Chapter 8%
It was dark when Damien hugged Amelia from behind, his warm breath brushing against her ear.”
“Baby, I’ll accompany you home to see your parents in a few days, okay?”
Amelia stiffened at his words, confusion clouding her expression and asked, “Why do you want to go home suddenly?”
Damien’s fingers gently traced the curve of her shoulder as he answered, “You’ve seemed down lately. I thought maybe going home would lift your spirits.“}
Amelia’s thoughts drifted to the villa area in her hometown, St. Paul, a place filled with memories of her and Damien. Every blade of grass, every tree, held fragments of their shared past.
Lost in these memories, she heard Damien then added, “By the way, I heard your father isn’t feeling well. It’s a good time to go check on him.”
“Dad is sick?” Amelia sat up abruptly.
“Why didn’t I know?”
Damien quickly reassured her.}
“Don’t worry, I overheard the maid mentioning it. It’s nothing serious, just a small thing.”
He pulled her back into his arms and asked her gently, “So, will you go back and visit him?”
Amelia was still unsettled, but Damien’s surprising tenderness that night made her hesitate to overthink it. She nodded. Although she wasn’t sure about Damien’s sudden kindness, it was strange. Tonight, he was just… holding her, nothing more.
Amelia clutched the corner of the blanket, reminding herself not to jump to conclusions. She had once heard that when a man suddenly seems distant, it means he had found something … or someone else.}
The next morning, for the first time in a long while, it was just the two of them traveling together.”
As the car drove through the familiar villa area, Damien pointed out a sycamore tree along the side of the road, smiling.
“Remember this? You used to love picking up fallen leaves here to use as bookmarks.”
Amelia’s eyes followed the direction he indicated, her nerves slowly loosening.”
Damien continued, “And you always followed me home after school. One time, I checked to see if you were really following me and you got lost. You cried so hard, I felt bad.”}
Amelia’s gaze wandered with his words and memories of their childhood came flooding back. It was strange how easily they all came to mind, how vivid the images were despite the years that had passed.}
…
Damien smiled nostalgically, but then his voice faltered, as if he’d just remembered something. “And the fountain When Victoria came for the first time, she insisted on eating skewers, despite the unhealthy food. She wore a white dress, a bow tie and… acted like a spoiled child.“0
Amelia’s heart clenched at the mention of Victoria.
Damien had effortlessly tied every memory to her, while the same moments, once shared between him and Amelia, were now forgotten or overshadowed by Victoria’s presence. It felt like every corner of their history had been claimed by her. Amelia felt like a joke.
It was said that a man who had a childhood sweetheart could never forget her, but here she was, Amelia, the childhood companion, cast aside.
As soon as the car stopped, the sharp ringtone of Damien’s phone shattered the quiet.
“What? Victoria had a car accident?” Damien’s face turned pale.}
‘I’ll be there soon!”
He didn’t even bother entering the Heartford Family’s gate. He was already in motion.
“Baby, I’ll make it up to you next time,” he called over his shoulder, rushing off.
Amelia glanced at the calendar on her phone. Today was the day Victoria’s divorce was official.
“There won’t be a next time, Damien,” she whispered to herself, gathering the supplements and walking towards the villa alone.}]
Her parents had been waiting by the door.
After the usual greetings, her mother hesitated.
‘Did Damien go to park the car?“}
“He went to find his sister,” Amelia answered, her voice calm despite the chaos she felt inside.
Her mother’s brow furrowed.}
“That girl is already … ?”
“Yes, she’s no longer a member of the Charleston Family,” Amelia said simply, telling her the truth about the marriage agreement.
The mention of Victoria caused her father to explode with anger. He fainted on the spot.
Amelia’s heart raced as she dialed Damien’s number. Her husband couldn’t have gone far and getting him to the hospital would be faster than waiting for an ambulance.
Beep
beep…! The phone rang, but no one answered. Frustration boiled in her chest. Ameia then helped her father up and drove him to the hospital herself. Thankfully, her father was fine.
While waiting for the test results, Amelia scrolled through her phone and stumbled across a new post from Victoria.
in the video, Damien was carefully disinfecting a small scratch on her knee. The caption read something that hurt her even more.
4:02 PM
the hospital herself. Thankfully, her father was fine.%
While waiting for the test results, Amelia scrolled through her phone and stumbled across a new post from Victoria.
B
In the video, Damien was carefully disinfecting a small scratch on her knee. The caption read something that hurt her even more.% [Thank you, brother, for coming so quickly. Thankfully, it’s just a scratch from the electric car]
Amelia stared at the insignificant injury and, to her own surprise, laughed out loud.
But as the laughter died in her throat, tears began to fall.
Finally, Amelia understood. Damien had made it clear that Victoria’s problems were always urgent, while anything involving Amelia could wait.
Damien, if he knew she came home to tell her parents about their separation, would he regret it? Would he even care? But she no longer expected an answer.
Just then, her phone rang. It was Julian. Their relationship had grown stronger since her divorce./
Amelia answered and Julian’s voice was lighter than before as he spoke, “All the procedures are complete. You just have to wait another week and you’ll be completely free.”
He paused for a moment before suggesting, “How about we go out for a meal? We can celebrate your escape from the sea of suffering.”
Amelia smiled faintly as she told him from the other end, “Let’s wait until the divorce is fully finalized.“%
