Love You Enough to Leave You

You know I won’t let him starve.” Amelia covered her face in her hands. What felt like a minute later, she began to release her sadness that had been repressed for so long. The weeping gradually amplified and turned into wailing, as though she wanted to vent all the grievances she had suffered all these years in one go. Tiffany’s heart instantly softened. Carefully, she held the woman in her arms 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 too emotional, it’s not good for fetal development.

Didn’t the doctor say that? Your body can’t really accommodate an emotional roller-coaster at the moment, so… for the sake of your baby, don’t cry, alright? You should know that Oscar isn’t your best match from the minute you marry 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 some time, then she started to choke in between sobs. “Tiff, do you think I’m a special kind of coward?

I admit I am, but even so, it still hurts. I feel this tightness in my chest, like it’s been ripped into shreds many times over.” She hiccupped once and then continued sobbing. “I know things won’t work out with Oscar, but I’m such a fool. I can’t help falling in love with him, and I’ve fallen in too deep. I often ask myself, where did I go wrong? Why can’t he love me for who I am? Everyone says that I’m Cinderella, that I’m nothing more but a gold digger, but I’ve been working 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 even went through the hassle of learning how to read sheet music. But everyone ignored my efforts.

Even the Clintons said I’m not a good match for Oscar. Why do they say that? Where did I go wrong? Why is everyone excluding me? Tiff, let me tell you something. It’s tough being the Clintons’ daughter-in-law. No matter how hard I tried, everyone thinks all of the above are kinds of stuff that I ought to do, and that if I’m not smart enough to handle all that, I don’t deserve to be their daughter-in-law!” Tiffany empathized with her sorrow. She felt sorry for everything that the silly woman had been through, and yet still failed to gain recognition. “Silly girl. You’re great just the way you are. You don’t have to change that just to cater to others.”

Amelia shook her head vigorously and, when she spoke again, her voice sounded even more bitter. “Tiff, the Clintons mean a lot to me. It’s impossible for me to cling onto them just for their wealth. Mrs. Clinton feels so much like my mother to me. Among the Clintons, apart from Oscar, she’s the one whom I can’t bear to leave the most. I finally have a home, Tiff, but why does happiness 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.

grateful to you. Truly, I am. No matter what happens to me, you’re always standing firmly on my side. How nice it’d be if you were a man! The two of us would make

cheesy speech. “Babe, you have got to stop that. I think I’m about to forfeit last night’s dinner. Amelia chuckled. Certain that Amelia was in a better mood now, Tiffany turned to her friend,

the one who cared about his wellbeing, and the one who satisfied his biological urges. Don’t look at me like that. I’m just telling you the bare facts. Now, you’ll go to the hospital and take care of Cassie on his behalf. Let him see how capricious that woman really is!” Amelia hesitated. “Is that really okay?” “What’s wrong about that?” Putting

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 born fatherless. Think about it. When your child grows up and attends preschool, elementary school, junior high, all the way to high school… and throughout all these years it’s always you,

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 fail in 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

they passed by the florist and the fruit store, where they purchased some flowers and a heap of fruits respectively. After that, they headed straight to the Principal General Hospital. When they got there, they asked the front desk for directions to Cassie’s ward. Then, they took the elevator up to the designated floor. They knocked on the door politely and could hear Elizabeth’s voice coming from inside the room. “Who is it?” Neither Amelia nor Tiffany

the older woman, “Oscar told 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 doing fine. Spare me your crocodile tears, and leave!”

and Tiffany walking behind her mother, she froze for a moment. A shadow slipped across her face. “Why are you here?” she blurted. Tiffany placed the fruits and flowers on the table before she turned to reply the patient, “We heard that you’ve been admitted

gave up playing the part of a courteous guest. “Now that Oscar’s not here, has Ms. Yard decided to show her b*tchy side so quickly?” Lying on the hospital bed, Cassie retorted. “I’ve always been like this towards people I don’t like. If there’s nothing you need then you might as well leave. You’re not welcomed here!” Tiffany led Amelia to a seat. “What’s the rush? Amelia hasn’t even met her husband. How can she leave now?” Tiffany quipped. Then she intentionally brought up her friend’s pregnancy, if only to spite Cassie. “Amelia misses Oscar, you see. The baby also wants to meet his daddy too. Oh, right, I almost forgot. You’re pregnant too, aren’t you, Ms. Yard? I wonder, how far