Too Much to Bear, My Love
Chapter 116

Chapter 116 Into The Operating Room Again

At that point, Tiffany was really tinged with disappointment. “Babe, canyou please toughen up? Marriage has to be managed, and you can't dothat if you give yourself up to vice. Are you trying to piss me off? If youlove Oscar, then you should get him back. It doesn't make sense thatyou tolerate him so generously when you're with him, and then whenyou're alone you can't stop wallowing in self-pity. If you have what ittakes, you can win him over; if you haven't, then get ready to saygoodbye. Merry meet, merry part. You have me, and I'll take care ofyour baby too. You know I won't let him starve.”

Amelia covered her face in her hands. What felt like a minute later, shebegan to release her sadness that had been repressed for so long. Theweeping gradually amplified and turned into wailing, as though shewanted to vent all the grievances she had suffered all these years in onego.

Tiffany's heart instantly softened. Carefully, she held the woman in herarms and gently patting her on the back. She whispered to Amelia,“Shh... it's okay, don't cry. You're with child now. If you get tooemotional, it's not good for fetal development. Didn't the doctor saythat? Your body can't really accommodate an emotional roller-coasterat the moment, so... for the sake of your baby, don't cry, alright? Youshould know that Oscar isn't your best match from the minute youmarry him. The two of you are destined to live in two different worlds.It's perfectly fine for you two to go your separate ways right now. Babe,come on. Don't cry.”

Amelia continued to whimper in Tiffany's arms. That went on for sometime, then she started to choke in between sobs. “Tiff, do you think I'ma special kind of coward? I admit I am, but even so, it still hurts. I feelthis tightness in my chest, like it's been ripped into shreds many timesover.”

She hiccupped once and then continued sobbing. “I know things won'twork out with Oscar, but I'm such a fool. I can't help falling in love withhim, and I've fallen in too deep. I often ask myself, where did I gowrong? Why can't he love me for who I am? Everyone says that I'mCinderella, that I'm nothing more but a gold digger, but I've beenworking so hard in order to be recognized as the Clintons’ daughter-in-law. I studied etiquette. I took up piano, chess, and art lessons. I evenwent through the hassle of learning how to read sheet music. Buteveryone ignored my efforts. Even the Clintons said I'm not a goodmatch for Oscar. Why do they say that? Where did I go wrong? Why iseveryone excluding me? Tiff, let me tell you something. It's tough beingthe Clintons’ daughter-in-law. No matter how hard I tried, everyonethinks all of the above are kinds of stuff that I ought to do, and that ifI'm not smart enough to handle all that, I don’t deserve to be theirdaughter-in-law!”

Tiffany empathized with her sorrow. She felt sorry for everything thatthe silly woman had been through, and yet still failed to gainrecognition.

“Silly girl. You're great just the way you are. You don't have to changethat just to cater to others.”

Amelia shook her head vigorously and, when she spoke again, her voicesounded even more bitter.

"Tiff, the Clintons mean a lot to me. It's impossible for me to cling ontothem just for their wealth. Mrs. Clinton feels so much like my mother tome. Among the Clintons, apart from Oscar, she's the one whom I can'tbear to leave the most. I finally have a home, Tiff, but why doeshappiness never stay long enough for me to enjoy it?”

Tiffany shoved Amelia a little further apart. “Hey, look into my eyes.”Amelia did as she was told.

“Amelia, you're doing great. In fact, you're the best. You're kind. Yourespect your elders. You're sensible, beautiful, gentle, and considerate...Frankly, you have all the fantastic qualities that men look for inwomen.”

Amelia smiled faintly and responded, “Tiff, I'm grateful to you. Truly, Iam. No matter what happens to me, you're always standing firmly onmy side. How nice it'd be if you were a man! The two of us would makea wonderful couple, and I won't have to work so hard.”

Tiffany snorted, amused by her remark.

“Babe, keep your imagination to yourself.”

Amelia leaned into her arms again. She felt good after venting herfrustrations.

“Do you feel better?” Tiffany asked.

Amelia nodded.

“Tiff, this is going to sound really dramatic, but I just want to thank you.Thank you for tolerating me all this time. Thank you for being by myside during my downtimes.”

Tiffany pretended to shudder after listening to her cheesy speech.“Babe, you have got to stop that. I think I'm about to forfeit last night'sdinner.

Amelia chuckled.

Certain that Amelia was in a better mood now, Tiffany turned to herfriend, ready to part a stern advice. “Babe, if you really do love Oscar,you have to win him back. I don’t believe that he’s a heartless man.You've remained sincere and faithful towards him for five years. Howcan a few short months with that woman compare with that? Even ifthey had dated before, you're the one who's stuck by him in the pastfew years, the one who cared about his wellbeing, and the one whosatisfied his biological urges. Don't look at me like that. I'm just tellingyou the bare facts. Now, you'll go to the hospital and take care ofCassie on his behalf. Let him see how capricious that woman really is!"Amelia hesitated. “Is that really okay?”

“What's wrong about that?”

Putting on a stern face, Tiffany added, “You're his wife. A wife wouldn'tvolunteer to take care of her husband's mistress. You're the only onewho would do it. If he has any sense at all, he should be grateful foryour thoughtfulness. Listen to me. Go to the hospital to watch overCassie. I'll help you do that too. She likes to pretend she’s vulnerable,doesn’t she? Well, let's show Oscar how unreasonable she really is.”Amelia remained hesitant about the plan.

“Babe, you have to be brave, unless you want your baby to be bornfatherless. Think about it. When your child grows up and attendspreschool, elementary school, junior high, all the way to high school...and throughout all these years it's always you, the mother, who goes topick him up. It's always you who attends the parent-teacher meetings.When the classmates ask about his father, do you want him to say thathe doesn't have one? That he grows up in a single-parent household?Even if you're able to provide him with a lavish life, you can't make upfor the absence of a father figure.”

Tiffany's statement seemed to strike a chord with the mother-to-be.Eventually, Amelia gave a firm nod.

“That's the spirit, babe! Dare to pursue the one you love! Even if we failin the end, at least we have tried our best,” Tiffany encouraged her.

In the end, Amelia, egged on by Tiffany, decided to get a change ofclothes and head out. Tiffany offered to be her driver. Along the way,they passed by the florist and the fruit store, where they purchasedsome flowers and a heap of fruits respectively. After that, they headedstraight to the Principal General Hospital.

When they got there, they asked the front desk for directions toCassie's ward. Then, they took the elevator up to the designated floor.They knocked on the door politely and could hear Elizabeth's voicecoming from inside the room. “Who is it?"

Neither Amelia nor Tiffany answered.

Shortly after, the door opened from the inside.

Elizabeth was apparently taken aback when she saw Amelia at the door.“What do you want?” she muttered.

Amelia put on a decent smile as she greeted the older woman, “Oscartold me that Ms. Yard had an accident, so I'm here to pay her a visit.”Elizabeth was evidently repulsed by her statement. “Cassie's doingfine. Spare me your crocodile tears, and leave!”

Tiffany sneered, and when she spoke there was a hint of mockery, “Mrs.Yard, is this how you treat your guests? If so, I'd surely question theYard family's definition of manners and courtesy. Hmm, turning awayguests at your door... I guess that's just what wealthy families do.”Elizabeth froze when she heard that. Eventually, she relented andinvited them into the ward. “Fine. Come in.”

“Mom, who is it?” Cassie's voice rang from further inside the room. Shesounded lively and energetic.

Mrs. Yard cast a glance at them before strolling into the room without aword.

When Cassie saw Amelia and Tiffany walking behind her mother, shefroze for a moment. A shadow slipped across her face. “Why are youhere?” she blurted.

Tiffany placed the fruits and flowers on the table before she turned toreply the patient, “We heard that you've been admitted to the hospitaldue to some kind of accident, so we wanted to pay you a visit. What'swrong, Ms. Yard? Are we not welcomed?”

Cassie merely looked towards Elizabeth. “Mom, why did you let them inhere?”

Tiffany chortled again. She gave up playing the part of a courteousguest. “Now that Oscar's not here, has Ms. Yard decided to show herb*tchy side so quickly?”

Lying on the hospital bed, Cassie retorted. “I've always been like thistowards people I don't like. If theres nothing you need then you mightas well leave. You're not welcomed here!"

Tiffany led Amelia to a seat. “What's the rush? Amelia hasn't even mether husband. How can she leave now?” Tiffany quipped.

Then she intentionally brought up her friend's pregnancy, if only tospite Cassie. “Amelia misses Oscar, you see. The baby also wants tomeet his daddy too. Oh, right, I almost forgot. You're pregnant too,aren't you, Ms. Yard? I wonder, how far along are you?”

Cassie's whole body started shaking at the mention of that. Her faceturned much paler, while her mouth trembled violently. Elizabethurgently brought her into her arms. The mother glared fiercely atTiffany. “You did this on purpose! You knew Cassie's just had amiscarriage and yet you brought it up anyway! You're deliberatelysprinkling salt on her wounds. How heartless can you be? Get out ofhere this instant, or I'll personally take you out with a broom!”

Tiffany faked a look of surprise. “Oh dear, Tiffany's had a miscarriage? Ithought she’s hospitalized because she slipped on the glass. How didthat become “miscarriage’ all of a sudden? Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. Ireally didn’t know.”

Whenever the word “miscarriage’ was mentioned, it was like sprinklingsalt on Cassie's open wound.

Elizabeth was fuming. She pointed at the door and shouted at thewomen. "You two! Leave at once!”

Cassie briefly let go of her mother’s arms. She stared daggers at Ameliaas though her eyes had been soaked in poison. “Amelia, you're so smugnow, aren't you? It's all your fault I lost my baby. If you hadn't invitedme to Starbucks to talk over things, I wouldn't have fallen down fromthe stairs! You're such a jinx! Now, not only have you lost me my child,but you're allowing your friend to humiliate me too! Why are you soevil? Aren't you afraid that karma will come for your baby?”

Amelia, though riled up, only smiled in return. She had seen her shareof blatant liars, but she had never seen someone lie through their teethso outrageously. Did Cassie just say that I'm the one who asked her tocome to Starbucks? But she's the one who invited me!

Tiffany scoffed at the woman on the bed. “Ms. Yard, you've got it allwrong. Did you forget? You were the one who asked Amelia to meetyou at Starbucks. The heavens decided that they've had enough of you,the arrogant home wrecker, and thus arranged for you to fall down thestairs. You lost your baby because of your carelessness. What does thathave to do with Amelia over here? Geez, you ought to replace a betterexcuse before you pin the blame on someone else.”

That did it. Cassie's face grew even paler as she got purple with rage.The wound from her previous surgery began to throb and ache, andshe eventually fainted from the pain

Elizabeth's agonizing shriek echoed in the chamber.

Cassie was quickly taken into the operating room again. While that washappening, Elizabeth cast a murderous glare towards Amelia andTiffany. She swore, “If anything happens to my daughter, I will never letyou off!”

Tiffany did not expect Cassie would faint either. She seemed to havegotten under her skin a bit too much, causing Cassie to faint. Ameliahoped that her friend had not just brought upon ill fate in spite of hergood intentions.

Tiffany glanced apologetically at Amelia. She whispered, “Babe, I'm sosorry. I think I might have overdone it.”

Amelia grew uneasy too.

Right then, Oscar appeared. He was walking at a brisk pace towardstheir location from the other end of the corridor. When he saw Ameliathere, he froze in his steps, if briefly, before he approached.

“Amelia, why are you here?” Oscar asked, out of concern.