Amelia went quiet, like always.
Simon wouldn’t give her a say anyway.
He never cared much about how she felt.
After all these years, she was used to it.
When arguing was pointless, she just gave in.
Whether it was another task he assigned her, or just more hurt she had to carry.
“Got it,” she said simply.
Dinner was silent, awkwardly so.
Simon ate slow and proper, like usual.
He never chatted during meals—manners were everything to him.
Amelia, though, barely touched her food.
Her thoughts kept drifting.
She tried hard not to let the gossip from this morning get to her, but the sour feeling in her chest just wouldn’t go away.
After dinner, Simon’s phone rang.
She caught a glance—only one letter showed on the screen.
He picked it up without hesitation.
“What’s up?
…
Already ate …
Mm, you take care too …
Yeah, I’m hanging up.”
Amelia didn’t need to guess.
There weren’t many people who could make him talk like that—soft and patient.
Unless it was that so-called first love of his.
“Was that why you rushed off last night?” she asked casually, like it was no big deal.
“Because she’s back?”
Simon was fiddling with his spaghetti when he glanced up at Amelia.
“That’s personal.
Probably not something you should be asking about, Amelia.”
Amelia paused for a couple of seconds.
“I just wanna know if I’m about to lose this job.”
Simon looked up again, eyes cool.
“Thinking of jumping ship already?”
She gave a faint smile.
“Well, can’t exactly starve myself, can I?”
His face darkened instantly.
He stared at her, his voice low and sharp.
“Relax.
You’ll still get paid.
I’m not planning on swapping women—yet.”
That didn’t make her feel lucky.
The ache in her chest had long blurred into numbness, a dull weight she’d grown used to.
She curved her lips up.
“Much appreciated, Mr.
Johnson.”
His expression still stiff.
Amelia didn’t stick around. Get faster updates on g.com.
She turned and walked out without another word.
Once she was gone, Simon’s face stayed dark.
He grabbed a tissue before dialing his assistant.
Meanwhile, during lunch break, Amelia dropped by Olivia’s place to pick up some meds.
Prenatal vitamins, folic acid, and a few supplements.
Olivia even re-labeled all of it for her—switched it to look like regular stomach medication.
When Amelia got back to the office, the executive assistant was already waiting.
As soon as she saw Amelia, she handed her a small package.
“Miss Clarke, Mr.
Johnson asked me to give this to you.”
Amelia frowned slightly but took it.
The assistant smiled and turned to leave.
Amelia opened the package and peeked inside—it was a few stomach-warming patches, some digestive medicine, and a cup of freshly brewed herbal tea.
Her mind instantly became a mess.
To be honest, if it weren’t for the emotional baggage, Simon would make a pretty ideal fling.
Good looks, great figure, knows what he’s doing in bed, loaded, powerful—and occasionally, he could even be thoughtful.
Amelia thought, if it weren’t for the baby…
maybe she really couldn’t bring herself to walk away from him.
When Simon finally showed up, she simply said, “Thanks, Mr.
Johnson.”
He glanced at her, tone cool.
“You’re being polite today.
Not like earlier in the office when you snapped at me.”
Amelia: “…”
She paused, then quietly got in the car.
They drove off.
Amelia stared out of the window at the passing scenery, eyebrows softly knit.
“Mr.
Johnson, where are we going?”
Simon raised an eyebrow without looking at her.”
Just picking someone up before we head to the studio.
Didn’t you say you wanted to meet the new ambassador?”
Amelia went quiet.
Yeah, she did want to see the new ambassador.
But the direction the car was going made her stomach twist.
Not until the car stopped in front of a villa did that uneasy feeling fully settle in.
And the moment she recognized the place, her head started buzzing.
Vivian came bouncing out of the house like an excited kid.
Then came Simon’s voice.
“What’s the rush?
Can’t you just walk like a normal person?”
Amelia’s face went pale in an instant.
Vivian acted like she didn’t even see her, eyes only glued to Simon, soft and sweet.
“I just couldn’t wait to see you.”
Simon chuckled, his eyes softening up a bit.
“Aren’t you a bit old for this kind of energy?”
Vivian tilted her head with a playful smirk.
“Being cheerful is bad now?”
Then, she finally looked at Amelia.
“Hey, mind scooting over a bit?”
Her stomach, which had been numb all day, suddenly throbbed in sharp pain that made her heart race.
She glanced over at Simon.
He was leaning back in his seat, looking like he hadn’t noticed a thing.
Or maybe…
he noticed but just didn’t care.
He said, “Amelia, sit in the back.”
Amelia forced a smile, trying to make it look natural.
“Okay.”
She grabbed her things and stepped out of the car.
From behind came Vivian’ voice, sweet but edged, “Simon, I don’t want anyone tagging along.
Just let her take a cab, will you?”
Simon chuckled softly.
“Don’t be ridiculous.
You see any taxis around here?”
“She can wait.
One will come.”
Simon glanced at Amelia.
She pulled at the corners of her mouth in a stiff smile.
“Mr.
Johnson, I’ll grab a cab.”
Simon made a quick call, then turned back to her.
“Someone will come pick you up and take you straight to the studio.
Let her try out for the role.”
Amelia kept smiling.
“Alright.”
The car door slammed shut with a loud thud.
Her chest ached.
Like something was squeezing her heart, hard.
She just stood there, like she’d been caught in a rip current, struggling to breathe.
The bitterness in her chest burst and swallowed her whole in seconds.
No idea how long she stood like that, until Lily’ voice snapped her back.
“Boss?”
Amelia quickly came to and got in the car.
Seeing how pale she looked, Lily couldn’t help but ask, “Boss, are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Amelia replied, lips tugging into a weak smile.
She said that, then took out the prenatal medicine Olivia had prepared for her and swallowed it.
After taking the pills, Amelia leaned back and shut her eyes, trying her best to keep herself calm and composed.
She thought, maybe if Simon’s first love were anyone else, she wouldn’t feel nearly this wrecked.
But no—of all people, it had to be Vivian.
Amelia downed the whole bottle of water, yet that bitter taste in her mouth just wouldn’t go away.
…
Meanwhile, in another car—
Vivian was chattering away to Simon, mostly about her time overseas.
Simon leaned back, half listening, more like humoring her.
At least he was being somewhat patient.
She talked; he just let her go on.
Didn’t interrupt, only nodded occasionally when she seemed to expect a response.
Every now and then, he even gave her a soft smile.
It wasn’t until Vivian finally paused that he looked at her and said, low and flat:
“Vivian, you really shouldn’t have told my manager to get out of the car.”