“Mrs. Larson, you can't say that. I'm just standing up for myself since my reputation has been tarnished. If some nosy person were to tell my husband and in-laws about this, not only will my relationship with my husband be affected, but it'll also cause my in-laws to dislike me.” Amelia was calm and collected when she added, “If I don't counterattack, you might end up thinking I'm someone you can walk all over.”
Laura's lips curled as she eyed her seriously and said, “You sure have a way with words.”
“Thank you for the compliment. However, I'd like you to head outside and explain this matter to my colleagues. Otherwise, I'd be in hot water if groundless rumors get to my husband, don't you think so?” Amelia replied confidently.
Laura crossed her arms before her chest and sneered. How can I show myself in public again if others learn that I'm afraid of a young lady?
“What if I say no?” she retorted.
“In that case, you leave me with no choice. Since you're an elder, you can hurl accusations at me in public with no regard for the decencies. I, on the other hand, dare not do that. Otherwise, others might think I have no respect for my elders. Hence, I'll go through with the legal procedures, and I'm pretty sure my husband will support me.” Amelia shrugged and shifted her gaze toward Shane. “Mr. Franklin, do you think I'm doing the right thing?” she inquired.
Smiling, he answered, “Since my employee is being slandered in the company, as the boss, I can't just sit back and do nothing, right? Don't worry. If you want to call the police, I'll be on your side, and I will provide the recordings from the surveillance cameras in our office as evidence.”
Laura was infuriated when she heard that. “Y-You guys—”
Amelia smiled elegantly and interrupted, “Mrs. Larson, I'll let things slide if you're willing to apologize to me and clear things up with my colleagues. Otherwise, I'll let the police handle this matter.”
“I'd like to see if you have the guts to do so,” Laura retorted.
In response, Amelia smiled innocently and said, “You came to the office to slander me before even finding out the truth. I don't think I'm wrong to pursue legal action to defend myself. Hence, I'm going to coerce you into choosing from these two options. Either you apologize to me, or I'll get the police involved. Honestly, I don't think the Larsons can mess with the Clintons.”
While Laura's face was contorted with fury, she waved her phone in the air and asked nonchalantly, “Have you made up your mind, Mrs. Larson?”
Laura gritted her teeth and spat, “I dare you!”
Amelia's gaze changed, a cold glint flickering in her eyes briefly. Snorting, she said, “Mrs. Larson, I'm only talking to you nicely because you're an elder, but that doesn't give you the right to saunter into my office and insult me. Don't ever take my politeness as weakness.”
Upon hearing that, Laura was bereft of speech from anger.
Amelia then unlocked her phone with her password and contacted the police. When the call was connected, she said, “Officer, I'm—”
However, her phone was snatched out of her hand before she could finish her sentence. With an impenetrable expression on her face, Laura roared, “You're a madwoman!”
Then, she opened the door and stalked out, though her figure looked wretched from behind.
Amelia shrugged and uttered, “Shane, you'll have to deal with this matter. Since she has my phone, does that count for blatant robbery?”
It was not her intention to blow things out of proportion. However, if she did not retaliate and intimidate Laura, everyone would take her as a weakling and a pushover.
Shane got the hint and immediately ordered the security guards to stop Laura from leaving.
Soon, Laura was seized and brought back to his office by the guards. When she saw Amelia again, she did something uncharacteristic of a person with her status, throwing the phone at the latter's face in a fit of rage.
Amid Shane's panicked yell, Amelia was hit on the forehead by her phone. She then flashed him a forced smile before falling to the ground.
Shane rushed toward her and crouched down. “Amelia, are you okay?” he asked worriedly.
In a daze, Amelia opened her eyes and looked upward. “Mr. Franklin, could you help me to a seat? I'm feeling dizzy,” she said with much struggle.
Shane helped her up before bringing her to a chair. The moment she sat on it, he anxiously instructed his secretary to fetch a glass of warm water.
Very quickly, the secretary came with the glass of water and passed it to Shane, who then cautiously gave it to Amelia and said, “Here. Drink some water, Amelia.”
After a short period of rest, Amelia felt less dizzy and took a sip of the water from the glass in his hand.
“Amelia, how are you feeling now?” he asked.
“I'm fine.”
The secretary came back to them with a tube of ointment. As she passed it to her superior, she said, “This is the ointment for the wound, Mr. Franklin.”
Shane took a cotton swab and dipped it in the ointment before saying, “Amelia, there's an abrasion on your forehead. It's going to sting when I apply the ointment to it. Bear with it.”
Amelia nodded slightly.
He proceeded to apply the ointment to the wound, and she could not help but yelp the moment it came into contact with the scrape on her skin.
“Is it painful?” he asked with a frown.
“I'm okay.”
After receiving a reply from her, he continued to apply the ointment. From then onward, Amelia suppressed the urge to make a sound from the pain.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Too Much to Bear, My Love