Chapter 8 The Witty Young Child

• Oh my gosh. Look at her. Fake as plastic. Turning around, Amanda wanted to find her son because they were now in a treacherous situation. It would be catastrophic if Elias found out about Aiden.
• However, Grace suddenly stopped her. "Amanda, would you mind joining us for dinner?"
• "Haven't you eaten already?" Elias frowned.
• She smiled sweetly. "But you haven't. You never eat on time, and that will cause stomach problems. Since Amanda is here, why don't we have a meal together? Even though you're divorced, you can still be friends."
• Wow… The best of the best among fake b*tches. She's as bold as brass, Amanda complained inside. Then, she rejected her without hesitation. "I'm sorry, but no. I don't want to have dinner with you guys."
• "Amanda, don't tell me you're still holding onto the old story? You should know that relationships can't be forced. What's the point of forcing a man who doesn't love you to be with you?" Grace reasoned.
• At that point, Amanda was beyond speechless. She suppressed her anger and smiled. "Miss Murphy, what makes you think I'm not over it?" Then, she spotted Aiden's small figure!
• Seeing his mommy from afar, the kid happily ran toward her and parted his lips, ready to shout the forbidden M-word.
• With disaster dawning upon her, the frantic lady immediately hinted at Aiden with her eyes, warning him not to say it. No, no, no, no, no!
• "Mo—" He had only yelled half the word when he received his mother's signal, so he improvised. "Motherf*cker!" After that, he turned around and hid somewhere Elias could not see.
• That cute-sounding curse attracted everyone's attention, but Elias merely heard it without seeing the owner of that adorable 'motherf*cker'. Whose ill-mannered brat was that? How ridiculous.
• Amanda immediately stood before the man, stopping him from searching for Aiden at all costs. "Alright. I'll have dinner with you!" she suddenly announced.
• A surprised Grace stopped looking for the kid and asked, "For real? Since Amanda agreed to eat with us, will you agree too?"
• "Sure," Elias replied half-heartedly. He did not have much appetite, but he thought it would be nice to steal a few more glances at his ex-wife.
• …
• The atmosphere inside the private room was awkward. Amanda occasionally looked at the time on her phone, wondering if Helean had brought the 'ticking time bomb' away. She picked up her phone and texted Helean, telling him to send Aiden home and that she would be back soon.
• When Elias noticed her uneasiness, he asked, "Whom are you texting?" Has this woman stooped so low that she's seducing those old men? He had noticed her strange tone when talking on the phone earlier, and it sounded like she was doing something unseemly in secret.
• "No one. Why hasn't the food arrived? Let's get this over with and go home." She put away her device.
• In the meantime, Grace smiled as she poured Elias a cup of tea, suggesting, "I think Amanda might be seeing someone and is texting him."
• His brows furrowed in displeasure as he retorted, "And how do you know that?"
• "It's because I'm a woman, and a woman's sixth sense is always right. Am I spot on, Amanda?"
• That's such a fake smile… Amanda was too lazy to argue, so she went with it. "Yes, you're right. I'm texting my boyfriend."
• "Don't tell me it's the old man from the banquet. I warned you to leave those old men alone!" Elias ordered.
• That made Grace, sitting by the side, subconsciously grip the hem of her dress. She reasoned gently, "Elias, don't be so mean. Amanda can like any man she wants, and she's your ex-wife, so it's not your place to order her around."
• Without saying anything, he felt a rage of fire burning inside him, and he downed his cup of water in a huff.
• "I need to head to the bathroom. Excuse me." Suddenly, Grace rose to her feet with a courteous smile before leaving the room.
• In actuality, she wanted to know the unfiltered situation between Elias and Amanda, so she left her recording phone in the room, knowing that those two would not let on anything in her presence. Hence, she excused herself to let them talk it out.
• As expected, Amanda looked at the man before her once the door was closed. "How long have you known her?"
• Pouring himself another cup of water, Elias took a sip before answering, "Many years."
• Her bright eyes had a trace of surprise. Many years… How many years is that? Did they know each other since they were young? Did they grow up together? If that was the case, does it mean he didn't cheat on me because they'd been together for years?
• While she was lost in thought, her eyes dimmed, feeling a sense of bitterness. "Since you love her so much, why did you agree to marry me and not her?"
• "Grandpa forced me to." That answer was straightforward but hurtful. His tone was filled with resignation and void of any emotion.
• When Amanda recalled how Elias pushed her to agree to the divorce, she felt endless hatred filling her heart. He had kept Grace so well protected and pampered her like a princess that she did not have to take part in all that fiasco.
• She suddenly taunted, "Do you think she would cry if I tell her you brought me home to Grandpa?"
• "Don't you dare make her cry!" He slammed his cup onto the table, making a loud bang. God, no. Her cries are annoying. Who knows how long she's gonna whine about it if she finds out? No, I'm not dealing with that.
• Yet, in Amanda's eyes, his strong reaction froze her heart. He's so protective over that woman, so kind and gentle. With me, though, he was always angry, oppressive, and cold. Perhaps, this is the difference between love and tolerating.
• At first, she thought she would have forgotten about these feelings after four years, but the pain caught her by surprise. Drawing a deep breath, she rose and reprimanded, "Please don't ever appear before me again. Seeing the two of you makes me want to puke!" With that, she took her bag and left the room.
• Bang!
• The door was closed again, leaving Elias alone in utter silence.
• Finally, Grace returned. When she noticed Amanda's absence, she asked, "Elias, where's Amanda? Where did she go?"
• "Something came up, so she left. Let's go, too." The man stood up and exited the room.
• "Aren't you going to eat?"
• "No."
• Grace grabbed her bag and glanced at her phone before turning off the recorder.