Chapter 4

I turned and headed upstairs, unable to stomach the way Jameson, who was so icy and condescending, now practically groveled in front of this woman. The woman asked gently, "Ms. Lambert, are you feeling much better now?" I turned back reluctantly. "Much better." Jameson cut off her concern. "She's fine, just a bump." I let out a mocking laugh. "Jameson, you never visited me in the hospital. How would you know?" Jameson's face darkened. "Wynonna, stop making a scene." "A scene?" I chuckled. "I'm stating facts, so how is that making a scene? Does every word I say count as drama to you?" My disgust peaked at that moment. I was certain that during these seven forgotten years, I must have been repeatedly provoked by Jameson's dismissive accusations. It was only natural for me to feel half-crazed in this emotionally draining situation. Suddenly, the woman looked up at me and bowed slightly. I frowned and asked, "What are you doing?" She lowered her head, her voice soft and apologetic. "Ms. Lambert, I came to apologize. You must've seen my messages with Jameson and misunderstood something." She lifted her head, her eyes red and glistening with tears, looking absolutely pitiful. Just as I was about to make a sarcastic comment, someone burst in and shoved me hard. "Wynonna, you bitch! You're the one who threatened suicide and tried to jump—how is that Xandra's fault? Why are you forcing her to apologize?" The sudden push sent me backward, pain shooting through my waist and heels. "So she's Xandra?" I exclaimed. I studied the legendary Xandra Clark properly for the first time. She moved to help me, but I caught the faintest glimmer of satisfaction in her eyes. I was sure I wasn't imagining it. "Ms. Lambert, I'm so sorry," she kept apologizing. "Where are you hurt? Please don't blame Clement - he's just a kid." When I heard the name, I turned to the young man who had pushed me. Since his features resembled Jameson's, I guessed he was Jameson's younger brother, Clement Brown. Clement glared at me furiously, his eyes staring dagger at me as if he wanted to tear me apart to make amends to his precious Xandra. I gripped the stair railing, struggling to stand. Meanwhile, Clement stood protectively in front of Xandra, ready to fight me if I made any move. Instead, I slowly and silently climbed the stairs. The three below didn't know how to react. Jameson was probably waiting for my hysterics, Xandra for my curses and her chance to explain, while Clement expected me to scream like a madwoman and throw a tantrum. Instead of the storm they anticipated, I went upstairs and slammed the door shut. … I might have forgotten Jameson, but I remembered Clement. He was my cousin Reynold Holts' classmate. In my 18-year-old memories, Clement had affectionately called me "Wynnie" just like my cousin did. Back then, he was just a sickly little boy who had stayed at the Lamberts' upscale rehabilitation center. While visiting Grandma at the center during one summer vacation, I found him alone in the garden. "Hey there, little one, all by yourself?" I remembered greeting him with an armful of snacks. Though Clement had been wary initially, he warmed up after learning I was his classmate's cousin. That summer had passed quickly and happily. I had always thought Clement genuinely saw me as a big sister, but his hostile behavior said otherwise. His push hadn't been particularly hard, but it hurt deeply. The lonely, frail boy had physically pushed away the Wynnie who had once cared for him so much. I noticed something odd on my face and touched it—tears were streaming down. I slowly wiped them away, cursing inwardly. While Jameson hadn't made me cry, this bratty kid had. I couldn't stay another day in this place with them. Calmly drying my tears, I began packing my things. … Downstairs in the sitting room, out of Wynonna's sight, Xandra murmured with guilt, "Jameson, did I come at a bad time? Ms. Lambert seemed really upset. Maybe you should go comfort her?" Jameson's voice dripped with annoyance as he replied, "Ignore her; she's always like this. She'll get over it soon." Clement, who had been quiet, suddenly chimed in, "Xandra, you shouldn't come here alone anymore. Wynonna…" He had meant to say, "that crazy woman might hurt you," but something stopped him—the memory of Wynonna's devastated, disappointed eyes as she went upstairs. Clement shook his head, trying to rid himself of this unsettling feeling. He was puzzled as to why Wynonna seemed so different. Besides, he had only pushed her to protect Xandra from potential outbursts. He hadn't meant to hurt Wynonna, and he couldn't understand why Wynonna looked at him that way. Nonetheless, he was sure that he didn't do anything wrong. Having convinced himself, Clement said, "Jameson, you should take Xandra back. I'll stay here and watch that crazy woman." Xandra responded with apparent remorse, "Clement, I'm so sorry you have to deal with her abuse at such a young age. Please apologize to Ms. Lambert for me when you can. We shouldn't let these misunderstandings grow." Clement was touched by her concern. "Xandra, you've done nothing wrong. That crazy woman is just trying to frame you. You need to protect yourself! Don't worry, Jameson and I will protect you too." A satisfied look flickered in Xandra's eyes as she gently patted his head. "Alright, I should go." She turned to the silent Jameson, saying softly, "Jameson, don't bother driving me. I can get back to the hotel myself. It's a bit out of the way, but I'll manage." She glanced upstairs worriedly and added, "Jameson, you should try to make peace with Ms. Lambert. If she hadn't moved the Lambert Group's funds to help you, your company wouldn't have survived that crisis so easily. It's natural for her to be a bit demanding now. Just be patient." Jameson frowned immediately. "Brown Corporation's recovery wasn't just because of her. Without me and my employees working through the crisis, no amount of money would have helped." He paused, his disgust deepening as he continued, "Don't bring this up again. If Wynonna thinks she can use this to make me feel indebted to her forever, she's dreaming!" Then, he grabbed his car keys and put his arm around Xandra. "Come on, it's not safe for a woman to walk alone at night. I'll drive you." Clement nodded. "Yeah, Xandra, it's getting late. You should head back."