Chapter 87
"Grandma, you saw it, right? I didn't bully Sophia. It was Sophia..." She covered her face, crying her heart out.
I stood there, coldly watching her performance.
Indigo didn't blindly accuse me. She came over, sat on the sofa, and asked me, "Sophia, tell me, why did you hit her?"
I said calmly, "Grandma, she accused me of having affairs with other men."
Indigo's face darkened. "Amelia, did you say that?"
There was no way Amelia would admit it. She knelt there stiffly. "Grandma, you know me. I've always treated Sophia like a sister. How could I possibly say something like that to her?"
I sneered, "Amelia, should we call the servants and ask them if you said those things or not?"
Amelia bit her lip. "Sophia, they have work to do. Why would you want to bother them?"
I called her out directly. "You're guilty?"
"Grandma, I'm not. I just don't want to affect other innocent people because of our issues."
I said again, "You're just guilty."
Amelia looked at Indigo with teary eyes. "Grandma, I really didn't. You have to believe me."
Indigo snorted coldly. "Do you think I'm old and blind?"
"I know exactly what kind of person you are. You don't need to put on an act in front of me anymore. It's exhausting just watching you."
Amelia bit her lip hard.
After a long moment, she laughed loudly. "You want to frame me while James isn't home. Well, I won't let you succeed."
Indigo's eyelids drooped slightly, her gaze cold. "Amelia, who's trying to frame whom? You know it in your heart, and I know it in mine."
With James not home, Amelia stopped pretending in front of Indigo.
She stood up, unusually arrogant. "If you dare touch me, James will definitely get revenge for me."
Indigo slapped the glass table in front of her. "I'm his grandmother. What do you think he'll do to me?"
"Grandma, why don't we give it a try?"
Amelia then slapped herself several times, tore her own clothes, and messed up her hair.
She knelt on the ground again and kowtowed repeatedly until her forehead bled.
Blood flowed down her face. She smiled slightly, and with her face covered in blood, she looked especially terrifying.
Indigo was frightened by her, pointing at Amelia with trembling hands. "You, what are you doing?"
"What are you all doing?"
Amelia immediately started crying. "James, please help me take care of Isabella and raise her. I'm going to find her father."
With that, she stood up and ran outside. James didn't even have time to grab her.
Without hesitation, she jumped into the lotus pond in the backyard.
James didn't hesitate for a second. He chased after her and jumped in to pull her out.
Indigo and I followed outside.
When Indigo saw this, she couldn't catch her breath and nearly fainted.
I quickly helped support Indigo and took her back to lie down and rest on the bed.
James carried Amelia back to her room. He called several doctors and specialists.
Amelia only had superficial injuries. After bandaging and applying medicine on time, she'd be fine after resting for two days.
James asked in a suppressed voice, "What exactly happened at home just now? Why would you push her to want to die?"
I said coldly, "Who knows why she suddenly wants to die over nothing? Instead of asking her, you come ask me. Her brain is broken, and yours too?"
"Sophia, even if she did something wrong, you can't push her to death."
"James, if you're convinced that I'm trying to drive her to her death, then I have nothing more to say."I stopped explaining and agreed, "That's right, I’m the one who's trying to push her to her death. Go ahead, call the police and let them come for me."
When Amelia heard "police," her eyelids twitched, then she pretended to suddenly wake up.
She coughed softly a few times softly, propped herself up to sit, her face still showing clear finger marks, her eyes red and swollen, tears hanging from her lashes, her body trembling slightly.
"James..."
"I heard everything you just said. It's my fault. Please don't blame Sophia. It's my mistake. I shouldn't have argued with Sophia or made Grandma angry."
"I shouldn't have been so desperate to die. Don't call the police over such a small matter."
James walked closer to her. "You're very weak right now. Don't cry anymore. Too much crying will hurt your body."
She threw her arms around James's waist, buried her head in his chest, her shoulders shaking, looking utterly wronged.
James's gaze fell on Amelia's somewhat swollen face, then slowly turned to me. His eyes showed no emotion, but the pressure around him dropped.
His voice was flat, showing no joy or anger. "I'll give you an explanation for this."
Then his gaze looked straight at me. "Sophia, if you did something wrong, you need to apologize."
I met his gaze without flinching. "She spoke rudely first, subtly calling me improper, saying I cheated. She also raised her hand to hit me first. I just defended myself and taught her a little lesson."
"Who knew she couldn't handle it and slapped herself several times, then jumped into the pond."
"I didn't..." Amelia immediately lifted her head, looking at James with teary eyes. "James, I was just concerned about her. I didn't scold her. She misunderstood me and hit me..."
"If you don't believe me, ask the servants at home, or you can ask Grandma. Although Grandma favors me, she's reasonable."
"You're her grandson. You should know Grandma well."
"James, I didn't..." Amelia looked up, shaking her head.
"Enough," James shouted impatiently. "Bring all the servants here."
All the servants were called over, and those who witnessed it recounted everything.
Earlier, when Amelia wanted to ruin my reputation, she deliberately spoke loudly and chose a time when people were around. Now it was convenient for "gathering evidence."
After hearing everything, James understood it all.
He pushed Amelia out of his arms, his gaze falling on her. His eyes no longer held any pity, only strong warning and distance.
"Amelia, I warned you to behave yourself, stay away from Sophia, and stop stirring up trouble and trying to drive a wedge between Sophia and me."
The color drained from Amelia's face bit by bit. Her lips trembled, tears flowing even harder, but she couldn't say a word.
She wanted to play the victim to gain James's sympathy, to make James take her side, but James didn't give her a chance to speak.
"From now on, don't cause trouble for Sophia, and don't say another word trying to damage my relationship with her." James's dark eyes fell on her. "Otherwise, don't blame me for not remembering our old friendship."
James's words were like a sharp knife, stabbing hard into Amelia's heart.
She froze in place. The vulnerability and grievance in her eyes disappeared, leaving only intense hatred and despair, yet she didn't dare act out and could only let tears fall.
I stood to the side, watching this scene, feeling nothing in my heart.
James's defense of me—I only found it laughable.
This time it was because there were witnesses. Otherwise, would he still defend me like this and scold Amelia?