A Naive Bride for the Sophisticated CEO

Chapter 84: I’m worse than that.

~The Next Day~

After sedating Susan to stop her from overthinking about what Amelia told her, she got better and before she knew it, she was discharged Only Amelia stood with her throughout her stay in the hospital. James couldn't go home either because he couldn't let her be all by herself. He wasn't going to let anything happen to her again. ‘I have lost her once, and that would never respect itself anymore.’ He told himself. Susan was taken to James’ house after he got discharged. She was driven home in his car.

She asked that Amelia let her call Tonia and explain what was going on so that she wouldn't get too worried about her.

Tonia told her she would find a time to visit her before the end of the week. She also was eager to know more about Susan, since she never caught a glimpse of her past life when she was still with her.

Getting to the mansion, before they entered the house at all, the aroma of roasted chicken filled their nostrils. James smiled faintly and looked at Amelia

“Looks like we're going to be having a feast tonight. That is mother's roasted chicken. I can never get it wrong.”

Susan and Amelia chuckled to his statement and headed into the house. The living room’s air was graced with the aroma from the kitchen, and not only that, some slight obvious decorations and cleaning.

“Hmmm... am I the only one noticing the change, or this is because I've been away from the house for sometime?"

James chuckled and looked at her face. “There are truly slight differences. I asked them to change the arrangements of the chairs, replace the center table and throw pillows, change the dining sets, and...”

“Why?” She butted in

“Because you're back home, Amelia! Because I didn't have to mourn over you. I couldn't just act like it’s a normal thing. this is just to show how happy everyone is that youre back, and not just you, but your mother too. Please accept this token from the bottom of my heart

Amelia smiled and moved closer to him. Without saying any words, she embraced him and planted a soft kiss on his lips. “Thank you for this, James. Thank you for all you do.” She mumbled and rested her head on his rigid chest.

“You should go and freshen up now. The both of you. The gathering will begin in an hour. Everyone from our family definitely has something to say, so we would do all that at dinner today.”

Amelia bounced her head and slowly withdrew from James. She looked at Susan who seemed numb and let out a wide smile. “Come with me, mom. Let me show you to your reom. I hope you'll like it.” She uttered, holding her hand. “I should like it.” She responded and they both giggled.

They got into the room and Amelia went into the bathroom to prepare a warm bath for her. While doing that. Susan got rid of her clothes and tied the towel she saw around her waist.

She walked into the bathroom with her upper part bare and stood in front of Amelia. “Amelia.” She called her, and Amelia raised her head. Her eyes fell on Susan’s body before she could say any words.

On the left side of her belly was a large scar from the surgery she did after getting shot. It was a pretty big scar that made Amelia wonder how many bullets were removed from her belly.

“Does it still hurt?” Amelia worriedly asked. She stood up from the side of the bathtub where she squatted. and approached her. She stood in front of her and lowered her head to take a closer look at the scar.

“It doesn't. But...” she took a pause and Amelia raised her head to look at her.

“But what?

“It hurts to know Stanley was killed that night too.”

Amelia gasped and stood upright. “You remember what happened that night now?” She asked when Susan bounced her head.

“Yes. I saw a scene from that night. We were in the living room, watching a movie, when all of a sudden, some men barged into our home, with masks and guns. I was so scared, so I hurriedly pulled you into my arms. Stanley did the same to me, like he was protecting us. Suddenly, they took you away from us and made you sit far away from us. Without telling us the reason for barging in, they pulled the trigger on us.

Susan was unaware of the stream of tears that rolled down her cheeks as she narrated what she had remembered. Amelia clasped her lips and dropped her head in sadness too.

She couldn't control her emotions at this point because fortunately or unfortunately, she could remember every part of her mother’s narration, even though she was so young back then.

She wished she had forgotten it back then, but it kept living with her. Kept tormenting her.

“Do you know we did that to us, Amelia?” Susan’s voice shivered as she spoke.

“Yes. They have been put behind bars. I did it, mother. I made them pay.” Amelia tried to let out a smile as she spoke. “Who were they? Those men?”

“I didn’t care about the men that pulled the trigger, mom. I went after those that sent those men

“And who sent them? And how did they pay for what they did to our family?”

“It's a long story which I'm willing to tell you, but their names are Hopper, Penelope, and Freddie. Do they ring a bell? “Penelope? That woman... Freddie...”

“Yes. This is how it all started...”

After taking a bath together, Amelia and Susan got to the dining table pretty late. Everyone else were seated already. They sat in the remaining empty chairs, one was next to James. and the other was directly opposite Penelope.

Amelia sat next to James without hesitation, but Susan kind of had problems with sitting in front of Penelope. Not after everything Amelia had told her about her past.

“I can't sit here.” She uttered and everyone looked at her. “Why? What's wrong?” Helen asked in confusion. Elena hurriedly stood up and carried her tray in her hand. ‘I'll sit there. It's no big deal.

They exchanged seats, and Susan got to sit next to Helen. They all started eating shortly, and all the sounds that filled the air were the slight noises their cutleries made

Penelope was too uncomfortable to eat properly. She wanted to confess and get the weight out of her chest.

Elena noticed how she hardly ate her food, and she heaved a loud sigh and dropped her fork noisily in her plate, pulling everyone’s attention to herself.

“I think I am beginning to hate the awkward silence here. Mom, I believe you have something to say to everyone.”

Penelope's breath ceased and she looked at Elena’s face in terror. ‘Why did she have to do that?! I was going to find the right time to say it!’ She thought in terror.

“Really? What do you have to say to us, Penelope? We are all ears.” Helen uttered, and Charles nodded in support

Penelope slowly bounced her head and stood up. She moved away from the table. She stood behind her chair and let out a loud, deep exhale before talking.

“I know I am a bad person, and I don’t deserve to be in your midst today. I’m saying this because I can’t keep this to myself any longer. And also, I don’t regret what I did.”

“What?! You don’t regret what you did?” Elena scoffed.

“Shut up and let me finish, okay? I know you'll have been wondering who must have put Fred up to do something like that to Amelia and her daughter. We all want to know the informant. And I’m here to tell you today that I am the informant.”

“What?” They all chorused in awe.

“Do you know what you're saying at all?” Helen asked in great shock.

“No one is forcing me to say this. I met with Fred some months back. we both signed a contract and got pretty close because of the business. Then I found out he was crazily in love with Amelia.”

“So that is why you let him abduct your child and grandchild?!” James exclaimed. “That was just to my advantage! When I found out my daughter's husband was Helen’s son, all I could think of was how to get her away from you!”

“What?! Why are you saying this? I am your friend, Penelope.

"A friend that always wants what I want and getswhat I want is not a friend! You always wanted to be the one out there right from high school You wer€always topping the class, and I was always coming aftergjou! AS ifthat wasn't enough, yourgot matried to the man of my dreams! N6w, you have gained the tove of my daughter! The love I never got. You want all the good things for yourself!” Penelope yelled.

Helen's eye’s broadened and she blinked severally, as she found it so hard to digest everything Penelope had said. O... you let me go through that trauma just because of a beef you have against her?! Why should I affect what I want?!" Amelia roared in tears. She banged the table hard and sprang to her feet. Alice, who was in Helen’s arms, broke into tears, because the noise terrified her. Helen stood up and moved away from the dining table to console Alice. “So doing that evil would make you gain my love?!

‘I have always known that you would never love me the way you love James and his mother. Helen knows that you are a good woman, with a pure heart and that is why she got you to marry her arrogant and mannerless son!”

‘I love him! I have always loved him. I wasn't forced to marry him. And of all the people you want me to be with, you chose Fred?

“He is way better than James! I prefer you to be with him than James.”

"Stop acting like this because just to show you care’ about me! This is all because afthe hatred you have fors Ma’am Helen, nothing more. I don't care what had conspired between yout two, but shouldn’t my happiness come first? You even involved a few weeks old baby! Who dogs that?!”

‘I'm so disappointed in you, Penelope. Why did you think this plan would ever work?” Charles asked in disbelief. “It was going so well until Elena got involved and ruined my plans!” “I told you I would never let you do such an evil thing to my sister and her daughter. I would expose you.” Elena uttered in anger.

“Enough!” James roared and sprang to his feet. Everyone and everything went dead silent. They all exchanged angry and terrified looks.

“You don't regret what you did, right? Which means you re ready to pay for what youshave done. Well, you will-> have it_ You just said I'm an ill SS mannered and arrogant man, itis timeto show you I’m worse t than that” James responded in rage.