Chapter 451 Compensation
In this showdown between good and evil, it was pretty clear that justice had the upper hand. Honestly, I think a big part of that was thanks to Amelia's police uniform.
Looking at it this way, the Price family wasn't as bold as they pretended to be. When faced with the law, they were careful not to act recklessly.
Maybe it was Amelia's icy demeanor, or maybe it was the police uniform that intimidated the Price family, but gradually their voices died down. They exchanged glances, still fuming, but unwilling to say another word.
"Are you all done?" Amelia stepped forward, her eyes sweeping over everyone with a contemptuous smile. "You all say that I caused Ryan to be lying here. I want to ask you, what evidence do you have? If you have no evidence, you are slandering me and will be held legally responsible."
The person who had been shouting the loudest immediately took a step back upon hearing about legal responsibility, hiding behind others and not daring to say anything more.
Sensing the situation turning against them, Delphine stepped forward at the right moment. She stood in front of everyone and said harshly, "Amelia, it was indeed wrong for Ryan to miss the discussion about the wedding. Yet we have apologized to you, and Ryan knows he was wrong. He has asked for your forgiveness several times. Isn't that enough? You've been there for Ryan for so many years, and it's not like he hasn't come across better girls. He just didn't want to hurt your feelings."
She continued, "Now he made a small mistake, and you can't throw away the engagement over something minor, especially when Ryan has always been sincere with you. Today's incident happened because of you. We won't hold you liable for the injury, but the costs for Ryan's treatment, hospitalization, and recovery will add up to quite a bit. You'll need to cover those expenses, and after that, you and Ryan will be square. He won't come looking for you again."
Delphine's audacity amused me.
What did Delphine mean? Was she implying that Amelia had prevented Ryan from finding other women, forcing him to settle for her? Ryan's family was so shameless.
I wondered what Ryan, lying there unconscious, would think if he knew his mother said such shameless things. How would he maintain his dignity?
If I were Ryan, I would want to die of shame. Clearly, he did all the disgusting things himself, so how could he have the nerve to blame the victim?
Thinking of this, I remarked, "You can't say that, old woman. Ryan knows he was wrong, and his apology is out of politeness and decency. Whether Amelia forgives him is up to her. He betrayed Amelia in front of both families by being with another woman. Should this engagement still exist to disgust Amelia? She had been following Ryan for several years out of love. Did Amelia truly hold him back? If he didn't want to be with her, what could she have done?"
I added, "If she had known earlier that Ryan was such a jerk and that he had such a jerk family, she would have rather remained single for life than be entangled with him for so many years. She wasted her time. Ryan betrayed Amelia's feelings, and it's already generous of us not to ask him to compensate for her lost youth. How dare you demand that Amelia pay for his medical expenses? You must be dreaming! Let me make this clear: there's no way you're getting any money. If you're not happy with that, take it to court."Hearing my words, Amelia grabbed my hand to stop me from talking. I got it—she didn't want me getting mixed up in her mess with the Price family.
But so what? It was their fault, and someone had to call them out. Otherwise, they'd think Amelia was an easy target. Good friends are supposed to have each other's backs, especially in times like this. We needed to make our stance clear.
After I spoke, I noticed Finnley and Delphine's faces change dramatically.
Delphine, in particular, was red with anger. She looked like she was about to say something, but then Ryan, who had just woken up, weakly cut in.
Ryan's voice was especially hoarse, like the rough sound of two stones grinding together—pretty unpleasant to hear.
He spoke softly, "I don't want compensation."
Delphine snapped, "You were hurt so badly by her. How can you not want compensation? If it weren't for her, would you be lying here suffering?"
Ryan replied, "Mom, I did it willingly. She didn't hurt me." He then turned to Amelia and said, "Amelia, I made mistakes in the past. Go home for now; I'll come to find you when I'm better."
Ryan struggled to lift his upper body, but his weakened state from blood loss made it tough for him to move. He could only manage to raise his bandaged head slightly, and his eyes—usually indifferent—now brimmed with deep emotion.
Seeing this, I wanted to slap him back into unconsciousness.
Disgusting.
For so many years, he had always looked at Amelia with indifference. Why did he suddenly become so affectionate now?
Amelia, like me, was startled by his display of affection. She hugged her arms, shaking her head as if trying to shake something off. "Ryan, I don't owe you anything. You owe me, but I don't want anything from you anymore. I took you to the hospital out of compassion, not because of any feelings. From now on, let's go our separate ways and never cross paths again." After saying that, Amelia turned and left, ignoring Ryan's calls behind her.
In the car, Amelia covered her eyes and cried.
It was the first time I saw her cry for Ryan, but I think it would also be the last.
No one spoke, letting her release all the pain and grievances she had been holding inside. It would be a relief for her afterward.
Back home, Mia and I stayed by Amelia's side, and Yancy made a few light dishes and ordered some beer.
Since I boarded the plane, there had been no news from Brad. I didn't know if he was busy with work or if something had happened. Thinking of this, I was in a bad mood and very worried.
Yet I had to pull myself together to comfort Amelia.
Love was supposed to be sweet, but why was it so tormenting?
Yancy left after preparing dinner, giving Mia a chance to stay behind while the three of us friends could chat freely.
That night, the three of us drank all the beer. Amelia silently shed tears, and Mia, probably thinking of her unborn baby, cried sadly while holding Amelia.
I, calmly drinking one glass after another, became more clear-headed, tears streaming down my face.
By midnight, Amelia and Mia had calmed down, and they started asking about Brad and me.
I shared everything that had happened in Silverbrook City, and Amelia's face turned pale with anger. Mia asked me to send her all the evidence I had of Jenny interfering in my relationship with Brad. She wanted to post it in the alumni group to teach Jenny a lesson.
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