"Wouldn't Lucian think it unusual that you and Jonny are living apart like this?" Courtney asked the
question that Amelia feared the most.
She had already made a decision regarding this. She didn't think that it was a good idea to continue
staying at Jonny's villa so she moved out. She only had thoughts about working hard for her and her
baby's future.
"We may not be living together but we're still a couple," Amelia confessed.
"Sometimes, I really don't get what goes on in your head, Amelia. To be honest, it would've been better
for you to have stayed with Jonny than live alone like this. You always surprise me by doing things first
and only telling me afterwards when the deed is done." Courtney sighed at the end of the line. She
added, "It's not wrong to choose to be independent. Look at Kent! He once promised me a bright future
together, and look at what happened? He's a father now, just like that!"
Courtney hadn't mentioned Kent in a while and Amelia thought that she had already gotten over him.
Hearing her talk about him again made Amelia realize that Courtney had only been pretending to be
strong, when in fact, her heart had clearly not forgotten him.
"Just try to look ahead, Courtney. Better things will come," said Amelia, sounding optimistic. But she did
believe in her heart that better things were in store for her friend.
Just like Courtney and Kent, she and Lucian could never go back to the way they were. Shelly dropped
by that day to make Amelia cut off all contact with Lucian. She told her flatly to stay out of their lives.
Amelia had no intention of interfering with their lives, and she had an inkling that Lucian felt the same. It
was as if their love was a treasure that they had to bury deep into the earth.
After a long chat with Courtney, Amelia sent Jonny a message to make him feel at ease.
The next morning, Amelia woke up early to get to work on time. She had been experiencing morning
sickness recently, but she felt better that day.
She felt lost in the sea of new faces during her first day at work. It was lucky that a colleague showed
her around and guided her as she started to familiarize herself with the whole morning routine.
Her name was Maggie Wang. She was thin, tall, and looked like she was in her thirties. She didn't
smile once as she showed Amelia around. She only talked about work and never showed interest in
getting to know her on a personal level.
"You're Amelia, right?" Upstairs, there was a break room and a small cafeteria for the supermarket's
staff. Every noon, the employees were given an hour for lunch and in order to save money, Amelia
chose to eat at the cafeteria. Maggie took the seat opposite hers and smiled at her for the first time.
Amelia relaxed after seeing Maggie's friendly expression. Returning her smile, she replied, "Yes! Thank
you for walking me through the whole work routine earlier."
Maggie said it was nothing and continued warmly, "You look like you're the smartest among everyone
here. You'll save me a lot of trouble."
"Really?" The compliment made Amelia blush. She looked around the cafeteria and realized that there
was only the two of them in the room. She asked, "There are twenty people manning this supermarket,
right? Why are we the only ones having lunch here?"
Amelia was still feeling shy around Maggie.
"I asked the same question when I started working here because I would always eat alone," Maggie
answered, "The rest of the staff live around the neighborhood, so they go home for lunch every day."
"I see," Amelia replied meekly.
"I'll call you Amelia. I'm older than you but you can call me Maggie," the woman said.
The way she laughed and talked immediately changed Amelia's impression of Maggie.
She didn't smile at all when she was showing Amelia around the supermarket stations. Their other
colleagues also seemed scared of her because of her standoffish behavior. But conversing with her
then, Amelia found her very friendly and approachable.
"Okay, Maggie," Amelia mentioned her name with a smile.
"You must be wondering why I wasn't this friendly earlier when I was showing you around," Maggie
casually mentioned in between mouthfuls, guessing Amelia's thoughts correctly.
Amelia's face turned red. With an awkward smile, she denied, "Oh, no. It's just that I've always been
meticulous at work. I'm just worried that I won't do a good job."
Confidence had never really been one of Amelia's strong points.
"Well, you're new here so it's normal for you to think that way. I've been in your place before and I
completely understand. But if you have any questions about the work here, you can always just ask
me," Maggie said after draining her bottle of water.
Amelia counted herself lucky for finding someone like Maggie at work. Her gratitude for her kindness
made Amelia less nervous and more comfortable.
After work, Amelia bought some vegetables and fruits from the supermarket. She wanted to cook
dinner for Mrs. Chen once she'd arrived home.
She was a few steps away from her rented house when she saw a tall, familiar figure that made her
shudder.
That silhouette... She couldn't be mistaken. It had to be Lucian.
That figure was so embedded in her memory, she knew she would recognize him even with a passing
glance. Seeing him standing there stirred up old memories.
Mrs. Chen's home was small and cozy. It was a bit different from the other houses in that neighborhood
but it was definitely a sight to behold.
Vines and shrubs adorned the front gate and the patch of yard. Colorful flowers would bloom during
April, but the ancient trees remained emerald green all year round. The walls of the residence were
made with blue bricks. The house looked bright yet beautiful in its serenity.
Lucian noticed her from a distance. He gave her a long lingering look before walking up to meet her.
Amelia saw nothing but coldness in his eyes.
She could tell that Lucian bore a grudge against her.
"You must be wondering why I'm here," Lucian said coldly once he reached her.
Amelia had indeed been surprised to see him. But she also knew that Lucian had a wide range of
contacts so it wouldn't be difficult for him to learn her whereabouts if he wanted to.
When Zhan Group was in crisis, Lucian had been distracted by the company's problems, affording her
the chance to leave and lie low. She had evaded his pursuit by staying indoors for days.
"How can I help you, Mr. Lucian?" Amelia said, trying her best to appear calm.
The man in front of her stood in a perfectly tailored suit that only made him look taller and more
dignified.
Amelia thought he looked even more handsome. She had always found him irresistible whenever he
wore a suit.
She looked at him with admiration but took great efforts to hide her feelings.
"Can you really help me, Amelia?" Lucian mocked. Everything about him was cold, from his eyes to his
voice.
Amelia opened her mouth to speak but couldn't think of anything to reply.
She didn't want to invite him in to chat so she merely stood there, trying to mask her embarrassment.
No one spoke anything for a few minutes. They just stood still, looking at each other.
They hadn't seen each other for days. Amelia had always been thin but it seemed to Lucian that she
had lost more weight. Her face looked tired and gaunt. The bright eyes he had always admired looked
sunk and sleepless.
"Hasn't Jonny been treating you well?" Lucian's words were sharp. Mentioning Jonny's name hurt him,
but he couldn't suppress his feelings anymore.
Amelia was stunned by the question but hid her emotions with a smile. She replied, "Why should you
care if he treats me well or not?"
Her tone was casual but her words were scathing. This enraged Lucian.
Hearing her sarcastic response broke his heart. He felt as if the woman in front of him was no longer
the same woman he loved. The shy and gentle Amelia that she knew had long gone.
The cruel smile on Amelia's face disappeared. She couldn't tell if her answer made Lucian feel insulted.
Seeing his serious expression, she couldn't find it in herself to relax.
His question backfired on him.
"If you're so happy with him, why do you work in a supermarket?" Lucian said with a frown. He felt sorry
for her.
Despite of how badly she treated him, Lucian still cared and worried for Amelia.
Amelia felt panic in the pit of her stomach. She didn't consider that Lucian was this well-informed. She
just got the job yesterday after her short interview and she only started work this morning.
"Is it so wrong for me to be working?" She wanted him to stop asking questions about her life. She
didn't wish to involve him in her decisions anymore.
"Amelia, we used to be a couple so I couldn't help but care. Even if I don't want to, I still worry about
you!" His tone was indifferent but his words betrayed his honest feelings.
Amelia was caught off guard by his passionate declaration. Her pretend calmness was beginning to
fade, leaving her thoughts in turmoil. She was losing control over her emotions.
"Mr. Lucian, I don't want to see you again. If you value our relationship before, please stay out of my
life," she pleaded.
Gloom fell over Lucian's face. He only looked at her in silence. He didn't withdraw his gaze until he saw
that Amelia was starting to look anxious and fearful.
"Even smart people make stupid decisions, Amelia, especially when they insist on doing things by
themselves," Lucian said flatly.
Amelia trembled in fear. She looked at him and asked in disbelief, "What do you know?"
Did he know why she moved out of Jonny's place?
"Are you scared?" Lucian bent down and stared her in the eyes. His look was electric and Amelia
couldn't muster the courage to look away. She was being drawn in, lost in his gaze.
Amelia's heart was beating louder and faster. She was sweating out of nervousness. But she reminded
herself that she couldn't tell him the truth. Even if Lucian knew about the baby, she had to deny
everything.
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