Chapter 4 A Night Without Return
"This is all my fault." If Brittany hadn't been so opposed to Frederick being with Amber, perhaps Frederick would have seen through Amber's true nature by now.
Amelia bit her lip. She was deeply moved and felt an urge to cry, overwhelmed by feelings of injustice.
She held her breath, fighting the urge to let tears fall. With a faint smile, she said softly, "Grandma, this isn't your fault. It's just that Frederick and I are not fated to be together."
Amelia had been married to Frederick for three years. Even if she were warming an iceberg, a corner of it might have melted by now. Yet, Frederick still had not fallen in love with her, so she couldn't blame anyone.
Brittany held Amelia's hand tightly. "My dear child, Frederick will eventually realize that you are the one who truly cares for him. As long as I am here, you will always be his wife."
Brittany's expression was earnest. Amelia was touched. Even if her marriage to Frederick might not last much longer, during this time, she had gained a family member who truly cared for her.
Therefore, Amelia felt her regrets weren't quite so profound.
After Brittany fell asleep, Amelia quietly left the hospital room.
As she stepped out and gently closed the door behind her, her gaze accidentally met Frederick, who was sitting in the hallway outside. Immediately shifting her gaze away, she said calmly, "Grandma is asleep. You should go back. I'll stay here."
No sooner had she spoken than a servant by her side quickly offered, "Mr. Hastings, Mrs. Hastings, you both should rest. I'll take good care of Mrs. Brittany."
"You and Mr. Hastings still have work tomorrow. You have surgeries to perform for patients. You can't afford any oversights, so you need the rest even more," Amelia tried to speak, but Frederick rose from his seat, casting a cool glance at her, and said in a deep voice, "I'll take you home."
She wanted to refuse, but he walked past her with displeasure written all over his face.
Reluctantly, she followed him out of the hospital. Frederick turned his head and could see from the reflection in the window that Amelia was trailing behind him. Her head hung low, evoking an inexplicably pitiful air.
The two of them walked in silence all the way to their place. After Frederick parked the car, Amelia was the first to open the door and get out. Her steps were much quicker than before. Frederick frowned. He had prepared things to say and felt a flicker of irritation at not getting the chance.
"Drive!" he called out.
Amelia watched the car drive off without holding him back. They were bound to divorce sooner or later. Since Frederick refused to help Davis Group, she would have to find another way.
And then there was the baby. She gently touched her belly, unsure how much longer she could keep the secret.
The car had long since departed. Yet Frederick found his mind drifting to Amelia's forlorn expression when he had rejected her divorce terms, and it stirred an irritation in him. His well-defined hands adjusted his tie as his gaze turned stony.
"Find out which companies are breaking contracts with Davis Group," he demanded coldly.
His assistant, Felix Cox, seated in the front, was momentarily stunned. He thought he'd misheard. Glancing at Frederick's expressionless reflection in the rearview mirror, he quickly responded, "Yes, Mr. Hastings."
Frederick didn't come home that night.
The next morning, Amelia got up early to prepare oatmeal for Brittany and take it to the hospital. As she carried the meal into the hospital, she nearly bumped into Frederick, stepping out from the inside. He was still wearing the same suit from the night before and looked worn out.
Amelia thought, "Could he have actually spent the entire night here with Brittany?" She was surprised. She thought for a second and then moved forward to greet Frederick when a bright and delighted male voice called out from not too far off.
"Amelia?"
She turned, both shocked and pleased.
"Daniel?"
At first, she was a bit puzzled, but then she recognized the man standing nearby as Daniel Vanderbilt, her childhood playmate who had moved abroad with his family years ago.
"It's been so long," Amelia said with a beaming smile as she stepped towards Daniel.
He also strode briskly toward her, stretching out his long arm to envelop her in an embrace. He gave her a deep hug and lingered there without letting go.
"We haven't seen each other in a long time. Did you miss me while I was away?"
Amelia was momentarily stunned. Daniel's sudden hug caught her off guard.
She was a bit embarrassed, but then she remembered that he had lived abroad for years. To him, a simple hug was perhaps no more than a handshake—a mere formality.
Almost immediately, her eyes scanned the space for Frederick, a wave of panic washing over her as she felt the need to explain.
Frederick looked up to see a man pulling Amelia into his arms. His steps faltered slightly as he watched them with a cold gaze. Noticing that Amelia didn't struggle, his look grew even icier.
With a face full of anger, he averted his gaze from Amelia and Daniel and walked away with heavy strides.
Amelia saw Frederick head straight out of the hospital, but he didn't look at her once, leaving her feeling saddened.
"Of course."
Amelia responded to Daniel in a soft voice, her tone revealing her sheer exhaustion.
She missed him, yes, but she also longed for the days before he emigrated, before she met Frederick, and before she fell in love with him. Everything was beautiful then, and she was free of worries.
Despite the years, Daniel still looked handsome and charming, while Amelia recently appeared a bit worn.
She stepped back, sliding out of his embrace.
Daniel couldn't help but squint slightly.
Amelia, masking the tension, quickly shifted the topic with a smile.
"Are you not feeling well?"
Daniel shook his head gently, his gaze intent on Amelia as he said with a smile, "I came especially to see you."
She was taken aback, puzzled, and confused, and instinctively, her eyes searched for Frederick again.
Seeing her reaction, Daniel laughed softly and said gently, "You were so sad when I left for abroad, so I thought the first thing I should do when I come back is to see you. And since I need a medical check-up, I specifically scheduled an appointment with you."
Listening to Daniel, Amelia felt disoriented. Back in the day, the Vanderbilt Manor was right next to the Davis Manor. They had grown up together since childhood. When it was time to go their separate ways during high school, Amelia naturally didn’t want to let him go, and she was quite heartbroken when Daniel left, but it had nothing to do with romance.
She happened to catch a glimpse of Frederick's retreating figure. His distant back seemed to tell her that he was not interested in her conversation with another man.
Outside the hospital, a driver raced up, pulling the car to a stop in front of Frederick.
Without a moment's hesitation, he bent down and got into the car.
They had been married for three years, yet few outsiders knew of their marital ties. Amelia figured that Frederick must have not wanted her to approach and greet him earlier. that's why he had left in such a hurry.
After all, he had always been reluctant to take their relationship public.
Amelia's gaze returned from Frederick's hasty departure and fell upon the lunchbox in her hands that she hadn't yet delivered to Brittany. She looked up at Daniel with a slight smile, concealing all her disappointment and sadness.
"I've got to deliver something to someone. You can go ahead and wait in my office. I'll be right back to check on you."
Daniel nodded slightly, shifting his focus from Amelia’s departing figure to watch Frederick’s car driving off.
Outside the hospital, Frederick got into his car with a stony expression. The inexplicable sense of irritation rising in him was etched clearly on his face. Felix, who was driving in front, noticed that Frederick was in a worse mood than ever before and trod carefully.
Realizing his own overreaction, Frederick grew even more irate. Once he calmed down, he asked indifferently, "Did you find out what I asked you to look into yesterday?"