Chapter 8: A new apartment, a new friend
"Dad? I thought you went out," Hudson uttered and got off Amelia quickly.
"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Freddie fumed to where Hudson stood and threw a slap to his face.
"Are you out of your mind? She is your sister!" Freddie yelled in anger, and Hudson divulged a frown.
"She isn't my sister!" he yelled. Freddie clenched his fist and looked at Amelia, who covered her body with his duvet.
"Go to your room, Amelia," Freddie ordered her, and she bobbed. She wrapped her body with the duvet and wept as she ran to the door.
"Hey… my duvet!" Hudson yelled, and Freddie raised his hand in the air to slap him again.
"Dad, that is enough. You and I know that she isn't my sister. We are not related. Why do you keep lying to her?"
"Shut up, Hudson! Shut that filthy mouth of yours! Amelia is always going to be family, okay? Whether you like it or not. And trust me, Hudson, you are going to pay for this!" Freddie poked his chest and boiled out of his room.
"Oh God, what the hell is happening?" Freddie thought as he headed back to Amelia's room.
'What if I didn't return to the house? What if I had gone to the meeting? He would have raped her! Oh. My. God. This isn't happening.'
He got to Amelia's door, he could hear her sobbing inside the room, and he calmly knocked on the door.
"Hey, Amelia. It's me, Freddie. I would love to talk to you, but if you don't want to talk now, it's fine. I can come back later," He said, placing his hand on the door.
Soon he heard her approach the door and saw the door knob turn. He moved his hand from the door as she opened the door.
"It's fine, we can talk now," Amelia mumbled and shuffled back to her bed.
She sat on the bed, and Freddie slowly approached her. He sat next to her and lowered his head.
He didn't know where to start from, but he spoke up anyway.
"Is this the first time he is doing this to you?" He asked and looked at her. Amelia cleaned her teary eyes and slowly nodded.
"I'm so sorry, Amelia. I never knew he had such stupid thoughts about you. I know this is a stupid question but are you okay?" Amelia nodded again and looked at his face.
"I'm okay, uncle. I'm happy you came back on time," She muttered and lowered her head again. Freddie closed his eyes and exhaled loudly.
"Tell me, Amelia, have my children always been nice to you? Be truthful, and don't lie to me." He looked at her, and Amelia huffed.
She looked at him and slowly shook her head. "No, uncle. They have never been nice to me," She cried.
"Why didn't you ever tell me?" He asked, and she shook her head. "I didn't want any more troubles, uncle. They never saw me as a sister, uncle." She cried even more, and Freddie felt so hurt.
He pulled her to himself and hugged her firmly. "I'm sorry, Amelia. I'm sorry I never noticed their irresponsible attitude." He brushed his palm on her hair as he spoke.
"I understand, uncle. You don't have to be sorry." Amelia raised her head and looked at him.
"You can't keep living here, Amelia. This house isn't safe for you. I don't know the crazy thing they could do to you when I leave for work or meetings," Freddie uttered, and Amelia's eyes widened.
"But uncle, I have nowhere else to go. Please don't chase me out, I don't have any other family. I can endure it." Amelia wept bitterly and held his hand. He shook his head and caressed her hand slowly.
"I am not chasing you, Amelia. I'm trying to keep you safe. Listen to me, I'll get you another apartment. Far from here but close to James' company. You can start living there and then you can go to work with ease from there," He said.
"But… but, do I have to work in his company? Is there no other way to gain his forgiveness?" Amelia asked, and Freddie shook his head.
"That is what Charles wants. When I was on my way out, he called me to inform me that James had fired his secretary some days ago, and he would love you to fill that vacuum. He said he believes you will do better since you have the brains," Freddie told her with a smile.
"But why me? There are other good and intelligent people out there. What if James doesn't want me? I disgraced him, Uncle and…"
"The more reason why you should work with him. Charles and James work together like partners most times, they are both business tycoons. And I need to sign a contract with them. If James doesn't forgive you, he can't forgive me. I lose this contract, and Charles loses his profit. That is why we need you to do this. Please, Amelia, for your uncle."
Amelia bounced her head and sniffed the catarrh that threatened to escape her nostril.
"Okay, uncle." Freddie smiled and stood up.
"I'll get you a new apartment now," He said, and Amelia smiled faintly. Freddie pulled out his cellphone from his pocket and stepped out of Amelia's room.
After he walked out, the smile on Amelia's face faded away slowly. She looked at her parent's portrait on her table and more tears rolled down her swollen eyes.
"Finally I'll be free, mom and dad. I won't live in this house anymore. I would finally be happy." A smile crept up her face as she kept staring at her parent's face.
"Amelia," Freddie called as he entered the room again. "Uncle." She looked at him and stood up.
"I found an apartment!" He announced in excitement, and Amelia chuckled. "So fast?" She asked, and he bounced his head.
"This kind of thing shouldn't be taken with levity. You should start packing your stuff, okay? I'll take you to the new apartment," He said, and Amelia happily bobbed.
He turned to leave but Amelia stopped him by holding his hand.
"One more thing, uncle." Freddie turned to look at her and nodded for her to continue.
"On my graduation day, you told me something about a present. I know I shouldn't ask but…"
"No, you should ask. I promised you. But I don't think you are ready for that present now, Amelia. You are young and fragile," He said, and Amelia creased her brows.
"I'm twenty, uncle. I am old enough," She responded, and he shook his head.
"No, Amelia. I'll tell you when the time comes, okay?" He asked, and she reluctantly bounced her head.
"Pack your stuff. I'll take you there." Freddie walked out of her room, and Amelia got to work. She started packing her bags with great joy.
Freddie pulled up in front of a white building. It was a building with about five floors.
"So, this is your new apartment. There are about thirty, if not more than, apartments in this building. And yours is number eighteen, on the second floor," Freddie said as he opened the door and stepped down.
Amelia also stepped down and headed to the back of the car where her luggages was. Freddie also moved to the back of the car and helped Stephanie open the boot.
They started carrying her bags into the house, and Freddie took the lead. They walked through the corridor and climbed the stairs, carrying bags in their hands.
They got to the second floor and sighted the door with number eighteen on the left. They got in front of the door and saw apartment number seventeen in front of Amelia's apartment.
"Maybe you will start making friends now," Freddie said and opened the door with the key he had collected from the agent that gave the apartment to him.
As soon as he opened the door, the door behind them opened, and they looked back.
A beautiful lady walked out of the room and when Amelia saw her, she was stunned. She was so beautiful, her eyes were just like Amelia's, blue and almond-shaped.
Her hair was blonde, and her lips were full. They both stared at each other for some minutes before Freddie broke the silence from inside the apartment.
"Amelia, where are you? The bags please," He said, and Amelia blinked. "I'm coming, uncle," She responded, and she smiled at the lady that stared at her.
"Hi, I'm Amelia," Amelia waved at her, and the lady smiled too.
"I'm Elena. Nice to meet you, new neighbor," She responded, and Amelia giggled.
"I'll get busy now," Amelia pointed into her apartment, and Elena nodded.
"Great. Can I help?" She asked, and Amelia's eyes widened.
"You want to help me arrange my stuff?" She asked in surprise, and Elena bobbed. "Yes, I do," Elena stepped out of her room and locked her door behind her.
"Okay, great. Thank you," Amelia said, and she lifted her bag happily and headed into the house. She looked at Elena again.
'She has the same eyes as me, and she is so nice. I never knew blondes could be nice. I like her.'
Amelia smiled at Elena again as she also carried a bag into the house.