He lowered his voice slightly, saying in a freezing tone audible only to the both of them, "Amanda Smith, why are you so cheap? Are you that desperate to get laid? You shamelessly climbed into my bed in the dead of night! Are you that crazed for a man?"
Stung by such humiliating words, Amanda stiffened all over. Before she could come to her senses, Samuel Johnson had left her side and headed straight for the door.
"I have only one thing to say today—if anyone wants me to marry her, it'll be over my dead body!"
Having said that, he slammed the door with a "bang" and left.
"You little bastard!" Mr. Johnson watched Samuel Johnson storm out and slam the door, so agitated that he started coughing, and Mrs. Johnson hurriedly went to rub his back.
"Dad, don't worry. Samuel is just being childish. I'll talk to him when he comes back!"
"Grandpa," Amanda walked over to Mr. Johnson's side, sitting next to him, "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine!" Mr. Johnson's face brightened up when he saw Amanda. He took her hand and patted it, "Amanda, don't be scared! Grandpa's here to support you! If that little bastard dares to eat his words, I'll show him what for!"
Amanda slightly lowered her head, concealing some secret emotions in her eyes, before she leaned her head on Mr. Johnson's shoulder and softly replied, "Mm!"
*******************************
After leaving the Johnson family home, Samuel Johnson didn't return for over a week.
Amanda waited for a few days, but once she got busy with work, she put the matter aside.
Her job as a news reporter for a magazine had her swamped recently, with the current month being a season of breaking news, keeping her out early and returning late, exhausted to the bone.
That day, just as Amanda had finished editing an article and sent it to the editor-in-chief's inbox, someone notified her that the editor-in-chief was looking for her.
Amanda rubbed her temples, tiredly standing up. Seeing her pallid complexion, her assistant Xiao Yue came over and persuaded her, "That skinflint is probably going to send you out on another reporting assignment! Amanda, don't push yourself too hard, take some rest when it's appropriate."
Amanda smiled, "I know."
She might be considered pretty at most, but her smile brought a different charm, as if her ordinary features suddenly came to life, revealing a stunning presence.
"What's wrong?" Seeing Xiao Yue staring at her in a daze, Amanda asked curiously, tilting her head.
Xiao Yue quickly looked away, chastising herself inwardly. How could she entertain thoughts about someone of the same sex? Amitabha, her orientation was completely normal!
"Amanda..." she stammered, "you really should smile more often."
"Ah?" Amanda was taken aback.
"No, that's not right, maybe you shouldn't smile after all... Forget it, forget it," Xiao Yue muddled herself as well, hurriedly pushing Amanda out the door, "Hurry up and go see that skinflint. If you're late, she'll fly into a rage again!"
The nickname "skinflint" wasn't just because her surname was Zhou.
According to Xiao Yue, the editor-in-chief Zhu was like the egregious Zhou Baopi reborn from the legends, and they, the staff, were just like the miserable Yang Bailao. That tyrant not only exploited her employees but would dock their bonuses for being late—a miser hated by both gods and humans!
As soon as Amanda entered the editor-in-chief's office, "skinflint" Zhu, wearing black-framed glasses and dressed in professional attire, beckoned her over with a crook of her finger.
"Come here."
Amanda obediently walked over.