Ch. 51..55: My Sugar And Your Spice Chapter 51-55
Chapter 51
Chapter 51 Not Everyone Has the Right to Be Hindered by Her
With that and a casual flick on the sleeve, Ashton continued, “Amelie, if you’re doing this just to get Leo back, you’re overestimating yourself. However, if you simply want to hinder us, I guess I really was hindered.”
Even though Ashton had his head lowered, there was a piercing look in his eyes. His disdain for Amelie was laid completely bare, as if she were an impurity that shouldn’t be brought to light.
Just now, Amelie saw Leo and Elyse wholly by accident, not having any other intentions. However, when she heard Ashton’s unwelcoming words, she frowned ever so slightly.
“Amy was originally—” Matthew wanted to explain.
Amelie pulled him forcefully, stopping him from talking.
She didn’t look at Ashton either as she said calmly, “The world is so huge, so why are you guys allowed to come, but I’m not? Who made the rules?” She paused for a bit, then continued, “Also, I won’t just trouble anyone. Before jumping to conclusions, why don’t you reflect on yourself and see if you actually have the right to be hindered by me?”
“You!” Ashton’s words were stopped dead in their tracks, and his face turned green and then white, the veins on his face pulsing visibly!
Amelie’s words were most definitely a cruel insult to him.
He was the young master of the Lowe Family, so how could he not have the right to endure her hindrances? With his status as the young master of the Lowe Family, Ashton was always prioritized and respected outside. Hence, no one had talked to him like that before.
Ashton was so pissed that even his fists were clenched.
Amelie couldn’t care less about his feelings. When she had finished talking, she looked at Matthew. “Are you going back? Why don’t you give me a ride?”
Hearing that Amelie requested a ride in his car of her own accord, Matthew was obviously elated. “Sure, sure.”
With that, he ran to open the door for the passenger seat, allowing her to ride shotgun. That spot was rumored to be reserved for only the closest of people. Amelie didn’t say anything as she lowered her head and went inside.
The car started up, then drove away. Throughout the entire process, Amelie never turned back, nor did she take another glance at the three people she left behind.
“That Amelie should be sentenced to death!” Ashton flew into a rage all on his own, then fiercely kicked a pebble by the road.
Elyse looked carefully at Leo. Seeing his sullen expression, she couldn’t help but feel her heart sink.
Her expression hadn’t changed, though, as she smiled gently. “I can see that Miss Dillon has already decided to start a new life. This man comes from a decent family, and he’s also the richest man in the village. Miss Dillon will be fortunate to be with him.”
It was futile to ask her how she knew Matthew was the richest person, for there was a lot about her she would never tell a single soul.
“Shameless!” In Ashton’s eyes, Amelie was a woman who would flirt with anyone who had enough wealth, so he cursed sullenly under his breath.
“What’s so fun about this stupid place? Let’s go back.”
Elyse couldn’t have asked for more. She glanced at Leo, but the latter didn’t voice any opinions. Therefore, she could only relent and say, “Leo, let’s go into town and settle down.”
Leo finally moved. He dipped his head to get into the car, and Elyse followed suit.
When the car started up, the thoughts weighing on her chest were still there. She couldn’t help but turn to look at Leo. “Leo, why did you come here out of the blue?”
Leo asked her to go somewhere with him, and Elyse thought it would be somewhere near Sterlington. She never expected she’d visit a remote village; hence, when the car drove into the small town, her face turned pale because a remote location was the last place she’d visit on her own accord.
Leo turned to look at her. His gaze was dark, but a hint of confusion tinted his eyes. “You don’t like it?”
Elyse opened her mouth to admit it, but then she remembered she was trying to fight for his change of heart. She couldn’t just do whatever she wanted like before, so she hastily changed her mind. “Why wouldn’t I?”
Leo keenly noticed her forced attitude, and more confusion surfaced in his eyes.
In his memories, whenever that girl mentioned this land, her expressions would bloom.
…
Amelie sat in Matthew’s car for a while, and before they made it to her home, she told him to pull up.
Matthew was enthusiastic, listening to all her words. “Amy, why don’t you come over to my house tomorrow? My mom likes you quite a lot too. If you don’t feel comfortable with that, you can visit my breeding plant for a tour. Oh, right, I heard you singing just now. It sounds very nice.”
His gaze was filled with longing, and everything he said was an expression of his love for her. He was also hinting that his family wouldn’t mind her marrying again and that he was wealthy enough to support her life.
Amelie knew that Matthew was sincere, but she smiled and shook her head. “It’s okay, thanks.”
She turned around and looked earnestly at Matthew. “Matthew, you’re a good man. You deserve love from a good girl.”
“You’re a good girl too, really!” Matthew thought she was looking down on herself, so he hastily spoke.
Amelie pursed her lips because she had never once looked down on herself. The closest thing she did was to humble herself in the Alston Family for the sake of love.
“What I mean is, I just want to live my life in peace with my daughter. I don’t have any plans to marry for now. Don’t waste your time on me. You don’t have to.”
The smile instantly disappeared from Matthew’s face, leaving behind endless despair in the end.
Amelie lowered her head in apology, after which she agilely opened the car door and got out. Fortunately, Matthew wasn’t the persistent type, so he didn’t run after her.
Amelie was happy and content with her freedom alone. When she walked home, there was a lock on the door.
She took out her phone and saw a voice message from Bria, informing her that Bria and Steven had gone into the mountains for birdwatching.
The little girl was full of curiosity toward everything in the village, and Steven was also willing to bring her everywhere, so Bria actually chose her grandfather over her own mother.
Unable to get into the house, Amelie walked out aimlessly. When she stopped walking, she suddenly found herself standing at the entrance of the town hospital.
The hospital had undergone drastic changes all these years. The building was obviously taller, and elevators were installed as well. The only unchanging feature was the huge yard at the back.
When she saw that spot, the look in her eyes darkened as her feet subconsciously carried her in.
The yard looked the same as before, with some simple potted plants and a few pine trees.
She wasn’t sure if the trees stopped growing taller, or they wilted and were replaced, or they were just like before, not much taller than a person.
In that tiny haven, under the potted plants and the small pines, lay her countless beautiful memories. Perhaps it was because of her encounter with Leo, for her heart grew weary again.
She walked under the tree, feeling as if she saw a young boy and a young girl leaning against each other.
Two youngsters burdened with sin, sharing their warmth in that manner.
When she met Leo, she was also in a dark place. She was in her teens, and she was so sensitive then, but that was when she suddenly learned that her mother had died because of her.
With that feeling, she might as well have killed her mother with her own hands.
Even though her father never blamed her, the hateful glares from people around her were even sharper than a knife.
It was especially so for her grandmother, who had lost her mind. Every time Amelie saw her, she would strangle Amelie’s neck and call her a murderer. In the end, her grandmother died because she fell
down while looking for her daughter.
The multiple layers of sin were piled onto her body, and she really felt like she was a sinner. As for Leo…
“Big Eyes?”
Behind her, someone called out. This voice was like a spell, jerking Amelie awake from her stupor. She turned around in disbelief to see Leo standing behind her, looking at her with a deep gaze. He called her ‘Big Eyes’!
Did he… recognize me?
Her heart suddenly raced, thumping as if it were a drum!
Tears were already filling her eyes.
Chapter 52 A Nice Woman You Shouldn’t Miss Out On
As Amelie opened her mouth, she almost uttered the word, ‘Snowy’.
“Huh! And you say that you’re not stalking Leo! What is all this about?” The blunt remarks brought her back to reality. Seeing that it was Amelie, Leo felt like he was drenched in cold water, and his expression turned grim. His cold glare and grim expression showed how much he detested her. It was obvious that he believed what Ashton said.
“I’m sorry,” Amelie whispered under her breath and tried to calm her emotions down, which were triggered by the memories. The reason she apologized wasn’t that she was stalking him, but it was because she went back there to reminisce about the past when she had already vowed to forget everything about him after they got divorced. With that, she walked away.
“What are you doing here?” Leo questioned her as he stared at her back. Earlier, he saw her as a fifteen-year-old child as her voice was somewhat similar. However, it was the first time he noticed her voice after being married to her for four years.
Hearing that, Amelie chose to lie as she had given up hopes of getting back with him. “I’m here to collect my medicine.” She walked out right after answering his question and saw Ashton standing next to Elyse. He scoffed when Amelie walked past him, and he looked at her with disdain since he was certain that she was lying.
“Leo, why would you ask her what she’s doing here when she had already admitted to stalking you? Are you trying to give her a way out? Why bother?” Ashton went up to Leo and asked. Leo merely looked down quietly upon hearing that.
The next moment, Elyse pushed Ashton away displeasedly and stood before Leo. “Leo, wasn’t this the place that you stayed at when you injured your eye? Why did you suddenly want to come here?”
“Don’t you want to be here?” Leo suddenly held her hand and asked.
“I…” She didn’t know what he meant but nodded as she answered him. “Of course, I’d want to. I’m interested in all the places that you’ve been to.”
Just… Like that? Leo’s gaze was filled with disappointment after he heard her reply.
This wasn’t only a place that they’d stayed before, but it was where both of them started their lives anew. Back then, Leo was involved in a car accident, and his father sacrificed himself to protect Leo. As a result of the accident, Leo suffered from a loss of sight. At the age of seventeen, which was one of the best years of his life, the young man became blind, and it broke him. Moreover, his mother blamed him for her husband’s death and cursed Leo while pushing him away. “Why are you still alive? You are the one who should have died!” In the end, his heartless mother abandoned him there, making him think that he would spend the rest of his life living in guilt until he met… her.
Two equally sinful souls warmed each other’s hearts during the most painful period of their lives. She was more resilient than him, as she would gently persuade him to eat, to make progress, to give up on himself, and to cheer up.
He would always hear her encourage him with her sweet voice. Snowy, although we had sinned, we should still stay alive. I have decided that I’ll treat my father well and take good care of him. Snowy, don’t give up! We have to become stronger so that we can make up for what we have done.
If you’re not gonna eat, you’ll starve to death. Even so, your father will not come back to life.
Don’t think that you won’t be able to do anything even though you are blind because there’s a lot that you can still do. If not, I can be your eyes. Whatever you want to see, I’ll see it on your behalf. I shall be your big eyes, your forever big eyes!
Snowy, don’t be lazy, and pay attention to what I’m reading!
Snowy, this question is so hard for me to understand. Can you teach me?
Leo closed his eyes as he reminiscence the past. It was through it all that Big Eyes persistently dragged him out of the predicament he was in. Slowly, he was recovering and willingly fell for her white lies and answered the questions for her. He knew about all her little tricks, but he never once pointed them out. He would feel warm and fuzzy inside every time when she chuckled after getting away with it. Almost all the warmth that he experienced in his life after the age of seventeen came from that girl. That silly girl even called him ‘Snowy’ because of his fair complexion.
“Why don’t you call me Snowy anymore?” Leo opened his eyes and asked before looking at Elyse.
“S-Snowy?” Elyse stuttered as she was caught off guard by his question.
Why would she address him using such an odd name? However, when she saw how serious Leo looked, she dared not answer carelessly as she had a feeling that there was a meaning behind it. She could only stare at Ashton, hoping he could help her.
“Leo, you’re a grown man. Why would you want her to call you by that childish name? Do you see her as a child?” With that, he pulled Elyse away and said, “Go do whatever you want. Elyse and I will be waiting for you outside.”
“What is with ‘Snowy’?” Elyse only had the guts to ask Ashton about it after they stepped out.
“No idea. Isn’t that the nickname that you gave him?” He scratched his head out of confusion.
“Don’t you think that the way Leo looked at Amelie was different?” Elyse seemed annoyed as she tucked her hair behind her ear.
“How different?” Ashton didn’t seem to think so. “Throughout the four years she was married to Leo, he never took a proper look at her. So even if she intended to rekindle their relationship, she wouldn’t be
able to make waves.”
Elyse didn’t feel at ease no matter how Ashton consoled her, although she herself wasn’t sure why she was feeling that way. It was probably because Leo suddenly wanted to visit this place.
“I’ll go somewhere!” Before Ashton could answer her, she had already left.
After standing in the hospital’s foyer for some time, Leo made a trip to the hospital director’s office and made a generous donation. The director was so glad to receive the donation that he couldn’t stop smiling. Since it was a small hospital situated in the town, it was hard for them to get funding, especially for medical equipment. Thus, Leo’s generous donation of 20 million was a great blessing to them.
The hospital director then offered Leo a tour around the hospital, but Leo didn’t really feel like it and politely declined. In the end, he asked Leo to sign the hospital guest book.
“Leo… Alston?” Just then, the director of the ophthalmology division, who happened to walk past, saw the name written on the guest book. She couldn’t help but take another look at Leo and asked, “Are you… Leo, who used to be admitted to the hospital to have your eyes treated?”
Hearing that, Leo looked up and immediately recognized the person in front of him. “Dr. Lily Philips.”
Lily used to be his attending physician, but her appearance hadn’t changed much over the decade.
“I almost couldn’t recognize you. You’re so tall now.” Lily nodded.
Since the handsome Leo was admitted to the hospital for around a year, Lily naturally wouldn’t forget about him. Leo merely smiled politely, but it was apparent that he was more mature than before.
The talkative Lily looked at him from head to toe and asked, “You must be married to the pretty girl that used to accompany you all the time. Both of you look good together.”
“Not yet,” he answered awkwardly.
“Why not? She is such a good lady. Aren’t you worried that she’d date someone else?” Leo answered with a smile, as it wouldn’t be nice to let Lily know about the history between him and Elyse.
The kind-hearted Lily couldn’t help but remind him. “I know Elie’s family well, and she is truly a nice woman whom you shouldn’t miss out on.”
Chapter 53 Chatting in Bed, Naked? Could You Believe That?
Since Lily referred to Amelie as ‘Elie’, it sounded similar to ‘Ely’, so Leo didn’t notice anything wrong about what she said.
“Speaking of that girl, she really coddled you by coaxing and pampering you. One time when the nurse accidentally knocked on your head, she was so upset about it that she cried. That silly girl had come looking for me multiple times, asking me whether I can treat your eye. She even told me that she would give you her cornea if we couldn’t get a suitable one for you.”
“I told her that it’s a risky procedure to extract the cornea from a living human as it might lead to blindness or even death. She wasn’t bothered by it, and when she knew that she couldn’t do a test in our hospital, she asked me where she could do it. How silly is that child? After that, I found out that she did those just so you could get your eyesight back and go home, as she was worried that your family had abandoned you because you were blind.”
After speaking of the past, Lily stopped talking and walked away when she noticed that there wasn’t a reaction from Leo. She could tell that something might be off. Leo, however, was quiet as he remained on his spot.
After Amelie left the hospital, she decided to go to her house to do some cleaning since she didn’t have any other plans. Regardless of whether she was going to stay in the house or not in the future, she thought that she should cherish it as her parents were the ones who built it. Apparently, Abby didn’t take good care of the house because some of the spots were covered in mold, and the walls were chipped.
Seeing that made Amelie’s heart break, and she thought of engaging a team of renovators after two days to refurbish it. It took her an hour to clean up the interior of the house. As she got out of the house with the garbage bag, a slim figure caught her attention. It was a woman’s figure which looked slender
and graceful. Amelie could tell that she was a beautiful woman just by looking at it. She couldn’t help but look up and see a stunning yet familiar face. She frowned upon seeing her. What a horrible fate! Why would I bump into someone whom I least wanted to three times in the same day?
Elyse was looking at Amelie from not too far away. Amelie, who had done a round of cleaning, naturally looked sloppy, with her messy hair and sweat-covered forehead. However, her eyes shone bright like stars. Elyse looked away displeasedly, and the natural sense of superiority that she possessed made her lift her head high like a swan, and it made her look taller than Amelie. Amelie didn’t want to see her at all, so she left without greeting her.
“Miss Dillon, why not hand over Bria’s custody rights?” Elyse turned her body slightly and demanded without even greeting her.
“Miss Clayton, are you confused or something? Why would I hand over Bria’s custody rights?” Amelie paused her footsteps and looked at Elyse.
Not only did Elyse not get mad after hearing what Amelie said, but she also covered her mouth with her hand as she smiled. “Leo and I will be getting married soon, so her daughter will naturally be my daughter. Moreover, it might be challenging for you to raise a child since you seem to have broken up with the owner of Starlight Media. As a mother, I’m sure you’d want the best for your child. Leaving her in the care of the Alston Family is the best for her, isn’t it?”
“If you send Bria to the Alston Family, you’ll have a chance at finding your happiness too. I see that the man before this was pretty decent. He must be quite financially stable too. Instead of keeping your child with you and keeping constant contact with your ex-husband, you should be married off to a good man and get a taste of what happiness is like.”
As Amelie listened to her sarcastic remarks, she finally understood something. “Are you suspecting that the reason I took Bria with me was just so that I could keep in touch with Leo?”
“Isn’t it so?” Elyse smiled. She was grinning, but her eyes were filled with anger.
“Miss Clayton, a few years back, you had intervened in our relationship and ruined it. It had caused Leo and I to be separated from each other for the last four years. I didn’t care about these, but I am willing to give you a chance to be happy. I believe that I’m already being very generous.”
Elyse’s shamelessness had triggered Amelie, and Amelie had decided to speak her mind since there was no reason to hide them anymore!
“Miss Clayton, the way you speak might give other people who aren’t aware of it the impression that you are the victim. Are you sure that I was the one who came between both of you?!”
“Was I wrong?” Elyse seemed unfazed by Amelie and refuted, “To be honest, there was nothing between me and that man, and our relationship could be easily explained. It was because of your involvement that things started getting awkward, and I could only let you have Leo while I endured the pain of losing him.”
“I took your feelings into consideration and only explained to Leo after a year.” Elyse’s gaze was somber, but she smirked as she spoke.
“One year later?” Amelie didn’t seem well after hearing that.
Throughout those four years, Leo was initially cold toward her, and that was it. A year after their marriage, which was not long after she gave birth to Bria, he would occasionally visit Bria. One day, he sent her a text telling her that he was going on a business trip and that he would reconsider their relationship when he was back. When Amelie thought of how he was starting to warm up to her, she thought that he had finally decided to accept her. She was so glad about it and waited patiently for his answer.
However, when he got back, Amelie noticed that not only was he colder toward her, he had gotten hostile as well. Since then, he had allowed his family and friends to bully her. It turned out that he had met up with Elyse during his business trip, and she uttered the same words to him. Amelie couldn’t suppress her rage anymore as she was fuming with anger. The reason Elyse did so was so that Amelie would suffer! All those years, Amelie chose not to argue about it, but since Elyse had stepped on her, she decided not to hold back anymore.
“Miss Clayton, it seems like you have a poor memory. Back then, when the reporters asked whether you cheated, you were silent for five whole minutes. Isn’t that five minutes sufficient for you to clarify the situation? Even if the reporters didn’t believe your words, Leo was standing next to you. I’m sure that he’d be willing to hear you out.”
Elyse narrowed her gaze and was lost for words after hearing what she said. She had always thought that Amelie wasn’t a presentable woman. However, at that moment, what Amelie said was spot on, and she could even predict what Elyse’s answer would be. Elyse was left with no grounds to refute her remarks.
With that, Amelie nonchalantly walked around Elyse and said, “Miss Clayton, if it wasn’t for my appearance, your cheating scandal would have been confirmed, and your reputation would have been ruined four years ago. If that had happened, you wouldn’t have had the opportunity to stand in front of me and claim that you’re the victim. You are, in fact, indebted to me. I never expected you to pay me back for it, but please don’t appear in front of me and sputter such ungrateful nonsense!”
Elyse was once again lost for words as she froze on the spot with a grave expression on her face. The proud look on her face had disappeared! She was so mortified that she couldn’t even feel her fingernails snapping within her tightly clenched fists. She had gone from being the victim to the beneficiary while Amelie, who had made her lose Leo had become her savior. How could the proud Elyse accept such an account?
“Right, you said that there was nothing between you and that man, so could it be that something was wrong with my eyes? Both of you were naked, so don’t tell me that you guys were just chatting in bed, naked? Could you even believe your own words?” As Amelie looked at Elyse, a figure standing not far from them caught her attention.
Chapter 54 Elyse’s True Colors
She pursed her lips, thinking that some things shouldn’t be concealed.
“Leo believed you because he firmly believed in your relationship. However, you can’t fool the bystanders. Besides, when you said that you had no comments about it, was it because you were so spoiled by Leo that you believed he wouldn’t abandon you even if you were caught in action? You were waiting for him to go to you and trample his own dignity just to satisfy your willfulness, weren’t you? Elyse, don’t you think that you’re being selfish?”
She managed to get it right! The anger that Elyse felt instantly turned into bewilderment as she stared at Amelie with disbelief. How did this woman manage to guess my thoughts so accurately?
It took her a while to think of something to refute Amelie. Elyse being Elyse, she would never give Amelie the chance to trample over her.
“Yeah, what about that? No matter how willful I’ve been, it will never stop Leo from loving me. Back then, my intention was to let everyone know how much he treasured me. No matter how unreasonable I was, he would still love me and never abandon me!”
“You shameless woman!” Amelie chided. Although she had known that much, she was provoked when she heard Elyse say it with her own mouth. She was so mad at Elyse and even felt bad for Leo.
If she was still married to Leo, she would have slapped Elyse in the face.
“Haven’t you thought about the consequences of your actions? It would adversely affect Leo’s reputation, the Alston Family, and even Genesis. They shouldn’t foot the bill for your recklessness.”
“Who cares?” Elyse raised her head. “It is Leo’s fault for loving me so much that he’s willing to do anything for me.”
She felt smug as she showed off how much Leo loved her. While doing so, the normally poised Elyse instantly turned into an appalling, classless woman.
Would Leo still like her after seeing this side of her? Amelie couldn’t help but think. She smirked when she glanced over at a figure standing in the corner.
Elyse, who didn’t notice the change in Amelie’s expression, walked closer to her and exclaimed, “This is the difference between me and you!”
Elyse hated Amelie to the core for snatching Leo from her for the past four years. All this while, she never insulted Amelie in her face in order to maintain her image. However, since they were in a small village, no one would know even if she trampled Amelie to death.
She then lifted her head and laughed arrogantly. “Leo is my man, and he loves me. Even though you snatched him away from me, he still loves me nonetheless. He would willingly be my dog and follow me around as long as I ask. However, even if you wag your tail in front of him, he wouldn’t even be bothered to take a look at you!”
“Oh,” Amelie replied and pointed in the direction behind Elyse. “Would you dare to speak of this in front of Leo?”
“Why wouldn’t I?!”
Elyse was so exhilarated that she spoke without thinking. Only when the words came out of her mouth did she notice she had said something wrong. She looked behind her and noticed the figure. When she finally took a closer look at his face, her mind went blank as her body trembled.
The man standing there gave off a dark and cold aura. It felt as though his whole body was shrouded in chilly air. The atmosphere suddenly got tense.
“Leo…” Elyse called out, feeling suffocated. Her body was trembling as well. What… What have I just said? She then turned over and looked at Amelie before finally making sense of the situation—Amelie made her say those words after noticing that Leo was standing there.
Amelie smirked. If it wasn’t for Elyse’s provocation, she wouldn’t have done it. In fact, the timing was right since Leo could get a good look at the woman whom he would be marrying. This was possibly the last favor that Amelie could do for Leo.
With that, she walked away without looking at him.
“Leo, l-listen to me…” Elyse had never felt that nervous in her life. She grabbed onto Leo’s arm with her trembling fingers and uttered, “Actually…”
However, Elyse didn’t know what to say, and she couldn’t bring herself to explain the situation since he had already witnessed this nasty side of her. If she tried to explain, it might make her seem like a cunning woman.
Leo’s gaze darkened as he stared at the nervous Elyse. He never expected that she would have this side to her—she was mean, sarcastic and arrogant.
After hearing from Ashton that Elyse had left on her own, Leo became worried and went after her. In the end, it was just ridiculous. Throughout the entire time, she had only shown her good side to Leo and maintained the facade of being a graceful and elegant woman. However, it all crumbled once she acted like a hooligan.
She could clearly see the disgust in his eyes. I’m done for! she thought to herself.
Her body trembled, and she collapsed to the ground at the thought of all her hard work going down the drain.
Suddenly, Leo grabbed her arm as his voice rang. “Let’s be together,” he said.
Elyse thought that she was hearing things as she stared at Leo with her eyes wide. She then grabbed onto his sleeve. “Leo…”
She looked at his face and saw how calm he looked. His gaze was dark, and she couldn’t guess what he was thinking. She thought that she must have heard it wrongly since she had tried so many ways before to make him say those words, but to no avail. There’s no way he would say it after seeing the ugly side of me, right? She thought disappointedly.
“Let’s be together,” Leo said again. This time round, she clearly saw him say it with his mouth while listening to his deep voice. He seemed determined about it. Was it all a blessing in disguise?
Elyse seemed puzzled, but joy soon overcame her as she threw herself into his arms. Leo shut his eyes and gently patted her back. He realized that Elyse had changed so much that he couldn’t recognize her anymore. Even so, she was the silly girl who would do anything for him.
…
Underneath the sunset, Amelie was washing Bria’s face while they sat by the door as the evening sun shone on them. Faraway, the birds were chirping as they flew back to their nests before the sunset.
After they were done, Amelie carried the washbasin and splashed the water at the melon vine that Steven had planted. As she was doing so, Bria tugged her shirt and said, “Mommy, look…”
Amelie looked at the direction where she was pointing in and noticed someone standing below the trellis. His arms were long and he had slender fingers, making him a tall figure. As the warm evening sun cast upon him, it seemed to exude a sense of loneliness.
Chapter 55 Nobody Messes With Elyse
As the man looked up and showed his face, Amelie was stunned in that instant. “L-Leo?” What brings him here? He never set foot anywhere near my house in the past four years, but here he is after we divorced. This is strange.
Meanwhile, Leo pursed his lips and waited until Amelie met his gaze before he started approaching her. At the same time, Amelie couldn’t help but size the man up silently, noticing the glacial expression on his face as she asked, “To what do I owe you the pleasure?”
Then, Leo looked over Amelie’s shoulder and saw a lodge, which was in fact Steven’s place of residence, behind her. Since Amelie happened to be standing in front of the entrance at that moment, she could be easily mistaken for a random guest who was staying there. Following Leo’s line of sight and turning around, she turned around and set her eyes on the plaque above the entrance. The next second, she tried to explain herself and said, “Actually, I’m now staying—”
Before Amelie could finish her words, she was interrupted by Leo abruptly. “I don’t care what you’re here for, but be warned that I’ll take action against whoever tries to step on Elyse!”
Amelie was stunned upon hearing those words, her face darkening glacially. She then stared at the man in disbelief, finding it hard to convince herself that this was the extent Leo would go to protect Elyse.
I was the one who discovered their affair, yet now I’ve become Elyse’s so-called bully?! How is this fair?! Come on, Leo. Where are your standards?! Despite knowing how much Leo cared about Elyse, Amelie still couldn’t help but feel mad and speechlessly disappointed about the man’s heartless response.
This is how far he’d go to protect Elyse, yet he can’t be bothered to talk to me nicely. I was his soulmate who went through countless ups and downs with him. In fact, I even… She placed her hand over her impaired left eye, feeling both heartbroken and disappointed.
Soon, Leo’s voice was heard again. “I hope you can avoid us wherever Elyse and I go, or I’ll be forced to do my worst against you!” Those words felt like a sharp blade plunging into Amelie’s chest. Despite the fact that they were already divorced, she still couldn’t help feeling a stab of overwhelming pain.
As soon as Leo finished his words, he turned around and walked away. When he brushed shoulders with Bria, he paused in his tracks, extending his fingertip toward the little girl who stared at him.
However, the child quickly dodged the man’s reach, gawking at him with a more hateful gaze this time. Although she didn’t know much about the adult world, she could sense Leo’s indifferent tone and the disgust in his eyes when he was talking to her mother. I should not talk to anyone who doesn’t treat Mommy nicely.
The next moment, he put down his hand, questioning himself what he was doing. What’s wrong with me? Am I feeling sympathetic for this b*stard? After dismissing that thought, he stepped forward and left the place.
“Leo!” Amelie called out to Leo from behind him, but to no avail as the man didn’t bother to stop and respond. Staring at her ex-husband’s silhouette, she felt a strong urge to catch up with him and ask what his heart was made of.
Why does he insist on protecting Elyse?! That lady hurt him and left him heartbroken, but I… I sacrificed so much, only to be deserted by him. Why?! What gives him the right to tell me where I can and can’t go? Who does he think he is to keep giving me a hard time?
In the end, Amelie responded with a glacial chuckle, pressing her tongue against the top of her mouth. “You’d better not regret this, Mr. Alston!”
Like Amelie expected, Leo couldn’t be bothered to respond to her as he disappeared from her sight shortly after. In the meantime, Amelie stood in place, allowing the overwhelming inside of her to take over her mind and break her heart.
Feeling as though she had been stabbed by a blade through the chest, she couldn’t help but beat herself up for how foolish she used to be back then. I’m suffering from the foolish decision I made a long time ago. What have I done?
Suddenly, Amelie felt a pair of arms wrapped around her legs.
“Don’t be sad, Mommy.” Bria sympathetically rested her face on her mother’s leg, trying to console her. “It doesn’t matter if Leo doesn’t like you since you still have me. I’m going to grow up soon and protect you. By then, no one can take advantage of you!”
Despite Bria’s little arms, she hugged Amelie’s legs tightly like a snake that was guarding its eggs. In that instant, Amelie’s heart was melted by Bria’s innocent and childish voice as she crouched down and cupped the child’s face, planting a kiss on her nose. After that, she proceeded to place her forehead against her daughter’s, trying to cherish a mother-daughter intimate moment between the two of them.
Despite her unsuccessful four-year marriage, Amelie found some consolation in the fact that she still had Bria with her. That’s right. I should move on and pretend as if nothing happened. From now on, I will not dwell on my past, nor will I miss that man ever again. I’m going to treat all those foolish sacrifices that I made for Leo as payment for having Bria.
Later that night, Amelie went on to review her company’s data after putting Bria to sleep when she suddenly heard her phone ringing. Realizing it was a call from Julia, she immediately answered it. “Have you received the agricultural product? I hope it’s still intact. If you like it, I’ll send more of those again.”
“What product? Come out right now!” Julia’s voice was filled with anger on the other side of the phone.
“W-What? Where?” Amelie asked with a pair of furrowed brows on her face.
“I said come out of your house!” Julia raised her voice so loud that Amelie almost went deaf. “I’m going to give you five minutes, or I’m going to barge in myself!”
“What? Which house?” Amelie instantly sat bolt upright and unveiled the curtains, only to see nothing except darkness. That’s what I thought. There is no way that Julia would come so far just to visit me so late at night.
“I’m now in your yard! Hurry up!” Julia’s aggression was clearly evident in her agitated tone.
“Amy, we’re just by the gate of your old house. Are you guys asleep? The lights are out.” Not long after that, a man’s gentle voice, which turned out to be Samuel’s, was heard from the other side.
It was then that Amelie realized they still thought she was living at the old house. However, that didn’t stop her from wondering why Julia and Samuel would visit her at an ungodly hour. “If you’re asleep, I’ll take Julia to the hotel. We can talk tomorrow…”
Before the man could finish her words, Julia cut her fiancé short and demanded, “What are you talking about?! Amelie, I want to see you now! Get out of your house and talk!”
Since Julia had rarely thrown a tantrum at her, Amelie was surprised to find out how agitated she was. Thus, she quickly explained herself and put on her casual wear before making her way to her old house.
At her arrival, she was greeted by the sight of Samuel’s magnificent Bentley. While the headlights were shining brightly, their surroundings could be clearly seen, including Julia’s unhappy expression.
In the meantime, Samuel patted Julia’s shoulder when he saw Amelie approaching them. “Promise me you’re going to talk to her nicely, okay?” After that, he nodded at Amelie and backed away, leaving the
ladies to it.
“What’s wrong?” Amelie came running, almost out of her breath as she looked at Julia.
Julia pinned a piece of paper on Amelie’s chest and demanded an answer from her. “Amelie, you’d better start explaining what this is all about!”
The next second, Amelie took the paper from her friend and took a quick skim at it with her car’s headlights. After reading it, her face changed as her fingers stiffened. Then, she began to clench her fists with the paper in her palms, crumpling it up. Seemingly guilty, she didn’t dare to look Julia in the eye. “W-Where did you get this?”
“Don’t ask me that question. All you have to do is tell me what I want to know. Is this true?!” Julia repeatedly poked the paper with her fingertip so hard that she nearly left a hole on it. Thanks to her edgy nature, she couldn’t wait to hear what Amelie had to say.