saw the depression in his eyes. However, she didn’t ask about it and said in a low voice, “I have investigated what you told me to. During the day you and Miss Dillon divorced, there were 158 couples who divorced as well. I checked their work units, but no one seems to be Starlight Media’s boss. Then, she added, “I’m sorry that I couldn’t find the divorce registration for Starlight Media’s boss.”
Hearing her words, Leo gripped his glass tightly. After a while, he snapped out of his thoughts and looked at her while frowning However, he smoothened his eyebrows quickly. His expression was calm as he said, “There’s no need to investigate this matter further.”
“Alright. It just so happens that Elyse doesn’t want you to investigate it too. When I was on my way here, she even told me to do her a favor and wished that you would no longer cause trouble for Amelie. You indeed treated Elyse differently. Laura’s tone had a hint of cheerfulness as she spoke.
When Leo stood up and heard her words, he stiffened. Although he did intend to leave Amelie alone, he didn’t do it because of Elyse’s favor but because of Amelie herself.
Amelie is right. No matter how miserable I felt during the set-up, the Alstons did benefit from the situation. Hence, I am willing to let her off the hook and… cut ties with her, Leo thought.
Thinking about it, he ordered Laura coldly, “From now onward, no one is allowed to talk about Amelie or the boss of Starlight Media.”
“Yes,” said Laura.
Then, Leo looked at her with a dark gaze and said, “Also, please help me look into something else.”
Chapter 37
Hearing that, Laura subconsciously straightened up.
“Please, continue.”
Leo fell into thoughtful silence, his long fingers tapping against the door frame.
“Find out who it was that donated their cornea to me back then.”
“Their cornea?” Laura looked at his eyes.
She knew Leo had problems with his sight and had received a cornea transplant before. However…
“Since it has been so long, we might not be able to find anything.”
Leo pondered for a bit.
When he lost his sight back then, not just any regular cornea could be used on him due to his special physique, but he couldn’t find a suitable match either.
He had once prepared himself to be blind for life.
Later on, someone donated their cornea to him. The donor refused to receive any payments and even chose to remain anonymous.
“Just give it a try first,” he replied.
He had always been particular about these things, and he didn’t want to be indebted to someone just like that.
Laura didn’t say anything else as she responded, “Very well, sir.”
Leo turned around and left. Meanwhile, Laura stared at his silhouette, stunned. There was a tangle of emotions in the depths of her eyes.
It wasn’t until someone patted her shoulder did she finally came to.
When she turned around to look at the person who had patted her, Laura suddenly blushed fiercely as if someone had caught her red-handed.
“What are you looking at?” asked the person.
She hastily averted her gaze, not daring to meet the other’s eyes. “What can I possibly be looking at? I’m thinking of something.”
“Is that so? I thought you had feelings for Leo.”
“That’s impossible. President Alston belongs to you, so how can I possibly covet him?” Laura waved her hands continuously, looking all righteous and innocent.
The person was none other than Elyse.
She covered her mouth and giggled. “I was just kidding. Look at how terrified you are!”
Laura stole a glance at her expression.
Elyse’s expression was quite calm, and Laura couldn’t detect anything out of the ordinary.
It was only then that she secretly sighed in relief, believing that Elyse really was just joking.
“What brings you here, Elyse?” Laura asked.
Elyse was wearing a black outfit paired with sunglasses. Only her porcelain skin on the lower half of her face was exposed.
The outfit choice was too obvious with intention-it was nighttime, after all.
“I’m a little worried about Leo, so I came to have a look,” she answered, her voice melodious.
Laura grinned and said, “Don’t worry, President Alston has decided to leave Amelie and the boss of Starlight
Media alone.”
She patted Elyse on the shoulder, a suggestive look on her face. “At the end of the day, your words carry the most weight. With someone as stubborn as Mr. Alston, if he were at a disadvantage like this, he might have gotten into more trouble with the boss of Starlight Media if you hadn’t interjected. Mr. Alston may be amazing, but the boss of Starlight Media isn’t highly accomplished for no reason. If they kept at it, it would definitely turn into a no-win situation. I was even worried for a while.”
“Oh,” answered Elyse softly.
She lowered her head slightly and let out an almost inaudible sigh of relief.
“That’s good to hear.”
Even though Amelie had provided evidence that Bria wasn’t Leo’s, Elyse still couldn’t rest assured.
She remembered Ashton mentioning an incident before; Toby had once rescued Amelie in a snowstorm and even sent her to a hospital.
Back then, Amelie had been pregnant for two months.
If she miscarried back then, Toby would’ve definitely known, and he wouldn’t have concealed it from Leo.
When Ashton spoke of the incident, there was only dissatisfaction toward Toby that he shouldn’t have rescued Amelie, and the woman should’ve been left frozen to death.
Elyse, however, was concerned about something else.
She had a feeling that Bria might actually be Leo’s child!
It was because of this intuition that she felt apprehensive all this while, and she came all the way here in the middle of the night just to get more information.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Alston told me to never mention those two again, so the incident is officially over.” Laura squeezed Elyse’s hand. “So, Elyse, Mr. Alston is all yours from now on.”
“I hope you’ll treat me well in the future, Mrs. Alston,” she joked on purpose.
Elyse burst out giggling, her heart filled with sweetness, but on the surface, she just kept slapping Laura on the back. “What are you talking about? Nothing is confirmed yet!”
“What do you mean by that? Be it in the past or the present, Mr. Alston always fulfills your requests. It’s only a matter of time before you two get married!” Laura had confidence in their relationship.
A slight frown came upon Elyse’s brows.
“Laura, why do you think Leo treats me so well?”
She had never thought too much about it before, and she took Leo’s love for granted.
However, as she grew up and experienced more of life, she gradually began questioning it.
“What is there to worry about? You’re pretty, and your voice is beautiful like a nightingale’s. If I were a man, I’d
fall for you as well,” Laura said matter-of-factly.
“Is that so?”
Elyse thought for a moment, but she still couldn’t think it through.
Since she couldn’t get any answers from thinking, she decided not to ponder on it anymore.
No matter the reason, as long as Leo listened to her and was willing to stay with her, it would be sufficient, would it not?
Amelie took Bria to the airport early in the morning.
On the way there, Bria was still in a daze. She hadn’t completely woken up yet.
After boarding the plane, however, Bria widened her eyes as she looked all around her and kept asking questions.
In all the years of her life, it was the child’s first time on a plane.
Amelie answered all the questions, and as she gazed at Bria’s huge, watery eyes filled with curiosity, she found it adorable yet heart-breaking at the same time.
At her age, children from luxurious families would’ve been on the plane countless times already.
But Bria, save for her living with the Alstons, she was no different from any normal child; she even had it harder than any other kid.
In other families, at least the children had kind grandmothers and warm relatives.
The children would be pampered and loved like treasure.
What about Bria, though?
Every day, along with Amelie, Bria had to endure Melissa’s coldness and Jodie’s fault-finding.
When the plane took off, Bria anxiously threw herself into Amelie’s embrace, wrapping her arms tightly around her mother’s waist.
Her large, lively eyes were now clouded over with hints of red.
Amelie could see that the child was scared.
She bent over and hugged Bria, coaxing in a gentle voice, “Don’t worry, the plane is completely safe. It’s even
safer than a car.”
With that, she guided Bria to look at the clouds outside the window.
Bria lifted her little face. When she saw the huge clouds outside moving backward, her fear slowly dissipated as fresh curiosity took its place.
“Mommy, we’re flying among the clouds. Mommy, did Julia fly so high up. with you too?”
She was referring to what Julia said about bringing Amelie to greater heights before the divorce happened.
A three-year-old wouldn’t know about idioms and sayings, so she thought Amelie had also gone up on a plane that night.
Amelie didn’t correct Bria as she nodded. “Yes.”
“It’s so fun to fly so high! Mommy, why don’t we bring Grandpa along? I’m sure he hasn’t experienced this before.”
Even though Bria had never met Steven before, she was especially attached to this grandfather of hers.
Amelie nodded. At the thought of meeting her father soon, her eyes suddenly reddened.
She was getting scared now.
She was married to Leo for four years, and within that time period, her father had tried visiting a few times, but they never got to meet each other.
He didn’t say anything about it, but he must have felt bitterness somehow.
Because of that, in the days that followed, he even ceased his phone calls to her.
After getting off the plane, Amelie hailed a cab. They traveled for more than an hour in the vehicle, finally arriving at the small street her father lived on.
While standing at the beginning of an alley that stretched on for a considerable length, she allowed the sunlight to extend their shadows into the distance.
Her feet seemed to have taken root in the ground as she couldn’t work up the courage to take a step forward.
After so many years apart, she wondered what her father was like now.
Is he in good health?
Will he be able to accept me and Bria?
Amelie wasn’t sure.
The less confident she was, the less courage she had to move.
“Mommy, let’s go.” It wasn’t until Bria tugged at her clothes to urge her that Amelie finally walked into the familiar little house.
“Dad?” She had just taken a step in the yard and called out to her father when a washbasin came flying out, hitting the ground next to her.
If she hadn’t reacted quickly and pulled Bria away in time, the washbasin would’ve hit the little girl.
Immediately after that, a woman with a dark complexion came running out, a ferocious look on her face.
A startled Bria rushed into Amelie’s arms, cowering
Chapter 38
Amelie hastily picked her up and looked toward the woman.
Meanwhile, the woman was looking at them as well. “Who are you? Why are you here?”
Her expression softened a little.
She roughly pushed her messy hair over her head, revealing her entire face.
“Mrs. Gordon?” Amelie recognized the woman as she called out.
When Abby Gordon heard the beautiful girl calling her that, she couldn’t help but examine the latter.
“It’s me, Amy,” Amelie introduced herself.
It was only then that Abby recognized her. With a stomp of her foot, she clapped both her hands on her thighs ‘Amy! It’s been years since I last saw you. You’ve grown even prettier now. I almost couldn’t recognize you, and I thought you were a celebrity from somewhere.”
Amelie smiled shyly.
Abby continued, “Sorry for just now. I thought my stupid son came back, so that’s why I threw the washbasin. You weren’t hurt, were you?”
“No.” Amelie wasn’t concerned about that. She looked up and gazed at the yard behind Abby. “Where’s my dad? Is he no longer living here? Or-”
A sudden extreme fear invaded her heart, and even her voice trembled.
“Your dad is fine.” Noticing Amelie’s pale face, Abby guessed that Amelie was overthinking things, so she hastily said, “He complained about how this house was too big for one person, so he moved into the smaller house at the end of the street. Our family is huge, so I discussed it with him, and he agreed to rent the place
to us.”
Abby grinned, a guilty look flashing across her face.
Even though they called it renting, she never paid him a single cent all this while.
Steven never urged her, so she pretended it never happened.
On the other hand, Amelie wasn’t in the mood to think about these things as she said, “Can you take me to my
dad?”
“Of course.” Abby thought that since she was living in their house, she should at least help them with this little request
As she strode with her thick legs, Abby took Amelie to the end of the street.
Soon, they found a small shop facing the street.
It was rundown and shabby, and it didn’t even have a sign.
“Your dad is in there” Abby pointed at the shop as she spoke.
Amelie looked at the shop
It wasn’t just worn-out, it was pitifully tiny.
A few items were piled outside the shop, and most of them were the toys she used to play with during her
childhood
There was a little bicycle, a skateboard, and skating shoes….
Looking at the items bearing so much history, Amelie couldn’t stop her tears as they streamed right down her
face.
Abby was about to holler for Steven to come out when Amelie stopped her. “I’ll go in on my own.”
Taking Bria’s hand, she took step after careful step inside.
She made it past the darkened old alley and finally reached the interior.
The interior wasn’t much more spacious than the shopfront, and it was filled with shoe patterns.
The shoe patterns were various and exquisite.
When Bria saw the colorful shoes in their novel styles, she couldn’t help but pause in her tracks and reached out to touch them.
Amelie didn’t see her father anywhere, so she could only proceed further to look for him.
A small yard lay at the back of the house.
In the yard, someone had his back to her as he sat at an antique shoe machine. His back was bent over as his limbs moved to operate the machine.
His movements were slow, whereas his hair was a mixture of gray and white.
Amelie stared at him, perfectly still.
She could recognize at a glance that this man in front of her was none other than her father, Steven Dillon.
However, she doubted herself a little.
In her memories, her father’s hair wasn’t this white. When she got married, his hair was still dark with an occasional silver strand here and there.
His back wasn’t bent so much either. He was a bonafide middle-aged man with broad shoulders and a proud
stature
His movements weren’t this slow either….
“Dad… Unable to contain the sorrow in her heart, she called in a low voice.
The working man paused visibly.
Then, he slowly turned around.
As he did that, he revealed his wizened and wrinkled face.
His features were calm and gentle from all the years spent on intricate work.
Large black-rimmed reading glasses covered his face, adding to him a hint of a bookish aura.
He slowly took off his glasses as he finally recognized her. “A….. Amy.”
“It’s me, Dad. It’s me Amelie took a few steps toward Steven, sobbing. In her raging emotions, she wanted to hug him, but she couldn’t bring her feet forward.
She simply stood there as tears fell from her eyes.
Steven hurriedly went to her and took her hands. “It’s really you, Amy-you’re back. No wonder the magpie
was singing so happily this morning.”
He examined Amelie from head to toe, wiping away the tears on her face. “Child, why have you gotten so
thin?”
In his memories, Amelie always had some baby fat on her face, which was a stark contrast to her appearance now. Now, her chin was extremely sharp, and her body was terrifyingly thin.
Her father didn’t hold any grudges against her for ignoring him after she married into the Alston Family. Instead, he worried greatly for her health, and this only made Amelie even more remorseful.
She felt like she had been too cruel, and she wanted more than anything to give herself a heavy slap or two.
“Welcome home. I’m so glad you’re back.” Steven was obviously happy about her return.
He didn’t ask too much as he led Amelie outside. “I’ll whip something up for you. What would you like to eat?”
Steven had always loved Amelie to bits, and he would always pamper her ever since she was a baby.
Even if it were the middle of the night, or if he had to go through a lot of trouble, he would still do everything he could to provide her with all the food she craved.
She had a father who loved her to the moon and back, but she chose to go to the Alston Family to suffer.
le should’ve been repaying her father’s grace and love for her with her whole heart, but she wasted her time
Tears of regret rolled down Amelie’s cheeks once again as she hugged Steven
Steven patted her firmly on the back, comforting her like he used to do in her childhood.
A long while later, the two finally went back inside.
When they arrived at the room, they caught sight of Bria.
“This child…” Steven gazed at the adorable little girl in between the shoe racks, his eyes lighting up in an instant.
Amelie briskly walked over to Bria and led her to Steven. “Dad, this is my daughter. Her name is Bria.”
She nudged Bria again. “This is your grandfather.”
“Hello, Grandpa,” Bria said crisply.
“Yes, hello there,” Steven responded with enthusiasm as he crouched down to carry Bria. “What a handsome young girl you are. You look exactly like your mother when she was little.”
There were tears in his eyes.
Amelie knew then that he was recalling those days he spent raising her all on his own.
According to her father, her mother had passed away not long after giving birth to her.
There was never a mother’s existence in Amelie’s memories, but she wasn’t poorly dressed like other kids who lived with their fathers.
instead, ever since she was young, her father had dressed her up in neat and pretty clothes.
“You’re very handsome too, Grandpa.” Having spent a lot of time with Jamie, Bria learned to sweet talk as if her words were coated with honey.
Hearing his granddaughter praising him like that, Steven was so joyful that he kept smiling.
His old face instantly seemed to turn years younger.
In the afternoon, Steven went to the market and bought some groceries, then proceeded to cook up several delectable delicacies.
Enticed by the food, Bria ate so much that her stomach bulged out.
She licked her lips in satisfaction. “Grandpa, your cooking is so good. It’s as delicious as Mommy’s cooking.”
Bria was absolutely sincere about it, but Steven suddenly froze and looked at Amelie.
Amelie felt a guilty panic spreading across her heart as she lowered her head.
At home, Steven pampered her.
Amelie never had to do housework on her own, and she didn’t know how to cook ramen even when she turned 20.
After getting married into the Alston Family, she learned how to cook and even shared Miss Potts’ burdens as she cleaned up around the house.
“Dad, I’m all grown up now. I have to know how to do these things, she comforted Steven in a low voice.
Steven nodded. “Yes,”
Even though he responded like that, his eyes were obviously moistened.
Steven had turned his face away, but Amelie still noticed it. Her heart instantly ached like a needle had been driven through it!
Amelie offered to wash the dishes, and Bria also pulled up a small stool to help her.
When they were living with the Alstons, Bria helped her just like this.
However, the atmosphere back then was suppressive because they could be reprimanded at any moment. The two didn’t even dare make a sound.
Now, free of their worries, they chatted and laughed as much as they liked.
After the dishes were done, Amelie came out but couldn’t find Steven anywhere.
She told Bria to stay at home, then ran out to look for Steven.
She couldn’t find him even after a round of searching, but she did run into Abby, who was panting as she walked out of the alley toward Amelie.
As soon as Abby saw her, she grabbed Amelie’s arm. “Quick, Amy! Follow your dad. He doesn’t look too good, and I fear something might happen to him!”
Chapter 39
“What’s going on?” Amelie hastily asked.
Hearing that something might happen to her father, she felt her heart racing quickly.
Abby scratched her messy hair. “I’m not sure either. I was at the store buying groceries when I saw your dad walking out with a knife. I asked him why he bought a knife, but he didn’t even look at me. He just walked away angrily.”
“He bought a knife and left?” She hadn’t seen her father coming home, much less a knife.
What is he planning to do with the knife?
“Your dad has always been a quiet person, but he’d always greet his old neighbors. He never ignored us like he did today,” Abby continued.
“Do you know if my dad got in a fight with someone recently?” Amelie hastily asked.
This was no small matter, for a person’s life might be on the line.
Abby shook her head. “Your dad is an amiable person, and everyone on this street likes him. How could he get into a fight with anyone? Moreover, your dad doesn’t like to bear grudges.”
Amelie also agreed with Abby’s words.
Her father wouldn’t get mad at anything, save for matters related to her. He was especially loving and serious when it came to her.
“Did you see where my dad went? Which direction did he head in?”
The less she knew of her father’s reasons for buying the knife, the more anxious Amelie became.
“That way!” Abby pointed ahead. “Probably in the direction of the small train station!”
“The small train station?”
It was a small town, and the residents couldn’t take the high-speed train or a plane from there. They generally took the train if they were going somewhere faraway.
Is Dad going somewhere far from home?
Amelie asked Abby to look after Bria, then hastily ran off to pursue her father.
As she ran, she dialed Steven’s number.
The call went through.
“Dad, why aren’t you back yet?” Amelie tried her best to ask calmly, not letting her father catch on.
“I have something urgent to attend to, so I won’t be able to come home tonight. You and Bria can sleep in the small room in the back. I’ve already changed the sheets, and the blankets are new too,” Steven commented on the other end of the line.
“What emergency is it that you have to be in such a hurry?” she asked as she walked.
He didn’t mention anything. “Be good and rest up. I’ll be back tomorrow.”
Amelie knew she couldn’t get anything out of him, but she also feared that he might leave on the train, so she could only hang up.
Just then, a trishaw passed by her.
She leaped onto the trishaw and made her way to the small train station on the wobbly vehicle.
On the desolate stone steps outside the train station, she caught sight of Steven’s figure.
He sat there with his bent back, a cigarette in his hand as he puffed sullenly.
A number of cigarette butts were already discarded in the small garbage bag next to him.
Even though her father was a shoemaker, he was always particular about these things. He had never smoked before, nor had he ever been so dispirited.
Amelie saw a small black bag sitting next to him. It must be the knife Abby was talking about.
She hastily ran over to him. “Dad, why are you here?”
When Steven saw her, he froze a little. He hastily hid the small black bag and tossed the cigarette away, rubbing his hands as he said, “What brings you here? Didn’t I ask you and Bria to go to bed?”
“How can we just go to bed if you don’t come home?” Amelie queried while looking at him. Then, she peered into the small train station.
“Where are you going?”
Steven lowered his head in silence.
Amelie ran up to him. Then, with great familiarity, she took out the old wallet in his pocket and produced a ticket from within.
The destination of the ticket was Sterlington.
Sterlington was the city where Leo’s house was situated!
“Dad, are you… going to the Alston Residence? Amelie suddenly recalled Steven’s expression when Bria said Amelie could cook. She immediately understood something.
Having his thoughts seen through, Steven pursed his lips tightly.
“Dad, what are you thinking of doing there? Don’t tell me you’re going to kill Leo!”
As she spoke, Amelie was shocked at her own words.
“I’m just going to ask them how exactly they treated you!” he said sullenly, his eyes obviously reddening.
He looked at her, heartbroken. “My darling daughter was plump and healthy when she married into their family, but now, she’s become emaciated!”
At first, he only thought that Amelie had lost a lot of weight, but when Bria mentioned how good Amelie’s cooking was, he realized that the Alstons might not have been treating his daughter with due respect.
All these years, he had refrained from visiting the Alstons and contacting Amelie because he wanted Amelie to live freely in that home, not to be bullied like this.
Her father’s concern was like a silent sword that pierced Amelie’s heart.
It was dull but painful!
Tears streamed down her face like rain.
She held Steven back. “Don’t go, Dad. There’s something I haven’t told you. Leo and I… filed for divorce.”
This news took him by huge surprise.
Amelie nodded. “I’m sorry, Dad. I should have listened to you instead of going to Leo and getting married to him.”
Steven disapproved of their marriage at first, and he had stopped her before.
In the end, he couldn’t win against her persistence, so he handed his precious daughter over to the Alstons.
This marriage not only exhausted her inside and out; even her child and father had to bear the injustice.
Steven felt an unspeakable regret in his heart.
Amelie hugged Steven as she sobbed and apologized profusely.
Steven held his daughter lovingly, his heavily calloused hands caressing her hair like he had always done when she was younger. “Child, don’t cry. Divorce isn’t a bad thing. I just want you to be safe and sound.”
He even let out an obvious sigh in relief.
Truth be told, right from the moment Amelie married into the Alston Family, Steven could see from the Alstons’ behavior that dark days awaited his daughter.
Steven couldn’t convince his daughter, but he also thought that no matter how dark the days ahead might be, the Alstons wouldn’t treat Amelie unfairly.
He was furious not only because of the Alstons’ cruelty, but also because of his own negligence toward his daughter.
In the end, the two went home together.
Amelie was silent about the knife and pretended she didn’t know he had purchased any knives.
Despite that, she secretly told Bria not to mention their lives in the Alston Residence ever again.
During her days in the Alston Family, she was treated even worse than a common servant.
Her father loved her to bits, so if he knew that, he might really grab the knife and kill them.
After Bria went to sleep, Amelie accompanied her father at the entrance of the house, sitting down just like they used to in the past.
As the two enjoyed the cool mountain breeze, they talked about things in the past.
Laughter could be heard time and again from their mouths.
Amelie gazed at the foggy mountain in the distance, then turned to look at the smile on her father’s face. She was suddenly overcome with emotion.
Her hometown was so nice and comfortable. Why would she want to go somewhere cold like the Alston Residence just to suffer?
“What are your plans from now on?” After chatting for a while, they finally moved to the main topic.
Steven already knew that Amelie had cut off all ties with the Alston Family.
He wasn’t particularly worried about cutting off ties, he was more concerned about her future.
“I’ll rest for a bit ” Amelie leaned her head against him, acting as if she were made of jelly. “I’ll freeload on you for a while!”
Steven patted his daughter as she clung onto his arm. He smiled jovially as he said, “Sure, sure.”
He even wanted his daughter to depend on him for the rest of her life.
“Just stay here. You can live here for as long as you want!”
Amelie chatted late into the night with Steven.
Also, now that she was back on familiar soil, her entire body felt relaxed. Amelie slept exceptionally well that night.
Then, at an unknown hour, knocks sounded on the door.
The knocks were loud, dull, and rapid. Moreover, they were so forceful that the door trembled.
Chapter 40
Amelie woke up with a start, startled. For a moment, she thought she was still at the Alston Residence and Leo had come back in the middle of the night, kicking the door again.
She hastily got out of bed, almost tripping and falling.
When she ran to the door and saw Steven there, she finally remembered that she had left the Alston Residence, and she no longer had to open the door for Leo.
As Amelie was rubbing her eyes, Steven had already opened the door.
From outside the door, a messy head poked in.
Amelie was surprised at first, but when she took a closer look, she realized that it was Abby.
Abby strode in jovially, and when she saw Steven, she exclaimed in exaggeration, “Hey there, Dillon. You didn’t run into any trouble yesterday, did you?”
Steven looked at her in confusion.
Abby didn’t mince her words at all. “Yesterday, when Amy knew that you bought a knife and went out, she thought you were about to cause trouble. She was so terrified! But Dillon, why exactly did you buy a knife yesterday?”
Amelie didn’t even have time to stop Abby before the latter spilled everything.
An obviously awkward look appeared on Steven’s face, his expressions unnatural.
“What brings you here, Mrs. Gordon?” Amelie interrupted her.
“Oh, uh…” Abby was tongue-tied since she was just here to spectate.
“Oh, it’s nothing.” Noticing that Amelie kept staring at her, she scratched her head awkwardly, then peered inside the house. “How many days are you planning on staying here, Amy?”
“She’ll be here for a while, Steven answered in Amelie’s stead.
“A while, huh. Abby turned a little bashful.
Then, she continued, “For someone as fortunate as you, you probably can’t get used to living in small houses like this after marrying a rich husband.”
Amelie didn’t make a sound as she simply looked at Abby.
Abby hastily pointed in the distance. “A grand hotel recently opened in town, and it was built to accommodate wealthy people who come here on vacation. The environment and service are excellent there, and even all the three meals of the day are included. Amy, you should stay there for a bit with your dad to show him more of the world.”
I’ve lived long enough; what more is there in the world to see?” Steven didn’t seem too interested.
Amelie looked at Abby. She had already guessed what Abby was trying to say.
Abby was worried that the family wouldn’t have enough space to live in and might insist on moving back to their old house.
Amelie’s father was a kindly and reasonable person; since he never asked Abby for their rent, she was thinking of hogging the place all her life.
Amelie didn’t plan on breaching the subject so soon, but now that Abby herself came knocking, she naturally wouldn’t let the latter continue taking advantage and feigning ignorance.
Hence, she smiled. “Don’t worry, Mrs. Gordon. We won’t move back to the old house no matter where we live, so feel free to keep living there.”
When Abby heard Amelie saying that they wouldn’t be moving back, her wizened face immediately blossomed into a smile.
“Well, just as expected. Rich people are really built differently.”
Amelie was still smiling as she said, “Dad, about the house Mrs. Gordon and her family are living in, do they pay the rent monthly or yearly?”
“Huh?” Abby’s blooming face instantly froze.
“If it’s yearly, you can give them a discount. Why don’t we give them 20 percent off?”
Abby’s expression stiffened so much that it looked weird.
She was beginning to regret making this trip.
She thought she would just be here to join in on the fun and get some juicy gossip, then completely take over that house. In the end, however, they were asking her for the rent now….
She didn’t dare stay there any longer, so she found a random excuse to escape.
After breakfast, Steven took Bria to the backyard.
Under a shelter in the backyard sat his tool of trade.
Steven sat in front of the old machine and began working it.
The machine was from times long gone, and it kept creaking as it ran.
Bria was curious about everything, and she would touch and peer at everything that caught her fancy. Her eyes widened as she watched Steven thicken the soles of the shoes, and she would ask a few questions here and there.
Steven answered every question she asked.
The grandfather and his granddaughter spent a peaceful time bonding.
Amelie walked over to them. Just like what she used to do back then, she leaned against Steven as she sat down, placing her head on his arm while feeling the bobbing movements of his arm.
“Dad, you’ve been toiling all your life. Why don’t you quit?” she suggested.
For as long as she could remember, her father had always been sitting in front of this machine, toiling away
with abandon.
“That’s right, Grandpa. Mommy opened up a big company, so she can provide for us,” Bria hastily supplied.
Even though shoe-making looked fun to Bria, her grandfather had to pierce the soles with a very thick needle over and over again. It looked like hard work.
Bria didn’t want her grandfather to work too hard.
Steven lovingly caressed Bria’s face, the wrinkles on his face spreading as he smiled. “What a good girl you are, Bria. You even know how to worry for your grandfather.”
Bria rubbed her cheek against Steven’s palm.
She liked the feeling of his large hand covering her small face.
“However, I’m too used to this. If I stop working on the shoes, I would feel very uncomfortable.”
The shoes Steven made were durable and resistant to wear. The price wasn’t too high either, so many people would order shoes from him.
Looking at her daughter behaving like a kitten, Amelie felt something in her heart soften.
She should’ve brought her daughter home earlier.
Her father was elated to see her daughter, and the two were very close to each other as well.
Knowing that Steven didn’t want to give up on his job yet, Amelie didn’t force him. Instead, she said, “It’s okay if you want to keep working, but you can’t take too many orders at once. If you get tired, you have to rest.”
“Yes, I know. I got it.” Like an overaged child, Steven nodded obediently.
Seeing that, both Amelie and Bria burst out into laughter.
“Dad, why don’t I buy a shoplot for you on the street? I can also buy a house while we’re at it, so you don’t have to work in such a small space,” Amelie suggested.
“Oh, no, it’s fine.” Steven shook his head furiously. “I moved here precisely because the previous house was too big. If the place is too huge and empty, I’d feel restless.”
Even though Amelie married into the Alston Family, she didn’t ignore him at all. She would regularly send him some money via Julia.
Steven could stay alive with his own skills, so he hadn’t asked for even a cent. He would return the money every time.
Throughout all the years, Steven hadn’t gained anything from Amelie, but she had caused him quite a lot of worry. At the thought of that, Amelie felt regretful again, and her eyes reddened.
“Still, I suppose I’m growing old. My eyes and legs are failing, so I don’t think I can work much longer.” Steven sighed, a forlorn look on his face. “Young people these days don’t like complicated work like this. I’m afraid my craft is going to die with me.”
Steven used an ancient method of shoe-making. The procedure was complicated, and the standards were very high.
“Mommy, why don’t we find an heir for Grandpa?” Bria blinked with her huge eyes as she took the phone and
waved it.
Amelie understood what she meant, and she felt that it could work.
She hastily produced her streaming equipment and began setting it up in the yard.
Meanwhile, Bria took out the fox mask she brought back. She put one on, then gave another to Amelie.
“Grandpa, this is for you.” She passed the biggest one to Steven.
When they returned, she had asked Amelie to make a fox mask for Steven too.
She climbed onto a chair and helped Steven put the fox mask on.
Steven chuckled as he allowed his granddaughter to fix the mask for him. He thought that the design was a little weird, but he didn’t reject it.
After the three had put on their masks, Bria took a look and was extremely satisfied.
Her little face popped out between Amelie and Steven, then she smiled her wide toothy smile. “Now, we’re the
fox family.”
Amelie and Steven couldn’t help but laugh at her antics.
Amelie briefed Steven on the rules of live streaming, but there wasn’t much to look out for. Steven would be making shoes with his mask on, while Amelie and Bria danced and sang with their masked faces. They would also be showcasing Steven’s ancient shoe-making technique to the viewers.
Amelie positioned the camera at Steven, capturing his skills and craft from every angle as Bria explained and narrated.
She didn’t know much, and when she was at a loss for words at the end, she could only say, “All in all, my grandpa makes the best shoes in the world. If you want to be as amazing as him, you have to learn from him, okay?”
The viewers’ reactions in the live stream were very supportive.
Everyone was amazed at the craft, and they insisted on ordering from Steven. In a mere few minutes, almost 100 orders were made.
Amelie’s face fell.
Bria waved her hands furiously. “Grandpa is already very busy! No, we’re not accepting orders, no orders! We’re here to recruit disciples, disciples!”
Her exaggerated movements gained them a wave of fans, but none of them were willing to be disciples.
The one-hour live stream ended. Fearing that Steven would be discouraged, Amelie hastily comforted him again and again.
Steven smiled and waved his hands, saying that it was fine. Still, there was a disappointed look in his covered
eyes.
Amelie could see that, and for a moment, she didn’t know what to say.
“Look, Mommy! What is this?!” Bria’s voice suddenly sounded.