Hence, it’s impossible for me to marry Cassie now.” “You mean you want her to be your mistress forever?” Elizabeth demanded. Oscar fell silent and glanced at her thoughtfully. “Mrs. Yard, we won’t reach a consensus. As I said earlier, I hired a designer from Irushea to design Cassie’s wedding dress. If she didn’t suffer from a miscarriage, I would’ve proposed when her bump showed. But her miscarriage messed things up. Perhaps we aren’t fated to be.” Elizabeth wasn’t as hot-headed as before. She inquired calmly, “Oscar, be frank with me. Are you not going to marry Cassie, ever?”
“Mrs. Yard, I can’t give you my word,” said Oscar. “Let’s just go along with the flow. If Cassie and I end up being husband and wife, that will be for the best. If we don’t end up together, I’ll think of her as my own sister. As long as Yard Group needs me, I’ll be of help.” Oscar’s promise was important to the Yards. He was a famous entrepreneur while Cassie was a talented musician. Even if she joined the board of directors, they’d treat her as an outsider. With Oscar’s help, things would be much smoother. Still, Elizabeth wanted more for her daughter. Oscar was the perfect candidate to be her son-in-law. “Oscar, Cassie relies on you a lot. You promised you’ll love her for the rest of your life,” Elizabeth remarked.
“Look, you’ve changed in just a few months. Isn’t that too fast?” Oscar couldn’t help but ask himself, Was I the one who changed too fast? Emotions rippled through his heart, but he kept a cool front and explained, “Mrs. Yard, it was Cassie who dumped me back then. I can’t give her my word for now. But when something happens to her, I’ll be by her side.” He’s right, thought Elizabeth. Oscar isn’t Cassie’s only lover. She got pregnant with another man’s child. She might’ve lost that child, but that doesn’t change the fact that she had other lovers in the past. Elizabeth might be protective of her daughter, but she was a reasonable woman. She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and received strict upbringing.
Previously, she lost her cool because of her daughter, but that didn’t mean she was an irrational woman. She knew Cassie had indulged in some capers, so even though she was tempted to defend her daughter till the end, she couldn’t bring herself to put Oscar in a difficult position. Sighing, Elizabeth caved in. “I’ve thought about it. I’m not that unreasonable. Since you say everything’s up to fate, then I won’t force you.” She added, “But Cassie relies on you heavily. She’s weak after losing her baby. If you’re a man, you won’t choose to hurt her now.”
Oscar shot a puzzled look at Elizabeth. “Mrs. Yard, you changed your mind quickly.” Elizabeth knew what he was trying to say. “Oscar, please don’t be mad at my rude actions earlier. I feel bad for Cassie. Everyone adored her since she was young, so she had never suffered in her life. The doctor said she might not be able to get pregnant in the future. I was so mad and wanted to beat you up,” she clarified. “Now that she’s awake and revealed that it was her own fault, I can’t insist on pinning the blame on you.” Oscar listened to her explanation silently. Elizabeth implored, “Oscar, please do me a favor. No matter what happens, I hope you won’t hurt Cassie. She loves you dearly.” Oscar nodded.
“Don’t worry, Mrs. Yard. I won’t hurt her. She was my first love. There will always be a spot for her in my heart. She’ll always be special to me.” Elizabeth let out a sigh of relief. “Oscar, you’re an adult. I believe you’re sincere. Remember, don’t hurt her,” she repeated. Oscar nodded without a word. Patting his shoulder, Elizabeth told him, “Let’s go back. Otherwise, Cassie might overthink things.” They returned to the ward shortly after. Cassie, who was fidgeting nervously, relaxed visibly at the sight of Oscar. “Mom, Oz, what took you so long? I was so worried. I nearly went out in search of you,” Cassie whined and pouted unhappily.
Elizabeth shot her an exasperated look. “Why? Are you afraid I’ll tear him to pieces?” Flushing beet red, Cassie replied softly, “Mom, stop talking nonsense. That was not what I meant.” Elizabeth poked her forehead and chided, “I know you well, my dear.” At 11 p.m., Cassie told her mother, “Mom, it’s late. You should go home. Oz will take care of me here. You don’t want to keep Dad waiting at home, do you?” Elizabeth nearly choked on her words. Cassie isn’t even married to Oscar, but she’s already siding with him. When they get married, will she forget to come home to us?
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