Marry My Billionaire Second Husband-Chapter 59: Squashing An Ant

"No, you’re lying," Amelia said, almost instinctively. "There’s no way he would just―" 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

The very thought was unthinkable. She could not fathom how someone could possibly be ready to snuff the light from someone’s eyes, simply because they wanted to marry someone outside of their circle.

"And how would you know what Horace Hawthorne could do? You’ve only known him for... a week? Not even that," Caleb pointed out with a raised eyebrow. "Men like him don’t stay at the top of the food pyramid by having morals or a conscience."

"You’re one to talk about morals and a conscience," Amelia retorted with gritted teeth.

"That’s why you should listen to me about this. I know what I’m talking about," Caleb said, Amelia’s barb rolling off him like water off a duck’s back. "Haven’t you wondered why he was so desperate to see his daughter again that he would mistake someone like you, a stranger twenty years younger, for her? Isn’t it ridiculous?"

"How is it ridiculous? He’s her father! He has a right to miss her!" Amelia exclaimed, and Caleb snorted.

"He’s trying to assuage his guilt for fucking up her life decades ago, so much so that he’s looking for her in every blonde he meets," Caleb said mercilessly. "If I were a blonde woman, he’d call me Elaine too. That’s how delusional and senile he is."

"That’s so rude!" Amelia scolded, but Caleb waved off her words.

"Elaine Hawthorne chose to end her own life rather than marry the man he picked out for her. There’s a reason why no one really dares to bring her up in conversation in our circles."

Amelia’s eyes widened in shock. Caleb relished in her reaction and continued.

"Shocking, isn’t it? But that’s not all. Before she ended her life, Horace Hawthorne got rid of the man she was in love with. He vanished without a trace, along with the rest of his family," Caleb mimed the blowing of a dandelion, the way he used to do when they were still in love, and Amelia understood his point.

"In the eyes of the rich and powerful, he was nothing more than an ant that needed to be squashed. Unfortunately, his daughter didn’t agree, and he lost her because he was too intent on keeping his family powerful," Caleb said with an easy shrug, while chills coursed through Amelia’s spine at his casual retelling of a horrific tragedy.

"If you don’t want to repeat that tragedy, you should stay away," Caleb said, his gaze turning into pity. "At least I gave you three good years in our marriage. Matteo would not even be able to lead you to an altar before you get shot in the head."

Amelia stared at him, stunned, and the medical supplies she held fell on the floor, littered at her feet.

"Good years? How dare you― Caleb, don’t walk away from me!" Amelia demanded, but Caleb strode forward, hands in his pockets as he whistled a jaunty tune.

Then, he turned back to smile at her. His gaze was so warm and familiar it sent a sucker punch through Amelia’s gut.

"If you want a respite, my arms are always open for you," Caleb declared. "I’ll let you think about things for now. You know how to contact me."

Before Amelia could haul him back and give him a piece of her mind, he was gone, his familiar back melting into the crowd.

Amelia let out an aggrieved sigh. It was too late to catch up to him. She quickly bent down to pick up the supplies, and a pair of familiar shoes entered her vision.

"Amelia! Are you alright!" Cherry exclaimed, looking over her anxiously. Ronan was hot on her heels, and he peered around with a distrustful expression on his face.

"What did Caleb Walton want with you? He didn’t do anything to you, did he?"

"No, no... we just talked," Amelia said. Her mind was reeling with Caleb’s words. How much of it was truth, and how much of it was an embellishment? "He wanted me to become his mistress."

"The nerve! What a bastard!" Cherry seethed.

"You didn’t agree, right?" Ronan asked, with faint worry in his eyes. Amelia was almost insulted he thought so lowly of her.

"Of course not! What kind of person do you think I am?"

To his credit, Ronan’s expression turned sheepish and vaguely guilty.

"My apologies. But I can’t help but worry. Matteo has... not been acting ideally lately," Ronan said, and Cherry let out the loudest snort Amelia had ever heard.

"You don’t say," she said sarcastically. "That was what the entire bar was talking about. I can’t believe he would go back to Emmeline after everything! He bitched about her to me for so long, only to run back to her the moment she came knocking? No, I don’t buy it. He must be possessed."

Amelia couldn’t help but smile at the mental image evoked by Cherry’s words. It was funny to think of Matteo complaining about Emmeline, but then her smile faded.

At least Matteo remembered Emmeline’s existence, while she seemed to have faded from his memory. Then again, she should not have been surprised. They’ve only known each other for two weeks.

How could she compete with Emmeline, when she had known him for all his life? For all of Matteo’s complaints, he was still pretty tolerant of Emmeline’s attitude and actions. Didn’t that prove that she was important to him? After all, actions spoke louder than words.

Amelia’s heart sank and her face fell. Cherry and Ronan exchanged a wordless glance.

"Do you want to come back inside the bar for a drink?" Cherry offered. "It’s on the house."

Amelia thought of meeting yet another handsy drunk and shook her head. "No thanks."

"Let’s go and eat some dinner then," Ronan suggested. "Matteo―"

Cherry gave him a warning glance, and Ronan hastily changed track.

"No matter what happens, you still need to eat," Ronan said instead. "And before you plan to spend an evening in the hospital by yourself, I have to warn you that hospital food tastes like overpriced crap."

"What do you have in mind then?" Amelia asked, wondering how he guessed her plans so accurately. With Emmeline spending time in Matteo’s house, she had no other place to go.

"Leave it all to me," Ronan declared. "You won’t regret this!"