Chapter 36 Chapter 36: If Only He Didn't Love Her
That night, Selena sat in the living room, waiting until 3 a.m. before she finally saw Balthazar stumble home in a drunken state.
She hurried over to help him inside. After wiping him down and changing his clothes, she finally let out a sigh of relief and sat down beside him.
Looking at the man with his eyes tightly shut, she couldn’t tell if he was asleep or purposely avoiding her. If he didn’t want to see her, he could have simply not come home—after all, this wasn’t his only house.
Selena reached out to gently pinch Balthazar’s handsome face. His skin was really nice. How did it compare to Rabanut’s? It was laughable that in her ten years as a sugar baby, she had never once dared to look him in the face. Then again, gods weren’t like humans. Maybe he only had one eye or two mouths?
“Sigh, if only you didn’t love her."
Selena muttered. If the person Balthazar loved wasn’t Amelia, she wouldn’t have to deceive his feelings. Even though it was just a fleeting attraction, she still felt guilty.
What Selena didn’t know was that Balthazar wasn’t as drunk as she thought. He didn’t know how to face her, and now hearing her lament, his heart ached slightly.
Was she upset because she knew he still loved his ex?
In her voice, he heard something like regret, as if she was ready to give up.
At that moment, Selena continued:
“I really don’t understand what men like you see in her. Is she beautiful? Well, I’m beautiful too, aren’t I? Not only that, but I know how to take care of others, and I’m loyal. When I love someone, I’ll be devoted to them, whether they succeed or fail. As long as he doesn’t abandon me, I’ll follow him to the ends of the earth."
Selena couldn’t help but vent her frustrations. That woman, Amelia, was a poisonous snake, first breaking up someone’s marriage, and now clinging to her past lovers. Selena guessed that Amelia didn’t truly love either William or Balthazar; what she wanted was the power of the Sterling family and a backup plan.
Balthazar could only sigh inwardly after hearing her rambling. These were things she would never dare to say unless she thought he was too drunk to notice. Truthfully, she wasn’t wrong. During his time with Amelia, she had never once cooked him a bowl of soup or helped him with his tie. And when she had the chance to become Madam Sterling, she discarded him without a second thought, like trash.
But the heart’s emotions couldn’t be controlled. He still loved the person who had hurt him unconditionally, and now it seemed he was hurting the woman who actually cared for him.
“Earlier, I couldn’t hold back my emotions and said things you probably didn’t want to hear. But at least it shattered the illusions I shouldn’t have had. It’s for the best. From now on, I’ll be the obedient sugar baby you expect me to be. Once our contract ends, we’ll have nothing to do with each other anymore."
With that, Selena withdrew her hand, stood up, and went back to her room. As soon as she left, Balthazar opened his eyes, filled with reluctance.
“So, what she said in the car was just out of uncontrollable jealousy. And here I thought she was mocking me."
Balthazar covered his face with his hands, his mind in turmoil. What should he do now?
…
At the Sterling family home.
As soon as Laura returned, she immediately took out her anger on the household staff. Amelia quickly tried to calm her down:
“Mother, don’t let that kind of person affect your health."
Laura gritted her teeth and said:
“Sooner or later, I’ll have William bring down that trash of a company."
Amelia quickly agreed, but her mind was already hatching a new plan. Initially, she had wanted William to take down Winning Edge Enterprises. However, if she could seize Balthazar’s empire and control him, making him hers alone, wouldn’t that be even better?
Then, she wouldn’t have to rely on the Sterling family anymore.
“Amelia! Amelia! Are you even listening to me?"
Lost in her daydream of a future where she was admired by everyone, Amelia hadn’t heard Laura speaking to her. It wasn’t until her mother-in-law gave her a sharp slap on the shoulder, sending a burning pain through her skin, that she snapped back to reality.
“I’m sorry, Mother… I was just thinking about my father’s illness, and I got distracted."
Laura gave her a sidelong glance and said:
“You’re always worrying about useless things. Why don’t you think about getting pregnant? It’s been nearly a year since the wedding, and there’s still no sign. If you can’t have children, let someone else bear them. Don’t delay the Sterling family’s bloodline."
With that, she shot Amelia a glare and headed upstairs, completely ignoring her daughter-in-law’s pale face.
Amelia watched her mother-in-law’s retreating figure, seething with resentment. Was she nothing more than a tool for bearing children in the eyes of the Sterling family? Had all her contributions over the past year amounted to nothing?
She placed her hand on her stomach and took a deep breath. Having a child with Balthazar was only a backup plan. The best option was still for this child to be William’s.
Ring, ring...
Suddenly, her phone rang. Amelia answered.
“What is it?"
“Vice Director, streamer Karen from the Kola platform says she wants to meet with you to show you a secret about Amaryllis."
Amelia frowned. Just days ago, she had personally invited Amaryllis to join BrightVerse Entertainment, but the streamer had outright refused. Already angry, Amelia snapped:
“Tell her to get lost. BrightVerse Entertainment doesn’t need Kola’s leftovers!"
The person on the other end replied:
“I’ve already asked her to leave, but she sent me a recording of Amaryllis secretly getting involved with a rich man. I thought this could deal a heavy blow to Kola. Shall I send it to you?"
Moments later, Amelia’s phone beeped with a message. She opened it, her eyes widening in shock.
“Isn’t that Balthazar’s license plate?"