Ch. 571..580

Too Much to Bear My Love Chapter 571

She Finally Admitted It

After getting into the car, Amelia seemed to have something weighing on her mind as she leaned on the passenger seat.

Oscar glanced at her and lifted his hand to ruffle her hair. He asked, “What’s wrong? You can talk to me if you have something on your mind.”

She turned to look at him.

After hesitating for a moment, she briefly told him about what had happened to Eleanor in Saspiuburg.

“Do you want to help her?” Oscar asked bluntly after listening to her.

Amelia leaned against the seat, and she looked rather conflicted. After pondering for a long time, she replied, “I don’t know.”

“Why not?”

“Considering the circumstances, I’m just an outsider now. It’s often hard to get involved and judge others’ family affairs. I’m not a saint. It’s not like I have to respond to everyone who asks for help. I have my own family to take care of. Besides, that’s the Hutton family’s matter, so it’s difficult for me to intervene,” said Amelia.

Oscar stroked her hair and said, “I know someone in Saspiuburg. If you want to help, I can have someone sneak into the Hutton residence and find out how she’s doing.”

Amelia sighed softly and asked, “Isn’t it troublesome?”

“If it’s for you, then it’s not troublesome,” said Oscar.

Amelia lowered her gaze and pondered.

Oscar did not press her and simply drove the car quietly. The car was filled with a peaceful silence.

Just when they almost arrived at the neighborhood, Amelia raised her head and said, “Oscar, send someone to find out. In any case, we’ve known each other for a while, so I can’t just turn a blind eye.”

“All right.” Oscar agreed without hesitation.

Back at the apartment, Oscar kissed Amelia’s lips and said, “You play with Tony. I’ll go upstairs and have someone check on the Hutton family.”

Amelia smiled and said, “Thank you for everything, Oscar.”

He raised his hand to stroke her head before going upstairs.

Upon entering the study, Oscar called his subordinate who was far away in Saspiuburg.

After a brief chat and having someone check on Eleanor’s situation, he ended the call.

Oscar looked out of the window with a solemn expression. He was not particularly concerned about how Eleanor was doing, and he did not like the idea that Amelia kept in contact with the Hutton family because he thought Eleanor did not deserve to be called a mother when she did not even dare to acknowledge her own biological daughter.

Regardless of what hardships Eleanor faced, since she did not dare to acknowledge Amelia as her daughter, Oscar did not have a good impression of her.

When Oscar left the study and went downstairs, Amelia hurriedly came over and asked, “How was it, Oscar?”

He smiled and replied, “There’s no news yet, but don’t worry. In any case, they’re still husband and wife. I don’t think Mr. Hutton would be so cruel as to drive his wife crazy.”

Amelia mulled over it and thought it made sense.

They had gotten together in their youth and had been husband and wife for more than thirty years. If something really were to happen, it would have happened much earlier.

Amelia felt slightly at ease.

After the family of three finished eating, Oscar’s phone rang again.

He picked it up. “What’s it?”

The other party seemed to have said something, and Oscar’s expression darkened in an instant. He then replied, “All right. Watch them secretly for now. Let me think about it. I’ll tell you if I really want you to do it.”

Then, he said a few more words before hanging up.

Amelia looked at him and asked, “Oscar, was there any news?”

Oscar’s eyes darkened. After a long silence, he finally brought himself to break the news to her. “She’s still in the private psychiatric clinic. Her husband forced the psychiatrist to hypnotize her, but she has been resisting, so the hypnosis didn’t work. Things are more serious than we thought.”

Amelia’s eyes flashed with a trace of disbelief.

“She’s his wife. How could he do this to her?” Amelia clenched her fists tight slowly as she felt overwhelmed by a surge of emotions. “Oscar, can you have someone save her? I’m sorry. After getting to know her, I can’t just stand idly by and watch. I’ll live my whole life feeling guilty if I don’t do anything.”

Oscar looked straight at her, and their eyes met. He felt as if he had seen through the deepest corners of her mind and soul.

“Are you sure?” Oscar asked in a low voice.

Amelia nodded.

“All right. I’ll have someone rescue her tonight. Please bear in mind that you have nothing to do with her explicitly. The Hutton family has the right to sue us for kidnapping her,” Oscar reminded.

Amelia sighed and said, “Oscar, I really can’t be bothered to think about all that. If the Hutton family really wants to sue us, I have no choice but to face it. However, I have to do this, or my conscience will never let me live it down.”

Oscar chuckled. As expected of my wife. She’s kind, considerate, and knows the right thing to do. There’s so much goodness in her just waiting for me to discover.

“Don’t be silly! You’re my wife. No one can sue you,” Oscar said confidently. “Don’t worry. As long as you want to help her, I’ll stand by her side. I’ll also help her find the best lawyer for her to divorce her husband. She’s very similar to you, so I can’t really bear to be ruthless to her either.”

Feeling moved by his words, Amelia felt a surge of warmth in her. Oscar is doing all this for my sake.

At night, Oscar had one of his men rescue Eleanor. However, Eleanor was not in a particularly good state of mind because of all the stimulation she had suffered, and she started screaming when people touched her. The man who came to rescue her had no choice but to knock her out.

After placing her in a high-end apartment, the man called Oscar.

He gulped several times, carefully considered his words, and said, “Mr. Clinton, Mrs. Hutton’s situation doesn’t seem very good. It seems like the early symptom of psychosis. She’s making quite a big fuss over here. Do you want to come to Saspiuburg? The Hutton family is considered quite prestigious in Saspiuburg. If anything happens to her, I’m afraid we can’t afford to take responsibility.”

After a moment’s pause, he continued, “Mr. Clinton, I don’t mean to shirk responsibility, but I still have my men whom I need to take care of. Saspiuburg is still considered the Hutton family’s turf. We really can’t afford to offend them. Could you come to Saspiuburg quickly? We helped you save the woman, but you have to be the one to settle the rest of the matter.”

Oscar said, “You take care of her first. I’ll go to Saspiuburg personally tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Mr. Clinton.”

After hanging up the phone, Oscar turned around to go back to bed. Unexpectedly, Amelia, who should have been sleeping, was sitting up on the bed.

He walked over, bent down, and dropped a kiss on her lips. “Did I wake you?”

Amelia lifted her head and said, “W-What’s wrong with her?”

“Her mental condition isn’t very good. I plan to go to Saspiuburg tomorrow.” Oscar did not hide it from her.

She hung her head low and thought for a moment before saying, “I’ll go with you. Otherwise, I won’t feel at ease.”

“All right.”

The next day, Amelia apologetically asked Shane for leave, and Shane was generous enough to give her five days of leave at once.

She said, “Thank you, Shane. I’m such an incompetent employee. I’m really, really sorry.”

“We’re friends. There’s no need to say such things.”

After chatting a little, Amelia hung up the phone.

“We’ll be boarding the plane soon. Call Tony if you miss him. He threw a little tantrum when he heard that you’re going to Saspiuburg,” said Oscar.

Chuckling, Amelia shook her head as she found Tony’s response rather funny. “No need. Let’s wait until we get there and see how things go.”

The two boarded the flight, and the trip took nearly two hours before they arrived at Saspiuburg.

After leaving the airport, Oscar and Amelia got into the car that had been waiting for them long ago.

The chauffeur briefly told them about Eleanor’s situation.

Amelia frowned and said, “Did she start making a fuss as soon as she woke up?”

“I wouldn’t call it a fuss. She just isn’t letting anyone approach her. If someone tries getting close to her, she acts like a frightened bird. I suggest that Mr. Clinton takes her to the hospital for a checkup. I think she received a lot of trauma in that private psychiatric clinic,” the chauffeur explained dutifully.

Amelia wore a grim expression, and no one knew what she was thinking about.

Oscar took her into his arms and said, “Don’t worry. I’m here. Everything will be fine.”

Amelia merely nodded in silence.

Although she was mentally prepared, she could not help but feel her heart wrench for a moment when she saw Eleanor. Her lips trembled, and she struggled to utter a word.

At this moment, with disheveled hair, Eleanor cowered in a corner with her head buried. She looked like a puppy that had been abandoned by her master.

The person who followed them in explained carefully, “Mrs. Clinton, she isn’t letting us approach her. We wanted to clean her up, but she struggled too much. We were afraid that she would injure herself, so we told everyone to go out.”

Amelia nodded at him and said politely, “Thank you for saving her. When Oscar and I settle her down, we’ll definitely treat you all to a scrumptious meal.”

“You’re too kind, Mrs. Clinton. As long as Mr. Clinton orders it, we will go through hell and high water for him. We let Mr. Clinton down when we failed to find you two years ago. It’s a rare occurrence that he needs our help,” said the man with a smile.

Oscar then replied, “You go out first. My wife and I will talk to her for a while.”

“Yes, Mr. Clinton.”

After the man left, Amelia walked over carefully and muttered in a soft voice, “Mrs. Hutton, it’s Amelia. Do you recognize me?”

Eleanor’s body visibly stiffened for a moment.

She slowly lifted her head. When she saw Amelia, who always looked gentle, her eyes lit up in excitement.

“Lia?” she asked with uncertainty. She thought she was dreaming.

Amelia sighed in relief. Thank goodness she recognizes me.

Eleanor seemed to recall something and hurriedly tidy her hair. She laughed awkwardly. “Lia, do I look very ugly now?”

Amelia’s heart clenched. Eleanor was one of the few elders who truly cared about her.

She choked up a little as she said, “Mrs. Hutton, no matter how you look, you’re always the prettiest.”

Eleanor had stood up and wanted to walk toward Amelia, but she hesitated again when she saw Oscar beside Amelia.

Amelia turned to look at Oscar and said, “Go and wait for me outside, Oscar. I’ll talk to Mrs. Hutton.”

Oscar raised his hand to caress her hair as he said, “Be careful. Call me if anything happens, all right?”

Amelia nodded.

After Oscar went out, she slowly walked to Eleanor’s side and stretched out her hand to help Eleanor sit on the couch.

Eleanor stared intently at Amelia, and the latter could feel how touched the former was through her gaze. “What are you doing here, Lia?”

“Amelia called me. She said she couldn’t resist Mr. Hutton, so she asked me to find a way to see if I could get you out. I asked Oscar for help, and he used his contacts in Saspiuburg to rescue you during the night,” Amelia briefly explained.

Eleanor took her hand and said in a slightly choked voice, “I didn’t expect you to save me, Lia. I… When I was in that place, I was so afraid that I would never see you again, my daughter.”

After saying that, Eleanor hugged Amelia and buried her face in the latter’s shoulder, crying bitterly.

Amelia’s body froze as she listened to Eleanor’s distraught cries, and Amelia’s eyes turned red subconsciously.

She never thought Eleanor would admit that she was her daughter in such a situation.

The complex feelings in her heart were like waves surging back and forth, making her feel very uncomfortable.

Too Much to Bear My Love Chapter 572

Please Put Down The Knife

“Mrs. Hutton, you aren’t in a good mental state now. You’ll feel better after having some rest,” Amelia said in a soft voice. Her hand hovered stiffly in mid-air for a long time before she slowly placed it on Eleanor’s back.

Benjamin harbored a deep hatred toward Amelia Winters. He refused to acknowledge Amelia, who had been alone all these years, as his biological daughter. No matter what, Amelia did not wish to see Eleanor getting divorced at such an old age because of her. Amelia already had her own family, and she had been through more than twenty years of not being with her close ones, so she did not want to be selfish and be the cause of Eleanor losing the peaceful life she had with her family.

I’m already satisfied enough to know that my biological mother didn’t mean to abandon me. I’m not going to force the rest to go as my wish.

Eleanor’s hand that was holding Amelia froze as she slowly raised her head. She stared blankly at Amelia in front of her. Seemingly gathering her courage, she pursed her lips a few times before she finally asked in a hoarse voice, “Lia, are you still reluctant to acknowledge me as your mom?”

Amelia gave Eleanor a faint smile and comforted her, “Mrs. Hutton, I know that you were terrified yesterday, so it’s normal for you to mistake me for Amelia Hutton. However, I’m Amelia Winters, and my parents are still around. I’m really sorry.”

Eleanor gazed intently at her eldest daughter, who was close at hand yet so far away. She felt her heart wrenching, and her eyes were filled to the rim with tears.

“Lia, I lost you for more than twenty years. I understand if you don’t want to acknowledge me as your mother,” Eleanor sobbed.

Amelia was at a loss for what she should do.

She clumsily wiped Eleanor’s tears and said, “Don’t be like this, Mrs. Hutton. You’re not in good health now. Have a good rest first. Everything else can wait until you get better.”

Eleanor grabbed her hand and said sincerely, “Lia, I’ve been missing you for so many years. I didn’t dare to acknowledge you because I was afraid that your father would go after you. But now, I can’t stand it anymore. After yesterday, I almost couldn’t see you ever again. It doesn’t matter if you don’t want to acknowledge me. I’ll be satisfied as long as you stay by my side.”

Feeling somewhat awkward, Amelia drew her hand back and said, “Mrs. Hutton, please calm down.”

Eleanor took a deep breath and tried her best to regain her composure.

She tried to look for a comb to tidy up her hair, but there was none.

“Lia, do you have a comb?”

Although Amelia did not understand what Eleanor needed a comb for, she took one out of her bag.

Eleanor tied her hair up and went into the bathroom to briefly wash her face.

Amelia saw that Eleanor had regained her composure and went straight to the point. “Mrs. Hutton, I heard from Amelia that things aren’t looking good between you and Mr. Hutton. Are you really planning to divorce?”

Eleanor’s body stiffened as a trace of fear flashed in her eyes. The experience she had the day before had caused her to become more afraid of her husband.

Benjamin and she had been married for more than thirty years, but the relationship between them had almost come to a breaking point.

Amelia walked over and held Eleanor’s hand as she said, “Mrs. Hutton, I won’t oppose if you want to divorce. There are many things I don’t really understand about the Hutton family, so I don’t have the right to make a judgment. However, you two have been married for so many years. You got together when you were young and should stay together for a lifetime. It’s not easy to find someone who could stay by your side till the end of time. You should think it through.”

Eleanor let out a bitter smile, but her face glowed with determination.

“Lia, I can’t continue to be with him. In the past, I couldn’t make up my mind to divorce him because I still loved him. However, I don’t think it’s possible for me to be him now. He’s someone who can actually lay his hands on his own daughter and wife. I’m too afraid of him,” Eleanor said bitterly.

Amelia lowered her head and pondered before saying, “Mrs. Hutton, I’ll support whatever decision you make as long as you don’t regret it.”

Grinning, Eleanor lowered her head.

She hesitated for a long time before asking hopefully, “Lia, can you call me Mom?”

Amelia was tongue-tied in an instant.

Nonetheless, Amelia put on a smile that looked somewhat uneasy.

In such a situation where she was acknowledging Eleanor as her mother, Amelia only felt shocked and awkward. She did not feel the same excitement as what had been depicted in the drama series.

Feeling the surge of mixed feelings, she still brought herself to reply calmly, “Mrs. Hutton, you should have a good rest. Oscar and I will send you back to the Hutton residence once you’re feeling better. Whether you intend to divorce or reconcile with Mr. Hutton, I think it’d be better for you to talk things out with him. After all, that’s still your family. As an outsider, I’m not in the right position to intervene with your family matters.”

Eleanor only looked at her without saying anything.

After a long time, she let out a bitter chuckle. “Lia, you still don’t want to call me Mom, right?”

Amelia remained silent.

Eleanor grabbed her hand and said eagerly, “It’s okay. We’ve been separated for so many years, and I haven’t fulfilled any of my duties as your mother as you grow up. It’s too sudden to tell you that you’re my daughter, so it makes sense that you find it hard to accept me physically and mentally. Take it slow. I can wait for you, and I mean it.”

Amelia seemed slightly troubled as she was in such a tight spot.

In fact, she felt pressured unknowingly because of the affection and care Eleanor was showing toward her.

Eleanor seemed to notice the troubled look on Amelia’s face. She immediately held herself back from sounding too eager as she said, “Lia, I’m a bit hungry. Can you prepare something for me to eat?”

“Of course. You take a rest first. I’ll go prepare some food for you.”

Then, Amelia went out to prepare something for Eleanor to eat and chatted with her for a while. When she saw that Eleanor had gradually calmed down and drifted off to sleep on the bed, Amelia finally heaved a sigh of relief.

She covered Eleanor with the blanket and carefully opened the door to go out.

Meanwhile, Oscar was standing not far away. Amelia could not help but smile and walked over before wrapping her arms around his waist. She nuzzled his chest like a kitten asking to be patted.

Oscar raised his hand and gently stroked the back of her head. He then asked in a low voice, “What’s wrong? Did she give you a hard time?”

Amelia shook her head lightly.

“Oscar, come to my room and talk to me for a while. I suddenly feel like talking to you,” Amelia uttered in a soft voice.

“Sure.”

Oscar held her in his arms as they went into the bedroom that someone had prepared for them.

He prepared a glass of milk for her and said, “Have some.”

Amelia held the cup and let out a soft sigh. “She acknowledged me as her daughter, but I’m not as happy as I thought I’d be.”

“Don’t you wish to acknowledge her?”

Slightly baffled, she shook her head. “I don’t know. In the past, when my parents failed to make me feel the love of a complete family, I’ve been thinking that one day, a mother who truly loved me would appear. However, now that I finally have one, I’m not as excited as I was at the beginning. It’s like how people’s desire for something when they were younger slowly dies down as they grow up.”

Oscar sat next to her and reached out his hands to make her sit on his lap. He comforted, “Don’t force yourself. If you want to acknowledge her as your mother, then do so. If you don’t intend to do that, just pretend that this matter doesn’t exist. I’ll always be by your side to support you.”

Amelia gently leaned against his chest.

“Oscar, I feel this part of me is burning. It’s as though the feelings of resentment I’ve been suppressing for many years are all released at once. I’ve been thinking about this. So it turns out that I have a biological mother. Maybe there was the reason why the Winters family was treating me coldly all this while. I feel like crying, but I have no idea why the tears just won’t come out,” said Amelia, and she seemed upset.

Oscar lifted her chin and landed a peck that was as light as the feather on her lips.

He looked straight into her eyes and said in a domineering yet forceful manner, “You only need to have me by your side. Just think of the others as secondary in your life.”

Amelia could not help but laugh. Her sullenness dissipated magically in mere seconds.

“Oscar, when she’s more stable emotionally, I want to send her back to the Hutton residence. If there are any conflicts, I think it’s better to talk things through face-to-face. What do you think?” Amelia looked up as she told him her plan.

“Whatever you say.”

The two chatted for a long time until they heard a series of ear-piercing shrieks coming from the room next door, breaking the warm and intimate atmosphere between the two.

“Mrs. Hutton.” Amelia jumped out of Oscar’s embrace and hurriedly ran out after opening the door.

When she opened the door, she saw a girl in her twenties standing at the side with a tray in her hand, looking helpless. At the same time, Eleanor was screaming at the top of her lungs, seemingly out of control.

Amelia rushed over anxiously and stopped at a spot that was a few steps away from Eleanor. She carefully called out, “Mrs. Hutton, I’m Amelia. Calm down, please. I’m here now. No one can hurt you.”

As soon as Eleanor heard Amelia’s voice, her screams gradually became softer. She looked up at Amelia and called out in puzzlement, “Lia?”

“Yeah, Mrs. Hutton, it’s me. Can you put down the dagger first? I’ll be worried if you’re holding a dagger. I don’t want you to get hurt,” Amelia said carefully.

Eleanor looked at the dagger in her hand and dropped it with a cry of shock. The dagger fell to the ground with a clang.

“Lia, no! It wasn’t me. I don’t know how the dagger got to my hand. Don’t be scared of me, okay? I’m not usually like this,” she explained incoherently.

Amelia felt conflicted. Mrs. Hutton suffered so much, but she’s still trying to take my feelings into account.

This kind of consideration might be something that only a mother could spare for her children.

“Mrs. Hutton, don’t overthink. I know you didn’t mean it. I’m just glad that you’re fine. Don’t hold something as dangerous as the danger again in the future, okay? I’ll be worried if you hurt yourself.”

“Lia, will you really be worried about me?”

Too Much to Bear My Love Chapter 573

Ulterior Motive

“Mrs. Hutton, of course, I’m worried about you. Otherwise, why would I take the flight and come all the way here with Oscar to visit you when I heard you were in trouble? I’d be at ease as long as you’re fine,” Amelia said.

Finally, a bright smile appeared on Eleanor’s face before she embraced Amelia. She choked up and said, “Lia, I’m so happy to hear you say that. I’m planning on getting a divorce. After that, I’ll stay with you and help you raise your child.”

Amelia froze and wiggled out of Eleanor’s embrace while concealing her emotions. “Mrs. Hutton, do you mind telling me what happened just now?”

Eleanor smoothed her hair and answered, “Oh, that was nothing. I thought that little girl was sent by my husband when she came in. That’s why I was a bit startled. Please apologize to her on my behalf, okay? I didn’t purposely vent my anger at her.”

“It’s okay, Mrs. Hutton. I’m sure she’ll understand.” Amelia flashed a gentle smile.

Eleanor nodded and said nothing more.

After keeping Eleanor company for a couple of days, Amelia got a few doctors to check on Eleanor. The doctors told her Eleanor was fine. As for her mental health, she would need to see a psychiatrist.

Amelia nodded. “Thank you, doctors.”

The doctors exchanged pleasantries before leaving the premise with their medical kits.

“Mrs. Hutton, I’m told that you’re fine. I think you ought to return to the Hutton residence, don’t you think so? Since you haven’t divorced Mr. Hutton, I think you’d have to head home,” Amelia said.

Suddenly, both Eleanor’s body and expression stiffened when she heard that.

Amelia asked worriedly, “What’s wrong, Mrs. Hutton?”

Eleanor forced a smile and answered, “Lia, I don’t want to go back to the Hutton residence. I don’t think I have anything to say to him because I don’t see us as a married couple anymore. I’ll get my lawyer to deal with him regarding the divorce. Since you’re my eldest daughter, I’ll follow you around for the rest of my life.”

It was then Amelia’s turn to have her expression stiffened. “Mrs. Hutton, please stop being angry. Mr. Hutton and you have been married for so many years. You can’t possibly divorce him just because you’re angry at him, right?” Amelia tried her best to persuade Eleanor.

Eleanor’s face slightly darkened. She then looked at Amelia plaintively and asked, “Lia, don’t you want to acknowledge me as your mom?”

Amelia instinctively stumbled a few steps backward before saying calmly, “Mrs. Hutton, please calm down. I’m just an outsider, and you’ve mistaken me for someone else. The Hutton residence is your home, Mrs. Hutton. I’m sorry, but I can’t take up the responsibility of taking care of you for life.”

Tears started to stream down Eleanor’s face as she stared at Amelia aggrievedly.

At that moment, Amelia was at a loss about what to do.

Fortunately for her, Oscar came in just in time to defuse the awkward moment.

“What’s wrong, Amelia?” he asked.

Amelia breathed a sigh of relief and turned toward Oscar. “Mrs. Hutton is refusing to go back to the Hutton residence. Since you have so much work piling up, perhaps you should head back to Tayhaven first, Oscar.”

Oscar held her waist and uttered, “Amelia, do you mind heading out first? Let me have a conversation with Mrs. Hutton alone. Don’t worry. Everything will be all right.”

Amelia was not convinced. “Are you sure?”

Oscar gave her a smooch on her lips. “Trust me, okay?”

Amelia nodded and glanced at Eleanor. “Mrs. Hutton, Oscar is going to talk to you, okay? I’ll be right outside. Call for me if you need me.”

Eleanor twitched her lips at first, but she gave in and nodded in the end.

After Amelia left the room, Oscar’s expression became indifferent. He pointed at a couch by the window and gestured for Eleanor to have a seat. “Mrs. Hutton, you don’t mind having a conversation with me, right?”

Uneasiness and fear flashed through Eleanor’s eyes when she took a look at Oscar. After pondering for a moment, she uttered, “Okay. Let’s talk.”

The two of them sat on separate couches. Eleanor had her arms crossed and acted defensively. “Oscar, what do you want to talk to me about?”

“Mrs. Hutton, you’re actually fine, am I right? Why are you pretending like you’re afraid of people in front of Amelia?” Oscar asked directly.

Eleanor froze instantly when she heard that. She then looked at Oscar with a complicated expression and whined, “Oscar, I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“No. You know exactly what I’m talking about. You’re just good at putting on an act. Before I came, I’d already gotten people to look into the Hutton family, so I know quite a bit about you. Indeed, Mr. Hutton brought you to a private psychiatric clinic. However, he couldn’t bear to do anything to you because you guys have been married for so many years. Hence, I can’t help but think you have an ulterior motive when you act paranoid whenever Amelia is around.” With his cold gaze, Oscar sat cross-legged, and he looked extremely confident.

Instantly, Eleanor’s expression stiffened, and her fingers, which were placed on her thighs, trembled. She smiled bitterly and said, “Oscar, you’re quite a smart guy. You could tell at a glance that I was pretending. However, Lia is my daughter. Why would I hurt her? I just want to stay by her side, that’s all. I want to make up for the twenty-odd years of absence in her life. Other than that, I don’t have other intentions toward her.”

Oscar grinned and looked at her with mockery. “Mrs. Hutton, your appearance in Amelia’s life is too sudden. In fact, why did you show up at this precise moment? I really can’t help but think you have hidden intentions. I wonder if you were motivated by the Clintons’ status and background. After all, the Clintons are rich and powerful. Hence, I can’t help but doubt your intention.”

Eleanor slowly clenched her fists before loosening them.

“I just want to be by Lia’s side. That’s all. If you don’t believe Lia is my daughter, I can take a DNA test,” Eleanor said anxiously.

“That’s not necessary. I’ve already taken a hair sample from you when you visited Amelia earlier. I’ve already done the DNA test, and you’re indeed her mother. So what? You’ve already been absent from her life for so long. What makes you think she must accept you into her life just because you showed up now?” Oscar questioned.

Hearing that, Eleanor turned pale.

“Mrs. Hutton, please forgive my bluntness, but my stance remains the same as when I was at Tayhaven. If Amelia acknowledges you, I won’t stop her. However, I hope you don’t force it upon her if she wishes otherwise. I don’t want her to feel troubled,” Oscar added.

By then, Eleanor’s hands were trembling as she was listening to what Oscar had to say.

“If you want a divorce, that’s your business. Don’t drag Amelia into it. In fact, she has nothing to do with whatever drama that’s happening within the Hutton family. You know what I’m trying to say, right?” Oscar asked calmly.

Eleanor remained silent for a while.

After that, she lowered her head and gave in. “Yes, I do.”

“See, I know you’re a smart person all this while, Mrs. Hutton. That’s all. I shall let you rest.”

Oscar then stood up and walked toward the door. Right then, Eleanor stopped him and said, “Oscar, I don’t care if you believe me or not, but I really love Lia. She’s my daughter, after all. As a mother, I’d never do anything to harm my own daughter.”

The hand Oscar had on the doorknob froze when he heard that.

After a slight hesitation, he opened the door and walked out.

Oscar then went back to his bedroom and saw Amelia standing by the window while gazing at the scenery outside. She turned around and went up to him when she saw him. After adjusting his shirt for him, she said, “Oscar, you didn’t say anything harsh to her, right?”

Oscar put his arm around her waist and pulled her in. As they were leaning close to one another, he lowered his head and kissed her on her lips. In a deep tone, he asked, “Are you so afraid that I might be hard on her?”

“Well, she’s our elder, after all. We shouldn’t be hard on her, no matter what.”

Oscar flicked her nose and smiled. “You should go see her. Perhaps she’d be willing to go back to the Hutton residence by now.”

Amelia raised her gaze toward him and looked at him suspiciously.

“Go on. Whatever it is, I’m here for you. Why would I ever make life difficult for you?” Oscar smiled playfully.

Amelia then stood on her toes and kissed Oscar on his lips. “You’re awesome, Oscar.”

Hearing that, Oscar could not help but laugh.

Amelia wiggled her way out of Oscar’s embrace like a bunny hopping off and said, “I’ll go over and have a look, then.”

With that, she hopped out of the room joyfully. Oscar shook his head and laughed when he saw that. She’s always so adorable!

When Amelia walked into the room next door, she saw Eleanor standing alone by the window. One could sense her loneliness just by looking at her from the back.

“Mrs. Hutton?” Amelia uttered softly.

Eleanor was spooked, and she hurriedly raised her hands and rubbed her face. She then turned around and said, “Hey Lia, you’re here.”

Too Much to Bear My Love Chapter 574

In Her Face

Amelia walked toward her and saw Eleanor’s teary eyes. Oscar must’ve said something to her! She could not help but furrow her brows when she asked, “Are you okay, Mrs. Hutton?”

Eleanor shook her head and answered, “I’m fine. I’m getting a bit homesick, that’s all. Lia, I shouldn’t be bothering you any longer. I’ll go back to the Hutton residence tomorrow.”

Amelia looked at her in shock.

Seeing that, Eleanor flashed a faint smile and said, “Are you surprised to see me changing my mind all of a sudden? Oscar is right, though. Whatever I have going on with the Hutton family is none of your concern, so I shouldn’t drag you into it. Once I’ve settled the matters at home, I’ll go over to Tayhaven to find you.”

When Amelia heard that, various emotions washed across her heart. “Mrs. Hutton, have you thought it through?”

Eleanor nodded in response.

“In that case, I’m not going to say anything further. However, marriage shouldn’t be taken lightly. If there’s a slight chance of maintaining it, divorce shouldn’t be an option. On the other hand, if things are beyond repair, I’ll support your decision,” Amelia uttered sincerely.

Eleanor nodded, yet she could not help but look at Amelia dazedly.

Eleanor missed her daughter dearly for over twenty years since they had separated from each other. The moment she finally saw her again, she did not hesitate to tear her own family apart just because of her.

She then could not control herself and held Amelia’s face. Like a loving mother, she said, “Lia, you look just like me. When I look at you now, it’s as if I’m looking at my younger self. Wait for me, okay? Once I’ve settled the matters with the Hutton family, I’ll go over. I’ll take care of you and your child. Besides, I’ll also cook delicious meals for you.”

Somehow, Amelia was touched upon hearing that. “Mrs. Hutton, I—”

Eleanor interrupted her and pleaded, “Please don’t push me away right away, Lia. It’d break my heart. There were various reasons I didn’t dare to acknowledge you prior to this. Ever since your disappearance, I’ve been missing you dearly. When I did, my heart would ache. Hence, please give me a chance to make it up to you. I’ll try my best at being a responsible mother again.”

Again, Amelia was deeply moved by her words.

Perhaps it was because Amelia was a mother herself. She knew how important a child was to a mother. At times, out of motherly love, one would not hesitate to risk her own life for her child.

Amelia then reached out her arms and hugged Eleanor affectionately. “Mrs. Hutton, please forgive me for not being able to address you as my mom. It has been way too long. Even if you’re my mom, I can’t bring myself to address you accordingly out of the blue. However, I’ve never held anything against you. Instead, I’m rather grateful. Really. In you, I could truly feel the unconditional love of an elder.”

As soon as Eleanor heard that, tears streamed down her cheeks.

She hugged Amelia tightly and sobbed. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for leaving you alone for the past twenty-odd years. I’ve always felt guilt in my heart. When I saw you that time, I didn’t have the courage to acknowledge you. I know you must hate me for that.”

Amelia patted her back gently in response.

After crying for a few minutes, Eleanor gradually calmed herself down and only wept.

Amelia Winters wiped the tears off of her face and uttered softly, “Mrs. Hutton, I’ll call Amelia Hutton and get her to come to fetch you.”

Eleanor did not oppose it. “Okay.”

After settling Eleanor down, Amelia Winters gave Amelia Hutton a call.

Amelia Hutton arrived in a rush about an hour later. When she arrived, she pounced on Amelia Winters and asked, “Amy, where’s my mom?”

Amelia Winters led her into the house. Amelia Hutton then breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Eleanor was unharmed.

“Luckily you’re all right, Mom. I’ve been worried sick over the past few days.” Amelia Hutton cried and laughed at the same time.

Eleanor raised her hand and ran it through Amelia Hutton’s hair. When she was doing that, a hint of distrait appeared in her gentle gaze.

“I’m okay. Don’t worry,” Eleanor replied.

Amelia Hutton sat beside Eleanor and pondered for a while before saying, “Mom, I didn’t purposely hold back from stopping Dad that day. I just…”

“I’m not blaming you. That’s between your dad and me,” Eleanor muttered calmly.

Amelia Hutton held Eleanor’s arm and said anxiously, “Mom, ever since you went away, Dad has been very worried. He’s admitted his mistakes. Don’t be angry at him anymore, okay? As long as you can come home, we can still be the happiest family in the world.”

Eleanor gently withdrew her arm and said, “Be good, Amelia. There’s no way I can be with your dad anymore. I’ll still love you and your brother the same, even after the divorce.”

Amelia Hutton anxiously waved both her hands in the air and asked in puzzlement, “Mom, hasn’t everything been okay for the past twenty over years? Hasn’t Dad been treating you well all this while? Don’t get a divorce, okay?”

Eleanor’s expression turned cold. “Amelia, please don’t meddle in my affair with your dad.”

“Mom, how can I not if you guys are getting a divorce? Without you at home, I’ll feel cold and lonely. I also don’t want an unfamiliar woman to come into the Hutton family and be the new lady of the house. I’d be so disgusted by the ingenuity,” Amelia Hutton said in frustration.

After a short pause, she continued, “Mom, I beg of you. For me and Sean, don’t get a divorce, okay?”

Eleanor’s patience was wearing thin at that time. “Please stop fooling around, Amelia.”

“Mom, I’m not fooling around. Just like me, Dad and Sean love you a lot. The Hutton family can’t be without you. Please don’t get a divorce, okay? Haven’t we been together for the past twenty-odd years?” Amelia Hutton asked in bewilderment.

Right then, a hint of impatience surfaced on Eleanor’s face.

Amelia Hutton was kneeling on one knee when she begged, “Please, Mom. I beg of you. The family will fall apart if you get a divorce.” Also, I wouldn’t have my pocket money anymore.

She kept the last sentence in her mind. That was Benjamin’s ultimatum for her.

Although Benjamin loved his daughter, he was willing to go to the extent of threatening her on Eleanor’s matter.

Mom, I’m so sorry. Although you’re important to me, my financial capability is just as important. Without those credit cards, I won’t be able to afford those exquisite dresses and handbags.

Amelia Hutton was willing to sacrifice her mother’s happiness in exchange for her lavish lifestyle.

With sadness in her eyes, Eleanor asked Amelia Hutton, “Amelia, would you still want me to go back to the Hutton family even if I have to give up my happiness?”

Amelia Hutton moved her lips but kept mum.

Eleanor held her face and said in sadness, “Amelia, my relationship with your dad is over. I’ll still be your mother after the divorce.”

A wave of mixed emotions surged from within Amelia Hutton, and she buried herself in Eleanor’s arms. As she was crying, she said, “Mom, please don’t get a divorce. I need you. Sean needs you. Are you really willing to see our family fall apart?”

Eleanor fell silent.

A hint of hesitation flashed across Eleanor’s softened gaze.

Ultimately, she sort of gave in and said, “Let’s talk about it when we get home.”

Instantly, Amelia Hutton was overjoyed. “Okay! Let’s go home now. I’ll help you pack up. Dad and Sean are waiting for you at home. They were afraid that you might throw a tantrum and refuse to come home if too many of us showed up to fetch you. That’s why I came here alone to bring you home.”

A faint smile appeared on Eleanor’s face upon hearing that, albeit a bitter one.

Amelia Hutton saw Oscar and Amelia Winters when she helped Eleanor out of the room. She merely gave Amelia Winters a nod before saying to Oscar passionately, “Oscar, thank you so much for coming such a long way to help my mom. One day, as the host, I’ll treat you to a meal personally.”

Throughout her statement, not once did she mention Amelia Winters’ involvement.

With a straight face, Oscar said, “You can thank Amelia Winters. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have meddled in the Hutton family’s affairs. To me, the Hutton family is nothing but a bunch of outsiders who have nothing to do with me.”

Amelia Hutton’s smile instantly froze. Oscar had completely disregarded her enthusiasm and friendliness, and his indifferent remarks felt like a slap in her face.

Too Much to Bear My Love Chapter 575

Not As Inhuman As You

Amelia Winters broke the awkward atmosphere by saying, “Amelia Hutton, Mrs. Hutton, you guys should head back now. Don’t hesitate to call me if you guys need any help. I’ll do my best to be of help.”

Only then did the smile on Amelia Hutton’s face resurface. “Amy, please don’t take it the wrong way. I’m very grateful to you. Once everything is settled in the Hutton family, I’ll treat you to a meal as well. It’s about time we have a catch-up session as sisters. Ever since Beshya, we rarely get to meet each other. I miss you.” One could tell she was just pretending to be nice.

“I’m not blaming you for anything,” Amelia Winters replied.

After exchanging some pleasantries, Amelia Hutton helped Eleanor to the car. Eleanor had a long face on while she was in the car.

When Amelia Hutton sensed the distant aura, she asked her in puzzlement, “What’s up with you, Mom?”

Eleanor glanced at her and asked, “Amelia, be honest with me, okay? Are you into Oscar?”

Amelia’s expression froze for a moment when she heard that. Her eyes then lit up, and she asked with a tinge of guilt, “Mom, what are you on about?”

“Since I’m the one who gave birth to you, I can tell just by looking at your face. You can fall for anyone else but Oscar. He’s your brother-in-law.”

Anger flashed through Amelia’s eyes, and she grumbled, “Mom, so what if I like him? Since he’s such an outstanding man, I’m sure every woman would fall for him. I’m just going along with my instinct.”

“Nonsense.” Eleanor was getting angry. “He’s your brother-in-law! You can’t fall for him.”

The more Amelia thought about what her mother said to her, the more her anger brewed. “Mom, what’s wrong if I like him? It’s not like I’m confessing my feelings to him. I’m not even acting coquettishly with him. Why are you so against me having a crush on him? Is it because of that daughter you haven’t seen in twenty-odd years?” Amelia retorted.

Eleanor was rendered silent in an instant.

“Mom, can you not be so biased?” Amelia complained.

In response, Eleanor answered nonchalantly, “Amelia, that’s not what I meant. It’s just that I don’t want you to fall for someone you shouldn’t fall for. Oscar is your sister’s partner. Can’t you see how happy their family of three is?”

Amelia glared at her mother furiously and said, “Mom, you’re afraid that I might be a home breaker, aren’t you? Do you really think so lowly of me?”

Eleanor’s lips twitched, but she could not bring herself to say a word.

“Mom, you’ve indeed changed a lot. You’re willing to jeopardize your relationship with me for a long-lost daughter you don’t even know. You’re afraid that she might get hurt, aren’t you? To be frank, I don’t think she cares about you one bit. I really don’t understand what’s going through your mind. How could you leave the Hutton family for her? Are you even sure that she wants you in her life?” Amelia did not hold back on her remarks, and her words hit right on Eleanor’s sore spot.

At that moment, Eleanor suddenly felt her throat tightening. As she tried to open her mouth to talk, she realized she could not do so.

While waving her hand, Amelia added angrily, “It’s okay. As one of the younger ones in the family, I know I shouldn’t say much about your affairs. I don’t care if you want to divorce Dad. All I know is that no matter what we do, we can never compete with your eldest daughter, who hasn’t done anything for you.”

The two of them remained silent throughout the car ride, and the atmosphere in the car was rather awkward.

Even after they had arrived at the Hutton residence, they were still not talking to each other.

When they got into the living room, Benjamin rushed toward Eleanor and hugged her. “Eleanor, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I will never do that again. Please don’t walk out on us again, okay? We’re not getting a divorce anymore. From now onward, I won’t force you to do something you don’t want to do.”

Eleanor’s body remained stiff as he hugged her. She then asked calmly, “Are you going to acknowledge Lia?”

In an instant, Benjamin let go of Eleanor.

He looked at her with a complicated expression and asked, “After so many days, is that all you can say the moment you come back?”

Eleanor lowered her head. “You can either acknowledge her, or we can get a divorce.”

Immediately, Benjamin’s face contorted.

Seeing that, Sean faked a cough and reminded, “Dad, Mom has just gotten back.” He was trying to warn his father. If she gets angry and runs away again, we might not be able to bring her back again.

Benjamin tried his best to calm himself down and said, “Eleanor, have a seat first, okay? We can talk about that later. I’ll have no objection if she wishes to come back to the Hutton family. However, don’t you think we should discuss with her first regarding this? We should at least find out what she thinks about the idea of coming back. We might cause her trouble if we were to act on our own wishful thinking.”

Eleanor looked at him suspiciously and asked, “Are you saying yes to it?”

Benjamin heaved a sigh and answered, “Eleanor, I’ve been thinking things through when you were away over the past few days. Indeed, I haven’t been fair to her prior to this, so I’ll try to accept her. We’re not getting any younger, Eleanor. I don’t want to be a sixty years old single man, and I want to be able to talk casually with my wife.”

Eleanor’s eyes lit up, and she asked happily, “Do you really think so?”

“Of course!” Benjamin pretended to give in to her. “Don’t worry. If she wishes to come back to the Hutton family, I won’t stand in the way.”

Tears immediately welled up in Eleanor’s eyes. It’s happening! I’ve been looking forward to a moment like this for over twenty years. Finally, my family of five will be reunited!

“That’s great! Thank you, Darling!” Eleanor said sincerely.

Benjamin was stunned for a moment. He could not help but tear up a bit as he looked at Eleanor intently. “Eleanor, this is the first time you’ve addressed me so ever since our eldest daughter disappeared.”

“Our family is going to be perfect once Lia comes back,” Eleanor uttered.

“Yes, everything will be perfect. Head upstairs and sleep, okay? When you wake up, we’ll go and find her. We shall acknowledge her officially.”

“No. I’m not tired. We can go over right now.”

“What’s the hurry? I still have to prepare some gifts to bring along. We have to give her a good impression after being apart for twenty-odd years, right? You don’t look like you’re in a good state, Eleanor. Here, drink a glass of milk and take a good rest. When you feel better, we’ll visit her. In fact, I’m quite curious about how my son-in-law looks. I’d like to see if he’s worthy of our daughter,” Benjamin said lovingly.

Eleanor was tricked into drinking the glass of milk given to her. After a while, her eyelids became heavy, and she gradually fell asleep on the couch.

Upon seeing that, Amelia rushed toward her father and asked, “Dad, what did you give to Mom?”

“Don’t worry. I only added a sleeping pill. Now, she’s going to get a good sleep after drinking it.”

Benjamin then asked two of his housekeepers to carry Eleanor upstairs.

As Amelia Hutton was watching them carrying Eleanor, she asked angrily, “Dad, why did you give Mom a sleeping pill?”

“Well, do you want an outsider to come into the Hutton family?” he questioned.

Amelia was stumped. After hesitating for a while, she said, “No. There should only be four members in our family.”

Benjamin’s lips curled into a smirk. “Amelia, go and look after your mom. Sean and I will go and meet the woman who managed to even fool you. I’d like to see if she’s that good. Otherwise, how did your mom end up losing her sense of logic?”

“Dad, what if Mom finds out about this? She’s going to throw a tantrum again.”

“Well, she doesn’t need to know about it, does she?”

“Dad, what if Amelia Winters tells her?”

Benjamin narrowed his eyes and answered, “Since we’re all adults, I don’t think anyone would be so childish to do such a thing. Your mom is the only person who thinks so highly of familial bonds. Amelia Winters is just a commoner from a middle-class family, and yet, she managed to get married into the Clinton family. Only fools would think she’s not a cunning person, and only your mom would believe her innocence.”

“Dad, do you know everything about her?”

“I’ve already gotten someone to look into her background. She’s just a promiscuous girl, and she’s not worthy of being a part of the Hutton family.”

Amelia Hutton trembled a little subconsciously when she heard that. Indeed, her father was truly a control freak who could go overboard with his acts. His possessiveness was terrifying enough to make one shiver.

“Go on, Amelia. Look after your mom upstairs. I’ll go and see Amelia Winters,” Benjamin instructed.

“O-Okay. I’ll go up now.” Immediately after that, Amelia went upstairs.

“Sean, let’s get going. Let’s go meet this legendary sister of yours,” said Benjamin.

The both of them left the Hutton residence and arrived at the five-star hotel Oscar and Amelia Winters were temporarily staying at.

When Amelia Winters saw Benjamin showing up out of the blue, she greeted him politely, “Hi, Mr. Hutton. Hasn’t Mrs. Hutton gone back already?”

Benjamin faked a smile. “Ms. Winters, could we find somewhere we can sit down and talk? I’d like to thank you for saving my wife. What you did stopped me from making a mistake. Hence, I’d like to thank you.”

“That’s not necessary, Mr. Hutton,” Amelia answered. He must be up to no good. Otherwise, why is he suddenly being so nice? I bet he’s here to say something harsh to humiliate me.

“Ms. Winters, do you want an elderly like me to beg before you’d be willing to have a conversation with me?” Benjamin asked nonchalantly.

Amelia was nonplussed as she found his words amusing. The Hutton family was the one being overbearing all this while. How did I end up being in the wrong?

Right then, Oscar was walking toward them. When he saw the father and son from the Hutton family, he was startled momentarily before going up to them casually.

He held Amelia’s waist and uttered coldly, “These two must be Mr. Hutton and his son, right?”

Benjamin threw the legendary Oscar a glance before reaching out his hand for a handshake. He then faked a smile and said, “I guess you’re Mr. Clinton, the famous heir of Clinton Corporations in Tayhaven, right? You’re indeed very young and impressive. What a talent for the new generation. An old man like me is nothing compared to you youngsters.”

Oscar ignored his outstretched hand and smirked. “Oh, don’t say that. I’m nothing compared to you, Mr. Hutton. You’re a person who will even lay your hands on your own wife! I’m not capable of such an inhuman act.”

Benjamin’s face fell when he heard that, and the smile on his face vanished in mere seconds. He then answered, “You have a good sense of humor, Mr. Clinton.”

“Oh, no, Mr. Hutton. It’s just that I prefer to speak honestly and bluntly. That’s why my words might turn out harsh at times.”

When Amelia heard that, a laugh nearly escaped her. Oscar is rather good at sarcasm nowadays.

Too Much to Bear My Love Chapter 576

In Vain

Oscar said calmly, “Mr. Hutton, my son is kicking up a fuss for not being able to see his mommy, so I’m afraid Amelia and I can’t stay at Saspiuburg any longer. I’m sorry about that.” However, he did not look apologetic at all.

With his hand quivering in anger, Benjamin had never imagined that Oscar would disrespect him this way.

Benjamin growled, “Mr. Clinton, I would only need your wife for half an hour. Can’t you spare me such a short time?”

However, Oscar responded with a smile, “Mr. Hutton, I’m sorry, but I’ve booked our air tickets. The plane is taking off in another two hours, so we can only make it in time if we depart now. Sorry, but we’d have to make a move now.” With that said, Oscar threw his arm around her shoulder and left.

Benjamin clenched his fist so tightly that his knuckles emitted a cracking sound.

Staring at Oscar’s and Amelia’s retreating figures, Benjamin almost exploded in a fury.

Meanwhile, Sean watched them with piqued interest. After they took a turn and disappeared from his sight, he readily admitted, “Dad, it seems like Mr. Clinton is more domineering and unyielding than what the rumors portray him to be.”

Benjamin glared at him and barked, “Go home.”

His face contorted with anger by the humiliation Oscar inflicted upon him, and a gnawing pain grew in his chest.

In the car, Sean asked, “Dad, so what’s your plan now?”

Benjamin replied frustratingly, “What else can I do? Now that they’re heading back to Tayhaven, even if the Hutton family is almighty in Saspiuburg, we can’t do anything about it. Tayhaven is the Clintons’ territory, and creating trouble in other’s territories would not do us any good.”

“Dad, are you planning to give up then?”

A cold glimmer flashed across Benjamin’s eyes. “I’m not giving up. It’s just that I’ll have to employ other methods.”

“Dad, I’m actually interested in competing against this legendary Mr. Clinton. The business circle in Tayhaven claims that he’s a prodigy. It makes me wonder how amazing he is to be so highly regarded.” Narrowing his eyes, Sean appeared intrigued.

He believed that if he had collaborated with Oscar, he might have a good chance of taking control of the Hutton family.

Benjamin sneered and huffily replied, “He’s merely an unscrupulous spoiled brat who’s from a prominent family. The business circle is full of praises for him simply out of respect for the Clintons. I can’t believe he actually sees himself as a prodigy. What an insolent and ignorant brat!”

Benjamin was seething with anger after getting offended by Oscar.

At the sight of that, the corners of Sean’s lips curled into a smirk.

The more Benjamin despised Oscar, Sean would stand a better chance of getting Oscar to side with him. As the old saying went, the enemy of an enemy was a friend. He was planning on taking advantage of the fact that Amelia was his sister.

Previously, he did not know that Amelia was Oscar’s wife. Fearful that she would return to the Hutton family to fight for her inheritance, Sean was willing to ally himself with Benjamin. However, the situation had changed. Currently, Amelia had the support of the Clintons, who was one of the most prominent and affluent families in Tayhaven. Unlike his stubborn father, he was not planning on wasting a golden opportunity to forge a friendly relationship with the Clintons.

With a contemplating look, Benjamin asked flatly, “Sean, what are you thinking about?”

Regaining his composure, Sean realized that he must have gotten carried away and immediately tried pulling himself together.

He played dumb and inquired, “What’s wrong, Dad?”

Benjamin warned, “Sean, don’t even think about it. I can see right through you.”

Sean flashed an innocent smile in return. “Dad, I think you’ve misunderstood me. I’m simply trying to figure out a way to explain to Mom now that Amelia has left.”

“It better be.” Benjamin snorted coldly.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Sean dared not reveal his impetuosity anymore.

When they returned to the Hutton residence, Amelia Hutton came downstairs, and Benjamin asked, “Is your mom awake?”

Amelia shook her head.

After removing his coat, Benjamin walked past her and headed upstairs. “I’ll go upstairs and have a look.”

Only then did Amelia Hutton strode toward Sean and ask, “Sean, so how did the discussion go after meeting with Amelia?”

Taking a seat on the couch, Sean shook his head and furrowed his brows, looking worried.

“Sean, what’s wrong?” Wary of his reaction, Amelia took a seat right next to him.

Sean snapped back to his senses and shook his head. “Everything’s fine.”

Shooting him a suspicious look, Amelia probed, “Sean, you’re hiding something from me. I’m your sister. Can’t you be honest with me?”

Sean immediately changed the topic. “Is Mom still sleeping? I’ll go upstairs and take a look at her.”

Amelia grabbed his hand, refraining him from leaving.

She insisted, “Sean, I’m your sister. If you’re facing any difficulty, can’t you just be honest about it with me? I simply want to know how the discussion between the three of you had gone.”

Sean lowered his head and revealed helplessly while staring at Amelia, “She has gone back with Oscar. Dad and I didn’t even manage to speak much with her. So what do you want me to tell you?”

“She left?” Amelia was in disbelief. Initially, she was planning on paying a visit to Oscar. However, she did not expect that he would be leaving so soon.

Disappointment crept into Amelia’s heart.

Casting a confused glance at her, Sean remarked, “You seemed concerned about them.”

After some slight hesitation, Amelia blurted, “Sean, if I tell you that I’ve fallen in love with my brother-in-law, will you help me?”

Sean’s eyes instantly lit up, but they dimmed at the next moment. “Are you planning to snatch your sister’s husband?”

Raising her head, Amelia declared, “True love disregards one’s appearance, and it overpowers any nationality and language barrier. Oscar is an outstanding person, so it makes sense for me to fall in love with him.”

Sean lifted his hand and smacked her forehead as he advised, “Oscar is indeed an excellent man, and there’s nothing wrong with you falling in love with him. As your brother, I definitely hope that you find your true love and that he’d be an outstanding person. But Oscar is Amelia’s husband. If you interfere with her marriage, I’m afraid Mom will not let you off easily. So you better think it through.”

Amelia’s expression darkened as she clenched her teeth. “Sean, Mom feels guilty about the way she had treated that woman, and that’s why she’s so biased toward her. As her children, we should be trying to guide her to the right path instead of standing by and watching her lose herself further.”

Upon hearing that, Sean turned pensive.

Amelia played her trump card. “Sean, look at how similar her appearance and mine are. If Oscar takes a liking to her, that means there’s a chance for him to fall in love with me as well. By then, all you have to do is side with me. With the help from the Clintons, I believe our company can easily infiltrate the market of Tayhaven.”

“As long as you’re able to make him like you, I’ll side with you. But on one condition, don’t make things difficult for Mom. It has been a tough life for her.”

“Sure.”

Eleanor came downstairs with Benjamin behind her.

Sean shot up from his seat and hurriedly greeted her, “Mom, you’re finally up.”

Rubbing her head, Eleanor felt as if something had slipped her mind, as she had no memory of how she had fallen asleep.

Her head throbbed with pain. “Sean, how long have I been sleeping?”

“Mom, you’ve been asleep for almost three hours. You must be really exhausted to have slept so long.”

Subsequently, Eleanor’s eyes widened in response. “I’ve been asleep for that long? That’s not good. I’d have to make a call to Amelia and tell her that your dad and I are paying a visit. Your dad has finally agreed to acknowledge her relation to us, and I can’t possibly let this opportunity slip by.”

Amelia quickly caught Eleanor before she collapsed. “Mom, calm down. Amy is around. If she’s sincere about it, she’ll definitely agree to it, so don’t worry about it, all right? More than twenty years have passed, so there’s no need to be so anxious about it, right?”

Inhaling deeply, Eleanor nodded.

After changing her clothes, Eleanor urged Benjamin to follow her to the hotel where Amelia and Oscar were staying at. However, when she knocked on the door, no one answered.

After making a call to the hotel receptionist, Eleanor was informed that Amelia had checked out.

With trembling hands, Eleanor hung up the phone and gave Amelia a call but realized that the latter’s phone was switched off.

“What’s going on? Why did she suddenly check out? I can’t reach her phone. Did something happen to her?” Eleanor worked herself into a frenzy as she went on, “No, this can’t be happening. I must call the police right now. They’re not familiar with Saspiuburg at all. What if they run into some bad guys? Yes, the police. I must make a police report right away.”

Although Benjamin was displeased, he feigned the appearance of a gentle husband.

Benjamin comforted, “Eleanor, calm down. I think they might have rushed back to Tayhaven by plane because of some urgent matters. From what I’ve observed, Oscar is quite a dependable and excellent guy. So don’t worry about it.”

Eleanor lifted her gaze and looked at him as she questioned while sounding uncertain, “Is that so?”

“Besides this, I can’t really think of any other reason for their abrupt departure. They’re not children anymore. They must have some pressing matters to attend to back home. Otherwise, it’s impossible for them to leave in such a rush that they didn’t manage to send you a text.”

Eleanor finally heaved a sigh of relief as she sat pondering.

A few seconds later, she raised her head and cast a doubtful glance at Benjamin.

Too Much to Bear My Love Chapter 577

The Winters Family

“Say, did you visit Lia when I was asleep?” questioned Eleanor.

Benjamin’s smile faded slightly at her query. He replied in displeasure, “Eleanor, I’m trying to convince myself to accept her for you. Why the harsh words? Do you want me to despise her instead?”

Eleanor crossed her arms against her chest. “Don’t be angry. I’m just worried about her. I’m afraid that you will act differently behind my back by putting them in a dilemma. Saspiuburg’s your territory, after all. Sorry for hurting your feelings.”

Upon hearing that, Benjamin’s expression softened.

“Let’s head back, Eleanor. I’m in the wrong too. Initially, I wanted you to consult the psychiatrist to forget about your so-called daughter. However, I realized that I nearly lost you in that way. You never know how important you are to me. I would acknowledge Amelia Winters than lose you. She’s my daughter, and I know that well. I’m so sorry for my stubbornness that put you in guilt for the past twenty years. I promise that I will not do so in the future,” he uttered sincerely.

Eleanor couldn’t help but feel touched. “Do you mean it?” she asked in disbelief.

“Are you suspecting me after all I’ve done for you?” Benjamin glared at her.

Eleanor took a step back and replied in frustration, “I don’t know. You are not willing to give in in the past twenty years. It’s weird that you change your mind within a few days of my absence. What are you planning? And what are your motives? Old habits die hard, you know. I won’t know if you are merely putting up an act.”

Benjamin snorted in response and scoffed, “Don’t you think you are too much, Eleanor? Is that what you think of me after all my efforts for you? Am I such an unworthy person in your eyes?”

She moved her lips, hoping to say something. However, she couldn’t come up with a word to retort him.

He sighed. “Eleanor, I hate to say this, but have you ever thought that Amelia Winters never wanted to acknowledge you as her mother?”

Eleanor’s face instantly turned a nasty shade of white – her mind went blank at his words.

“No. No! It couldn’t be!” she denied as she shook her head furiously.

With that, Eleanor retreated another few steps and turned to run away. However, Benjamin grabbed her in time. “Eleanor, you should face the truth.”

“No! It’s impossible for her to do so. She’s just flustered as we gave her too little time to think of it. I shall give her another few days to make up her mind. She’ll be able to accept me then!” Eleanor tried to explain herself.

“All right. She will. Calm down first, okay? Don’t panic. Just give her some time. I will not stop you if she really wants to acknowledge you,” Benjamin consoled. It was rare for him to be so gentle.

In the past, he stubbornly assumed that Amelia Winters was just an illegitimate child, resulting in his fight with Eleanor for twenty years. Their relationship worsened so much that they nearly divorced each other. Hence, he was surprised that she was willing to reconcile with him when he approached her with a different strategy.

I will not be so stubborn if I know how easy things are.

After comforting Eleanor, he took out her phone secretly and blocked Amelia Winter’s phone number. He then deleted it and replaced it with a similar number, not forgetting to save it as “Lia.” Following that, he placed the phone back into her bag indifferently.

Eleanor emerged from the restroom after washing her hands. She then said, “Let’s go back.”

She wasn’t in high spirits as Amelia Winters left her without a word. Her face was pale, and she looked tired.

That day, Eleanor kept holding her phone in her hands. Once she confirmed that the airplane Amelia Winters boarded had arrived at Tayhaven, she called her phone number. However, no matter how many times she called, the only thing she heard was the robotic voice of a lady stating that the phone number was unavailable.

Her hands trembled vigorously. She then borrowed Amelia Hutton’s phone and dialed again but to no avail. “H-How could this be?” she mumbled in disbelief. “It can’t be unavailable! I must have dialed the wrong number. Why didn’t I memorize her number in the past?”

Eleanor was so frustrated she started pacing in circles, nearly scratching her head. Amelia Hutton felt heartbroken seeing her in such a state. However, that feeling dissipated when she recalled Eleanor’s determination to abandon the entire Hutton family just for Amelia Winters – a familiar person, yet a stranger to them.

“Mom, calm down first. Perhaps you dialed the wrong number. Let me call her for you,” she suggested.

Eleanor passed her phone to Amelia Hutton immediately. However, the latter failed to reach Amelia Winters too.

She frowned. “Mom, she may have changed her phone number.”

Eleanor turned pale at her words, and her chest was heaving.

“No. Lia wouldn’t do that to me,” Eleanor mumbled softly.

“Mom, don’t be worked up. I’ve told her before that you are her mother. Perhaps she doesn’t hope to acknowledge you in the meantime. That is why she changed her phone number to give everyone some time to figure things out. She just needs time, Mom. You will be scaring her off if you keep pursuing her,” Amelia Hutton consoled as she faked a worried look.

Eleanor lifted her gaze and looked at her. She replied helplessly, “Is that so?”

“Mom, don’t you trust me?”

“Okay. I will wait for five days. If she still refused to call me, I would look for her. I will confront her face to face.”

“Mom, just calm yourself down! Can’t you see that she has no intention of meeting you now? What do you plan to do when you arrive at her place? To ask her the reason she changed her number? Or why is she avoiding you? Isn’t the answer apparent? Just relax, okay? I’m not against you visiting her. However, I advise you to play dumb for the moment,” Amelia Hutton persuaded.

Eleanor fell into silence.

Amelia Hutton shot Sean a look. The latter understood her at once and approached Eleanor. “Mom, how about going out for a walk with me to lift your moods? We shall give Amy some time. Or else you will scare her if you keep pursuing her. After all, it isn’t easy for her to accept that she is an adopted child. It must be hard for her too, right?”

Eleanor raised her hand and supported her head. “No, thanks. I shall rest upstairs.”

Seeing her going up the stairs weakly broke the siblings’ hearts.

“Dad, is it the right choice to do so? Mom looks sad,” Amelia asked as it was unbearable for her to see her mother tearing up.

“You want that brat back?” Benjamin asked in return.

Amelia fell silent.

“Amelia, go and keep your mother accompanied,” he said as his heart softened.

“All right, Dad.” She then went upstairs.

Sean waited for her to leave. He then questioned Benjamin, “Dad, you know that Mom will insist on going to Tayhaven, no? If so, what is the point for you to do so?”

“It doesn’t matter if she goes or not. I have various methods to ruin their relationship,” Benjamin said confidently.

“Dad, you better know your limits. There is no going back once you break Mom’s heart.” Sean went upstairs without looking back as soon as he said that.

With that, Benjamin was left alone. His gaze darkened intensively after hearing Sean’s words. It was after a few minutes before he gathered himself and walked away.

Meanwhile, Amelia Winters and Oscar arrived at Tayhaven. The former turned on her phone as she asked, “Oscar, should I give a call to Mrs. Hutton to announce my arrival?”

“Yes, you should. Otherwise, she may think that you are an impolite girl,” he replied.

Amelia called three times to Eleanor. “Sorry, the number you have dialed is engaged at the moment.” The female robotic voice was all she heard from her phone.

She hung up and said with a smile, “The line’s busy.”

“Well, let’s go then. She will call you back later,” Oscar uttered.

They then entered the chartered car waiting for them outside the airport. Suddenly, Oscar’s phone rang. After answering it, he replied, “Okay. I will be there shortly.”

Once he hung up the call, he said to Amelia, “Something’s wrong with one of my project’s contracts. I need to attend to it. Sorry that I can’t accompany you back.”

She answered, “If so, let the driver send you there. I can go home on my own.”

“There’s no need. Let me ask someone else to pick me up. You shall go back first. I will be back to accompany you and Tony as soon as I wrap things up.”

Amelia nodded in response.

Oscar leaned toward her and kissed her deeply. He then said in a coarse voice, “Be careful on your way home. Just call me if anything happens, understand?”

Amelia nodded.

Once he left, she received Molly’s call.

“Mrs. Clinton, a couple claiming that they are your biological parents came to visit you,” said Molly over the phone.

Amelia tightened her grip, which was holding her phone. A flash of emotion flickered through her eyes.

“Mrs. Clinton? Hello?” Molly called out as she didn’t get any response from Amelia.

The latter returned to her senses and replied, “I’m heading back now. Molly, be sure to host them well. I will be reaching home soon.”

“Sure, Mrs. Clinton.”

Amelia’s hand grabbed tightly to her phone even after she had hung up the call. She found it hard to calm herself down as she felt ripples going through her heart.

It had been some years since she met the Winters couple. Back in her days as a university student, they never invited her to stay back at their place during any festival. All they did was send her living expenses. When she married into the Clintons, none of the Winters family bothered to attend her wedding. Although they were her family, they treated her like an orphan. Nobody wanted her or loved her. It was Tiffany’s support that helped her through those years.

That was why she had complicated feelings toward the Winters family. It wasn’t true to say that she had never hated them before. After all, they were the ones being cruel to her.

Those tortures they gave her were not physical but mental. Since she was young, they always wore the same cliquish attitude toward her. Under such an atmosphere, she might have stepped on the wrong path and become less than the person she was at the present moment if it wasn’t for her positive attitude.

Too Much to Bear My Love Chapter 578

Cruel Parents

Amelia initially thought she would be emotional to meet the Winters family. Yet, contrary to her expectation, when she saw Dominic and his wife – with their hair grayed and faces wrinkled by age – she felt no swinging of emotions except for her burning eyes.

On the flip side, the Winters couple did not wear the usual stern and cold expression that Amelia remembered as a child.

“Amelia.” Dominic rose to his feet, rubbing his hands together and greeting her uneasily.

As she stared at the man who had brought her up, Amelia found the tall and burly figure in her memory had aged a lot since their last encounter more than a decade ago. His back had bent, his figure had shrunk, and his hair had grayed. He looked like an ordinary old man who hadn’t seen the world.

“Dad, why have you and Mom came?” asked Amelia. The moment the word “Dad” escaped her lips, she realized with a start that her hatred for the couple was mixed with love. After all, Dominic and his wife had fostered her and given her a home to shelter her from cold wind and harsh rain. In spite of that, members of the Winters family had nonetheless mistreated her.

Perhaps not good at lying, Dominic continued rubbing his hands, his face reddened with embarrassment.

“Amelia, I don’t want to lie to you. Actually, Mr. Hutton called and asked us to come. I know we hadn’t treated you well, and we don’t deserve to be your parents. So, it sounds rather hypocritical to say that we’ve come to visit you. I can’t even bring myself to say that,” uttered Dominic shamefully.

Amelia laughed in response upon listening to him.

Dominic remained the same as her memory of him – straight to the point with his words. Back then, he had told her frankly not to please them, as they were obliged only to feed and clothe her but not to like her.

As a child, Amelia couldn’t comprehend the profound meaning behind his statement. It wasn’t until after she had learned everything did she come to understand what Dominic meant.

Nevertheless, what she didn’t understand was the rationale behind Benjamin’s decision to go through all the hassles by giving his own daughter away and even faking her disappearance. At the end of the day, was there truly a hatred so deep that could drive a man to abandon his daughter?

Sorrow whirled past Amelia’s heart as she lamented the fact that both the Winters and the Hutton families were not willing to admit she was their daughter. Had she not married Oscar, she would probably still drift around like a rootless dandelion.

In the end, the rejection of both families had wounded her. Their indifference had hardened into a dagger and made a hole in her again.

“Dad, have you guys eaten? Why don’t I ask Molly to make something for you?” Amelia grinned and changed the topic.

Dominic shook his head and replied, “Your mom and I have eaten. We came to see you today because Mr. Hutton had instructed us to speak with you.”

The smile hanging on the corners of Amelia’s lips slowly faded.

“Dad, so you knew about the Hutton family from the beginning?” she inquired.

Dominic nodded without hesitation.

“Yes. That year, a man in a suit held your hand and led you through the entrance of the Winters residence. It was when we needed a large sum of money to treat your mom’s cirrhosis. He declared he would pay for all the medical expenses as long as I was willing to adopt you. Your mom’s body was growing weaker and weaker with each passing day. We had no choice but to accept you into our home,” explained Dominic.

“Why don’t I remember anything about this?” Amelia was surprisingly calm, as though she was inquiring about something of little importance.

“You didn’t cry or throw tantrums when you were first brought to us. Your eyes were dull, as if you were dumb. We thought we had adopted a halfwit. However, you resumed normal three days later, though you seemed to have forgotten everything that had happened and treated Melanie and me as your biological parents. We assumed you might have been traumatized beforehand, although we considered it a good thing too. At least you wouldn’t bawl for your parents,” recalled Dominic.

“If you’d promised the Huttons to adopt me, why had you treated me so coldly?” queried Amelia in bewilderment.

It was what she wanted to know most. Prior to the revelation, she had wanted to ask the couple before her if she was their biological daughter.

When the truth was unveiled and confirmed that she was indeed not their daughter, she couldn’t help but wonder the reasons why they had treated her with such apathy and disregard. Above all, shouldn’t there be at least some sort of affection after all those years of raising her?

“Actually, it was Mr. Hutton… By providing us money to treat your mom, he had two conditions to be met. The first condition was to adopt you, whereas the second condition was to not be too nice to you. Mr. Hutton saved your mom’s life. He still offers us financial support from time to time. We’d wanted to dote on you, but we couldn’t break our promise to him. As time passed, we became used to ignoring you. Before we realized it, you’d already grown up. We didn’t know where to start, even if we wanted to treat you better, so we chose to act our usual way. We were glad that you went to university and didn’t come home much because you reminded us of our past callousness, and we couldn’t bear the guilt,” answered Dominic as he gradually lowered his head.

Amelia smirked out of the blue in response.

She suppressed her anger and retorted, “Dad, aren’t you feeling guilty? Then, why have you appeared before me ten years later? Do you really intend to rip me of my chance to reunite with my biological mother just for a mere word from your savior?”

Dominic lowered his head. The hunch of his back deepened, his gray hair strikingly glaring in broad daylight.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured.

Startled, Amelia gazed at the severe, terse man with mixed emotions. The towering valor imprinted in her mind began to dwindle bit by bit.

“Dad, are you truly sorry for what you’d done to me?” She smiled bitterly.

Melanie, who had remained silent until then, opened her mouth. “Amelia, please don’t blame your dad. With the weight of favor on his shoulders, things were hard for him. He had to act aloof toward you for my sake, and I had felt bad watching. Why don’t you put the blame on me? I was the one who dragged the entire family down. I’ve no right to ask for your forgiveness, but I’ve to implore you not to disturb the Hutton family. This is the only thing I beg of you, is that okay? Mr. Hutton is our savior. I’d hate to see the Huttons troubled and disturbed because of you. As long as you’re willing, the Winters residence will always be your home.”

Amelia eyed Melanie calmly, reflecting with irony on the limitless immorality of the couple. So much for feeling guilty for what they did to me, huh? Everything they have done up till now is inhumane. I guess Eva is the only person with a piece of humanity in her among the entire Winters family.

Melanie promptly knelt before her and wept. “Amelia, please, I beg of you. Don’t disturb the Hutton family. They have their own lives.”

Feeling her heart aching again, Amelia stared at Melanie as swirls of emotions engulfed her. Unable to repress her anger any longer, she finally exploded. “Mom, have you ever admitted that I’m your daughter? Just now, when Molly called me, saying that you guys were here, I actually looked forward to it, you know? I’d hoped you came to see me. Instead, what have you done? You open your mouth not to tell me you miss me or ask whether I have a good life. You don’t even care if my husband treated me kindly after getting married. Every sentence you spit out is about the Hutton family. How much money exactly has the Huttons shoved into you to the point of treating me so callously like cold-blooded animals? You can ask me for money if you need it. Why don’t you care about my feelings at all? Do you even have a heart? Hmm? Hmm?”

Amelia losing her temper caused the Winters couple to stagger in shock.

Meanwhile, Molly rushed across the room and held Amelia closely in her arms. “Mrs. Clinton, please calm down. This is your home, and nobody can hurt you unless you allow that. I’ve phoned Mr. Clinton. He’ll be back soon,” she consoled.

As she spoke, Amelia regained her composure little by little.

She leaned against Molly’s body and muttered softly, “Molly, send them off. I don’t want to see them now.”

“Okay. All right. It’s all my fault. I’ll ask them to leave now,” assured Molly.

“Mr. Winters, Mrs. Winters, please get out. Guests with wicked intentions are not welcomed here.” Molly subsequently gave an icy order of dismissal.

The couple rose at her instruction; their expressions flickered with embarrassment.

“Amelia, please, I beg of you. Please don’t disturb the Hutton family,” beseeched Melanie.

Still resting in Molly’s arms, Amelia glanced at Melanie wearily. Her lips twitched a little, and she mumbled listlessly, “Mom, I originally didn’t want to get involved in the Hutton family’s matters. However, since you’ve forced me into a corner, I must return to my biological family, and I’ll stir the entire Hutton family to utter chaos. Didn’t all of you find me despicable? I’ll show you, the worthless garbage in your eyes is an invaluable gem in someone else’s.”

Melanie stared at Amelia for a moment and suddenly pounced on the latter as though she had lost her mind. Alarmed, Molly quickly let go of Amelia and blocked Melanie’s attack.

Despite her old age, Molly flung her arms with incredible strength, pushing Melanie away with a single thrust.

“What do you think you’re doing, behaving like a brute in other people’s home? Mrs. Clinton is kind enough not to take any actions against you. But I’m a mother too. I find your selfishness absolutely abominable. I’ve never seen anyone as shameless as you. So what if Mrs. Clinton is not your daughter by birth? Was there not a bit of affection in all those years that you’d brought her up?” questioned Molly sharply.

With Melanie in his arms, Dominic peeked at Amelia with mixed feelings and whispered, “Amelia, your emotions are running high. We’ll leave first. Your mom and I will visit you again on another day.”

As soon as they left, Amelia, no longer able to control herself, finally burst out crying.

Too Much to Bear My Love Chapter 579

Embarrassment

Amelia was crying sadly, and Molly did not know what to do.

“Mrs. Clinton, please… Oh sweetheart, please don’t cry. I don’t know what to do whenever you cry,” Molly comforted her.

Amelia continued to sob silently.

After a while, she buried herself in Molly’s arms, all choked up, and said, “Molly, am I that unlovable?”

“Of course not. Mrs. Clinton, you’re beautiful, elegant, and kind. Besides, you’re respectful to your in-laws and take good care of your husband and son. You even make your own money. In my eyes, you’re a hundred times better than most of the girls your age.” Molly could not stop praising her.

Amelia let out a bitter chuckle. “If I’m that outstanding, my biological and foster parents would not abandon me. I’m only good in your eyes. Maybe in others’ eyes, I’m worthless.” Amelia felt miserable.

The Winters family’s attitude toward her had been a thorn in her heart. Even though she was an adult now and had her own family, this matter was like a lump in her throat. She could not remove it, nor could she ignore it. From time to time, she felt her heart ache from this matter though the pain would not kill her.

“Nonsense. Mrs. Clinton, you’re a kind person, and many people like you.” Molly continued, “Mrs. Clinton, don’t overthink it. Though the Winters family does not treat you well, as a bystander, I will not ask you to cut ties with them. You can make your own choice, and I will always be on your side.”

Amelia finally laughed through her tears after hearing that.

“Molly, thank you.” If it weren’t for Molly, she would have overthought things.

“Mrs. Clinton, sit here first. I’ll get you some hot milk.” Molly sat her down on the couch and spoke gently.

Amelia took Molly’s hand, and the latter stared at her curiously. Then, Amelia said, “Molly, please don’t tell Oscar about what my parents said just now. No matter what happened, they had raised and nurtured me.”

Molly knew exactly what she meant because the former had experienced something similar.

“Sure,” she replied.

“Thank you, Molly.”

“Don’t mention it. It’s what I should do.”

Amelia sat on the couch in a daze after Molly headed to the kitchen to prepare some food.

By the time Oscar opened the door and entered the house, Amelia had already calmed down and returned to her composed self.

Then, he walked toward her. Amelia stood up and asked, “I thought something happened to your project? Why did you come back?”

Oscar stroked her cheek and asked gently, “Where’s Dad and Mom?”

“They went back to the hotel. My dad said he hadn’t seen me for years and he’s not used to staying at my place. So, I sent them back to the hotel,” Amelia explained calmly.

Oscar observed her expression silently.

Amelia smiled. “Are you hungry? I’ll get some food for you. Jolin brought Tony somewhere to play. I guess he must be overjoyed.”

Oscar stared right into her eyes, and his stare made her heart skip a beat. She felt a little guilty because it felt like he could see right through her thoughts.

“Oscar, why are you staring at me like this?” Amelia asked, pretending she did not know anything.

Oscar pulled back his hand and said in a coquettish way, “Honey, I’m hungry. Prepare something for me to eat.”

Amelia heaved a sigh of relief. “I’ll prepare some food for you now.”

Oscar’s face turned extremely dark as he watched Amelia walking into the kitchen.

After finishing the food Amelia had prepared, he planted a kiss on her lips. Then, he said, “If you’re okay, I’ll return to the company first. I still need to handle the project, and I might come back late tonight. If you’re hungry, eat first. There’s no need to wait for me.”

Amelia nodded. Then, she replied, “All right. Take care. If you’re going to work till late, remember to have your meal. Don’t work with an empty stomach, okay?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Amelia accompanied him to the entrance. Then, she waited until he entered the elevator before shutting the door.

After Oscar walked out of the elevator, he made a call.

“Help me find out which hotel Mr. and Mrs. Winters are staying at,” Oscar ordered.

After Oscar hung up the phone, he walked to his car. Then, he opened the car door and sat inside.

Though Amelia did not say anything, he could feel that she was not in a great mood. She tried to keep it to herself, and she could hide it from everyone except Oscar.

The man couldn’t help but sink into deep thoughts. How dare they bully my wife in front of me? I will not let this go easily. Since they bullied my wife, I will make them pay for what they’ve done!

Soon, Oscar’s phone buzzed. When he opened the text message, he saw the address of the hotel Mr. Winters and his wife were staying.

Oscar drove straight out of the neighborhood and headed to the hotel.

When he opened the door, Dominic was stunned to see a handsome, tall guy.

“May I know who are you?” Dominic asked politely. His daughter had been married for seven years, but as her father, Dominic had never seen his son-in-law before. This showed that either Dominic was cold-blooded, or he failed as a father.

“I’m Oscar, Amelia’s husband. I came to pay a visit because I heard my in-laws were in town. Dad, may I come inside?” Oscar replied in a rather polite manner.

Dominic shifted his gaze away nervously, but he moved sideways to let Oscar enter nonetheless.

Melanie stared at Oscar as he entered the room. Confused, she asked, “Dominic, who is this?”

Oscar answered, “Mom, I’m Oscar, Amelia’s husband. I didn’t get to meet you during our wedding, and I thought you’d… I’m sorry. Please forgive my negligence as your son-in-law.”

Dominic’s and Melanie’s expressions fell after they heard his words.

Melanie pointed to the couch and stuttered, “Hi, Oscar. Please have a seat. Make yourself comfortable.”

“Thank you, Mom.” Oscar sat down as he observed Dominic and Melanie silently. They were not as spiteful as Oscar thought they would be, and they did look like two honest and ordinary people. However, these two people nearly forced Amelia to a dead end.

Sometimes, people who were caught in a tragic situation asked for it themselves.

“Dad, Mom, why didn’t you inform me before you came to Tayhaven? I could’ve prepared a banquet to welcome you,” Oscar said calmly.

“We came to visit Amelia to see whether she’s doing well because we’ve not seen her for a long time. We don’t mean anything. Don’t overthink,” Melanie uttered.

“It’s nothing, Mom. You’re Amelia’s mother. I’d treat you like my own mother if you cared about her. However, I hate it when people force Amelia to do something she doesn’t want to do to ask her to return favors. Mom, you can agree with me on this, right?” Oscar questioned with a smile.

His attitude was surprisingly good as if he had no temper at all. However, in Dominic and Melanie’s eyes, it was pretty intimidating.

“Yes, yes,” Melanie agreed.

“Mom, you don’t need to be shy. This is your first time here, and as your son-in-law, I should prepare a banquet to welcome you all. But you didn’t inform me before you came, and I haven’t prepared anything.” Oscar still had a smile on his face.

Slightly panicked, Melanie shot Dominic a look. As a woman, she was no match for Oscar, who had been in the business field for years.

Dominic faked a cough and replied, “Oscar, I think Amelia must’ve told you something, and you don’t need to be sarcastic to us. I know we’re kind of mean to Amelia, but we’re forced to do so. She should return our favor for raising her too. We don’t want her to be involved too much with the Hutton family. Please help us to apologize to her. As for us, we still can be her parents, but we also know that we owe her too much throughout these twenty years. We’re genuinely sorry to her.”

Oscar’s eyes grew cold as he glared at them.

“Dad, since you know that you’re sorry to Amelia, why are you still doing her wrong? You’ve never visited her once throughout these seven years, and now you came without informing her. You should be ashamed of yourself,” Oscar said calmly. It was difficult to read the expression on his face.

Meanwhile, the guilt on Dominic’s face was apparent.

Oscar clapped his hands and laughed. “Dad, Mom. It’s rare for you to come to Tayhaven. Let me take you for a meal first. Otherwise, people might say your son-in-law has no manners. But after eating, I want to talk to you about the Hutton family. Is that okay?”

Sensing Oscar’s domineering aura, Dominic and Melanie did not dare to say no.

They were slightly puzzled as they followed Oscar to a high-end restaurant for a meal. Once they got into the restaurant, looking at the exquisite decoration, Dominic and Melanie felt awkward because their outfits didn’t fit into this place at all.

“Oscar, we’re not that hungry. Why don’t we go and have some street food?” Melanie asked cautiously.

Oscar chuckled. “Mom, don’t worry. I’m here. There’s no need to feel stressed out.”

Oscar continued to move forward in big strides. Dominic and Melanie had no choice but to follow him. They could not believe that their daughter, who was once unimportant to them, was now living a life that was practically unreachable to them. Initially, they were guilty and did not want to disturb Amelia’s life, but after so many years, they shamelessly appeared.

Everyone else thought they were easygoing and kind, but in fact, they had treated their innocent daughter badly. Though they did not give birth to her, they had brought her up.

“Mr. Clinton, we’ve prepared a private room for you. Please follow me,” the restaurant manager welcomed them and said to Oscar politely.

Oscar nodded and followed her. He deliberately left Dominic and Melanie behind.

He wanted to embarrass them on purpose and teach them a lesson. No one should bully his woman, regardless of who they were.

Dominic and Melanic felt even more embarrassed and did not know what to do.

Too Much to Bear My Love Chapter 580

Kinship

Seeing the wide range of scrumptious delicacies on the table, Dominic and Melanie were unsure of how they should have the food.

With a kind smile, Oscar uttered, “Dad, Mom, eat as you please. Just make yourselves at home.”

Both of them picked up their cutlery and started to dig in. Despite the food being delicious, the duo didn’t have much of an appetite to enjoy the meal as Oscar had his eyes on them the entire time.

Dominic put down his cutlery and wiped his mouth with a napkin. He said, “Oscar, please tell Amelia that our words just now might be hurtful to hear, but we said that out of concern for her. We hope her life would be much better in the future.”

A faint smile appeared on the corner of Oscar’s mouth.

“Is that so? Dad, I think she’ll be very happy to hear that if you talk to her personally,” replied Oscar.

A hint of awkwardness flitted across Dominic’s face when he heard the younger man’s response.

“Dad, back then, when Amelia and I got married, you and Mom didn’t attend, so I thought her parents had passed away a long time ago. Ultimately, I figured out that I had misunderstood. Dad, Mom, I just wanted to ask. Where did you go over the years?”

Letting out a dry laugh, Dominic responded, “We know that Amelia married well, but the Winters family is only an ordinary family. Our presence will be an embarrassment to her. Therefore, for the past few years, we’ve instructed our family members to avoid showing up in front of Amelia.”

Oscar could not help but laugh at that.

“Dad, I never thought that you’re such a funny man. You even know how to make a joke like this.” His voice sounded emotionless; hence it was not obvious that he was taunting the couple.

Dominic remained silent.

Oscar crossed his arms and faintly asked, “Dad, can you tell me how did you get involved with the Hutton family?”

“Mr. Hutton… h-he’s the Winters family’s life savior.”

“Does that mean you guys knew that Amelia is the daughter of the Hutton family since the very beginning?”

Dominic nodded in response.

“Could it be the so-called Mr. Hutton personally gave Amelia to you guys to raise her?” Oscar asked mischievously.

Dominic pondered for a moment before responding hesitantly, “A young man gave Amelia to us back then. He told us that her family name was Hutton, and Amelia was her given name. We were asked to change her family name, but not her given name. As for Mr. Hutton, we only met him at Amelia’s wedding. He said there was no need for us to appear in front of Amelia if she didn’t come back for us. Therefore, we never showed up all these years. Until yesterday, Mr. Hutton gave us a call, telling us to stop Amelia from ruining their lives. Hence, we took a flight to come here. Mr. Hutton has provided us with a lot of help, so we could never be ungrateful.”

“You can’t be ungrateful, yet you’re repeatedly hurting Amelia. Don’t you think it’s too selfish of you to do so?” Oscar questioned.

Dominic opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. His expression was stiff and awkward.

“Dad, if you’re short of money, you can ask me. What’s the point of begging the Hutton family instead? On the way here, I’ve asked someone to investigate how the Winters family has been doing and found out that your eldest son has cirrhosis. Thus, you’ll probably need a large sum of money to pay for his surgery. Since you’re my in-laws, isn’t it natural for me to help you all out financially? Why would you rather be in alliance with an outsider against your daughter?” Oscar pretended to be confused.

When Dominic rose from his seat in a flash, the chair behind him rattled for a while before falling to the ground.

Enraged, Dominic huffed and said, “Oscar! Y-You investigated me?”

Oscar cupped his hands together, placed them on the table, and replied nonchalantly, “Dad, don’t be mad. I’m a businessman and an overly suspicious person. Thus, I can’t believe that someone who hasn’t seen Amelia for many years would suddenly pay a visit and say that they miss her. I don’t even care whether they’re family or friends. It’s still suspicious in my eyes, so I had someone do some investigation on you for that very reason.”

“W-What exactly do you want?” In an instant, Dominic’s face turned as red as a tomato.

“I don’t want anything, Dad. If you’re encountering any difficulties in life, I can help you. However, if you’re siding with an outsider to go against Amelia, I’ll not forgive you. Amelia is my wife. She means more to me than my own life.”

Dominic’s chest heaved up and down as he panted.

“Dear, let’s go!” he fumed.

The couple left the place in haste.

Meanwhile, Oscar twitched his lips into a mocking smile as he watched their retreating figures.

After leaving the restaurant, he headed to his workplace in his car and also made a call to Molly.

“Molly, from now on, no matter who comes to find Amelia, don’t allow them to enter the residence unless I agree to it,” Oscar reminded.

Molly hesitantly asked, “What if Mrs. Clinton’s parents are here?”

“Likewise, don’t allow them to enter the house without my permission. They have been missing for seven years, and now they’re visiting Amelia all of a sudden. Do you think they’re harboring good intentions?”

“Okay, I got it, Mr. Clinton.”

After ending the call, Oscar was sweating over at work.

He busied himself until ten at night, and he finally solved the problems in the project.

When he raised his hand to rub his throbbing head, he could feel someone’s hands reach his forehead and help him to massage it. As he whipped around, he saw Isabella standing there.

He rose from his seat abruptly, displaying an unapproachable demeanor as he said, “It’s time to get off work. You may leave now.”

Isabella stared at him with puppy eyes. “Oscar, it’s just the two of us here. Can’t you be gentle with me? Since you and Amelia haven’t remarried yet, I still have a chance. I just want to stay by your side quietly and give you a hand whenever needed. Can’t I?”

Oscar impatiently cast a glance at her and then left.

However, the woman shamelessly scurried toward Oscar and tried to hug him from behind. Unexpectedly, Oscar turned around as if he could see behind him. “Isabella, don’t simply give me a hug from behind if you don’t want to die!”

Isabella was dumbstruck and stopped in her tracks. When the embarrassing scene flooded her mind, she could not help but shiver at that. Thus, she could only watch Oscar walk away.

“Oscar, you’ll belong to me alone eventually,” Isabella uttered, feeling dissatisfied as she watched the door close.

I’ve spent two years on Oscar. How can Amelia snatch away Oscar just like that? For the sake of the Walker family, as much as for myself, I must get Oscar back no matter what.

By the time Oscar returned home, Amelia had already fallen asleep while hugging Tony in her arms. Oscar carefully took his pajamas to the bathroom and took a hot bath.

Then, he went to bed and carefully embraced Amelia, as well as Tony, in his arms. Amelia did not wake up even when he cuddled her. She must be exhausted because of the trouble these days.

The family of three had a good night’s sleep that night. When Oscar woke up the next day, he checked his phone and noticed that it was only seven in the morning.

He fondly kissed Amelia, who was still sound asleep, as if he was waking up the sleeping beauty with his kiss.

Indeed, Amelia was awoken by his kiss.

While Amelia was in her daze, she licked his lips and whispered, “What’s the time now?”

“It’s just seven o’clock. You can still sleep for half an hour. I’ll go downstairs to prepare your favorite breakfast.”

Amelia hugged him from behind as she whined, “Stay here with me. Let’s sleep a little more.”

The corners of Oscar’s lips curved upward, and his mood lightened up immediately.

In a doting tone, Oscar replied, “Be good. I’ll go prepare your favorite food.”

“Okay,” Amelia responded.

Oscar went downstairs after washing up. When Molly saw Oscar awake at this hour, she revealed a smile. “Mr. Clinton, why are you up so early?”

“I went to bed early last night, so I woke up earlier. I want to prepare some food for Amelia and Tony by myself.”

“Mr. Clinton, you’re getting more and more thoughtful. I believe that Mrs. Clinton must be very happy to have such a good husband like you.”

Oscar smiled upon hearing that.

As Molly helped Oscar out in the kitchen, she hesitated for a short second and muttered, “Mr. Clinton, there’s something I’m not sure if I should tell you.”

“Tell me about it, Molly.”

After pondering for a while, Molly asserted, “Mr. Clinton, you should still be cautious of Mrs. Clinton’s parents. I’m afraid that Mrs. Clinton will easily give in. After all, they’re the ones who raised her into adulthood. Even though they have many faults, Mrs. Clinton, being the daughter, can’t be too harsh to them. Hence, I guess you’ll have to be the bad guy in this situation.”

“I know, Molly. I’ve already met with them yesterday and given them some warning. If they still have their dignity, I’ll regard them as my parents-in-law. However, if they take my mercy for granted, don’t blame me for being unreasonable then.”

Molly breathed a sigh of relief.

“Mr. Clinton, since you’ve already prepared for it, I shall stop giving any comment. Nevertheless, you’d best not go overboard. Otherwise, Mrs. Clinton will surely feel upset when she finds out.”

“Don’t worry, Molly. I know what to do.”

Molly nodded and said nothing more.

After Amelia had the breakfast prepared by Oscar, Oscar drove her to work. As for Tony, Olivia sent someone to pick him up.

As soon as the duo arrived at Amelia’s company, Oscar unbuckled his seatbelt, leaned over to hold Amelia by the back of her head, and gave her a passionate, deep kiss.

With that, Oscar whispered into her ears, “Call me if you need me.”

Amelia was caught between laughter and tears. “I shall go now. Drive safe.”

After watching Amelia enter the building, Oscar drove back without noticing Rory on the side. When his car passed by Rory, she had her hand awkwardly raised in the air.

Confusion was evident on Rory’s face as she looked at Oscar’s car which was speeding off into the distance. She then bit her lips and put down her hand, feeling dissatisfied.

In the meantime, Lydia slung her purse over a shoulder before coming closer from afar in her high heels. She glanced at Rory disdainfully as she snorted, “Stop looking already. His car is nowhere to be found now. You should keep both feet on the ground and stop having unrealistic dreams. Don’t expect to have something that doesn’t belong to you. In fact, you can think about that only when you’re as powerful as Amelia. Otherwise, don’t get lost in your daydream of turning into a wealthy woman like Cinderella. That’s just unreal.”

With that said, Lydia turned around. Her high heels clicked and clacked across the ground as she strode into the building with her head held high.

Rory glowered at Lydia with resentment. Emotions were crashing against her heart in violent waves. She even felt a fire burning inside her. Yet, she did not vent her anger because Lydia was her superior. If Rory dared to fight back, she would probably get an earful more frequently.

Just thinking about how she had to devote her body to serve Eduardo disgusted her. If they hadn’t discreetly belittled me, I wouldn’t have worked so hard. I’ve even lost my virginity, but I ended up with nothing.

Rory lifted her head to stare at the sky and took a deep breath to calm herself down. She then headed into the company as if nothing had happened. Meanwhile, Jolin, who was behind Rory, had taken notice of Rory’s every single action. Jolin furrowed her eyebrows at that sight, but she did not utter a word and entered the company.