Tiffany felt so sorry for Amelia. Tightening her grip on the steering wheel, she advised the latter, “Babe, divorce him if you’re no longer feeling happy in this marriage. Considering how long you guys have been together, I think Oscar won’t demand a hundred million from you for breaching the contract, will he?” Shutting her eyes, Amelia forced out a stiff smile. Tiffany took a quick glance at her. As an outsider, I’m not in any position to pass remarks on their marriage. If it’s so easy to cut off ties with a person, especially one whose life is closely intertwined with yours, there won’t be so many couples locked in bitter battles.
“Babe, if you don’t want to leave him, then stay and work hard to capture his heart,” Tiffany suggested. Heaving a sigh, Amelia said disappointingly, “It’s very challenging to read his mind. We’ve been married for five years, but I still have no clue what he’s thinking half of the time. Generally speaking, he treats me well and does show affection at times. However, I can’t tell if he still has any feelings for me.” Tiffany chuckled. “Babe, one thing I don’t like about you is how you’d falter back and forth before making a decision. From my point of view, what’s there to be afraid of? It’s no big deal even if you fail in the end. Most importantly, you’ve worked on it and have no regrets for yourself.”
Amelia tried to shake the thought away. “Let’s not talk about him anymore. I don’t plan to go home tonight. I’ll stay at your apartment.” Tiffany felt so helpless. “You know what? Since the day you married Oscar, I’ve lost count the times you stayed over at my place.” Looking completely nonplussed, Amelia replied, “Well, you always turn into a nocturnal creature when you try to meet deadlines at work. You even barred me from visiting you if I had nothing urgent.” Batting her eyelids, Tiffany defended herself, “Babe, don’t put the blame on me. Haven’t I been welcoming you with open arms and serving you the best cuisines when you sleep over at my place? I’m so hurt by your words.”
As the atmosphere started to liven up, Amelia became more relaxed. After a moment of silence, her topic revolved around Derrick again. “Tiff, I do think that Derrick is serious about you. How do you feel about him? Would you consider going out with him?” Tiffany paused. The question had removed the twinkle in her eye. “Babe, why are you talking about him again? He’s my boss, the one who feeds me, and there’s no other possibility between us. Although I’m a renowned author, I’m just a small fry compared to his family. My salary per annum is not even comparable to what they earn in a day.
Do you think that they will accept a daughter-in-law like me?” Amelia fell silent. Some prominent families may prefer a spouse who comes from the same social circles. As realistic as this may sound, it doesn’t rule out the possibility of gaining equal footing on other aspects which are as important. For example, if the woman is highly educated and has a similar lifestyle, then she is most likely to handle the etiquette required in unfamiliar situations too. This may bridge the gap of having a distinct difference in terms of wealth, making the union more desirable. There are many fairy tales about Cinderella marrying her Prince Charming. The story will usually end with a happily-ever-after with no sequel.
This is because everyone knows that Cinderella didn’t marry only the prince, she’s gotten herself involved in the entire royal family. She needs to master all kinds of etiquettes and rules, endure the cynicism of others, demonstrate flexibility as well as an ability to overcome various unforeseen circumstances. When the going gets tough, Cinderella must either demonstrate tenacity or she will be defeated, end up getting a divorce, and leave her prince miserably. Conversely, the prince would succumb to the arrangement made by the royal family to choose the next princess who suits him best.
The new partner might not be the love of his life, but a compatible one nonetheless. Unfortunately, this is the reality. “From the way he acts and carries himself, Derrick seems like a person who’s in control of his own life. Why don’t you give him a chance?” Amelia thought for a while before prompting Tiffany. “Babe, did he bribe you or something? Why do you keep saying good things about him? Tell me, what benefits are you reaping?” Amelia grinned from ear to ear. “Will I go above and beyond to promote him if I don’t think he is any good?” Tiffany was puzzled. “Why, Babe?
Give me a reason. You’ve only seen him once. Why are you working so hard in making us an item?” “My sixth sense,” Amelia said. It made Tiffany even more flabbergasted. “I thought you loathe forming an opinion based on sixth sense?” “The gut feeling of a woman can be quite accurate. I can just envision how he will spoil you rotten.” Arching her brow, Tiffany questioned, “Are you bewitched by his charm?” “That’s one of the reasons.” Tiffany could not help but shudder as her brows twitched. “Babe, when did you start judging a book by its cover?”
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Love You Enough to Leave You