Chapter 38 Got Punished Again
"It's not like that, we weren't embracing," Lillian insisted, her lips firmly pressed together. "You saw it wrong."
"I saw it wrong?" Alexander said angrily, "Are you saying I'm blind? Lillian, let me tell you, don't think you can fool me!"
"If you don't believe me, then let it be. I haven't done anything to dishonor the Sinclair family!" Lillian said stubbornly, her neck rigid, refusing to argue further.
Alexander stood up, his hands in his pockets. He stared at her with a mix of sarcasm and mockery. "So you want to protect Leo, huh? Well, let's see how capable you are of protecting him."
"What do you want to do?" Lillian asked nervously, "He doesn't know anything, and we haven't done anything to wrong you, why are you being so aggressive?"
Alexander frowned and scoffed, "He already knows about our marriage, and you say he doesn't know anything. You must really hate me now, don't you? I’ve come between you two, and now you’re thinking about how to get back at me, right?"
Lillian looked at him in disbelief. These past couple of days, thanks to Lucas, he had dialed back some of his harshness, and she was feeling less intimidated and annoyed by him. She had thought their relationship was on the mend, but it seemed they were back to square one. The man who constantly embarrassed her was back, and her feelings for him had reverted to how they were before.
"Go wash all the cars in the garage. And clean up the garage!" Alexander glared at her before heading upstairs.
Unable to contain her feelings of injustice and anger, Lillian shouted, "I haven't done anything wrong, why are you punishing me?"
"This is my house, you do what I tell you!" he shot back.
"I won't!"
"Are you sure?"
His voice was deep and serious, laden with threats and warnings. This sent a chill down Lillian's spine.
She knew she couldn't defy his command. If she could stand up to him, why would she even be here? Despite the resentment burning within her, she bowed to the reality of the situation.
Lillian went back to her room, changed her clothes, and dejectedly went to find Kelly for the garage door opener.
"Lillian, what did you do to make Mr. Sinclair angry again? Did you argue with him?" Asked Kelly as she came out of the room after Quentin went to sleep.
Tears streamed down Lillian's face as she replied, "I didn't do anything wrong, why is he punishing me?"
Kelly wiped her tears and consoled her, "Don't cry, there are only three cars in the garage right now, I'll help you wash them."
Lillian sniffled and said, "Kelly, I can handle it on my own, it's okay. If he finds out, he'll scold you."
"It's so cold outside, I hate the thought of you being alone in the garage washing cars. Last time I didn't help you shovel the snow because my leg was hurting. I've felt bad about it ever since. This time, I can't let you wash the cars by yourself. I don't care if Mr. Sinclair scolds me!" Kelly said, heading back to her room to change into suitable clothes.
Lillian was touched but didn't want Kelly to get into trouble on her account. However, Kelly was insistent, and led the way to the garage.
Inside, three cars were parked side by side. Lillian glanced at the car brands and her eyes widened in surprise.
Kelly brought over the car washing supplies, smiling as she said, "I don't think Mr. Sinclair really wanted to punish you. He has his car washed every day and Quentin wipes it down too. Quentin has been sick these past few days, so the garage has gotten a little messy. The workload isn't much, and I believe we can finish in an hour."
Lillian thought to herself, 'Yeah, in a wealthy family like this, everything is taken care of by someone. There really isn't much to tidy up in the garage. Maybe he was just really angry earlier and said some things impulsively.'
The two of them chatted idly as they worked.
"Kelly, tomorrow is New Year's Day. Does Alexander usually stay home for the New Year's celebration?"
Kelly chuckled, "Of course, we're heading back to the Sinclair old mansion for the New Year. You should go with him."
Lillian had realized this, but Kelly's words still unsettled her. She expressed her concern, "Kelly, I'm a bit scared."
"It's okay, it's just for one day. It'll pass quickly, and it's a way to test yourself."
Trying to be cunning, Lillian asked, "So, are his family members really that difficult to get along with?"
"What do you think?" Kelly deflected, "Hurry up and clean this place up."
When the workday was almost over, Oscar called her. They contacted each other daily, and Oscar would update her on his health. Since winter break was approaching and nobody at the dorm had gone home, he hadn't gone to Harry's place either.
Glancing at her phone, Lillian noticed it was already 11:58 PM and started to worry that something might have happened to Oscar, so she quickly answered the call.
"Oscar, what's up?"
Oscar's laugh came through the phone. "Lillian, don't worry, I'm fine. I just wanted to celebrate with you."
Relieved but annoyed, Lillian responded, "You scared me! Celebrate what? It's more important to get some rest."
"Don't be a buzzkill, Lillian!" Oscar's voice came earnestly, "Thank you for your care and love throughout the year. In the new year, I hope you take good care of yourself!"
"10, 9, 8..." Oscar continued.
Lillian was so moved by Oscar's words that she was close to tears. She covered her mouth, nodding, not wanting him to hear her cry. With a choked voice, she said, "You’re so annoying, why say all that?"
"Just speaking my heart," Oscar admitted, slightly embarrassed.
Wiping away her tears and calming down, Lillian told him, "Okay, the New Year's countdown is over, go to sleep now. Your health is what matters most."
"I know," Oscar acknowledged, then added, "Lillian, are you going to Harry’s place tomorrow?"
"I'm not sure yet."
After hanging up, Lillian looked at Kelly awkwardly. "Oscar wanted to ring in the New Year with me and said some touching things. It really moved me."
"That's wonderful that someone cares about you," Kelly remarked. "Oscar's going on break soon, right?"
Lillian leaned against the car door and sighed, "Yeah, he is. I haven't told him about my situation yet. I can’t keep hiding it from him."
"Just be honest with him," Kelly suggested. "Mr. Sinclair isn't a mean-spirited man. What's the harm in having one more person stay at the house?"
"Really? He's always giving me a hard time. If Oscar comes, I don't want him to be uncomfortable."
"Mr. Sinclair is actually kind-hearted, though his temper can be annoying at times," Kelly joked.
Lillian rolled her eyes and said, "I've never met a man with such a venomous tongue."
Kelly chuckled and remarked, "Alright, we're all set. Let's get going."
As they walked back, Kelly seriously advised her, "Mr. Sinclair is rather aloof, so you should try to be a bit more gentle. Don't oppose him. Maybe try to win him over? If he gets angry, you could try to cheer him up or soothe him, and he might not be mad anymore."
"Forget it. I already dislike him a lot, and now I should cozy up to him? That would just be masochistic, wouldn't it?"
"Compromises are necessary for a marriage to last," Kelly earnestly cautioned.
